It takes a hamlet to raise a field—a plan to raise the Bell field, gain parking
Local architect Chuck Napoli, with his Hamlet Revitalization Project
With 23 comments since publication
June 29, 2012
by Christine Yeres
Picture this: The Bell school field behind the shops on South Greeley raised above the poor drainage that plagues it, now a full-size turf field with parking for 400 cars underneath it, and a brand new row of shop fronts facing the South Greeley shop backs—only now they’re remade into second front facades—and it was all created by a private developer.
Hamlet Revitalization Project
Since architect Chuck Napoli first floated it in 1985, the plan has gathered fans. Over the years, many have found intriguing the idea of killing two old problems—a lousy Bell field and too little parking—at once. Drainage has always been an issue, but now improved methods of inserting pilings to create foundation have been invented.
And with the fairly recent realization that our local economy and its schools industry is almost completely dependent on residential taxes (97% residential versus 3% commercial), Napoli says his plan is meeting with more and more interest—from schools and town government, residents and merchants who have had a peek at it, some of whom met with him last Wednesday at a conference room in town hall.
At the noon meeting a merchant asked how much Napoli’s big plan would cost merchants in taxes. “It’s the opposite of taxes,” explained Napoli. “It’s a private development that will make more people want to visit here, live here, and spend money here.”
Napoli and Steve Giordano, a builder with whom he has worked over the years, intend to develop the project themselves—the two of them as a development and construction management team, a big advantage in controlling the process and the end product, and in preserving the integrity of the project.
Napoli, a 47-year resident of New Castle, envisions a new field, its parking below, and an additional 15,000 square feet of retail space. Add the office and residential space on the second and third floors, respectively, and that’s 58,000 new square feet. The $15 million project would, Napoli believes, supercharge a downtown that has long struggled to achieve a critical mass of merchants and downtown residences, and would cause all merchant boats to rise and, with them, commercial tax revenues to the town and schools.
Grass-roots market research, every Wednesday at town hall
Napoli and Giordano have contracted with market researchers and are pitching the project to financial backers. But Napoli is working another side of marketing research himself, asking merchants, residents and officials of New Castle to help him learn what people want and need within the framework of the raised field with parking underneath, and new retail, office and residential space he has laid out in his proposal.
Over the summer, every Wednesday at noon, you’ll find Napoli at town hall, ready to listen and to refine his plan accordingly. (Next week, because of the 4th of July holiday, the date is Friday, July 6, at 12 noon.) Here are some of the logistics of the project:
Old shops facing new would flank a pedestrian mall
With their backs to the field-and-parking garage, the new row of buildings would face the backs of the existing shops on South Greeley. These, as the shops in Mt. Kisco did years ago along South Moger, would refashion themselves to have two fronts.
The street space between the two rows would be wide enough for two vehicles to pass in and out for delivery purposes, but would otherwise function as a cobble-stoned pedestrian mall, closed to vehicles. The second-story offices of the new row of buildings could be entered from behind, at second-story level, by a walkway along the length of the field. At the meeting, a merchant suggested that the row of new ground-floor shops open directly into the parking garage in back.
In this view, the town’s Community Center is at top left, Bell in is the lower right corner, and half the field and the shops nearest the school are cut away to show the parking at ground level, under the field.
Performance space as an anchor
At the end of the new row of shops, behind the Community Center, Napoli’s plan shows a multi-purpose performing arts center with a footprint of around 6,000 square feet. It would be a two-story building with around 360 seats, for live performance, for films and lectures—all to draw people and their dollars to the downtown day and night.
But the performance space wouldn’t pay the rent on this $15 million project, says Napoli. And although the retailers and office-dwellers contribute to the vitality of a downtown—“They go out, they eat, they shop,” attested Napoli, who for many years had an office in the center of town—it’s the residential space that’s most profitable.
Along with the additional retail and office space, the market-rate housing Napoli pictures—a percentage of them affordable units—would be attractive to couples of any age.
How it would work
Napoli’s plan, he acknowledges, requires the fitting together of a lot of moving pieces, the cooperation of different entities. Here’s how he sees it:
The School District
Procure the Bell field from the school district. Lease it from the school district for 100 years for a minimal sum. As a field, it’s problematic. Holes, compacted soil and drainage problems all conspire to make it undesirable. For athletics, Bell relies almost exclusively on the field space directly in front of Bell and on the town’s Rec field across the street.
In exchange for the use of the flawed field, Napoli would return to the district a three-acre working turf field, perhaps one with a walking track surrounding it, and all the parking—for teachers and for events—the school district could want, from the 400-space lot underneath, a net increase of 250 spaces over the existing new parking lot (since Napoli would build the new row of buildings on much of it).
Existing landlords
The properties of the existing landlords along South Greeley extend back nearly to the Bell field border. They, too,would lease their land to Napoli, who would own the buildings he constructs on it. He would enter into a development agreement, a land-lease, whereby one person owns the land, another owns the structures. Why will merchants enter into such an agreement? “A merchant and party to the land-lease,” explained Napoli, “would get both more foot traffic and more parking.”
To several merchants who worried that new shops might draw businesses to compete with their own, Napoli explained that, as the developer, he would have control over whom to accept as tenants. He would not seek to duplicate existing businesses. “We’d all work together to create the proper business mix,” he said. “For example, we’re not gonna want another food market the size of the Chappaqua Village Market.” (And in case anyone’s wondering, a resident asked about a full supermarket. “Not enough space,” replied Napoli.)
The gray shaded buildings are the new row of retail, office and residential space built along the side of the Bell field. Bell is in the upper right hand corner.
This past week’s changes
In Wednesday’s meeting with several merchants and residents, the performing arts space concept took a turn. Napoli wondered aloud whether the arts space anchor should be moved to the other end of the field, away from the Community Center and closer to Bell, in order to make performance space convenient also to the Bell school, which now makes do with its original auditorium just inside the north drop-off doors.
Napoli emphasizes that his plan is “in process,” still fluid at this point. He intends to hold informal meetings throughout the summer at the conference space at town hall to invite more ideas, and improve his plan accordingly. Another element of the plan that’s morphed already is the second story office space, second in profitability to residential space. Napoli is now looking to make more of it.
Toward the end of the one-hour meeting Wednesday, a merchant asked how the timing of Napoli’s project would fit in with the town’s plan to rip up South Greeley Avenue, then Lower King Street, to replace water and sewer lines next year and the year after. “Wouldn’t this be more disruption?” another asked, weary from bridge construction.
It takes a hamlet—and a whole look at it
“Until we look at this whole project—and the whole town—as one unit,” said Napoli, “it’s hard to say what should be first or second.” Some residents spoke to Napoli about constructing the parking and raised field first, so that parking could be in plentiful supply before either the town’s infrastructure or Napoli’s construction projects were to begin.
Town Supervisor Susan Carpenter, Planning Board member Tom Curley and Board of Ed member Randy Katchis attended a presentation by Napoli the week before. All three expressed interest in what they’d seen and heard, a willingness to see what might develop and learn what Napoli might need.
What next?
“So what happens now?” asked a merchant. “If everyone says ‘Yeah, we love it,’ what happens? Does the town say yes or no? Do people vote on it?”
“Well, the town board does its master plan,” said Napoli, “and we bring the town ‘a well-considered plan,’ and they consider it.”
“What about the landlords on South Greeley?” asked another. “If even one guy doesn’t want to build it…”
“Well,” said Napoli, “one of them told me ‘Hey, look—I can be bought.’ It’s a negotiation.”
Asked about the timeline on Wednesday, Napoli described the project as having four phases:
• Phase One, 10-12 months: Site preparation for the parking slab, construct parking slab and new field/roof
• Phase Two, 6-8 months: Site development, pedestrian street area, redecorate backs of existing South Greeley shops
• Phase Three, 14-18 months: Construct the row of new buildings
• Phase Four: 4 months: Pavers, site lighting, landscaping
More ideas born last Wednesday
A bubble over the field, so that it can be used year-round
An ice skating rink at the end of the raised field, behind the Community Center
A roof and pavilion to be used in summer
A basketball court at the community center end of the field
A walking track around the raised field
A sculpture garden with rotating artists
A funky, happening, upscale art garden with benches
A snowman contest in winter
Music like Tarrytown Music Hall
Rent to businesses like Jody’s Gym, that bring in little kids and their moms
You can email Chuck Napoli at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
The Chappaqua-Millwood Chamber of Commerce is happy to be part of the dialogue taking place on the Hamlet Revitalization Project. The meeting this past Wednesday was an opportunity for Chamber members and other merchants to learn more about the project and share their ideas and suggestions. It certainly has the potential to draw people to the downtown.
I hope merchants realize that to bring in more businesses will HELP their businesses. This town has too few shops to draw and keep people here for any length of time. With more shops, and a pedestrian walkway between them, Chappaqua could be a charming place.
The Bell field is hard, filled with holes and rocks, and has bad drainage. Good riddance to it! Board of ed, don’t drive a hard deal. Let it go and get a better one back.
I’ve had the opportunity to hear about this every time it’s been raised, and in many aspects, it has merit, in other ways this is just Chuck’s passion project for the last 30 years. Several things that don’t show in this article - traffic patterns - it’s great to bring 250 new spaces to town, but can the road infrastructure handle it?
Is traffic going to come out by the community center? Train station? Have you seen the line there in the morning when kids are dropped at school? Parking is great - traffic flow is more important.
Second, the merchants are going to have a say as to who else can have a store in town? Can you say non-competitive? What if people are unhappy with the one or two vendors in town today and want choice? We certainly don’t need another nail salon, and how many other types of stores can we have that aren’t “close enough” to an existing store?
Finally, remember if you have an elevated field, you will need a high fence for safety reasons, even higher to keep balls from flying over. Just what I want to look at downtown…Suggestion, a double decker garage behind Village market and in/around the train station will solve the parking issue - but not the traffic flow.
I have heard this plan from day one, and it makes sense. I would like Mr. Napoli to upload to http://www.Newcastlenow.org the LEASE AGREEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS that he would have to execute with the Landlords.
I would also want to see the first few names of the financial backers posted as well who intend to put their money on the line. Additionally, I would like to see what would happen to this project if the blue sky fell down and money dried up, and it became a failed project.
I would also like to see a traffic count report of existing vs. the impact after a fully occupied development.
Would love to see renderings and a percentage of “use” between Office, Retail, Community space, and affordable housing units.
Lastly, how would the newly generated sheet flows of rain water be handled?
Can the Town of New Castle use its position to raise Bond Money, and then lend it to the Developer to construct and get a return in addition to the new property Taxes it would receive?
It’s hard enough to drive through town today when the trains arrive or on weekends. Can you imagine how clogged up the town will get with parking for 250-400 more vehicles? This is Chappaqua, not downtown White Plains. Terrible idea.
I know Burns in Pville has a great movie house, but kids don’t go there. Only grown ups. How about a movie house like Mt. K and Bedford have? Our own. Other purposes too, but please—movies!
Keep us posted on the financing and such. Opening it up to resident investors? This is long overdue. The world has caught up to you finally.
Now’s the time.
Dear Rick,
We have taken a comprehensive look at vehicle movements to include morning peak hour movements, morning drop off’s at Bell, merchant arrivals to their parking areas that are to be determined as we, together, work out their locations, commuter evening peak movements and finally customer traffic cycles as the daytime hours progress.
To consider this project’s vehicle movements as incremental volumes to already dysfunctional traffic patterns without considering altering those patterns is the “bad idea.”
This project is taking a comprehensive approach to the health of the hamlet and thinking to create an “ease” of movements as all driver communities move through the hamlet.
We would welcome your insights and concerns at our weekly meetings (next week on Friday, July 6, noon at town hall—otherwise every Wednesday). I can show you:
How we address the Bell school drop-off’s for both 5&6 and 7&8 grades to reduce morning congestion.
Where we provide a second entrance from Street to the additional new parking area.
The re-routing of evening commuter vehicles to eliminate the cumbersome multiple left movements
That are the actual cause of the a.m. and p.m. delays.
Finally, all the proposed improvements accomplish fewer traffic movements throughout the day due to the central location of the customer parking resulting in a sustainable initiative and less traffic.
Kind regards,
Charles “Chuck” Napoli
914.602.6509
In the end, the 400 under-field parking spaces will be 250 more than are now there (because the new buildings sit on some existing parking.
So not 400 more.
For shops to succeed there need to be ENOUGH SHOPS to draw people. This is the excellent rationale behind this project. Until we make MORE SHOPS, most will continue to languish.
Let’s get this approved in 10 months or less, and get this project started! Why can’t The Town of New Castle make National news by approving this project within a time frame never before seen. This is how America can recover, through ideas, inspiration, and cooperation.
We also need to RELAX and REMOVE some Planning and Zoning Laws, and DEC, DEP, and Westchester County requirements to get this going. Lets just do it! I think not only do we have to hear about project details, but we also need to hear from Mr. Napoli how The Town of New Castle should be structured to hear and accept such a wonderful idea.
The present system and review process will KILL this idea from going forward. We should set a goal of issuing a building permit by no later then April 2013, Not by June 2019. We need a fast approval process, so that the intended rents / leasing does not escalate due to Government prolonging an approval process. If the Community likes it, and we do, lets get it done!
How can you say the Community likes this idea? I don’t think many people have even heard about it, being that so many folks are away now for the summer. There are definitely pros to the idea, but certainly cons as well. Writers have brought up very valid issues, such as the inability to accommodate the amount of car traffic such a plan will bring. The situation at the train station is frantic at best, without adding hundreds more cars to the mix. Please don’t rush without all questions and concerns being properly addressed.
Chuck,
Both town and planning boards should see this plan and be able to ask you questions. THey may have valuable input. Looks as though you’re including school board. That’s smart.
This is an old fantastic idea that has been around since 1987! O’k, I get it, you would not approve it, or perhaps take the next 8 to 10 years to keep it under review until such time the inspiration of this project is D O A. Did you hear about http://www.TheNewNY.com - Don’t you see everyone is trying to get America back on its feet?
In the old days, it was enough to just keep on keeping on. We need to consider such a project now. I hope lots of people will put in their two cents.
If we were in 1935, could this project be done? If we were in 1950, could this project be done? If we were in 1965, could this project be done? If we were in 1980, could this project be done? If we were in 1995, could this project be done? If we were in 2010, could we get this project done?
Do we all see how hard it is to get anything done in America? Whose fault is it? We need to start a virtual approval process that is internet based, with today’s technology we can move much faster then seeing outside Consultants bringing Coffee and Donuts to Planning and Zoning Board meetings.
The days of showing up at Town Hall need to go by way of 35mm film. Napoli emails the application into Town Hall, Town Hall emails it to their own list of Board members, people fill out a comment page, send it back, respond, reply, respond, reply, all via email.
People we need to start thinking, by the time we change, even the U.S. Post Office will no longer exist! Public hearings and comments can all be internet based, and during the entire process from start to finish. Virtual Town Hall - THINK ABOUT IT !!!!
Mr. Napoli,
What would be your ideas to get D O T off its current site in Millwood ? It is a very ugly looking operation and the residents of New Castle that live on the West End should not have to be subjected to such an ugly eyesore. Could this D O T operation be consolidated into the one off Rt. 100 in Somers, or could it be consolidated into the one located South of its current location. Can we turn that parcel into a property tax producing entity of somekind that would look beautiful and perhaps provide additional bathrooms for the bike path. Could this D O T operation be moved into Pleasantville? Also, who gave permission for such diesel tanks to be seen in plain view of passerbys? You have such great ideas, I thought you may have some for this topic. Thanks!
If this ever happens, don’t forget sidewalk terraces, ice cream parlors, the kind of stuff that makes people want to go and spend some time in town.
Part 1:
The comments mostly miss the point. The idea is to bring a “Performing Arts Center” (aka Live Theater) to Chappaqua.
The Burns Theater success is measured by the ability for local merchants to take advantage of the foot traffic provided by the theater. The demographic, however, is the over-40 set.
What we have in Chappaqua is great potential for the “Performing Arts Center” (PAC). The potential can be seen in the number of performance groups throughout the area (and far beyond any short radius) who are always looking for performance venues. Not “studios” or auditoriums, we are talking about a Broadway-style and capable stage such as Westport’s or a mini-version of Carnegie Hall.
Continued on Part 2…
Part 2:
The positives of this project are enormous.
1)Yes, additional parking…with additional access, and ease of use.
2) A new, non-swampy athletic field.
3) Additional stores/restaurants/offices attached to the PAC, not as just more “Brick-and-Mortar”, but as support and vital facilities for the centerpiece.
4) Additional hours for the merchant base as the PAC has evening use.
5) A more dynamic town center, in every way.
6) An increased “Aura” about the town. This would likely take the form of families wanting in, for the vitality and persona of the town…and would this not increase real estate values?
Building more retail space just for the sake of more retail is out. The world is changing; who among us has not done at least a little business via the web, to the loss of business for a local merchant? This is going to increase. While there will always be brick-and-mortar necessity to some degree, it isn’t growing. The idea of creating a theme (park?) around which the town can thrive outweighs a lot of negatives.
How many families in or near Chappaqua have kids or adults involved in the a performance group? How many in Chappaqua would appreciate the opportunity to attend a play or seminar or concert in town? How many in Chappaqua would appreciate the idea of merchants seeing more life, more vitality, more profitability? These merchants might have restaurants as well as hardware. Now add people outside of town anxious for the same opportunities!
The new field would not stand alone; there is a large field in front of Bell school, and a field next to Town Hall. Combined use of these together would allow for athletic tournaments, thereby creating income for the School System—can we see less reliance on taxes?
We need to recognize this potential for what it is: different and huge, if done right. If Done Right.
I have not attended any meetings yet, and I need to, but I think a dose of reality may be in order. Yes, shops near a venue like Jacob Burns definitely get a boost, but it is not huge nor steady—and this is with movies running every day. I think lots of exploration is in order and lots of questions should be asked of merchants in similar situation.
Now that I’ve owned “bricks & mortar” for a year, I can tell you that traffic is key, but depends on so many variables.
There is no doubt that we need something to bring focus and energy to the town. I’m just not sure this is it. Can we get some of the great brainpower and professional expertise in town to come up with other ideas? They’ll be lots of people downtown for Sidewalk Sale later this month. Perhaps a good opportunity to do a bit of polling or a least talking?
People don’t look to have their culture come from here. We’re surrounded by cultural offerings, and world-class in NYC. Plenty of high-class talent comes to Purchase and not that many people take advantage of it. There is ONE THING that would be a fun, healthy, for-all-ages anchor business in town: A health or fitness club RIGHT IN THE CENTER OF DOWNTOWN. Yes, instead of a performing arts center. Think not only fitness—and a pool for this town, including for students—but also meeting space, party space, dance space (I mean dancing to music, like at a dance), coffee house performance space. Have you ever seen the audiences at Caramoor and Purchase? And even at Burns Center? IT’S ALL RETIREES. We have a different demographic here. Health-fitness club w/ attractive meeting-party-performance space. A good kitchen so that caterers can be brought in for parties.
Please. Do this now. The field-over-parking is a perfect fit with this type of dream-business in downtown Chappaqua.
Why not talk to the turf people and see if they can bring that money here for the turf.. Maybe that would encourage a developer to get involved.
When I think about Mr. Napoli’s project, I think about other New Castle based projects and applications. Not to mention all other ongoing projects, but what is the status of Chappaqua Crossing? I know the Taxpayers are paying a tremendous amount of money on Town representation, what are we getting for it? How are we getting protected by such legal expertise? Who is defining how we should be getting protected and what is best for the Community? I would like to see an Article on how much money Summit Greenfield has spent pursuing his application to construct, and how much money New Castle has spent keeping his application stalled in Town Hall?
The development team for the Hamlet Project is in place and listening to your suggestions I call the “citizen wish list”, (Keep it up please), while we explore all options to make vibrant hamlet.
The healthy business mix we need is incomplete as of this writing but should come together as the research evaluates the types of lease spaces to include.
The challenge for the public sector of citizens and elected officials, and the private sector of property owners and developer, is to work together aggressively to create the environment in which hamlet commerce can thrive.
So please comment in New Castle Now or share in person at our Wednesday Noon meetings in town hall or write me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call @ 238-3490 to brainstorm your ideas.
Would anyone like early morning meetings say around 8:00 a.m.?
I can’t imagine a worse plan for Chappaqua. This plan is in stark contrast to Mr. Napoli’s own protests to the widening of the bridge into town.
In 2008 Mr. Napoli wrote a letter to the editor of New Castle Now in which he stated, “we must petition our New Castle elected officials to stop the department of transportation’s three-lane bridge replacement and associated highway extension for the reasons that the construction is neither in context nor compatible with the character of the Chappaqua Hamlet and is completely insensitive to the architectural history of the bridge”.
Continuing later he wrote it “further congests the heart of the hamlet with a concentrated supply of vehicles into the already non-functional traffic patterns.” The bridge was widened to help the flow of traffic and did not, nor was it’s intention to, increase the number of vehicles entering into town. Mr. Napoli’s plan would increase traffic an insurmountable amount.
Further in his letter he once again addresses the negative impact he believed the widening of the bridge would cause to the character of the town when he wrote, “the requests for a quaint, charming, small town feeling of Chappaqua public places from one camp are seemingly unaware or totally oblivious to the fate of the imminent implementation of a pragmatic large scale big bridge/big highway centered on use of the same public space of the other camp.”
Just as he urged us a community to petition our New Castle elected officials to stop the bridge expansion, I urge you to do the same to stop Mr. Napoli’s Hamlet Revitalization Project.
The truth is that most Chappaqua based busineses really do not produce enough after tax income. They also have problems paying rent, employees, utilities, advertising, and bringing money home, which then gets taxed again! Mr. Napoli’s plan will and can trickle down to having individual merchants bring in more sales, thereby being able to pay off more DEBT, and hopefully put money away for retirement. O’h, you forgot that a business person needs to plan for retirement, or you don’t know how hard it is for the merchants of Chappaqua to be in business. We need more parking, and more businesses of different kinds to be located in Town. If not, then just change the law and allow first level Banks, Brokerage houses, and other financial based businesses to come into Chappaqua. Also, allow first level residential apartments. Lastly, if the Town does not address these issues, then everyone who owns property in downtown Chappaqua should have their property taxes reduce by 40%.
To make sure there is no confusion, the last posting by “Re: A very Bad Plan” WAS NOT written by the poster named “A Very Bad Plan.” Please choose your own name in the future to avoid any confusion.
A playing field on top of a building is something that should only possibly be considered in a densely populated city that doesn’t have any land at all for a real field. People don’t move to Chappaqua, a town in Northern Westchester, to have their kids play on an artificial turf on top of large parking garage.
