ShopRite Welcomed AND Rejected By Community

We've previously written about the Multi-Plex movie theater closing on Saw Mill River Road in what's referred to as North Elmsford. The theater  has finally officially closed about two weeks or so ago. A ShopRite supermarket is planned to be built after the movie theater building is torn down. While the Town and the attorney for the property owner are not at liberty to say which store brand it is, many in Town Hall have shared the information. We believe this was to quell the rumors that a Walmart, a Wegmans, CVS and other stores of various names would be moving in. Ironically, a Grand Union, Masters Department Store and later a Masters Liquor store resided there for years many years ago.

The Town's Planning Commissioner Garrett Duquesne agreed to meet with the Westchester Hills Condominium Association, Beaver Hill Civic Association, the Pocantico Park residents and the ShopRite developer's attorney, William Null of Cuddy and Feder. While many were saying this was a ShopRite, Mr Null remained steadfast in refusing to acknowledge his client until the contracts are signed and he gets the go-ahead to release the name. While Freedom of Information Law requests take agonizingly long to get from Town Hall, this information is readily shared in an otherwise porous Town Hall.

There was an overhead projector set up displaying the first slide of their presentation.  The grade, or pitch of the parking lot and how it slopes down to Saw Mill River Road (9A), is no longer allowed by code and will pose one problem for constructing a new supermarket in that location. The excuse for lowering the lot and reducing the grade was to stop car doors from swinging open and hitting cars next to them. The other reason is to stop runaway shopping carts from soaring down the lot hitting parked vehicles, people or going into traffic. Who knew supermarket parking lots could be so perilous?

But what would likely be the most vociferous complaint of everyone in attendance was when the slide was changed to show traffic patterns. Those in attendance didn’t even wait for the explanation and jumped on the small detail of the parking lot opening onto Old Country Road. 
“Is that parking lot opening onto Old Country Road?” someone shouted out. Several people jumped into that conversation.
“We already have too much traffic on that road as it is with cars AND trucks coming and going to Executive Boulevard businesses.”
“We’ve had cars go into our backyards,” claimed a homeowner on Orchard Lane.

“We're okay with a supermarket as long as it doesn’t open up onto Old Country Road!” The developer also had several variances it would need for the project: an increase in the exterior lighting from 14ft to 20ft; a 24-7, 365 days a year operation, increased number of sign and sizes of signs and a reduced amount of parking spaces from what is currently there.

Regardless of what the representatives tried to discuss from that point on, residents were only interested in one thing: not opening access to Old Country Road. Some even suggested removing some parking spaces to accommodate the trucks and tractor trailers entering from 9A going up the drive on the left-hand (north) side drive, making their delivery and exiting on the southern side back to the traffic light entrance where they came in.

Also in attendance and each sitting by themselves were Mr Feiner, Mr Jones and Mr Sheehan. At one point Mr Jones and Mr Feiner spoke and when Mr Feiner identified himself, a long-time resident said, “Wait, you’re Paul Feiner?” He waffled a bit because while someone else had shouted out this was a done-deal, Mr Feiner’s classic two-step shuffle veered the conversation toward coming up with a compromise --a classic ploy when his original decision bites him in the butt.

After pitching what might be an alternative, the attorney William Null of Cuddy and Feder said they can revisit the plans but there is little to no room for alterations from this plan. Here’s what we think happened: ShopRite and their representatives met with Mr Feiner and maybe one or two Board members along with Mr Duquesne to discuss redeveloping the property. He either told them or strongly alluded that he would make the Town Board the lead agency for the project and as long as the project fits the zoning, they build a sidewalk to nowhere, somewhere to be determined later, make a donation or two to some fund within the Town, donate a fire truck, etc., and they'll sail right through the approval process. Once all the ducks were in the flooded 9A row, he had one more stipulation, which was present it to the condominium owners.

Most people in most neighborhoods do not pay attention to what is going on in the Town. We call it OIMBY. People get involved when it’s Only In My Back Yard. It’s then that they show they are concerned with their quality of life, their families, work, school and affordability. This project will have a direct impact on all of those for the people in the immediate area, Beaver Hill and the housing to the north that abuts this property. Despite the fairy tale they were being told, Mr Feiner and his Town Board do not really care about them (“Wait, you’re Paul Feiner?”) which is why this moved ahead to this point. Here, the populace has been awoken only to learn their well-being was again ignored for what Mr Feiner wants. He should have had the community meeting before he had the developer meeting. But he really is out of touch with the Town constituency and once again, he did not do what is right for the residents. This has to change. We’re sure there will be more to this story. It’s what will make A Better Greenburgh.