Letter to the Editor: Improving the vitality of downtown Chappaqua
August 1, 2008
Ed Frank, P.E.
The Town Board has the authority to pass legislation regarding permissible first floor uses in the downtown Chappaqua “business-retail-parking” (BRP) district.
If the board has this authority, it should also have the authority to require existing building owners and/or proprietors to comply with architectural standards, I suggest, should be developed by the Architectural Review Board.
It is my opinion that legislation should be enacted to give the Architectural Review Board the authority to define such standards for existing buildings and to enforce such standards whenever an existing building is sold or whenever a new proprietor opens a business in an existing building.
This proposal would enhance the appearance of the business-retail-parking district and would encourage desirable businesses to conduct business in the town.
Furthermore, legislation should be enacted to set standards for the minimum acceptable appearance of existing buildings in the BRP district. For example, peeling paint surfaces and other aesthetically unattractive conditions resulting from deferred maintenance should be required to be corrected.
In addition, in order to eliminate existing building eyesores that detract from the appearance of the BRP district, the town should offer low cost loans to existing building owners and/or proprietors who cannot otherwise afford to improve their storefronts.
Surely, an aesthetically improved BRP district would improve the vitality of the downtown hamlet.
Ed Frank, P.E.
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