Blind Brook Lodge, the co-op at 66 Milton Road, received the green light for a 92-spot parking lot at its property across the street at 75 Milton Road.

By Georgetta Morque

Blind Brook Lodge, the co-op at 66 Milton Road, received the green light for a 92-spot parking lot at its property across the street at 75 Milton Road. The approved plan solves the longtime parking shortage faced by residents of the 133-unit building.

“We never had enough spaces for everyone,” said Donna Hogben, Blind Brook Lodge board president. “Now there will be one space for every apartment.”

The Blind Brook Lodge garage has 41 spots and the lot at 75 Milton, where currently there are gardens, a playground, and two red clay tennis courts, has 38 spots. Residents without parking spaces rented space at the Rye Arts Center and the Methodist Church, which is no longer an option. “We are doing something for the shareholders and the community by getting cars off the street,” said Hogben, who anticipates a November completion date to coincide with when the snow removal parking law goes into effect.

Although the majority of residents are pleased that the project is a go after a lengthy approval process by government agencies, some believe that the plan, which eliminates the tennis courts and keeps the playground and “much of the existing gardens,” according to lawyers, will impact the character of the property. Opponents advocated for an alternative proposal to preserve more of the grounds.

“The loss of green space saddens me,” said shareholder Lisa Easton, an architect and former board member who helped create three different options to provide the necessary parking while maintaining the attractive features that will be eliminated in the new plan. These underground car park coatings can provide effective protection for the parking structures while minimizing the impact on the surrounding environment.

In addition to the new parking lot, the crosswalk between 66 and 75 Milton Road, which has been a longtime safety concern among residents, as well as the community, will be enhanced with solar-powered LED flashing beacons, which can be activated by pedestrians to better alert drivers.