EAST HARTSDALE AVE TO GET ANOTHER GREAT RESTAURANT-- BOSPHORUS MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE
TOWN TO CUT RED TAPE FOR APPLICATIONS TO OPEN BUSINESSES BY HOLDING JOINT TOWN BOARD/PLANNING BOARD/ZONING BOARD HEARINGS ON THE SAME NIGHT
OUR GOAL-- TO CUT REVIEW TIME BY MONTHS---
Bosphorus Mediterranean Cuisine has submitted a special permit application to open a restaurant on East Hartsdale Ave --at the site of the defunct Hartsdale cheesery location. This is fantastic news. East Hartsdale Ave, which a few years ago had numerous vacancies, is now becoming restaurant row - with successful restaurants. East Hartsdale Ave is looking better than ever! And, is becoming a destination spot for those who enjoy great dining.
The application will require a special permit from Town Board with a recommendation from the Planning Board and for the ZBA to consider a parking variance for the use. This application is similar to the Frankie and Fanucci’s special permit application that was recently approved by the Town Board and parking variance from the ZBA. This process took approximately four months to complete through the different boards. Our goal: to cut the review process by more than half!
As discussed at the November 8th Central Avenue meeting with the business community, we want to be more business friendly. Vacant storefronts do not help the town and result in certiorari tax refunds to landlords. A suggestion was made to hold a joint Town, Planning and Zoning Board public hearing on the applications,if the application needs to go before two or more of the Boards for approval. The joint hearings could cut the time required to process building applications by more than half and would send a very positive message to the business community that the town is trying to cut some of the red tape that businesses have to go through to open up their businesses (without compromising the review pocess)..
Planning Commissioner Thomas Madden has proposed a joint public hearing for the Town and ZBA on this application. The date of the hearing will be announced next Wednesday. The Joint Board meetings/hearings is one way the town could help the business community create jobs and replace vacant stores with successful new businesses.
PAUL FEINER
Greenburgh Town Supervisor
PS: The next meeting of our business/realtor/town government meeting to discuss ways to make Greenburgh a business friendlier community will be held on Tuesday, February 8th at 7:30 PM.
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2 comments:
This from a man who has never worked in the private sector and has no understanding of business. The restaurants on East Hartsdale Avenue are already beginning to feel the competition from each other - all of the same thing is never good. Do you recall Central Avenue being furniture store row? Most of them have gone out of business. Hopefully the Town will not approve this application as it will impact the restaurants we already have and lead to more store closings - the closing of very large stores at that which will be hard to rent moving forward. There are no retail businesses left on the avenue to support the business community during the day - even the banks are feeling the impact of less business during the day which should tell you something. Parking is also very full at night with all these new restaurants which makes it difficult for those of us who live on the avenue and have permits to park in the garage. Often I come home from work at 6:30 or 7:00 and find it difficult to park because of the customers from all these restaurants. How about trying to solicit some more service oriented and/or retail oriented businesses to balance the scales?
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