TOM Approves Extra Floor for Forest City Apartments

by Joan R. Simon

(June 22, 2006) It wasn’t until midnight on June 21 that the Town of Mamaroneck Board unanimously approved an amendment to the zoning code that would permit the Forest City apartment complex to add an 8th story to their proposed apartment building on Madison Avenue next to I-95. (See: Forest City Asks for Extra Story on Madison Ave. Project.) The Planning Board had recommended approval at their meeting the previous evening.

The zoning change will permit the building to go up an additional 12 feet to a height of 87 feet. The added story will raise the number of apartments from 135 to 139, below the 159 units that were approved in 2005 and the 186 units that were originally proposed. The number of apartment units was decreased to 135 in August, 2005, coinciding with Forest City’s decision to change the complex from a rental building to condominiums.

The vote came after nearly 20 local residents spoke against the Forest City project, largely focusing on issues of parking and traffic, rather than the extra height of the building. Many of the arguments were similar to ones aired at the hearing in May, 2005, when the 159-unit rental project was approved by the Board. (See: Town Board Gives OK to Forest City Zoning.)

Andrew Tung of the engineering and design firm Divney Tung Schwalbe presented several drawings of the higher building, showing how it would look from various directions. He noted that because other high-rise buildings in the area are situated on higher ground, the Forest City complex would “still be in scale with the character of the area.”

An 8-story apartment (second from left) is compared to other area buildings, in an illustration from Divney Tung Schwalbe. Click for larger picture.

Parking Concerns

The lack of parking spaces in the area dominated the discussion, with many local apartment dwellers fearful that additional residents in the area would mean more competition for scarce street parking.

Mr. Tung explained that the Forest City apartment building would include a three-level underground parking garage with 246 spaces for its residents (or 1.77 spaces per unit, a higher ratio than any other apartment building in the Town). There would also be 13 spaces for visitors and 8 for local retail employees. In response to the concern that 13 spaces was not adequate, Mr. Tung said that during the day the building concierge would be able to utilize unoccupied garage spaces for visitors and during the evening, the employee spaces would be free.

When presenting its proposed change from a rental to a condominium building last summer, Forest City agreed to build a deck over Parking Lot #3 on Myrtle Boulevard, just below the intersection with North Chatsworth. The deck will add 46 parking spaces to the lot, which is currently a permit-only parking area with a reported 5 to 6 year waiting list. The Town will have final approval of the deck’s design before it is implemented. An earlier agreement called for Mamaroneck Town to handle the design, construction and financing of the project, with financial support from Forest City.

Traffic Safety

Traffic was the other major concern of the residents who spoke. Lisa Young, a resident of 14 N. Chatsworth, pointed out that it is almost impossible to enter and exit Parking Lot #3 at busy times of the day and that more traffic will only make the situation worse. Donald Tedesco of 16 N. Chatsworth, complained about the intersection at North Chatsworth and Myrtle Blvd., saying: “The traffic there is, in a word, a nightmare.” The new development, he continued, “will add more cars which will make it even more treacherous in that area.”

Supervisor Valerie O’Keeffe said that the Town had been working with New York State to fund a state-of-the-art traffic signal system that would improve the safety and flow of traffic at the intersection. A push-button walk signal would stop all traffic in the intersection, allowing for safer pedestrian crossing; new street sensors would adjust the timing of the lights, streamlining the flow of traffic. (See: Traffic Improvement Project.)

Other concerns that were raised included water run-off, adequate police and other municipal services, and potential school overcrowding. Supervisor O’Keeffe pointed out that all of these issues, and many others, were addressed in the DEIS and the FEIS, which were available at the meeting (see: a summary of the FEIS provided by Divney Tung Schwalbe). Trustee Nancy Seligson explained that the water quality might actually improve, with a decrease of impermeable surfaces and a filter system at the site to catch run-off.

Supervisor O’Keeffe announced that the board was about to embark on a review of the entire parking situation in the North Chatsworth/Washington Square area and would “take concrete steps to mitigate the parking problem in the area.” She mentioned various possible remedies, such as issuing stickers for resident-only parking on some streets and expanding the locations where overnight street parking is permitted.

Several times during the evening, Supervisor O’Keeffe commented, “we’re balancing,” as she explained that the town was trying to weigh the needs of the entire community in going forward with the Forest City apartment building.

Supervisor O’Keeffe thanked the participants for raising several pertinent issues that need be reviewed before the process could go forward. They included:

• Changing some of the one-bedroom units among the nine affordable, “work force” apartments to two-bedroom units; currently seven of the nine apartments are single bedroom;
  
  
• Consulting with the fire department to determine whether their ladders can reach an 8-story building; and reviewing all of the fire safety measures being installed in the complex;
  
  
• Evaluating the entrance and exit locations to Parking Lot # 3 when the deck is added; and ensuring the façade is in harmony with the buildings in the area;
  
  
• Discovering why the spaces in the parking deck were reduced from 70 to 46 and, if possible, raising that number.

The next step in the approval process will require Forest City to submit an application for a special permit that incorporates the changes they are planning. At the same time, the Town Board asked for drawings of the proposed parking deck so that the design review process can proceed.

Upcoming Meetings

• Wednesday, July 5, 8:15 pm -- review of Forest City’s application for a special permit
  
  
• Wednesday, July 12, 8:15 pm – regularly scheduled meeting of the Town Board

Front Page

Print This Page
Email this page