Developer is Back with Plans for Apartments at the Five Corners

Frederick Fish is back again. The developer, who owns the Heathcote Tavern building has been a perennial presence at Scarsdale Village Hall in his efforts to build on the parking lot at 2-4 Weaver Street. Most recently, a new restaurant tenant, Massa’, moved into the former Tavern building leading some to think that Fish had put aside plans to construct a multi-level apartment building on the site of the Tavern parking lot. However, he has now applied for a “pre-application meeting” with the Planning Board to build a 24,000 square foot, 10 unit residential building on the site.

In February, 2010 Fish made a bid to purchase a strip of village-owned land that is now the driveway to the

parking lot. With that land, Fish would have had enough space to construct a 27,000 square foot building and proposed to build 14 units. Since the Village did not agree to the sale, Fish now has a long-term lease on the driveway and only has enough space to build 10 units.

His current plans, pictured here, call for a four-story building to be built over the current parking lot, which has 44 spaces for restaurant parking. The structure would include a parking level with 20 spots. Above the parking would be three levels of apartments – 4 units each on levels two and three and two large penthouse units on level four. The units that face Weaver Street would have terraces and one of the penthouses has an additional terrace facing east. The small retail building on Weaver Street now housing the dance studio would be demolished. The plans are designed by architect Richard Henry Behr.

Fish would require several variances to move forward. Even though there would be two parking spaces for each unit, current code calls for one space per 750 square feet of rentable space, so more parking would be required. In addition, the plans do not allow for a 20-foot setback from the rear of the property or a 10-foot side yard set back, so additional variances would be required.

The plans show two curb cuts on Weaver Street for an entrance and an exit to the 20 spot lot on the first level. These curb cuts will undoubtedly be scrutinized by local residents who are concerned with traffic at the Five Corners. Also in question is restaurant parking during the construction. The lot is often overflowing with cars and if the project is approved, it will be tricky to figure out how to continue to park customer cars if construction equipment and supplies are on site.

Another unknown involves affordable housing. The Village is now considering adopting a model code ordinance which would require the construction of one affordable unit in projects with 5-9 units in the Village Center and 10 or more units elsewhere. Due to the timing of the application and the timing for adoption of the model code, it is not clear whether the requirement would be in force for this project.

The Planning Board will consider the proposed “pre-application” meeting at their meeting on March 16 at 8 pm in Village Hall.

Also on the agenda that night is an item from Heathcote Corners LLC concerning the the construction across the street at Balduccis. An 11,000 square foot building has already been approved on the site of the gas station at the corner of Palmer and Weaver Street. Cars will enter and exit via the Balduccis lot on Secor Road. In order to prevent traffic from travelling through the adjacent neighborhood, the plans call for a cul-de-sac to be built next to Balduccis. The cul-de-sac would block vehicles from driving into the lot and serve as a pass through for pedestrians and cyclists. See the plan pictured below.

The cost to build this cul-de-sac on village-owned land is estimated at anywhere between $100,000-$180,000 and the Planning Board asked the developer to assume the cost of this work. However, now project develoeprs Doug Brout and Brad Perkins are asking the Village to assume responsibility for the roadwork.