Letter to Editor: Reader Concerned About Lester's Zoning Change

Reader Priscilla Young submitted a letter today expressing her concern about proposed r currently occupied by Lester's department store:

Dear friends and neighbors in Rye, 

Your voices are needed at an upcoming City Council meeting on September 14th at 8 pm at City Hall. Plans are afoot to change the zoning on the property next to City Hall which is currently leased to a store. The City of Rye has owned this property for a number of years and now wants to sell it. To realize the best price they have proposed to change the zoning to allow mixed use including first floor dwelling units -- up to 60 units. That is a very significant change from the current structure and it is right on the brook which is a flood zone. If parking were to be under the new buildings proposed, the cars would be under water. 

It proposes to bring many more families into an already crowded school system, increase density significantly, bring more cars into the central business district which already has too little parking and potentially create an eyesore right next to our beautiful town green. The current building is 9,800 sq. ft. and the proposal suggests changing that to allow 72,000 sq. ft. This has been done without the usual notices and signs required of normal citizens. Such notice is evidently not required of local government as the rules they make for us, do not apply to them. 

The first meeting was attended by only one person who asked for a continuance which was granted. Evidently, the unannounced meeting at which this is on the agenda is Sept. 14. If you have an interest in this, kindly make time to come and listen or voice your own opinion. 
 
Priscilla Young 
84 Grace Church Street