In an attempt to garner community support for a proposed rezoning in the village of Mamaroneck’s industrial district, a local committee hosted a Food Truck and Makers Market.
On Nov. 6, hundreds of local residents, arriving by foot, bicycle and car, flooded Fayette Avenue, where several food trucks and craft tables were set up; it was an unusual sight in an area not accustomed to this type of retail. Some of the local vendors partaking in the market included Walter’s Hot Dog Stand in Mamaroneck, POW! Burger from New Rochelle, and The Bott Shoppe, a Mamaroneck Avenue art gallery.
According to Andy Spatz, co-chairman of the village Industrial Area Advisory Committee along with fellow resident John Verni, the event was intended to help introduce residents to the area’s potential.
“We were very pleased by the results,” Spatz said. “This reflects our effort to preserve the area’s existing use, while also incentivizing the growth of the local economy.”
Earlier this year, the committee, in conjunction with RePlace, a planning consulting firm, presented a redevelopment plan to reimagine the industrial area as a hub for artistic and entertainment-based businesses in addition to its existing center for manufacturing.
According to the plan, there is currently 700,000 square feet of potential development space, which could be used for a variety of businesses, ranging from restaurants and art galleries, to office and living space for cutting-edge information and technology startups.
However, due to the village’s current zoning laws, retail businesses cannot legally operate within the industrial zone, leaving the area home to mainly manufacturing warehouses. Any additional uses for the area would require a zoning change approved by the village Board of Trustees. The committee currently anticipates submitting a resolution for a zoning amendment for the area to the village board for approval early next year.
Spatz, who has helped spearhead a lengthy review process of the industrial area and its potential, consisting of numerous studies and meetings with various stakeholders, feels that a zoning overlay rather than an overhaul of the current zoning will yield the best outcome.
“We are not looking to change the substance of the existing zoning,” he said. “We are looking merely to overlay that with more retail so it expands upon the opportunities businesses would have.”
According to Spatz, the impacts of such a change would be felt throughout the village, ranging from new jobs, an increase in local tax revenue, neighborhood and eco-friendly buffering, flood mitigation as well as new recreational activities.
And while the village just saw a recent election where Democrats swept three open seats on the village board, Spatz said there seems to be broad support for the committee’s proposal—which was a topic of interest during the campaign—from both political parties.
“We’ve been very fortunate to have bipartisan support in this,” Spatz said. “I believe that the Board of Trustees recognizes the significant potential that the industrial area presents both economically and environmentally.”
Verni is also optimistic about the opportunities a revitalized industrial area could bring to the village.
“Why should all the businesses go to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Queens, and Long Island City?” he asked. “Why not the village of Mamaroneck?”
