00 Table ContentsVILLAGE OF RYE BROOK
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Adopted June 24, 2014
PLAN RYE BROOK
VILLAGE OF RYE BROOK COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
Prepared on behalf of:
The Village of Rye Brook
938 King Street
Rye Brook, NY 10573
Prepared by:
in cooperation with Urbanomics
115 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 353-7474
www.bfjplanning.com
Adopted June 24, 2014
Acknowledgements
Mayor
Paul S. Rosenberg
Village Board
Susan R. Epstein
David M. Heiser
Jason A. Klein
Jeffrey B. Rednick
Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee
Carol Goodman, Chair
Dominic Accurso
Joe Fiscella
John Grieco
Sari Jablon
Toby Marrow
Marcia Rogull
Jamie Schutzer
Tania Vernon
Jeffrey B. Rednick, Trustee Liaison
Joan Feinstein, ex officio, former mayor
Village Staff
Christopher Bradbury, Village Administrator
David Burke, Assistant Village Administrator
Gregory J. Austin, Chief of Police
Robert Bertolacci, Parks and Recreation Superintendent
Michael Izzo, Building and Fire Inspector
Michal Nowak, Superintendent of Public Works/Engineering
Elizabeth Rotfeld, Deputy Village Clerk/Senior Coordinator
BFJ Planning
Frank Fish, FAICP, Principal
Susan Favate, AICP, PP, Senior Associate, Project Manager
Jonathan Martin, Ph.D., AICP, Senior Associate, Urban Design
Michael Keane, AICP, Project Planner
Urbanomics – Demographics and Commercial Development
Tina C. Lund, AICP, Associate Principal
Peter Furst, Planner
Funded in part by a grant from the Hudson Valley Greenway
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION, VISION AND GOALS ......................................................................................... 1
1.1 Study Background and Process ................................................................................................. 1
1.2 Public Participation ...................................................................................................................... 2
1.3 Previous Village Planning Efforts ............................................................................................... 3
1.4 Vision, Goals and Policies .......................................................................................................... 4
2. REGIONAL CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................ 7
2.1 Village History .............................................................................................................................. 7
2.2 Relevant Regional Policies .......................................................................................................... 9
2.3.1 The Region – A Region at Risk ........................................................................................... 9
2.3.2 Westchester County Patterns and Westchester 2025 ..................................................... 9
2.3.3 Surrounding Communities and Their Plans ................................................................... 12
2.3.4 Other Regional Planning Initiatives ................................................................................. 15
3. DEMOGRAPHICS ................................................................................................................................. 19
3.1 Population Overview ................................................................................................................. 19
3.2 Density ........................................................................................................................................ 19
3.3 Age Cohorts ............................................................................................................................... 20
3.4 Race/Ethnicity ............................................................................................................................. 24
3.5 Nativity ........................................................................................................................................ 25
3.6 Educational Attainment ............................................................................................................ 27
3.7 Household Income .................................................................................................................... 28
4. LAND USE AND ZONING ............................................................................................................... 31
4.1 Land Use Patterns ..................................................................................................................... 31
4.2 Zoning ........................................................................................................................................ 32
4.3 Build-Out Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 37
4.4 Issues and Opportunities ......................................................................................................... 39
4.5 Land Use and Zoning Recommendations .............................................................................. 42
5. NATURAL RESOURCES AND STORMWATER MANAGEMENT .................................................... 43
5.1 Topography and Elevation ....................................................................................................... 43
5.1.1 Steep Slopes ....................................................................................................................... 43
5.2 Soils ............................................................................................................................................. 46
5.3 Water Resources ........................................................................................................................ 46
5.3.1 Coastal Long Island Sound Watershed .......................................................................... 46
5.3.2 Blind Brook and Byram River Subwatersheds ................................................................ 46
5.3.3 Wetlands ............................................................................................................................ 49
5.3.4 Water Quality .................................................................................................................... 49
5.4 Stormwater and Flooding ........................................................................................................ 50
5.4.1 Stormwater Management ................................................................................................. 50
5.4.2 Flooding ............................................................................................................................. 52
5.5 Hazard Mitigation ..................................................................................................................... 55
5.6 Plants and Wildlife .................................................................................................................... 56
5.6.1 Endangered Species ......................................................................................................... 56
5.7 Critical Environmental Areas ................................................................................................... 57
5.8 Sustainability .............................................................................................................................. 58
5.8.1 Land-Use Regulations ....................................................................................................... 58
5.8.2 Green Buildings ................................................................................................................. 58
5.8.3 Energy Conservation ......................................................................................................... 60
5.8.4 Greenhouse Gas Emissions ............................................................................................. 61
5.8.5 Waste Management .......................................................................................................... 62
5.9 Issues and Opportunities ......................................................................................................... 62
5.10 Natural Resources and Stormwater Management Recommendations ........................... 63
6. PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE ..................................................................................... 65
6.1 Existing Parks and Open Space .............................................................................................. 65
6.1.1 Public Parks ........................................................................................................................ 65
6.1.2 Public Schools .................................................................................................................... 70
6.1.3 Private Recreational Facilities ........................................................................................... 70
6.1.4 Homeowners’ Association Lands .................................................................................... 71
6.1.5 Cemetery ............................................................................................................................ 71
6.1.6 Other Open Space Assets ................................................................................................ 71
6.2 Future Open Space System ...................................................................................................... 72
6.2.1 National Recreation and Park Association Standards .................................................. 72
6.2.2 Criteria for Future Open Space Acquisition ................................................................... 73
6.3 Issues and Opportunities ......................................................................................................... 73
6.4 Parks, Recreation and Open Space Recommendations ....................................................... 78
7. TRANSPORTATION ........................................................................................................................... 81
7.1 Road System .............................................................................................................................. 81
7.1.1 Limited Access Highways .................................................................................................. 83
7.1.2 Arterials .............................................................................................................................. 83
7.1.3 Collector Roads ................................................................................................................. 83
7.1.4 Local Roads ........................................................................................................................ 83
7.1.5 Roadway Maintenance ..................................................................................................... 84
7.2 Traffic Conditions ...................................................................................................................... 84
7.2.1 Traffic Volume ................................................................................................................... 84
7.2.2 Accident Data .................................................................................................................... 87
7.2.3 Traffic Management ......................................................................................................... 87
7.3 Public Transportation, Bicycling and Pedestrians .................................................................. 90
7.3.1 Commuter Vehicle Characteristics .................................................................................. 90
7.3.2 Public Transportation ........................................................................................................ 92
7.3.3 Westchester County Airport ............................................................................................. 95
7.3.4 Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation ........................................................................... 96
7.4 Parking ....................................................................................................................................... 97
7.5 Issues and Opportunities ......................................................................................................... 98
7.6 Transportation Recommendations .......................................................................................... 99
8. INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITIES ................................................................................................ 101
8.1 Water Supply ........................................................................................................................... 101
8.2 Sanitary Sewers ....................................................................................................................... 103
8.3 Solid Waste .............................................................................................................................. 103
8.4 Electricity and Energy .............................................................................................................. 105
8.5 Dams ........................................................................................................................................ 106
8.6 Issues and Opportunities ....................................................................................................... 106
8.7 Infrastructure and Utilities Recommendations ..................................................................... 107
9. HOUSING ........................................................................................................................................ 109
9.1 History and Overview ............................................................................................................. 109
9.2 Occupancy ............................................................................................................................... 112
9.3 Tenure ....................................................................................................................................... 114
9.3 Sales Activity ............................................................................................................................. 115
9.4 Housing Affordability .............................................................................................................. 117
9.4.1 Rental Households .......................................................................................................... 117
9.4.2 Monthly Owner Costs ..................................................................................................... 119
9.4.3 Westchester Housing Settlement ................................................................................... 120
9.4.4 Fair and Affordable Housing ......................................................................................... 123
9.4 Issues and Opportunities ....................................................................................................... 125
9.5 Housing Recommendations ................................................................................................... 127
10. COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................. 129
10.1 Fiscal Conditions ................................................................................................................. 129
10.2 Commercial Development ................................................................................................. 131
10.3 Employment in Rye Brook .................................................................................................. 136
10.4 Inflow/Outflow Employment Trends ................................................................................. 139
10.4.1 Out-Commutation .......................................................................................................... 139
10.4.2 In-Commutation .............................................................................................................. 140
10.5 Potential Future Conditions ................................................................................................ 141
10.6 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................................... 143
10.7 Commercial Development Recommendations ................................................................ 145
11. VILLAGE CENTER ........................................................................................................................ 147
11.1 Study Area ............................................................................................................................ 147
11.2 Land Use .............................................................................................................................. 147
11.3 Zoning .................................................................................................................................. 151
11.4 Urban Design ...................................................................................................................... 154
11.4.1 General Context and Urban Form ................................................................................ 154
11.4.2 Pedestrian Network ......................................................................................................... 154
11.4.3 Street Frontages and Pedestrian Environment ............................................................. 158
11.4.4 Regulations ....................................................................................................................... 166
11.5 Village Center Recommendations ..................................................................................... 168
12. MUNICIPAL FACILITIES AND COMMUNITY CHARACTER .................................................... 171
12.1 Village Administration ........................................................................................................ 171
12.2 Emergency Services ............................................................................................................. 173
12.2.1 Police ................................................................................................................................ 173
12.2.2 Fire .................................................................................................................................... 173
12.2.3 Emergency Medical Services .......................................................................................... 174
12.3 Engineering/Public Works Department ............................................................................ 174
12.4 Parks and Recreation Department .................................................................................... 175
12.5 Building Department ........................................................................................................... 175
12.6 Senior Services ..................................................................................................................... 175
12.7 Library ................................................................................................................................... 176
12.8 Village Boards and Commissions ..................................................................................... 177
12.9 Schools ................................................................................................................................. 177
12.9.1 Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District ................................................................. 177
12.9.2 Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District ................................................................ 178
12.9.3 Higher Education ............................................................................................................ 178
12.10 Historic Resources ............................................................................................................... 179
12.11 Community Identity ............................................................................................................. 179
12.12 Issues and Opportunities ................................................................................................... 180
12.13 Municipal Facilities and Community Character Recommendations ............................. 182
13. FUTURE LAND USE GUIDE ........................................................................................................ 183
13.1 What is the Future Land Use Guide? ................................................................................ 183
13.2 Rye Brook’s Future Land Use Guide ................................................................................. 184
13.3 Future Land Use Guide Elements ...................................................................................... 185
13.3.1 Residential ........................................................................................................................ 186
13.3.2 Commercial ..................................................................................................................... 187
13.3.3 Office ................................................................................................................................ 187
13.3.4 Institutional and Community Uses ................................................................................ 187
13.3.5 Parks, Recreation and Open Space .............................................................................. 187
13.3.6 Transportation Rights-of-Way and Utilities .................................................................. 188
13.3.7 Mixed Use ........................................................................................................................ 188
14. SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................... 191
15. IMPLEMENTATION AND ACTION AGENDA .......................................................................... 199
15.1 Implementation Tools ......................................................................................................... 199
15.2 Action Agenda ..................................................................................................................... 200
Appendices
Appendix A: Public Workshop Summaries
Appendix B: Public Survey Report
Appendix C: Project Newsletters
List of Figures
Figure 1: Regional Context ........................................................................................................................ 8
Figure 2: Patterns for Westchester Map ................................................................................................. 11
Figure 3: Persons Per Acre, 2010 ........................................................................................................... 20
Figure 4: Existing Land Use ..................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 5: Existing Zoning ......................................................................................................................... 34
Figure 6: Build-Out Analysis .................................................................................................................... 38
Figure 7: Topography ............................................................................................................................... 44
Figure 8: Environmental Features ........................................................................................................... 45
Figure 9: Soils ............................................................................................................................................ 47
Figure 10: Impervious Coverage ............................................................................................................ 51
Figure 11: Floodplain Map ...................................................................................................................... 54
Figure 12: Existing Parks, Open Space and Recreation ....................................................................... 68
Figure 13: Potential Garibaldi Park Improvements .............................................................................. 75
Figure 14: Functional Classification of Road Network ......................................................................... 82
Figure 15: Traffic Volume ........................................................................................................................ 85
Figure 16: Vehicular Crashes on Major Roads (Excluding Local Roads), 2011-2013 .................... 88
Figure 17: Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes, 2011-2013 ..................................................................... 89
Figure 18: Public Transportation ............................................................................................................. 93
Figure 19: Water Supply ........................................................................................................................ 102
Figure 20: County Sewer Districts ......................................................................................................... 104
Figure 21: Affordable Housing Development in Westchester County .............................................. 122
Figure 22: Existing and Potential Affordable Housing in Rye Brook ................................................. 124
Figure 23: Commercial Development in Rye Brook ........................................................................... 132
Figure 24: Out Commutation of Employed Rye Brook Residents to Work, 2011 .......................... 140
Figure 25: In-Commutation of Workers Employed in Rye Brook, 2011 .......................................... 141
Figure 26: Village Center Study Area ................................................................................................... 148
Figure 27: Village Center Study Area Land Use ................................................................................. 149
Figure 28: Village Center Study Area Zoning ..................................................................................... 152
Figure 29: Sidewalk Conditions and Pedestrian Connectivity ........................................................... 155
Figure 30: Existing and Proposed Condition for the Pedestrian Network Near the South Ridge
Street/Bowman Avenue Intersection ..................................................................................................... 157
Figure 31: Concept Design for Rye Ridge Frontage ........................................................................... 159
Figure 32: Section of Rye Ridge Concept ............................................................................................. 160
Figure 33: Study Area Frontages .......................................................................................................... 162
Figure 34: Key Sites Subject to Change ............................................................................................... 165
Figure 35: Community Facilities and Historic Resources Map .......................................................... 172
Figure 36: Future Land Use Guide ....................................................................................................... 189
List of Tables
Table 1: Rye Brook, Rye, Port Chester and Westchester Population, 1980 to 2010 ........................ 19
Table 2: Persons Per Acre, 1990 to 2010 ............................................................................................. 19
Table 3: Rye Brook and Westchester County, Population by Age Cohort, 1980 to 2010 .............. 22
Table 4: Population by Detailed Age Cohort, Absolute Change, 2000 to 2010 ............................. 23
Table 5: Population by Detailed Age Cohort, Percent Change, 2000 to 2010 ............................... 23
Table 6: Population by Mutually Exclusive Race-Ethnicity, 2000 to 2010 ......................................... 24
Table 7: Rye Brook and Westchester County Educational Attainment for the Adult Population 25
Years and Older, 2000 to 2011 ............................................................................................................. 27
Table 8: Median and Mean Household Income, 1999 to 2011 ........................................................ 28
Table 9: Rye Brook and Westchester Households by Distribution of Annual Income, 2000-2011 29
Table 10: Rye Brook and Other Areas, Population in Poverty, 2011 ................................................. 30
Table 11: Existing Land Use .................................................................................................................... 32
Table 12: Summary of Existing Zoning .................................................................................................. 35
Table 13: Watershed Planning Strategies for Rye Brook ..................................................................... 48
Table 14: Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species in Westchester County ............ 57
Table 15: Parks and Open Space Inventory, 2013 .............................................................................. 66
Table 16: Traffic Volumes for Major Roadways in Rye Brook, 2010 vs. 2011/2012 ...................... 86
Table 17: Commute Time ........................................................................................................................ 91
Table 18: Vehicle Ownership .................................................................................................................. 92
Table 19: Total Passenger Enplanements, 2000 to 2012 ................................................................... 96
Table 20: Home Heating Fuel Use, Rye Brook ................................................................................... 105
Table 21: Rye Brook and Neighboring Areas Housing Units, 1990 to 2010 ................................. 110
Table 22: Rye Brook Total Population and Housing Units, 1990 to 2010 ...................................... 110
Table 23: Housing Stock by Year Structure Built, 2011 ..................................................................... 111
Table 24: Rye Brook Housing Units by Type, 2000 to 2011 ............................................................ 112
Table 25: Residential Building Permits, 1996-2013 .......................................................................... 113
Table 26: Homeowner and Renter Vacancy Rates, 2000 to 2010 ................................................... 113
Table 27: Housing Units by Tenure, 2000 to 2010 ........................................................................... 114
Table 28: Home Sales, Westchester County and Village of Rye Brook, 2002 to 2011 ................. 115
Table 29: Foreclosure Filings and Judgments, 2007-2012 .............................................................. 116
Table 30: Assessed Value in the Village of Rye Brook, 2007-2013 ................................................. 117
Table 31: Gross Rent, 1999 to 2011 (in 2011$) ............................................................................... 118
Table 32: Trends in Revenue and Expenditures for the Village of Rye Brook ................................. 129
Table 33: Office Zoning in Rye Brook .................................................................................................. 135
Table 34: Major Employers in the Village of Rye Brook, 2004 and 2013 ...................................... 139
Table 35: Existing Zoning in the Village Center .................................................................................. 151
Table 36: Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District Enrollment ................................................... 178
Table 37: Port Chester-Rye Union Free School District Enrollment .................................................. 178
List of Charts
Chart 1: Median Age of Rye Brook and Other Area Residents, 2000 and 2010 ............................ 21
Chart 2: Population by Age, 1980 to 2010 .......................................................................................... 21
Chart 3: Share of Foreign-Born Population, 1990 to 2011 ................................................................ 25
Chart 4: Origins of Area Foreign-Born Population, 2011 .................................................................. 26
Chart 5: Year of Entry and Origins of Rye Brook Foreign-Born Population, 2011 .......................... 26
Chart 6: Share of Adult Population 25 Years and Older by Educational Attainment, 2011 .......... 28
Chart 7: Rye Brook Area Households by Distribution of Annual Income, 2011............................... 29
Chart 8: Commuter Mode Share: Rye Brook and Surrounding Communities ................................. 91
Chart 9: Average Weekday Peak Period Ridership from Port Chester and Rye Stations ................. 94
Chart 10: Rye Brook Housing Units, 1950-2010 ............................................................................... 109
Chart 11: Housing Stock Share by Year Structure Built, 2011 ......................................................... 111
Chart 12: Gross Rent as a Percentage of Household Income, 2011............................................... 118
Chart 13: Selected Monthly Mortgage Holding Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household
Income, 2011 .......................................................................................................................................... 119
Chart 14: Selected Monthly Non-Mortgage Holding Owner Costs as a Percentage of Household
Income, 2011 .......................................................................................................................................... 120
Chart 15: Village Land Use and Tax Base Composition, 2013 ....................................................... 130
Chart 16: Village Expenditures and Revenue as a Share of the Total Budget, 2013-2014 .......... 131
Chart 17: Rye Brook Homestead and Non-Homestead Tax Levies, 2006-07 to 2012-13 .......... 131
Chart 18: Distribution of Employment by Industry Supersector in Rye Brook and Westchester
County, 2011 .......................................................................................................................................... 137
Chart 19: Change in Distribution of Employment by Industry Supersector in Rye Brook, 2002 to
2011 ......................................................................................................................................................... 138
Chart 20: Westchester County Direct Rental vs. Vacancy Rates, 2008 to Q3 2013 ...................... 142