Nine-story mixed-use structure proposed for 108 South Main

The latest proposal for a mixed-use, transit-oriented development (TOD) went before the Port Chester Planning Commission on Mar. 25 and will be making its way to the Board of Trustees for a presentation on Monday, Apr. 15 and the Zoning Board of Appeals for required variances on Thursday, Apr. 18. Plans call for a 9-story structure at 108 South Main St., currently the location of a parking lot.

The applicants, 108 Gateway Development LLC and DeLaurentis Management Corp., propose 115 residential units, ground-floor retail, co-working office space on the second floor and 104 parking spaces.

Edmond DeLaurentis, Jr. of DeLaurentis Management Corp. is a partner in the One Gateway Plaza glass office building across the street, which was purchased by Port Chester Gateway LLC in August 2018 for $4.25 million.

Attorney Anthony Gioffre of Cuddy & Feder and architect Phil Fruchter of Papp Architects, P.C., both in White Plains, made the presentation to the Planning Commission.

The site is at the intersection of South Main Street, Boston Post Road, and Purdy Avenue. The building would be located on South Main and East William Street, which is one way, with El Olivar Pentecostal Church abutting it, and would require the demolition of a house on East William.

“This is a very good TOD and pedestrian friendly proposal that will anchor this corner of Main Street,” said Gioffre.

East William Street would be used to enter three levels of structured parking.

The proposal includes amenity space and a green roof as well as additional recreational space on a fourth-floor terrace and a fitness center on a penthouse level.

The street level floor has a lobby entrance into the dwelling units and then retail filling out the entire street front. There are two levels of parking behind the retail “so it is not perceived at all,” said Fruchter. One level above is the office co-working space with its own vestibule open to residents and the public.

A typical floor plan, said Fruchter, includes a mixture of studios and one-bedrooms, an elevator, lobby, trash and recycling and a mixture of square footages to give some diversity.

Sixty-five studios and 50 one-bedroom units are planned.

“On the exterior elevation on South Main and East William we are trying to reestablish the downtown historical village,” Fruchter said. “We are following the curve of South Main Street.” In addition, “we are making it brick which is historically correct.”

As far as height, “we are calling it nine stories, but it is really seven stories because two are not visible from the street,” explained Fruchter. “The retail is two stories, but you have two levels of parking behind that.”

The building would be 89 feet tall, said Gioffre, who noted that the nearby 50 South Main St. residential building is seven stories.

Fruchter showed a nighttime view. “We are not proposing extra illumination but new village light posts on South Main and continuing up William Street,” he said.

“Why can’t we have some soft illumination up on the façade?” asked Planning Commissioner Chris Summa.

“If you are requesting it, we can provide it,” the architect replied.

Loading would be on East William to serve the whole building.

The bus stop out front would have to be relocated by the county.

“Did we ever grant any co-shared parking at this location?” asked longtime Planning Commissioner Peter Coperine.

“Something the Board of Trustees has to deal with is the original G&S project and how this all ties in,” said Gioffre. “It is currently mapped as part of the MUR zoning system.” He said it should be in the C-2 zone and that needs to be cleared up. “It technically needs a map correction and needs to go to the Board of Trustees to do that.”

“Wasn’t it given to Gateway as compensation?” asked Planning Commissioner Tav Passerelli.

“It was part of litigation and this was thrown in,” said Gioffre.

“Is it possible for East William to be turned into two ways to alleviate the traffic on New Broad?” asked Passerelli.

“We didn’t because it is only 20 feet wide,” Fruchter replied.

“The village is trying to foster a pedestrian friendly environment,” explained Gioffre.

“I’m looking at this picture and then I look over to the left and see the small church and the fish supply house and the auto supply place and it looks so big there,” said Summa. “It is just an observation.”

Gioffre explained that “trying to activate that streetscape is driving new height. We are also trying to work with the topography so it will be less imposing. It certainly matches the buildings in the vicinity on the other side of the street.”

A courtyard will break up the mass of the building.

The proposal includes improving a portion of Manetta Place, a private road, and extinguishing three feet of it, said the architect.

The commissioners said the developer should make a monetary contribution toward infiltration and inflow related to this site.

“The glass office building side is a problem, the other side is not,” said Summa, a longtime Port Chester Department of Public Works employee.

“We always have a problem there with sewage backup,” said Village Engineer Vince Masucci. “The gallons per minute should be done to determine the contribution to the village to make repairs. Make sure the other buildings are not affected in that area. The building department will be looking at this.”

108 Gateway Development LLC is ahead of the game as far as natural gas service. They submitted an application to Con Edison before their moratorium on any new hookups went into effect after Mar. 15 and received a case number, said Fruchter.

The development is expected to generate 38 vehicles in the morning and 44 in the evening, according to the traffic study submitted, and the village’s traffic consultant, AKRF, agreed with those findings. “There are no significant impacts on the study roadways,” said Elaine from AKRF.

With 103 parking spaces for the entire development, “there will be a joint parking arrangement between daytime use and residents in the evening, so we don’t have resident spaces empty during the day and retail empty at night,” said the architect.

After a presentation before the Board of Trustees Monday at 7 p.m. in the courtroom at 350 North Main St., the proposal will go to the ZBA Thursday at the same time and location for a number of variances: lot area per dwelling unit, floor area ratio, height in the amount of 28’9” and a 20-foot rear yard variance.