New Parking Deck Approved on WestMed Property

After six months of lively debate and dozens of alterations to the original plan, the Harrison Town Board has approved WestMed Medical Group's 96-spot addition to a parking lot on its complex at 220 Westchester Avenue.

The board unanimously approved the multi-million dollar parking deck at Thursday's town board meeting. The plan will create an additional parking level on the lot near the main entrance of the medical facility.

The proposal had been on the town board agenda six times since it was originally presented on Dec. 2, 2010. During that span neighbors along Anderson Hill Road in Purchase have objected to several aspects of the proposal, including the heightened deck on the two-story parking facility, saying the eyesore will affect their property values. Neighbors also noted that a berm built years ago to shield the current parking lot from sight has fallen into disrepair over the years. There was also concern about a Walgreens on the facility that might have violated town code.

In response the Town Board has worked with WestMed to create a 12-foot berm and a $25,000 bond that will cover the condition of the northern edge of the property. The bond will last 17 years, or as long as WestMed stays on the property, whichever is longest. The town can invade the bond if the northern edge of the property along Anderson Hill Road falls into disrepair.

WestMed also agreed to add more trees—bringing the total to 284—and reduce the overall height of the garage by five feet.

"Certainly it has taken a very long time to get to this point, we do welcome the improvements to WestMed," said Harrison Mayor/Supervisor Joan Walsh.

WestMed will also erect a fence along the northern property line to further shield the parking structure from the homes along Anderson Hill Road. The location of the trees along the property line will be approved by Town Engineer Michael Amodea, who will work with Christopher Manning, a homeowner in the area, who will serve as a representative for the neighbors during the construction process.

Also, WestMed will be required to create an outside smoking area screened from the sight of nearby homeowners and to create a sound buffer around an emergency generator on the premises.

Although WestMed has fought hours of operation limits throughout the process, the final agreement stipulates that WestMed must limit patient visits to less that 16 hours per day between the hours or 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m., except for during emergencies.

Several board members thanked neighbors and WestMed for working together throughout the process. Councilwoman Marlane Amelio, who worked with neighbors exhaustively during the process, said that although it took the town longer than usual to approve the proposal the board was never looking to obstruct the project from completion.

"We had a neighborhood with homes that were there well before WestMed, and we wanted to make sure that we could present it and make it as palatable and acceptable as possible for both the neighborhood and WestMed," Amelio said.

Since public discussion on the issue was closed on May 5, neighbors weren't permitted to address the board Thursday, but the council appeared pleased with the final outcome. Walsh said she hopes the two sides had reached a compromise both can work with.

"Parking sometimes was a problem," said Walsh, noting that the medical facility is popular among residents in all areas of town. "With the screening that was done and with all the changes that WestMed has put in place, it has become a better project than it started out to be and I think it will be beneficial to everybody."