Planned Cortlandt Shopping Center on Rt. 6 Drops in Size
The size of a new shopping center proposed across from the Cortlandt Town Center has been reduced, along with the number of planned parking spaces.
An updated site plan for Cortlandt Crossing presented to the Cortlandt Planning Board earlier this month showed retail space totaling 130,000 square feet, which is smaller than the 170,000-square-foot building first sought. The amount of parking has also dropped from 756 spaces to 619.
Still proposed are three separate commercial buildings in the front of the 36-acre property for a 13,500-square-foot retailer, an 8,420-square-foot restaurant and a 3,500-square-foot bank.
Acadia Realty, owners of the Cortlandt Town Center, is seeking the rezoning of seven residential acres to commercial on the property to make room for the large retail building from the Town Board. It will also need a zoning variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals for 74 parking spaces.
Despite the changes, resident Tony Czarnezki feels the project is all wrong for Cortlandt and called on town officials to impose a moratorium on any further commercial development along Route 6.
“Cortlandt Crossing was a bad idea in January. It remains a bad idea in June,” he remarked. “Don’t condemn town residents to a permanent state of traffic gridlock. A few less parking spaces and some plantings does not alleviate the folly of this plan.”
Town Planning Director Chris Kehoe said a subcommittee has been formed to study traffic and other issues along Route 6, while Planning Board member Bob Foley said he supported the changes made to the site plan.
“I think the planned improvements along Route 6 are much better than what they’ve showed us,” he said. “There’s some progress there.”
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