A Community on the Grow

The Village of Mamaroneck celebrated the awarding of a $38,500 grant to undertake a study to bring the downtown’s vitality west of the railroad bridge at Halstead Avenue—perhaps all the way to I-95—with a mix of retail, residences and office uses, if possible.  The grant

At last night’s Board of Trustees meeting, representatives from the granting agencies praised Mamaroneck’s application, one of four proposals chosen to receive funding out of over 40 submissions. The grant will support a Transit-Oriented Development Zoning Study, performed in partnership with the non-profit .

Catherine Marsh, executive director of the Westchester Community Foundation, called the village’s application “a standout proposal because of your work with Washingtonville. There was a lot of competition.”

The village’s, “established reputation, longevity and history of success on these projects” were some of the reasons why the village got the grant, said Veronica Vanterpool, associate director of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign.

Mayor Norman Rosenblum noted that the village had just completed its hazard mitigation study and comprehensive plan and was finishing up its waterfront revitalization study.

“Timing in life is key,” he said. Even though the village is buzzing with new restaurants and shops, the mayor claimed that the study represents an opportunity to extend the downtown area even further.

“If we don’t continue to grow and seek improvement, we will die from atrophy,” he said. The grant illustrates how public, private and non-profit entities can work together to continue the viability of a community.

“We have to be keenly aware to take the opportunity to control our growth," he said.

The work, which will largely consist of zoning recommendations, will be “dry and technical,” said Jeremy Ingpen, executive director of the Washingtonville Housing Alliance. “We’ll look at how the area is zoned and the type of development currently permitted.”

The plan seeks to to encourage the right blend of housing, retail and office space, said Ingpen, who stressed that the project will place a strong emphasis on community involvement and will host several community forums.

“The goal is to facilitate community support," he said.