Pelham Mayor and Trustee Breskin Exploring Retail/Apartment Downtown Development

Pelham Village Mayor Ed Hotchkiss and Trustee Greg Breskin are exploring the idea of selling village property to a developer for a retail/apartment complex in exchange for village parking and possibly a new fire house.
The village property that would be sold would be the metered parking lot on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Third Street, the adjoining two level permit parking lot on Fourth Avenue and possibly the firehouse at 219 Fifth Avenue with its adjoining parking lot.
“This is a concept that would be a huge positive for the Village,” Trustee Breskin said at the Village Board’s Dec. 1 meeting. “But for now it is only an idea.”
He said such a retail/apartment project would give the Village of Pelham “up front cash” and add to the tax base—two factors that could curb future tax increases.
Retail on Ground Floor, Apartments Above
The idea is to have retail stores at ground level and apartments above with the new building that could go to the maximum zoning height level. The two level parking deck could have one or more additional levels to replace the 200+ parking places the village now has in the parking lots that would be sold. There would also have to be additional parking for the apartments and new retail stores.
“This could significantly broaden the tax base for the Village, something that is sorely needed,” Mayor Hotchkiss said. “It would also materially help the merchants, dramatically improve the appearance of the downtown, and probably give the Village a critical mass to become an attractive destination for shopping and dining.”
However, the mayor emphasized that any living quarters would have to appeal to singles, young couples and empty nesters in order not to significantly increase the school population. “This project is consistent with our Master Plan to appropriately increase density in the commercial areas,” the mayor added.
Public Hearings, Review by Village Boards Required
Mayor Hotchkiss stressed that even if the Village negotiates a land sale deal with a developer, the project would have to conform to all village zoning codes. It would also still be subject to review by the Village Planning Board, Architectural Review Board and the Board of Trustees and public hearings.
As part of their research, Mayor Hotchkiss and Trustee Breskin have been discussing the proposed project with developers and demolition companies to judge the value of the land. Public safety issues are also being discussed with Pelham police.
The next step is for the Village Board to discuss a Request for Proposal that would define the development concept. The idea of a new fire house could be an alternative in the proposal if not a requirement of the proposal. The Village Board’s discussion of this is expected at the next Village Board meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 7:30pm at Village Hall, 195 Sparks Avenue.
Developing Greenspace Off Young
At the Dec. 1 meeting, Mayor Hotchkiss also said that he is exploring with developers the possibility of the Village of Pelham selling part of the greenspace that formerly was the Boston Westchester Railroad for construction of four or five one-family homes.
“One arrangement that has been explored is selling some of the land to a developer partially in consideration for remediating the land, removing the Highbrook Bridge, and putting a road connecting Young Ave and ‘Little’ Young, but dead-ending it at Lincoln,” the mayor said. “In this scenario, the flat space east of Young Avenue would remain open and at least four homes could be built on the west side.”
Separately, Village Trustee Laura Morris and a task force is working on a report of advantages and disadvantages of different options for the greenspace. These options include leaving it as it is (no use, no remediation), developing the open space east of Young Avenue, or developing the whole area which runs from Storer to Pell Place. Such development might be as parkland and/or construction of new houses.

This is part of the December 4, 2009 online edition of The Pelham Weekly.

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