Lawrence Area Neighborhood Plan Excerpts

Lawrence Area

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Neighborhood Plan

March 2015

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LAWRENCE AREA NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN 1-i

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Special thanks to the City of Yonkers and the Steering Committee: Cathy Hopkins Chris St. Lawrence Corazon Pineda Curt Collier David Slater Ivy Reeves Jeff Cherubini Jim Killoran Kayla Gilbert Kenroy Walters Latisha Randall Laura Rossi Lauren Williams Leslye Oquendo-Thomas

Lindsay Zefting Collin Hodges Marline Slater Melissa Goldberg Michael Hanley Paula Crawford Renee Milligan Rev. Lourdes Rivera Rick Magder Robert Baron Sam Borrelli Vernon Brinkley Yvette Hartsfield

EPA Disclaimer: This plan was developed under an award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It has not been formally reviewed by EPA. The views expressed are solely those of Groundwork Hudson Valley, and EPA does not endorse any products or commercial services mentioned.

1.1 How the Plan Developed 1-1 Making the Decision to Plan 1-1 The Planning Process & Vision 1-1 The Evolution of an Idea 1-3 1.2 History of the Getty Square Branch in Yonkers & the Lawrence Street Area 1-4

5.1 Active Transportation Demand Analysis 5-1 5.2 Case Studies 5-5 Midtown Greenway – Minneapolis, MN 5-5 Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail Greenville, SC 5-6 Razorback Regional Greenway / Springdale Downtown Revitalization Plan–Springdale, AR 5-8 Case Study Conclusions 5-9 Case Study Matrix 5-10

CHAPTER 2 - EXISTING CONDITIONS

CHAPTER 6 - RECOMMENDATIONS

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6.1 Recommendations Introduction Recommendations Overview Map Demand Analysis Overlay Trail Bicycle & Pedestrian Connectivity Transit Zoning Programs

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2.1 Relevant Planning Efforts 2-1 City of Yonkers 2-1 New York City 2-2 Other Relevant Planning Processes & Programs 2-3 Other Community Initiatives 2-4 2.2 Demographics & Land Use 2-5 Social & Physical Characteristics 2-5 Social & Economic Need 2-11 2.3 Brownfields Assessment 2-13 Brownfield Definition 2-13 Brownfield Programs 2-13 Lawrence Area Brownfield Sites 2-13 Funding Opportunities 2-15 2.4 Summarized Environmental Analysis 2-17 Overview 2-17 Required Actions 2-17

CHAPTER 3 - TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS

3.1 Transportation Analysis 3-1 Current Network 3-1 How the Lawrence Street Area Travels 3-3 Walk Score 3-6 Housing and Transportation Affordability Index 3-6 Potential Mobility Benefits of a Multi-Use Trail 3-8

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 5 - DEMAND ANALYSIS & CASE STUDIES

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION

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CHAPTER 7 - IMPLEMENTATION

7.1 Implementation 7-1 Policy & Jurisdiction 7-1 Funding 7-1 Education 7-1 Design & Construction 7-2 Zoning 7-3 Transit 7-3 Community Involvement 7-4 7.2 Implementation Matrix and Project Phasing 7-4

APPENDIX CHAPTER 4 - MARKET ANALYSIS 4.1 Market Analysis Introduction Commercial Market Housing Market Opportunities & Challenges

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A.1 A.2 A.3 A.4 A.5

Detailed Environmental Analysis Individual Demand Categories Parking Requirements Affordable Housing Ordinance Lawrence Street Festival Engagement Strategy & Report

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5.2

CASE STUDIES

The series of vacant brownfield parcels that make up the former Getty Square Branch right-of-way is so central to this plan that it is important to highlight how similar other cities have used demand for active transportation as a way to transform parts of their communities.

Specifically, this plan presents three case studies in this section that focus on the impacts that the construction of an urban multi-use trail had on each of the city’s affected neighborhoods. Impacts involving economic benefits and the development of new services and public amenities are of particular interest in these case studies.

MIDTOWN GREENWAY – MINNEAPOLIS, MN

PROCESS By the late 1980’s, the inactive Milwaukee Road rightof-way was blighted and was often used as a dumping ground. Neighborhoods adjacent to the route began advocating for a cleanup, and by 1995

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Figure 3: Midtown Greenway overview map

There are demographic parallels between the proposed Getty Square Branch trail and the Midtown Greenway, in that parts of the Midtown Greenway serve one of the most racially diverse sections of Minneapolis. As of the 2010 Census, tracts 7801 and 126 were majority black, while two tracts directly to the east were majority Hispanic. In addition, the Midtown Greenway was developed within an urban setting similar to that of Yonkers. The trail is also in close proximity to Minneapolis’s Lake Street commercial strip, which is a major retail and business corridor not unlike South Broadway in Yonkers.

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DESCRIPTION The Midtown Greenway is a 5.7 mile long, exclusively off-street multi-use trail that runs east-west through the Calhoun Isles, Powderhorn, Philips, and Longfellow neighborhoods of South Minneapolis. It utilizes a former

Minnesota Route 55, a dedicated bicycle and pedestrian bridge. The entire length of the Midtown Greenway is plowed during the winter to ensure year-round access.

rail right-of-way of the Milwaukee Road and is almost entirely grade separated, meaning that bicyclists and pedestrians utilizing the route generally do not have to contend with traffic or negotiate street crossings.

The Midtown Greenway connects along its route and at either end to a variety of other multi-use trails.

Particularly notable is the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge over Figure 4: view of the Midtown Greenway

the Midtown Greenway Coalition emerged and achieved nonprofit status.

The organization started working towards the idea of constructing a multi-use path along the corridor, and saw results by 2000 when the first phase was completed from Chowen Avenue to 5th Avenue South. The second phase from 5th Avenue South to Hiawatha Avenue / Route 55 was completed by 2004, and the final phase extending from Hiawatha Avenue / Route 55 to the Mississippi River was constructed in 2006. By 2007, the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge was erected as an additional phase to bypass the dangerous seven lane crossing at Hiawatha Avenue / Route 55. Funding was collected from a variety of sources, including the Hennepin County Regional Railroad Authority, Federal grants, Hennepin County, the City of Minneapolis, and congressional earmarks.

The Midtown Greenway Coalition worked with existing agencies to coordinate greenway-related outreach efforts in the most racially diverse areas, which they have found to be helpful in both creating a sense of shared

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ownership and encouraging regular use of the Midtown Greenway among those groups. They also cited the provision of adequate lighting along the trail as a key to providing residents of those neighborhoods with the sense of security required to use the trail comfortably.

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Figure 6: New housing developments along the Midtown Greenway

DESCRIPTION The Greenville Health System Swamp Rabbit Trail (GHS SRT) is a paved multi-use path that traverses the 18.7 mile trek from the City of Travelers Rest, South Carolina to Greenville Technical College in Greenville, South Carolina. As another rails-to-trails project, this path was built within the right of way of the abandoned Swamp Rabbit Railroad, named for the species of rabbit that is indigenous to the area. Sections of the trail closer to Travelers Rest tend to run through low-density residential and auto-oriented commercial landscapes, transitioning to a higher-density urban context as it approaches downtown Greenville. As the trail passes Greenville heading southeast, the setting is often parklike with stretches that pass through lower-density residential areas and university neighborhoods. The trail is entirely at grade, which means there are numerous street crossings. Most are well-marked, however, with generous use of high-visibility trail crossing markings and textured pavement treatments to promote safety.

DEMAND ANALYSIS & CASE STUDIES

GREENVILLE HEALTH SYSTEM SWAMP RABBIT TRAIL – GREENVILLE, SC

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IMPACTS As of January 2012, bicycle and pedestrian counts released by the Minneapolis Public Works Department (DPW) indicated that the bicycle and pedestrian traffic on the Midtown Greenway came in at over 3,500 per day. The same source shows that bicycle traffic on the Midtown Greenway had increased by 261% between 2003 and 2011.

The trail incorporates transit connections as well. At the point of the Martin Olav Sabo Bridge crossing at Hiawatha Avenue / Route 55, there is a direct connection to the Lake Street / Midtown stop of the Hiawatha Light Rail line that can be reached from the Midtown Greenway via a cycle track on E 28th Street and the Hiawatha Bike Trail.

In 2007, the Midtown Greenway Land Use Development Plan was approved by the Minneapolis City Council as a response to the development pressure along the Midtown Greenway that has sprung from the corridor’s success. According to the Midtown Greenway Coalition, hundreds of millions of dollars’ have been invested along the corridor, resulting in dozens of apartment buildings and over 3,000 new housing units.

Figure 7: Swamp Rabbit Trail logo

Like the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis, the GHS SRT contains sections that run through neighborhoods similar to the Lawrence Street area in their demographic composition. In particular, Census tract 7 just west of downtown Greenville was 79% black as of the 2010 Census, with the 2012 American Community Survey (ACS) estimating a poverty rate of 49%. The 2012 ACS estimated a similar poverty rate of 47% for neighboring Census tract 2201, which came in at 16% black and 28% Hispanic at the time of the 2010 Census. The Swamp Rabbit Trail runs directly through each of those tracts, which are part of Greenville’s West Side neighborhood.

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PROCESS Prior to becoming a trail, and at the urging of a group of concerned citizens, the Greenville County Economic Development Corporation (GCEDC) purchased the Swamp Rabbit rail corridor from RailTex, Inc. for $1.3 million in 1999. The intent was to preserve the corridor for the general benefit of the public and Greenville County, although no specific use had yet emerged. The idea of transforming the corridor into a trail was fully ingrained by 2007, when the Greenville Health System (GHS) committed to providing $100,000 per year to the Greenville County Recreational District (GCRD) to assist with trail development and marketing efforts.

In addition to such localized benefits, the Swamp Rabbit Trail has been a boon to businesses. An interview with twenty local businesses near the trail indicated that sales had increased anywhere from a 30% to 90%, with estimated annual revenue from trail users ranging from $50,000 to $400,000, depending on the business in question.

More broadly, the trail has developed into perhaps the most prominent recreational facility in Greenville County, and has contributed to the vitality of downtown Greenville and the surrounding areas. Contributing to its status in this regard is the trail’s branding, wayfinding, and integration with the community and local businesses.

For example, GHS publishes a branded, graphicallyoriented map that directs trail users to attractions, public amenties, and commercial destinations near the trail.

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The trail opened on May 7-9, 2009, and was fully connected through the City of Greenville by 2010. It has been in operation since. Its purpose within the Greenville area has come to be perceived as an alternative to behaviors linked to inactivity and obesity, an additional transportation option, a way to promote economic development, and a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

IMPACTS After its second year of operation, the Swamp Rabbit Trail experienced an estimated 400,000 annual users.

Like the Midtown Greenway, the success of the Swamp Rabbit Trail has resulted in a high level of development activity. Some examples of commercial development that have located in the low-income areas adjacent to

the trail are Swamp Rabbit Crossfit, Trailside Creamery, Swamp Rabbit Grocery, Swamp Rabbit Inn, and TTR Bikes. In particular, TTR Bikes provide several communityoriented programs, one of them being free bike maintenance for people staying at the nearby Miracle Hill Shelter. The Kroc Center is another significant trailadjacent organization, which functions as a privately funded version of the YMCA. It focuses on community programs and outreach to low-income youth, and their facilities are directly accessible via the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Figure 8: Swamp Rabbit Trail Map, with businesses, community gardens, and other amenities highlighted

DESCRIPTION The Razorback Regional Greenway is a paved, multiuse path that runs from the Bella Vista Trail in north Bentonville, Arkansas to south Fayetteville, Arkansas.

About 30 miles of the planned 36 miles have been built, with plans to complete the remaining 6 miles by the end of 2014. It passes through a total of 6 downtown areas in northwestern Arkansas, consisting of Fayetteville, Johnson, Springdale, Lowell, Rogers and Bentonville.

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construction into a community benefit that extends beyond recreation and transportation. It approaches the Lawrence Street area demographically as well, with the Census tract containing downtown Springdale reported as 40% Hispanic in the 2010 Decennial Census and a poverty rate of 25% in the 2012 American Community Survey. The fact that the Springdale section of the greenway will be accompanied by a creek daylighting allows parallels to be drawn to daylighting of the Saw Mill in downtown Yonkers.

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Springdale has embraced the greenway’s path along Spring Creek and through its downtown as a potent development opportunity. In the Downtown Springdale Revitalization Master Plan, Springdale focuses its attention on a relatively short segment where the Spring Creek has been capped since 1969 as part of an urban renewal and flood control project. The intent of the plan is to daylight the creek in this area as an accompaniment to the greenway that centers on Shiloh Square, an underutilized indoor community gathering space. Both improvements are viewed as a means to make the downtown more attractive as a destination for potential commercial tenants, visitors, and residents.

DEMAND ANALYSIS & CASE STUDIES

Figure 9: Razorback Regional Greenway near Springdale

RAZORBACK REGIONAL GREENWAY / SPRINGDALE DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION PLAN – SPRINGDALE, AR

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While the overall extent of the Razorback Regional Greenway is objectively different from the proposed Yonkers alignment, the Springdale section is comparable in its attempts to channel the positive effects of trail

PROCESS The Razorback Regional Greenway gained the support of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission (NWARPC) by 2000. At that time, the idea of regional trails emerged as a key goal for northwest

Figure 10: Rendering of downtown Springdale’s preferred trail-oriented development alternative

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Arkansas. NWARPC then formed a task force to facilitate the planning and development of a regional greenway, which worked to coordinate its implementation across the numerous municipalities that it traverses. Long active in trail construction in northwest Arkansas, the Walton Family Foundation made available up to $15 million in funding subject to a 1:1 match from cities that chose to participate. Planning and design of the greenway began in 2010, with construction following soon after.

In Springdale, the City followed a planning process that worked to incorporate the greenway and daylighting to enhance key downtown destinations in the context of three overall design concepts:

In support of this estimation of upcoming economic activity, there has already been a surge in interest in property in downtown Springdale, and the experience of other cities with similar trail-oriented downtown initiatives suggests a bright outlook.

The implications of the Springdale effort for the Lawrence Street neighborhood is the clear demonstration that a successful area-specific redevelopment plan can be supported and implemented in the context of a larger trail system – in this case, the proposed rail trail utilizing the former Getty Square Branch right of way that would pass through a variety of neighborhoods and generators.

CASE STUDY CONCLUSIONS • • •

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The Town Square alternative, which emerged as the preferred design at a major charrette, orients new development around a “main street” strip that leads into a central open space. Each alternative recommended opening up Shiloh Square as an outdoor destination.

Phase 1 of the downtown improvements are currently under construction, and Phase II is under contract.

Case studies from Minneapolis, Greenville, and Springdale show that multi-use trails can generate positive economic and community outcomes in a variety of urban contexts. Each case study is unique and is not comparable to Yonkers from every angle, but taken together they address many of the concerns that are relevant to the Lawrence Street area. In particular, these case studies teach us the following:

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IMPACTS From recreation options to enhanced mobility, the Razorback Regional Greenway has facilitated a multitude of positive effects on the communities it passes through. Although Springdale’s improvements have yet to be fully completed, the City commissioned a detailed economic impact study that outlined the expected outcomes from the investment. This report estimates that, given expenditures on the greenway, creek daylighting, and other associated improvements, Springdale could receive: • • • • •

Over 50,000 square feet of new retail, restaurant, and commercial space. $7 million in private investment downtown.

Economic activity supportive of 200 jobs.

Transactions generating up to $30 million in aggregate annual revenues Greenway usage resulting in up to 80,000 annual visitors that could yield an additional $10 million in demand for accommodations, food, and retail.

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Significant development and investment can follow a successful multi-use trail.

Adjacent land uses must be considered and planned for.

Trail-supportive programs are important to ensure smooth operation and continued social investment.

Community outreach should be a component of fostering ownership of the amenity.

Connectivity to and from the trail is essential.

Safe crossings and rights-of-way for cyclists and pedestrians cannot be ignored.

A concerted effort to create a branded identity can help make the trail a destination.

In addition to these lessons, a summary matrix on the next page has been provided to consolidate the details of each case study.

DEMAND ANALYSIS & CASE STUDIES

CASE STUDY SUMMARY MATRIX

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Table 2: Case study comparison matrix

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BICYCLE & PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY

Figure 18: South Broadway

CIRCULATION Despite low rates of car ownership and relatively high rates of bicycling and walking, the Lawrence Street area’s bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure has not seen much investment in recent years. The South Broadway corridor is perhaps the most pedestrian- friendly thoroughfare in the neighborhood, and the South Broadway BID has implemented several improvements such as enhanced street signage. Yet even along South Broadway, bicycle accommodations are nonexistent while the pedestrian environment is often marred by faded crosswalks, fasttraveling cars, and inopportune curb cuts.

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Rawlins Street Carroll Street Rockledge Place

Several of these streets would also include short connecting sections, Primarily on Van Cortlandt Park Avenue and Bruce Avenue. Also, although outside of the study area, Park Hill Avenue is shown on the recommendations map as a candidate for enhancements due to the opportunity to connect with existing bicycle lanes further up north on that street. Overall, as the recommendations map makes clear, focusing on these streets for bicycle and pedestrian improvements would provide perimeter circulation around the neighborhood, while enhancing mobility to important hubs like PS 13 and the proposed trail. Lawrence Street would serve as an important bicycle and pedestrian corridor for those wishing to cut through the center of the neighborhood.

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The lack of adequate bicycle and pedestrian facilities decreases comfort for non-motorized travelers and vehicles alike, and in certain areas may increase the risk of conflict with automobile traffic. This makes it more difficult to get around the neighbrhood safely by foot or by bicycle, and generally impairs mobility within the Lawrence Street area.

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With the goal of enhanced safety and better bicyce and pedestrian circulation through the neighborhood, as well as connections to and from proposed trail hubs, the plan has identified several streets where bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure enhancements should be implemented. These streets are shown on the recommendations map, and are listed as the following: South Broadway from McLean Avenye to Caryl Avenue Lawrence Street from South Broadway to McLean Avenue Caryl Avenue from South Broadway to McLean Avene McLean Avenue from South Broadway to Carly Avenue Intervale Place

Figure 17: Van Cortlandtt Park Ave near Lawrence Street

The recommended infrastructure improvements could take many forms, and depend upon a combination of community preferences and engineering considerations.

This plan focuses on two areas to give an idea of the types of accommodations that are possible in the neighborhood: South Broadway and Lawrence Street.

Figure 19: South Broadway at Rockledge Place

Whatever configuration is chosen, sidewalk enhancements should accompany any implementation.

Street trees could be planted to improve the streetscape, street lighting could be installed at more frequent intervals, bicycle parking could be installed, and outdoor seating could be provided at businesses that wish to participate. Full ADA compliance at all intersections should be ensured as well.

Figure 20a: South Broadway alternative A PARKING-PROTECTED BIKE LANES P

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South Broadway is about 50 feet wide throughout the study area, with parking lanes and the occasional center turn lane. This existing configuration leaves room for bicycle lanes, which would provide an additional buffer from motorized traffic and could serve to enhance the pedestrian environment along the corridor. Figures 20a and 20b at right illustrate two alternative bicycle accommodations for South Broadway.

vitality at the sidewalk level, but is simpler to implement and would not require on-street parking adjustments. It may also be possible to retain the existing left turn lanes.

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Alternative A would require moving on-street parking spaces a total of 7 feet away from the curb in order to provide space for a bicycle 5 foot bicycle lane and 2 foot buffer. No traffic lanes would be removed, except possibly left turn lanes at a few points along the street. In addition to the safety benefits of physically cyclists from traffic on South Broadway, the bicycle lane’s position along the curb would allow cyclists to interact more directly with businesses along the corridor. Transit stops could be accommodated by removing a small number of parking spaces at those stops. This type of bicycle lane configuration has been used successfully in a number of cities, perhaps most notably in New York City.

A more standard bicycle lane configuration (alternative B) would involve providing a dedicated 7 foot wide bicycle lane between the parking and automobile travel lanes.

Parking would remain at the curb. This exposes the cyclist to more traffic and reduces the potential for enhancing 1 2 3 4 5

NYC DOT, 2012. “Measuring the Street.” http://www.nyc.gov/html/ dot/downloads/pdf/2012-10-measuring-the-street.pdf Ibid NYC DOT, 2013. “Making Safer Streets.” http://www.nyc.gov/html/ dot/downloads/pdf/dot-making-safer-streets.pdf CDOT, 2011. “Initial Findings: Kinzie Street Protected Bike Lane.” http://www.chicagobikes.org/pdf/Kinzie_Initial_Findings.pdf NYC DOT, 2011. “Columbus Avenue Parking-Protected Bicycle Path Preliminary Assessment.” http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/ downloads/pdf/2011_columbus_assessment.pdf

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South Broadway As the primary commercial hub of the Lawrence Street area, improving South Broadway’s bicycling environment is anticipated to bring economic benefits. Indeed, the economic benefits of bicycle facilities in dense urban environments are well-documented. For example, along the 9th Avenue protected bicycle lane in Manhattan (shown at bottom-right), stores located between 23rd Street and 31st Street experienced a 49% increase in retail sales since its implementation in 2007, as compared to a 3% increase in the rest of the borough.1 During the same period on 9th Avenue, giving bicyclists dedicated road space also mitigated errant bicycling behavior like sidewalk riding, which was reduced by 84%.2 The protected bicycle lane also made the streets for safer for all shoppers, with overall traffic injuries decreasing by almost 45%3 All of this often occurs amidst little-to-no changes to automobile travel time, as reported by studies in congestion-heavy Chicago and New York City.4, 5

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Figure 20b: South Broadway alternative B STANDARD BIKE LANES P

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Lawrence Street Lawrence Street is one of the major west-to-east connectors in the neighborhood, running one-way between South Broadway and McLean Avenue. It is also a culturally significant corridor that acts as the area’s namesake, and was once the site of the former Getty Square branch’s Lowerre station.

In recent decades, however, the street’s infrastructure has been neglected and lacks updated pedestrian accommodations. No bicycle lanes are present.

Improving Lawrence Street’s pedestrian and cycling environment will be important not only to ensure that it remains a strong connector, but to utilize the street as a major route between the proposed trail and businesses on South Broadway.

The plan view on the opposite page shows how this facility could look between Saratoga Avenue and Western Avenue. The photographs below also offer a before-and-after visualization of how the street could be transformed. Although this is not the only configuration available for Lawrence Street, it was demonstrated to the community as a temporary installment during the Lawrence Street Festival and received positive feedback.

CIRCULATION RECOMMENDATIONS Overall, the plan recommends implementing the following: • •

Bicycle accommodations along South Broadway Streetscape improvements to South Broadway, including street tree planting, bicycle parking, and potential outdoor seating.

Bicycle accommodations along Lawrence Street Improved bicycle and pedestrian accommodations along the corridors noted in this section and highlighted in the recommendations map.

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Ranging in width from 30’ to 35’ between South Broadway and Van Cortlandt Park Avenue, Lawrence Street is remarkably wide for a one-way street. This leaves room for on-street cycling accommodations, as well as pedestrian enhancements like curb bump outs or widened sidewalks. Assuming a width of 35,’ the street has ample room for an 8’ parking separated cycle track that allows bicycle travel in both directions. A 2’ buffer would be included, with an 11’ foot travel lane leftover for automobile traffic. Where Lawrence Street narrows down to about 30,’ parking could be eliminated on one side for these short sections to allow the cycle track to continue. The cycle track could connect with the proposed bicycle accommodations on South Broadway, and could transition to a more standard configuration

between Van Cortlandt Park Avenue and McLean Avenue, where Lawrence Street narrows down to about 25.’

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Figure 22: Existing Streetscape Lawrence Street looking east from Saratoga Ave

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Figure 23: Potential Street Configuration Lawrence Street between Saratoga Ave and Western Ave

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Figure 24: Potential Streetscape Lawrence Street looking east from Saratoga Ave

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CROSSINGS Safe intersection crossings will be essential to the route improvement recommendations listed on the recommendations overview map. There are a number of major intersections in the Lawrence Street area, and while each requires attention, the recommendations here will focus on enhancing street crossings where the proposed trail creates conflicts with vehicle traffic, particularly at trail hubs. This will allow non-motorized travelers in the Lawrence Street area to utilize the trail route to negotiate difficult crossings, and provide connections to other sections of the neighborhood’s enhanced bicycle and pedestrian routes. Renderings of several of the proposed crossing enhancements are presented on the following pages as visual examples.

Radford Street Like the crossing at Lawrence Street, the trail’s intersection with Radford Street is not made in conjunction with another roadway. Because this street is two-way, however, another raised crosswalk configuration with trail crossing signs, a median refuge, and a speed table may be the best option (see figure 25 for an example). This would again give motorists visual cues, but it would also allow pedestrians or cyclists to pause halfway through the crossing, requiring them to cross only one direction of traffic at a time.

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Caryl Avenue This crossing (figure 27) comprises a trail hub that passes through an irregularly shaped intersection with Saratoga Avenue, and requires enhanced intersection treatments to facilitate a safe crossing for all users.

Lawrence Street Another trail hub, the crossing at Lawrence Street will require traffic calming to facilitate safe movement of trail users and other pedestrians (figure 29). Since it is a one-way street that does not intersect with any other roadways at the point of the trail crossing, the recommended solution is a raised crosswalk coupled with crossing signs and a speed table (see figure 25 for an example). This combination will provide visual cues to motorists that could impel them to reduce their speed as they approach the raised crosswalk.

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Trail users heading north can use high visibility crosswalks to reach the next trail link, and those on bicycles can enter the flow of traffic on Caryl Avenue via a bicycle box that vehicles must stop behind (see figure 26 for example). A dedicated signal phase for eastward movement could be used to allow bicyclists to proceed to the shared use lane opposite their side of the intersection without interference from oncoming traffic on Caryl Avenue. Alternatively, the present signal phasing could be maintained in conjunction with signage that warns bicyclists that they must yield to oncoming traffic. Southbound pedestrians can utilize the high visibility crosswalks to bridge this gap, and bicyclists are provided with a bicycle lane that leads to a left turn bicycle queue box that gives them a safe place to stop and monitor traffic prior to crossing Caryl Avenue.

High visibility crosswalks should be used at each street crossing at this intersection to provide a more comfortable environment for all pedestrians, regardless of whether or not they are using the trail.

Parking Lot - Caryl Avenue Playground Although not a traditional crossing, the trail will need to traverse the parking lot adjacent to the Caryl Avenue Playground after traveling northeast from the intersection of Saratoga Avenue and Caryl Avenue (figure 28). A dedicated two-way cycle track is one possibility, as is a simpler set of shared lane markings.

McLean Avenue The trail’s crossing at McLean Avenue will occur about 200 feet northwest of where McLean intersects with Van Cortlandt Park Avenue (figure 30). It is a major intersection with higher traffic volumes and wide approaches, so safe and efficient traffic flow must be balanced with the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other trail users.

To this end, high visibility crosswalks, curb bump outs, bicycle lanes, an offset median island crossing, and potential sidewalk widening at appropriate locations would maintain traffic flow while providing a safe environment for non-motorized travelers.

Specifically, pedestrians exiting the trail at Eastern Avenue would encounter a trail head and an enhanced bus shelter, with the option of crossing McLean Ave directly ahead via the offset median island or continuing north or south along the sidewalks. Bicyclists exiting the trail could transition onto a southbound bicycle lane that would bring them to a bicycle box at the intersection of McLean Ave and Van Cortlandt Park Ave, or walk their bicycle across the offset median island and continue their trip northbound along McLean. Pedestrians and bicyclists wishing to access the trail at this intersection could use the same facilities to reach the trail head at Eastern Avenue.

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Figure 25: Example of a raised intersection with a speed table and a median refuge.

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Figure 26: Example of a bicycle box. Bicycle boxes allow bicyclists to queue ahead of vehicles.

CROSSING RECOMMENDATIONS In order to support connectivity along the trail and throughout the neighborhood, the plan recommends: • • • • •

Installation of high-visibility crosswalks and bicycle treatments at Caryl Ave. Installation of a two-way cycle track or shared lane markings at the Caryl Ave Playground parking lot.

Installation of a raised crosswalk and curb bump outs at the Lawrence Street hub.

Installation of a median refuge and a raised crosswalk at the trail’s intersection with Radford Street.

Installation of bicycle lanes, an offset median crossing, and an enhanced bus shelter at the intersection of McLean Avenue and Van Cortlandt Park Avenue.

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Map 3: City of Yonkers illustration of South Broadway zoning districts

ZONING URBAN CORRIDORS The zoning regulations in the Lawrence Street area primarily attempt to reflect the existing built environment, with two major exceptions: relatively high off-street parking requirements, and a lack of mixed use.

Within the City of Yonkers’ zoning code, off-street parking requirements are set at 1 per dwelling unit plus an additional 1/3 of a space for each bedroom. Off-street parking requirements for commercial uses varies greatly, but are generally calculated on the basis of floor area or the number of facilities provided. Exact requirements are presented in the appendix.

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As map 4 shows, residential and commercial uses are largely separated in the code, despite the historic intermixing of residential and commercial uses within the study area that have persisted to the present. In the absence of mixed use zoning, the only concession to mixed use lies within the South Broadway zoning district, adopted by the City of Yonkers in 2011, which allows most destroyed or damaged noncomforming mixed use properties along South Broadway to be redeveloped as noncomforming. Although helpful for the corridor, this means that existing mixed use developments are considered nonconforming, and in the absence of a variance new developments are subject to the code’s separation of uses. New developments would also be subject to the code’s off-street parking requirements, which would in most cases preclude the type of dense development that already exists along in much of the South Broadway corridor by forcing developers to set aside large sections of their lots as surface parking.

With this in mind, the plan recognizes that much of the Lawrence Street area is residential, and recommends that primarily residential areas remain zoned as such.

It will be important for future development within the

neighborhood, however, to ensure that mixed use is able to be reconstructed as-of-right where it currently exists, and to be expanded in key areas where mixed use makes sense. One of the most important of these possible mixed use areas is South Broadway.

The South Broadway rezoning helped set the stage for this sort of dense, walkable and mixed-use development along South Broadway from the border with New York City to downtown Yonkers. In the Lawrence Street area, the rezoning designated two subdistricts - the Central Subdistrict and the Core Subdistrict. The map at right, which was included in the rezoning resolution, outlines the geographic extent of those districts in the Lawrence Street area.

Central Subdistrict This subdistrict encompasses most of South Broadway from Caryl Avenue to Randolph Street, in addition to the west side of South Broadway from Randolph Street to Morris Street. It carries several urban design requirements that are important for the corridor. Those include: (a) Front yard setback: none required (b) Side yard setback: none required (c) Rear yard setback: 10 feet for commercial (d) Side front yard setback: none required

Figure 39: Existing development along South Broadway

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Ridge Rd

T

AF

Pl

Linn Ave

T Alli l son Av e

Lero y Av e

Eliin nor P l

BR

Gibson Pl

t sS llin Ro

Leroy Pl

Lewiss Pkwy

Courter Ave e

DR Pl

Caryl y Ave

Ritchie Dr

Dr Ridge

Lan dsc ape

Birch Rd

St

Int erv ale

T

Avv s w Ave Fansha

Lattin Dr

We lles ley Ave

on

lt Pe

Euclid Ave

Ellsw

Pl Boulder

Lewis Pky

Pl yle o C

e Av

S-50 orth Ave

C scent The Cre

e Av Pk dt lan ort nC Va

M

S-50 ve wA sha Fan

T

St oll r r Ca

ga to ra Sa

ve eA ap sc nd La

ve nA hto Leig

Ave hing Pers

ge Pl ge Rockledg

Av e

Marshall Rd Ma de lin eP ky

t nS ou d u Lo

T

B

Ter Linn

r ct D

spe

Valen e tine Ln

M cle an

St fe olf W

Lawrence St

A

Wendover Rd

e Av

e Av

ve Bruce A

ve Cliff A

A

ws P St Andre

St

e m Av Putna

Cir yon Can

rn ste Ea

n ter es W

Radford

l

S-50

ll Ave Corne

h St Randolp

BR

Pro

e Ave Romain

dway S Broa

M

Lefferts R Rd

Spring Rd

r

ve Elliott A

CM Post St

Clifton Ave

Edgecliff Ter

Pa rk Hi ll A ve

Sp rin gR d

Ridg e Rd

liff St

Ter

B Morris St

Rockland Av e

Overc

ill Park H

BA

r Hillside D

Undercliff St

G le nb ro ok Av e

Hillcourt Pl

T

w St Ludlo

t Ave Hillcres

r eD esid k a L

Rumsey Rd

Map 4: Existing zoning districts

Caryl yll Ave

W 263rd S

t

B Lawrence St Area Zoning Districts Source: Westchester County, City of Yonkers, US Census Bureau Study Area

I

0

T - 2 Family Dwelling 0.075

0.15 Miles

A - Elevator Apartment, High Density

M - Apt Houses, Medium Density B - Neighborhood Business / Apt

BA - General Business & Apt

CM - Comm. Storage, Light Ind.

BR - Restricted Business, Residence S-50 - Detached 1 Family Dwelling

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(e) Build-to line: New structures shall be required to meet the average street build-to line of the adjacent structures (f ) Floor area ratio: 4.0 (g) Height: 40 feet (h) Lot area, minimum: none required (i) Lot width: none required (j) Maximum lot coverage: 90%

off-street parking requirements. It also does not take unusable interior space into account (i.e., space for walls and utilities).

Notably, no front yard setback is required and structures are required to match the average build-to line of existing adjacent buildings, which means that new developments will often be built all the way up to the sidewalk. This helps retain the building frontage consistent with a historically walkable, mixed-use corridor like South Broadway.

Core Subdistrict Within the study area, the Core Subdistrict requirements are in effect on the east side of South Broadway from Randolph Street to beyond the northern tip of the study area at the intersection of South Broadway and McLean Avenue.

The regulations within the Core Subdistrict are similar to those in the Central Subdistrict, with a few differences highlighted in bold:

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However, the notable omissions from this subdistrict are the allowance of mixed use in new developments and the code’s requirement for more parking than currently exists within many parcels along the corridor.

The result is a 40’ tall structure with a total floor area of 36,000 square feet that takes full advantage of the permitted density. While such a build-out would surely differ if actually constructed, it is important to show that the density of development allowed under the South Broadway rezoning is supportive of the walkable urban environment that has emerged as a goal of this plan.

(a) Front yard setback: none required (b) Side yard setback: none required (c) Rear yard setback: 10 feet for commercial, 25 feet for residential (d) Side front yard setback: none required (e) Build-to line: New structures shall be required to meet the average street build-to line of the adjacent structures

AF

The floor area ratio (FAR) and other requirements are abstract and difficult to imagine as implemented in the real world, so figure 40 provides a visualization of a fully built-out structure on South Broadway on a theoretical 100’ x 100’ lot.

LAWRENCE AREA NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN

DR

It is important to note that this visualization represents how a new development in the Core Subdistrict of South Broadway could look without the accompanying

Figure 40: Central Subdistrict Buildout Example

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at select locations along McLean Avenue and Lawrence Street. The underlying density and bulk requirements of the “A” and “BR” districts that occur along these streets could remain unchanged.

The small stretches of McLean Avenue that are recommended for mixed use were selected for their proximity to proposed trail and transit hubs. Mixed use along Lawrence Street is recommended based upon the street’s existing mixed use near South Broadway, as well as its envisioned role as a bicycle and pedestrian connector between the Lawrence Street hub and the South Broadway corridor.

The most important difference is the lower FAR of 3.0, coupled with the higher height limit. For new developments, this combination could result in a towerlike structure with a setback after the first 50 to 55 feet, an example of which can be found in figure 41. Again, this visualization is produced as the density that could be achieved without accompanying off-street parking requirements or accounting for unusable interior space. Parking requirements or mixed use are not addressed in this subdistrict either.

URBAN CORRIDOR RECOMMENDATIONS The plan recommends that the City consider the following zoning code adjustments along South Broadway and selected stretches of McLean Avenue and Lawrence Street: Modify, reduce, or eliminate off-street parking requirements as appropriate.

Incorporate elements of the City of Yonkers’ existing mixed use district (“D-MX”) to allow as-of-right mixed use.

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• •

DR

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This plan recommends allowing as-of-right mixed use developments that approximate the density represented in the figures 40 and 41. As per the preceding recommendations overview map (pg. 6-4), these types of developments should be permitted along South Broadway while retaining the underlying requirements of the corridor’s recent rezoning, as well as

RECOMMENDATIONS

(f) Floor area ratio: 3.0 (g) Height: 50 feet base, 80 feet maximum (15’ setback after 55’) (h) Lot area, minimum: none required (i) Lot width: none required (j) Maximum lot coverage: 90%

Figure 41: Core Subdistrict Buildout Example

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TRAIL-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY More activity along the proposed trail is desirable to encourage use, promote security, and facilitate community interactions. To this end, stakeholders and residents in the Lawrence Street area have identified a more active trail environment as a goal.

One way to facilitate such an environment is to allow trail-oriented development on properties adjacent to the property. This sort of development could take many forms, including the sort of intensive trail-oriented housing development that has been occurring along the Midtown Greenway in Minneapolis. It could also be something as simple as an accessory dwelling unit in the rear of a property that is oriented towards the trail, or a small-scale commercial use. In most cases, such development would promote”eyes on the trail” for additional safety.

The ordinance stipulates that any new development of 20 residential units or greater shall provide a certain percentage of affordable housing units within that development, incorporating a range of area median incomes (AMI) as the measure of “affordable.” This spectrum ranges from 30% on the low end, to 100% on the high end. Small multi-family developments are required to contain at least one affordable unit of between 40% to 65% AMI. The Affordable Housing Ordinance is administered by the Affordable Housing Trust Fund Committee (AHTFC), which is comprised of the following members:

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T

Although the Lawrence Street area is unlikely to experience enough development pressure to make it necessary to plan for the scale of housing along trails like the Midtown Greenway, updating the zoning to allow for accessory dwelling units in the rear of properties adjacent to the trail could provide some of the above benefits in accordance with a scale appropriate to the Lawrence Street area.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING A recently-implemented overlay to the City’s zoning code, the “Affordable Housing Ordinance,” has sought to improve the availability and distribution of affordable housing units throughout the City of Yonkers. This overlay applies to D-MX, UR-LD, UR-MD, UR-HD, SBD (South Broadway District), M, MG, B, A and BA zones.

These zones make up the majority of the Lawrence Street area, so this overlay in turn affects the majority of the community.

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LAWRENCE AREA NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN 6 - 33

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Trail-supportive uses such as small food or retail kiosks could enhance trail activity as well, and offer income potential for residents interested in such ventures. These could look similar to the commercial uses visualized in figure 4 on page 6-11.

TRAIL-ORIENTED ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS To make this possible, the plan recommends: •

A trail-oriented development overlay proposal be developed for parcels indicated in the recommendations overview map. This overlay should include: 1. A requirement that accessory units front the trail to the extent possible.

2. Bulk and density controls for the accessory units that will help retain the character of the existing built environment.

3. Allowances for the construction of direct non-motorized access points to the trail from the rear of the affected parcels.

4. Allowance for small-scale, trail-oriented commercial uses.

• • •

Mayor of the City of Yonkers, or his/her designee Deputy Mayor of the City of Yonkers, or his/her designee Commissioner of Planning and Development of the City of Yonkers, or his/her designee Majority Leader of the Yonkers City Council, or his/her designee Minority Leader of the Yonkers City Council, or his/her designee.

The AHTFC votes on matters regarding the Affordable Housing Ordinance, and controls the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Developers have the option to pay into the trust fund in lieu of providing affordable units, subject to a simple majority of the AHTFC. Inclusionary housing density bonuses and off-street parking requirement reductions are available to developers that wish to construct affordable units. The density bonus amounts to 4 additional market rate units per each affordable housing unit that exceeds the minimum, up to a maximum of 40 additional market rate units. The parking reduction brings the residential off-street parking requirement down to 1 space per unit regardless of number of bedrooms, and applies to affordable units intended for residents between 40% and 80% of the AMI.

•

PROGRAMS In order to support the community, policy changes, and infrastructure that is built, several programs should be implemented. Programs can provide encouragement and education to both the young and old within the community.

The community and stakeholders like Groundwork Hudson Valley communicate to the AHTFC the need for affordable housing in the Lawrence Street area, in order to address concerns of “undue concentration” of low-income residents while still providing

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•

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AFFORDABLE HOUSING RECOMMENDATIONS To ensure the Affordable Housing Ordinance is implemented to its full potential within the Lawrence Street area, the plan recommends that:

COMMUNITY CENTER One of the most common outcomes from discussions with community members was the lack of the community center. As previously discussed, one proposed location for the community center is in place of the former Lowerre Train Station. This location provides the added benefit of offering amenities such as rest rooms and water for trail users and stoarge for the community garden. Designing the community center to mimic the former station also adds some historical elements to the project.

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The full Affordable Housing Ordinance is laid out in the appendix for further reference.

The Affordable Housing Ordinance is only a few years old, and has not yet seen much activity or use. Given the community’s frequent expression of its desire for affordable housing throughout this planning process, this untested ordinance represents an important opportunity for new development to incorporate housing that is in accordance with those wishes.

adequate affordable housing choices in the neighborhood.

The City consider further reducing the offstreet parking requirement for affordable housing to incentivize development under this ordinance.

RECOMMENDATIONS

However, in its attempts to evenly distribute affordable housing and prevent an “undue concentration” of low-income residents in a given neighborhood, the Affordable Housing Ordinance may limit the number of affordable housing units developed in Census tracts where the number of low-income residents comprises more than 50% of the population. While a worthwhile goal overall, this dynamic could stymie the development of affordable housing under this ordinance in the Lawrence Street area given its relatively high levels of poverty.

Several other locations for the community center have been identified. One possible option is to build the community center over the trail, approximately half way between Caryl Avenue and Lawrence Street.

It is also possible to convert vacant Archdiocese buildings into a community center. This possibility should be discussed with relevant stakeholders.

Figure 42: Possible Community Center Design at the location of the former Lowerre Station

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