Local Residents Voice, Again, Safety Concerns about 100 Pondfield Road Development
By Carol P. Bartold
Feb. 17, 2016: A postponed appearance by Pondfield Court LLC, developers of a proposed 11-residential-condominium conversion of the former Manhattan Storage building at 100 Pondfield Road, precluded the Bronxville Planning Board from taking any action on the application at its February 10 meeting.
The board issued a conditioned negative declaration relative to the application at its July 2015 meeting. According to Eric Blessing, planning board chairman, Pondfield Court is still seeking to address and satisfy certain conditions of that negative declaration.
The board did, however, hear public comments about the project. Village resident Peter McSherry told the board that the project appears dangerous and would be bad for the community. He said that, although he has read about warning systems designed to alert pedestrians on Pondfield Road to cars entering and exiting the site, "I don't think 8-to-17-year-old kids are going to see that." He noted that, especially at lunch hour, a large number of Bronxville School students use the sidewalk that crosses the easement to the 100 Pondfield Road property.
Ellie Urstadt, longtime Bronxville resident, stated that, although the consensus seems to be that the empty building has not had a negative effect on village property values, the proposed development would be dangerous for the village in terms of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
"This access crosses a sidewalk that has heavy pedestrian traffic," Urstadt said. "I can't imagine that children are going to be stopped by some light coming from that alleyway. I don't think you realize how strongly those kids possess that sidewalk at lunchtime or after school."
Corwin ("Corky") Frost, in an email message Urstadt read to the board, stated that, in his opinion, the 100 Pondfield Road site is not appropriate for any residential or commercial development because of the access issue. An easement from Pondfield Road, approximately 15 feet wide, provides the only ingress and egress for the building.
Frost added that, because the 100 block of Pondfield Road experiences several hours of vehicular congestion on the street and a significant number of pedestrians using the sidewalk throughout the day, he has come to the "conclusion that only some form of public use is viable for that site."
Urstadt urged the board not to approve the application. "It's really asking for trouble," she said. "It would be much better to turn it down and let us all take the consequences than to keep pursuing it."
The Pondfield Court LLC application is continued while the developer works to satisfy the conditioned negative declaration. The planning board will meet on Wednesday, March 9, at 7:20 pm in the trustees room at Bronxville Village Hall.
Pictured here: Road entrance to proposed development at 100 Pondfield Road.
Photo by A. Warner
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
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