Revised Regulations Could Clear the Way for New Restaurants

Can downtown Scarsdale attract more restaurants and nightlife? Scarsdale10583 received an enthusiastic response to a letter about the subject written by Julie Rosenblatt last week. Many people said they would love to come downtown to eat and shop at night and wanted stores to stay open late. They also hoped to see an increase in the number of restaurants in town.

What has prevented restaurants from opening downtown? It turns out that parking requirements and steep village fees are a major hurdle for those who want to open eateries in the Village. According to current Scarsdale Zoning Law, restaurant owners are required to either have their own parking spaces for patrons or to pay the village for the use of the limited supply of available spots. In fact the parking requirements for restaurants are double those of other retailers. 

However, all that may change soon. Now that Christie Place has been developed and includes a garage, the Trustees and the Planning Board could relax parking regulations and reduce fees. This would clear the way for restaurants to open in some of the large vacant spaces in town, including the former site of Waterworks. At the upcoming August 10th Village Board meeting, a resolution to change these requirements and bring them in line with other retailers and neighboring communities will be considered.

Lewis Arlt, head of the Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce also weighed on the possibility of keeping Village stores open on select evenings, saying, “It may be an idea whose time has returned.” He offered to spread the word to Village shop owners and to use the new Scarsdale Chamber of Commerce website to disseminate information about evening hours.

Watch for new developments on this issue on Scarsdale10583.