Residents are weighing in both for and against the Rye Arts Center’s request for a zoning change that would allow the center to expand operations onto donated property next door to its longtime home at 51 Milton Road.
Arts Center leaders said they had expected some criticism and are open to adapting preliminary plans to construct a second building on a two-acre property at 25 Milton Road.
The debate between boosters and critics is visible in the section of the city’s website dedicated to the RAC expansion proposal.
Neighbors and some members of the Planning Commission have voiced objections.
The first major digital salvo was fired in early February when a lengthy letter of opposition was sent to city leaders by a board representing owners of the 131 households at the Blind Brook Lodge condominium complex, which sits across the street from the arts center.
“We believe that the Rye Arts Center’s proposed expansion will cause adverse impacts to the Rye community as a whole and that the proposed zoning change to convert 25 Milton Road into an Arts Center should not be approved unless substantial restrictions are put in place to prevent negative consequences for the community at large,” they wrote.
The Blind Brook Lodge owners voiced concerns about increased traffic on Milton Road, pedestrian safety, environmental impact (much of 25 Milton Road contains wetlands), inadequate parking, the impact on property values, and the arts center’s ability to support the expanded facilities.
A dozen more such critical letters were submitted over the next 10 days with fiery language such as “It’s not safe nor does it fit in” and “I’m firmly against the expansion for safety reasons.”
The issue before the City Council is whether to change the zoning code to allow an arts center facility in the type of residential district where 25 Milton Road is located. No plan has been submitted for an arts center campus.
When the arts center submitted its zoning change proposal, it did share what Executive Director Adam Levi characterized as “highly conceptual” drawings of a modern building with parking facing Milton Road. Those images generated alarm from some Rye residents, including one who commented on the city website: “Building should be more in keeping with the ‘hood.’”
The arts center does not intend to complete an actual design until the necessary zoning amendment is passed, and that design will incorporate community feedback, Levi said.
In late February, members of the arts center board and others declared support for the project on the city website. Among more than a dozen public comments were: “A great and necessary enhancement to the Rye community,” “Support this incredible and transformative for Rye” and “Great communities thrive with ample access to the arts.”
The center created an area on its own website describing the project and the process for winning approval. “The Rye Arts Center is refining its vision for this property and actively engaging with community members to ensure that it brings the same level of value and integrity to Rye that the RAC has brought to the area since 1960,” the arts center website states.
Before taking further action on the proposed zoning amendment, the City Council is waiting to receive an advisory opinion from the Planning Commission. At their Feb. 25 meeting, commission members reviewed and discussed a preliminary analysis of issues related to the proposed zoning change that was prepared by City Planner Christian Miller.
Having received input from commission members, Miller was asked to provide them with an updated memo to review at their next meeting on March 11.
