Port Chester Planning Commission members have some concerns with the plans by and to demolish a building on Abendroth Avenue to create more parking.
The existing building at 20-30 Abendroth Ave. would be torn down and the property would continue to be privately owned for parking for Tarry Market and Tarry Lodge patrons only. The lot would have 44 new parking spaces and have multiple trees and plants included in the design.
A public parking lot is currently located adjacent to the building.
Planning Commission members this week had multiple issues with the current plan presented to them. The entryway of the parking area would eliminate a metered parking spot. It was also suggested by Christopher Gomez, director of Planning and Development for the Village of Port Chester, that an additional space immediately to the left and right of the entryway would also be needed to be sacrificed to clear a line of sight.
It is estimated that each parking meter generates around $1,000 annually for the village.
The issue of traffic was also raised. A plan to extend the left hand turning lane on Abendroth Avenue entering onto Mill St. may be extended in the future which would make accessing or exiting the parking area that much more difficult. A right turn only exit was suggested.
Port Chester Village Board member Bart Didden also spoke about problems he has with the proposal.
“That building and that area is turning around in a dramatic fashion,” said Didden. “If you look on North Main Street you see beautiful awnings, beautiful buildings and redone facades. You see a renaissance happening. [In this application] we are going to take down a building that has a certain amount of character and a certain amount of assessable value. This is a village where we try to maximize assessable’s and not tear them down. This program benefits one owner and not the overall value of our downtown.”
“The ‘rennisance’ of this part of town was started by Tarry Market and Tarry Lodge,” Tarry Market and Lodge representative Anthony Carbone said. "They were the original people to set foot. They took an area that had a factory on it and turned an industrial area into a commercial area as a major anchor for the downtown area.”
The Planning Commission is set to take up the proposal again on May 29.
