Residents Question Proposed Palmer Avenue Apartments

by Judy Silberstein

(November 9, 2006) A 54-unit, two-building apartment development proposed for a site behind Palmer Avenue near the intersection with Pine Brook Drive received its first public hearing before Larchmont’s Planning Board on Monday, November 6. Following a presentation from the builder, Richard Esposito, a number of residents weighed in with questions and objections relating to the project’s height and its impact on traffic, parking and noise.

Though this was the first time the public was invited to comment, the development has been at the Planning Commission numerous times. (See: 2 New Apartment Buildings & A Bank Proposed for Larchmont.)The Zoning Board is also considering the development, since numerous variances are being requested relating to the size of setbacks, shape of the plot, overall height of the buildings and other elements.

An artist's concept of the proposed apartments reflects the design presented in 2005.

Among the issues holding back the project, until recently, was a dispute between a neighbor and the current owner of the property, Collins Brothers. That was resolved when Esposito Builders agreed to contribute an easement for 10 parking spaces to the neighbor, Rob Lanza, the owner of the building at 2097 Palmer, location of Greenhouse Hair Design.

Mr. Lanza was at the Monday meeting to support the project. “To get rid of those [Collins Brothers moving] trucks would be a blessing,” he said. He was not concerned with traffic from the apartments. “We’ve always had traffic,” he said, recalling that there had been much more traffic when the nearby shopping center contained a grocery store. He was among the owners of nearby commercial properties who submitted letters of support for the project to the Planning Board.

Mr. Esposito pointed out that the development would provide two parking spaces per unit, more than was being required for the Madison Avenue apartments that were recently approved by the Town of Mamaroneck. (See: FCD Apartmenet Gets Board Approval.) He will also be reserving five of the 54 units for moderate income tenants. “This is a contribution we’re making – we’ve not been requested -- to a community that has no units at this time,” said the builder. He has already received positive comment from a Larchmont police officer wanting to rent one of the units.

Owners of nearby residential properties in attendance at the meeting were far less supportive.

Judy O’Gorman, a member of the Village Board in the 1990’s when the property was being considered for affordable housing by Westchester County, said she was not necessarily opposed to the Esposito project. However, she cautioned that county planners “did not feel that the area was appropriate for human habitation.”

Carolyn John, a resident of nearby Coolidge Street, questioned the adequacy of traffic studies conducted so far. She asked whether they considered the impact of the new Marshall’s store on Palmer Avenue in New Rochelle or the future Madison Avenue apartments in Mamaroneck.

She presented the Planning Board with a petition “strongly opposing” the development and signed by 93 residents from the nearby Pine Brook neighborhood and other parts of Larchmont. “We will continue to get signatures,” she said.

Mr. Esposito said his study, which did not project a negative impact on traffic conditions from his apartments, did include effects of the Marshall’s and of the Commerce Bank that will be constructed on Chatsworth Avenue a few blocks away. However, results of that study will probably get further review once the Village of Larchmont hires a new engineering consultant for the task.

“I don’t need a traffic study,” said Maureen Morris,” who lives on Palmer Avenue. “I can’t even park in front of my own house,” she added. “If you take a survey of the people, you’ll know that they don’t want any more traffic on Palmer.”

Laura Sprenglemeyer from Coolidge Street was particularly concerned about the visual effect of a four-story building. The Zoning Board had asked the developer to float helium balloons where the tops of the buildings would rise. Ms. Sprenglemeyer said she could see the balloons from her kitchen window. “The balloons were towering over the buildings,” she said.

Height of Building 1: Existing buildings are shown in purple or tan in front of the apartment buildings proposed for North Avenue. (For reference, the purple building at left is 2097 Palmer Avenue, Greenhouse Hair Design. ) Drawings courtesy of Gemmola & McWIlliams, architects for Esposito Builders.

Mr. Esposito responded by showing photographs of existing apartments on Palmer Avenue that ranged from three to six stories. He also displayed drawings (above and below) showing how high the proposed apartments would be relative to the buildings in front of them.

Height of Building Two: The second building is closer to the center of Larchmont's business district.

Jay Fisher from Pine Brook Drive asked about potential effects on water drainage. His questions were answered by Mr. Esposito’s engineering consultant who explained that the project conforms to Village of Larchmont requirements to reduce the peak run-off rate by 20%. During a storm, water would collect under the building, where it would be filtered and released, at a reduced rate, into the storm water system.

Gerald Schiff, another Coolidge resident, expressed skepticism about a 10-foot wooden fence meant to block the apartments and its neighbors from noise emanating from I-95 and the Metro-North train tracks. “The so-called Chinese wall will send sound way up to Iselin Terrace – it does absolutely nothing,” he said. He and others questioned whether the fence would compensate for a large outcropping of rock that now blocks noise but would be removed as part of the project. Ms. John asked whether more effective sound barriers had been considered, such as a hedge of evergreens that would absorb noise.

Mr. Esposito had noted earlier that the project would reduce noise below current levels. The buildings “would far exceed” the effects of the rock cropping in blocking noise from the highway and train tracks. However, Ralph Engel, a member of the Planning Board said “noise abatement between the buildings is still an open item. We know the fence does nothing.” He was open to the idea of planting evergreens.

What’s Next?

The session ended with an adjournment of the public hearing. Mr. Esposito will be returning with further documentation requested by the Planning Board, and there will be further review of the traffic study. In addition, there will be review by the Zoning Board of Mr. Esposito’s requests for variances. Residents will have at least one more set of hearings in December before each board to make their views known.

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