P’ville Ponders Fewer Parking Spaces, Smaller Sidewalk for Mixed-Use Project
The proposed redevelopment plans for the former Chase Bank building at 444 Bedford Rd. in Pleasantville now include changes resulting in less parking and the narrowing of the sidewalk on the Wheeler Avenue side.
Pleasantville Building Inspector Robert Hughes requested the Village Board approve the removal of four parking spaces along the curb on Wheeler Avenue and the reduction of the width of the sidewalk from 11 feet to five feet. Currently, the 11-foot-wide sidewalk extends from the corner of Bedford Road and Wheeler Avenue to just before the Clinton Street Senior Center, where it narrows to five feet.
Hughes explained that the development, which would include 36 residential units, would have a two-level garage with an entrance and exit on both Bedford Road and Wheeler Avenue.
“There is a need on that side of Wheeler to potentially adjust some of the parking spaces,” Hughes told the Village Board at its Dec. 9 meeting.
He noted that the line of sight for motorists who would be exiting the proposed garage on Wheeler would be very limited if the sidewalk wasn’t narrowed.
“The parking spaces will all shift over to gain another five to six feet (of) aisle width to the two lanes so cars can pass,” Hughes explained. “The current width of Wheeler makes it very difficult for two cars to pass one another with parking on both sides.”
Since the village owns the sidewalk and street, Village Board approval is needed to make those changes.
Reducing the number of parking spaces and the width of the sidewalk would allow for a planned 60-foot loading area, a 24-foot drop-off area and three new parking spaces outside the former bank building. There will be five new parking spaces across the street near Lucy’s.
If the project is approved, Wheeler Avenue would be repaved and restriped and parking meters would be installed for the newly-created spaces.
“The idea of eliminating spaces on this side has come up at various times over many years because it is so narrow,” Mayor Peter Scherer said. “With more vibrant activity at Lucy’s and the increased activity associated with the building it seems like this makes a lot of sense.”
Also weighing in on the proposed street change was Pleasantville Superintendent of Public Works Anthony Carr, who agreed with the concept of narrowing the sidewalk to five feet.
“There’s not enough pedestrian volume for an 11-foot sidewalk,” Carr said. “The DPW has no objection to the proposal. This is an opportunity to fix Wheeler Avenue by including the repaving, new curbs and sidewalks. It will improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety.”
The proposed development, called The Landmark at 444, will include 18 one-bedroom and 18 two-bedroom apartments, four of which would be affordable housing. New residential buildings would be built on the building’s existing parking lot on Bedford Road. A commercial space would occupy the bank building on the ground floor, preserving the iconic 1906 First National Bank architectural features.
A public hearing on the project is expected to be held early next year.
Abby is a local journalist who has reported on breaking news for more than 20 years. She currently covers community issues in The Examiner as a full-time reporter and has written for the paper since its inception in 2007. Read more from Abby’s editor-author bio here. Read Abbys’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/ab-lub2019/
