Council Considers Allowing Residential, Retail in Office District to Boost Occupancy [POLL]

• Editor's Note: A previous verision of this story was posted with an incorrect headline

With a projected 30 percent vacancy rate in the office buildings on Westchester Avenue’s west side in White Plains—the City’s common council will consider will consider allowing residential and retail uses in mixed used developments in the Campus Office Zoning District (C-O District).

“The [White Plains Planning] Board believes that the proposed amendments are a necessary response to changing market conditions, which have left a high campus office vacancy rate,” said Michael Quinn, the board’s chair, in a July 27 memo to the council.

The proposed measures would change zoning to increase the kinds of uses permitted in C-O District, located in two areas of the city: the southern of Mamaroneck Avenue (includes 12756 Mamaroneck Ave and 1311 Mamaroneck Ave.) and the western side of Westchester Avenue, which includes nine pieces of property.

Office and office-related uses are the current permitted uses in the C-O District, which includes 2.8 million square feet of office space. Extended stay hotels and day care centers were added as additional uses in June 2007.

The zoning changes would establish a “Planned Campus Development District" that allows planned mixed-use developments that include multifamily residential and retail, but only in combination with other permitted uses. The developments would have to incorporate green building designs and open space measures, like trails for biking and walking that connect to other parks and neighboring open spaces areas.

“The Conservation Board prefaces that it is imperative that the ‘devil’ and/or ‘angel’ are in the details,” wrote White Plains Conservation Board chair Robert Roston, in a June 19 letter to the council. “Each project will require detailed review to ensure compatibility and minimal impact with surrounding land uses, and public and private open space integrated into the City’s open space network, thereby achieving the objectives of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, as amended.” 

To ensure that these developments do not negatively interfere with surrounding residential neighborhoods, they would be subject to a master plan, which would have to be approved by the council and subject to environmental reviews.

According to Rod Johnson, the city’s environmental officer, White Plains was included in a study among Rye, Rye Brooke and Harrison—conducted by research firms, like CB Richard Ellis’ “Market View”—that showed the 33 office buildings studied had a vacancy rate of 30.56 percent in 2011.  Since Starwood Hotels and Resorts moved out of 1129 Westchester Ave. and IBM moved from 1133 Westchester Ave—Johnson expects that the office space vacancy rate for the City’s western side of Westchester Avenue to be at least 30 percent.

“The boards supports the amending zoning ordinance to expand the range of uses in the Campus Office district to make it more attractive for investment and re-occupancy of large, vacant buildings and will enable the City of White Plains to remain competitive with surrounding communities, which have made similar changes to their use regulations,” said Quinn.

The White Plains Common Council will hold a public hearing and possibly vote on zoning changes, at its meeting at 7:30 p.m. at city hall Monday night.

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