Amendments to Village Code Seek to Streamline Process of Establishing Businesses in Bronxville
By Carol P. Bartold, Senior Reporter
Jan. 10, 2018: The Bronxville Board of Trustees began the new year by passing five local laws to amend the village code. The third in a series of changes to the village code, most of the changes pertain to the downtown business district.
“We have worked with our landlords, property owners, tenants, the chamber of commerce, and more to help our business district remain vital and busy and filled with stores,” said Mayor Mary Marvin.
The amendments to the code now allow a retail store to offer a service component as well as sell merchandise, rather than limit an establishment to providing one or the other.
The code will also give the planning board the authority to relax the code section prohibiting two carryout food restaurants to operate within 100 feet of each other. Under the code amendment, the planning board can waive the restriction that requires a zoning variance for two such businesses to operate in proximity. “It eliminates the zoning layer,” noted Village Attorney James Staudt, “and makes the process much simpler.”
Mindy Schmidt, senior property manager at Mosbacher Properties Group, questioned the wisdom of allowing similar business to establish outlets close to each other. “We try very hard not to allow our tenants to duplicate themselves,” she said. “Allowing too many of the same type of restaurants would not be helpful for them all to succeed.”
The trustees also addressed parking issues so that parking requirements for retail stores and restaurants are the same. Previously, in order to convert a retail space into a restaurant, the applicant had to seek a variance to provide a higher number of parking spaces.
Gerry Houlihan of Houlihan & O’Malley Real Estate expressed concern about the need for more restaurants in Bronxville. “My concern is that the restaurant industry is not the same as retail,” he stated. Citing a saturation of restaurants in Westchester County and across the United States, he said that the village does not need more restaurants. “We do not have parking for more restaurants,” he added.
An applicant seeking to change the use of a space from one permitted use to another, for example, the conversion of a retail space to an office, will no longer be required to present a new site plan for the conversion.
Jon Gordon, president and CEO of Admiral Real Estate Services, commended the board of trustees for passing the local laws. “It will help us fill the downtown stores with uses that will prime the pump to keep existing soft-goods retailers in business,” he said. He characterized the code amendments as giving Bronxville an edge in attracting dynamic tenants to the downtown business district.
The final local law passed by the board of trustees amends the section of the village code pertaining to revising and adopting a comprehensive plan and, when desired, seeking advice from the planning board. Mayor Marvin stated that, in the comprehensive plan revision currently under consideration, the board of trustees will address issues pertinent to residential as well as commercial areas in the village.
Pictured here (L to R): Trustee Anne W. Poorman, Mayor Mary Marvin, Deputy Mayor Robert Underhill, and Village Administrator Jim Palmer.
Photo by C. Bartold
Government & History Directory
Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
Link to Village of Bronxville One Square Mile Monthly Newsletter
Village of Bronxville Administrative Offices
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Bronxville Police Department
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Bronxville Fire Deparment
793-6400
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