Village Trustees Consider Code Changes to Ease Application Process for Prospective Businesses in Town
By Carol P. Bartold, Senior Reporter
May 17, 2017: Faced with the goal of maintaining a vibrant and profitable downtown business district while a significant number of storefronts stand empty, the Bronxville Board of Trustees held a work session on Thursday, May 11, to discuss zoning issues and possible revisions to the village's zoning code that would streamline the business application procedure. Trustees, along with village administrator Jim Palmer, met with village attorney James Staudt.
The overall shift in businesses from retail to restaurants and service providers has brought to light several impediments businesses face when applying to open an establishment in the village.
"We lose prospective businesses," Mayor Mary Marvin said, "with an application procedure that requires them to go from the planning board to the zoning board of appeals and then back to the planning board."
Marvin also questioned the wisdom of requiring applicants to deposit $5,000 in an escrow account to fund a parking study as part of each application. Restaurant and service business applicants have faced difficulty in meeting the increased parking space requirements detailed in the village code.
The village code stipulates that businesses provide on-site parking, which, per James Staudt, amounts to a "fiction."
"How do we ask a business to prove that they can provide a certain number of spaces?" Deputy Mayor Robert Underhill asked. "The parking is 'out there,' and how does a business lay claim to specific spaces?"
James Staudt pointed out that Phillips Preiss Grygiel, LLC, the planning and real estate consultants the village hired several years ago, has recommended that the village code relax parking requirements. Staudt stated that other communities faced with similar and even higher commercial vacancies have modified codes to require the same number of spaces, no matter what type of business.
Mayor Marvin added that other municipalities require businesses to purchase permits for off-street parking or have created parking districts, essentially a permit system that all businesses pay into. The board of trustees will continue to discuss parking issues and examine possible solutions.
Pictured here: Village trustees at May 11 work session.
Photo by Carol P. 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
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