A temporary committee that will advise the City Council on development policies for Rye’s Central Business District was unanimously established Wednesday.
The group – comprised of two members from each of the city land use boards as well as the Landmarks Advisory Committee – is tasked with submitting its recommendations to the council by May 30. Establishment of the Rye Central Business District Development Review Committee is the latest effort by the council to consider zoning changes that would “ensure that future development complements and enhances the existing desirable character and charm” of the area, as outlined in the resolution formalizing the committee.
The city’s Central Business District consists primarily of portions of Purchase Street, Purdy Avenue, and Elm Street.
In January, the City Council floated the idea of a temporary moratorium on downtown development, but the idea was scrapped after it generated substantial pushback from developers and leaders of the city’s land use boards.
Large developments in Harrison and Port Chester, and the approval of two three-story mixed-use buildings on Purdy Avenue in Rye, have raised concerns that the city’s current zoning code does not adequately address large-scale projects.
During the council’s Feb. 26 discussion of the committee’s formation, Councilman Josh Nathan – the Democratic candidate for mayor – proposed, successfully, adding consideration of “usage issues” to “aesthetics” in the resolution establishing the committee. Nathan said it was important for the working group’s mandate “to be flexible enough to consider pertinent issues as they come up.”
Councilman Bill Henderson, a Republican, cautioned for the committee’s scope to be more narrowly defined, however, to ensure it can expeditiously study the issue and report its findings.
