Village of Rye Brook Westchester County, New York PLANNING BASE STUDIES A detailed study of existing conditions DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING Edward Buroughs, AICP, Commissioner
These Planning Base Studies are a pilot project of Westchester 2025: Plan Together, Westchester County s web-based, long range land use planning effort. Staff of the Westchester County Department of Planning has worked with the Village of Rye Brook to form this comprehensive plan foundation. Each chapter utilizes county and non-county data and county GIS mapping resources. These materials are traditionally a substantial part of a comprehensive plan project, as well as a large part of the project s cost. It is intended for the Village to pursue the next steps toward completing a comprehensive plan for Rye Brook. Interested residents and businesses can access these studies and begin to think about the issues and choices for the Village. The Village intends on authorizing a planning consultant firm to use the studies to shape a proposal for preparing a plan and a public outreach process that uses the data as a starting point to engage the public and businesses. The Village and consultant can then focus on looking to the future, policy options and alternatives while already having this substantial data collection and synthesis completed. Go to www.westchestergov.com/2025 to visit Westchester 2025 and find out more on how our local communities are working together to envision our future.
Village of Rye Brook Westchester County, New York A detailed study of existing conditions VILLAGE OF RYE BROOK Joan L. Feinstein, Mayor Trustees: David M. Heiser Toby S. Marrow Jeffrey B. Rednick Paul S. Rosenberg Christopher Bradbury, Village Administrator WESTCHESTER COUNTY Robert P. Astorino, County Executive DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING Edward Buroughs, AICP, Commissioner Patrick Natarelli, Chief Planner Project Managers Tracey S. Corbitt, AICP, Principal Planner William Brady, AICP, Associate Planner GIS Coordinator Paul Gisondo, GISP, Associate Planner Project Staff Robert Doscher, Principal Environmental Planner Susan Darling, Associate Environmental Planner Lukas Herbert, AICP, Associate Planner Edward Hoffmeister, AICP, Associate Planner Susanna Marino, Program Administrator Kay Eisenman, Planner Ted Leimbach, AICP, Planner Nick Magilton, RLA, Planner Tana Bigelow, Design Planner Lisa Vasilakos, Environmental Planner Ellen Brief, Program Specialist
Village of Rye Brook, Westchester County, New York A detailed study of existing conditions TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 APPENDICES 8 LIST OF FIGURES 9 LIST OF MAPS 12 1. INTRODUCTION 1. Rye Brook Today 1-1 2. Village History 1-1 3. Government 1-2 4. Planning In Rye Brook 1-2 5. Base Studies Overview 1-7 2. EXTERNAL INFLUENCES REGIONAL CONTEXT 1. External Influences Regional Context 2-1 2. Westchester 2025: Plan Together 2-2 3. Surrounding Communities and Their Plans 2-2 A. Village of Port Chester 2-3 B. Town/Village of Harrison 2-3 C. City of Rye 2-5 D. Town of North Castle 2-5 E. Town of Greenwich, Connecticut 2-6 4. Interstate 287 and the Tappan Zee Bridge 2-7 5. Regional Transportation Planning 2-9 6. New York Connecticut Sustainable Communities 2-9 7. Hudson River Valley Greenway/National Heritage Area 2-11 1
3. THE USE OF LAND 1. Importance of Land Use 3-1 2. Methodology, Analysis and Classification System 3-4 3. Land Use in Rye Brook 3-4 4. POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS 1. Overview 4-1 2. Density 4-3 3. Age Characteristics 4-3 4. Race and Ethnicity 4-7 5. Place of Birth 4-7 6. Income 4-8 7. Educational Attainment 4-11 5. TRANSPORTATION PAGE 1. Road System 5-1 A. Limited Access Roadways 5-1 a. Interstate 287 5-1 b. Hutchinson River Parkway 5-1 B. Major Arterial Roadways 5-3 a. Westchester Avenue (Route 120A) 5-3 b. King Street (Route 120A) 5-3 C. Collector Roadways 5-4 a. Lincoln Avenue 5-4 b. Bowman Avenue 5-4 c. North/South Ridge Street 5-5 d. Anderson Hill Road 5-5 D. Local Streets 5-5 2. Scenic Road Overlay Districts 5-5 3. Current Traffic Conditions 5-6 A. Traffic Growth and Trends 5-6 B. Traffic Volume 5-6 2
PAGE C. Mass Transit Growth 5-10 4. Commuter Vehicle Characteristics 5-10 A. Mode Share 5-10 B. Vehicle Ownership 5-10 C. Commute Time 5-11 5. Public Transportation 5-12 A. Bus Transportation 5-12 a. Local Bus Route 12 5-13 b. Local Bus Route 13 5-13 c. Local Bus Route 61 5-13 d. ParaTransit 5-14 B. Rail Transportation 5-16 a. Port Chester Station 5-16 b. Rye Station 5-17 C. Bicycle, Pedestrian Trails 5-17 6. Westchester County Airport 5-19 6. NATURAL RESOURCES 1. Topography 6-1 A. Steep Slopes 6-4 2. Soils 6-4 A. Soil Categories 6-4 a. Urban Land 6-5 b. Hydric Soils 6-5 B. Hydrologic Soil Groups 6-5 3. Water Resources 6-8 A. Coastal Long Island Sound Watershed 6-8 a. Blind Brook Subwatershed 6-9 b. Byram River Subwatershed 6-9 B. Watercourses and Waterbodies 6-9 C. Wetlands Definition and Background 6-10 D. Wetlands in Rye Brook 6-10 3
PAGE E. County Drainage Channel 6-12 F. Impervious Surfaces 6-12 4. Stormwater and Flooding 6-13 A. Relationship Between Land Use and Stormwater 6-13 B. Regulations and Planning for Stormwater 6-16 a. NYS Stormwater Regulations 6-18 b. Watershed Based Zoning 6-19 C. Flood Zones in Rye Brook 6-20 D. Proposed and Existing Flood Mitigation Project Sites 6-21 E. Hazard Mitigation Plan 6-22 F. Dams 6-23 5. Plants and Animals 6-24 A. Plants 6-24 a. Trees 6-25 b. Invasive Plants 6-25 B. Animals 6-26 a. Deer 6-27 b. Coyotes 6-27 c. Rabies 6-28 d. Birds 6-29 e. Invasive Insects 6-30 f. List of Endangered Species 6-30 7. RECREATION, OPEN SPACE AND CULTURAL RESOURCES 1. Overview 7-1 A. Recreational Resources 7-1 B. Open Space 7-1 2. Public Parks 7-3 3. School Facilities 7-11 4. Bicycle Routes/Trailways 7-11 5. Parks & Open Space 7-11 6. Undeveloped Land 7-14 4
PAGE 7. National Recreation & Park Association Standards 7-15 A. Mini-Parks 7-15 B. Neighborhood Parks 7-16 C. Community Parks 7-16 D. Special Purpose Parks 7-17 E. Urban Green Space 7-18 8. PUBLIC FACILITIES 1. Overview 8-1 2. Municipal Facilities 8-3 A. Fire Department 8-3 B. Police Department 8-3 C. Library 8-3 D. Senior Center and Anthony J. Posillipo Community Center 8-4 E. Public Works and Parks Department 8-4 F. Other Village-owned Facilities 8-5 3. Other Public Facilities 8-5 A. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) 8-5 4. Schools 8-6 A. Blind Brook Rye Union Free School District 8-6 B. Port Chester Rye Union Free School District 8-8 9. INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITIES 1. Water Supply 9-1 2. Sewer Districts 9-1 3. Electric, Gas and Heating Fuels 9-4 A. Renewable Energy 9-5 10. COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT 1. Existing Conditions 10-1 A. Retail Land Use 10-1 B. Office Land Use 10-3 C. Hotel Land Use 10-3 5
PAGE D. Commercial Zoning 10-3 E. Major Employers 10-5 F. Spatial Relationship of Jobs to Residency 10-5 a. Out-Commutation 10-5 b. In-Commutation 10-6 2. Potential Future Conditions 10-6 A. Existing Commercial Zoning and Future Commercial Growth 10-6 B. Potential Commercial Development Scenarios Through Zoning Changes 10-6 C. Changes In Employment Levels 10-7 11. RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT 1. Existing Residential Development 11-1 2. Residential Growth and Occupancy 11-1 3. Existing Neighborhoods 11-4 4. Recent Zoning Analyses on Residential Development, Open Space and Character 11-6 5. Types of Housing 11-7 A. Single-Family Housing 11-7 B. Two Family Housing 11-7 C. Multi-Family Housing - Three Units and More 11-9 D. Housing by Tenure 11-9 6. Ownership 11-10 A. Condominium and Cooperative Housing 11-10 B. Rental Housing 11-10 7. Other Categories and Types of Housing 11-10 A. Group Homes or Institutional Housing 11-10 B. Senior Citizen Housing 11-10 8. Local and Regional Housing Needs 11-11 9. Fair and Affordable Housing Floating Zone 11-12 10. Affordable Housing Developments 11-12 12. CURRENT ZONING 1. Zoning Map and Official Map 12-1 2. Zoning Districts 12-3 6
A. Overlay and Floating Districts 12-5 B. Other Notable Requirements In the Zoning Ordinance 12-6 13. BUILD-OUT UNDER CURRENT ZONING 1. Background and Methodology 13-1 2. Build-out Analyses 13-2 A. Vacant Parcel Analysis 13-2 B. Underdeveloped/Soft Site Parcel Analysis 13-2 C. Vacant and Underdeveloped Composite Analysis and Build-out Results 13-2 7
APPENDICES Appendix Title 3-1 Land Use in Westchester 5-1 King Street Intersection Study 5-2 Source Data for Vehicle Ownership Rates in Rye Brook 6-1 Soil Survey of Putnam and Westchester Counties, New York 6-2 Impervious Surfaces and Water Quality 6-3 NYS Stormwater Management Design Manual and NYS Standards and Specifications for Erosion and Sediment Control 6-4 Center for Watershed Protection Unified Site and Subwatershed Reconnaissance Form 6-5 Rye Brook Stormwater Management Program Annual Report 6-6 Edgewood Stormwater Basin Plans 6-7 1998 Westchester County s Watershed Advisory Committee 3 (WAC3) Report 6-8 ACOE Blind Brook Watershed Management Plan 6-9 Rye Brook Hazard Mitigation Plan 6-10 List of Plants Rarely Eaten by Whitetail Deer 6-11 Westchester County Deer Task Force Report 6-12 Rye Brook Coyote Hazing Program 6-13 New York State List of Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Fish and Wildlife Species 9-1 County Water District Map 9-2 Southern Exposure Map 10-1 2009 Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD) Employment Analysis 12-1 Rye Brook Official Map and Zoning Map 13-1 Village of Rye Brook Draft Build-out Analysis Results 8
LIST OF FIGURES Figure Title Page 1-1 Historic Aerial Photographs 1-6 2-1 Village of Port Chester Photos 2-3 2-2 Photos of Harrison 2-4 2-3 Lincoln Lane Subdivision on Rye Brook Border 2-4 2-4 Rye City Hall 2-5 2-5 Rye Playland 2-5 2-6 Armonk, New York 2-5 2-7 Brunswick School 2-6 2-8 Rye Brook Greenwich Border Along King Street 2-6 2-9 Tappan Zee Bridge 2-7 2-10 I-287 in Rye Brook 2-7 3-1 Birdseye View of the Hutchinson River Parkway in Rye Brook 3-1 3-2 Village of Rye Brook Land Use 3-2 3-3 Land Use in Westchester 3-4 4-1 Village of Rye Brook Population 4-1 4-2 Total Population and Population Change by Municipality, 1940-2010 4-2 4-3 Population Density by Municipality, Westchester County, 2010 Census 4-3 4-4 Village of Rye Brook Age Characteristics, 1970-2010 4-5 4-5 Age Characteristics, Village of Rye Brook and Westchester County, 2000-2010 4-5 4-6 Change in Age Distribution, Village of Rye Brook and Westchester County 2000-2010 4-7 Westchester County Age Distribution, 2000 and 2010 4-6 4-8 Village of Rye Brook Age Distribution, 2000 and 2010 4-7 4-9 Race and Hispanic Origin 4-8 4-10 Foreign-born Population 4-10 4-11 Median Household Income 2005-2009 (in 2009 Dollars) 4-10 4-12 Educational Attainment for the Population 25 and Over, 2005-2009 4-11 5-1 Tappan Zee Bridge 5-1 5-2 Birdseye View of the Hilton Westchester Rye Brook 5-3 5-3 South Ridge Street, Rye Brook, NY 5-3 5-4 County Roadway Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT) Counts 5-6 4-6 9
Figure Title 5-5 LIST OF FIGURES Annual Average Daily Traffic Counts for State Roads in Rye Brook, Selected Years 1996-2010 5-6 Residential Neighborhood in Rye Brook, New York 5-10 5-7 Vehicle Ownership (Rye Brook and Westchester County), 2005-2009 5-11 5-8 Commute Time to Work (Rye Brook and Westchester County) 5-12 5-9 Bee-Line Buses 5-14 5-10 Bee-Line Bus Ridership Statistics Within Village of Rye Brook, 2008 5-15 5-11 Metro-North Ridership at Port Chester and Rye Stations, 2007 5-16 5-12 Metro-North Station 5-17 5-13 Westchester County Airport Available Flights 5-19 5-14 Enplanement Statistics, Westchester County 5-20 6-1 BelleFair Housing Constructed on Steep Slopes 6-1 6-2 Soils In the Village of Rye Brook 6-7 6-3 Swamp Milkweed 6-11 6-4 Village of Rye Brook Impervious Surfaces 6-13 6-5 Land Use by Watershed in Rye Brook 6-15 6-6 Area Near Blind Brook Inundated With Invasive Vines 6-26 6-7 White-tailed Deer 6-27 6-8 Eastern Coyote 6-28 6-9 Yellow-breasted Chat 6-29 6-10 Cooper's Hawk 6-29 6-11 Asian Longhorned Beetle 6-30 6-12 Emerald Ash Borer 6-30 6-13 Bog Turtle 6-31 7-1 Crawford Park 7-3 7-2 Rich Manor Park, Rye Brook, New York 7-4 7-3 Rye Brook Athletic Fields 7-5 7-4 Rye Town Park 7-7 7-5 Doral-Arrowwood Hotel Conference Center 7-10 7-6 Village of Rye Brook Major Open Spaces 7-12 7-7 Hutchinson River Parkway 7-13 7-8 BelleFair Planned Unit Development 7-13 Page 5-7 10
LIST OF FIGURES Figure Title Page 7-9 William E. Ward House 7-14 7-10 Magnolia Park 7-16 7-11 Standards for Parkland, National Recreation and Parks Association 7-16 7-12 Anthony J. Posillipo Community Center 7-17 8-1 Rye Brook Village Hall 8-1 8-2 Rye Brook Firehouse 8-3 8-3 Rye Brook Police Department 8-3 8-4 Public Library 8-3 8-5 Public Works and Parks Department Garage 8-4 8-6 Blind Brook High School 8-6 8-7 Blind Brook - Rye Union Free School District: Enrollment, Revenues and Spending 8-6 8-8 Port Chester - Rye Union Free School District Enrollment, Revenues and Spending 8-7 8-9 Port Chester High School 8-8 9-1 Putnam Lake Reservoir, Greenwich, Connecticut 9-1 9-2 Home Heating Fuel Use, Occupied Housing Units, 2006, Westchester County 9-4 10-1 Retail Development in Rye Brook 10-1 10-2 Reckson Executive Park 10-3 10-3 Major Employers List for Rye Brook 10-4 10-4 Inflow/Outflow Job Counts in 2009 10-5 11-1 Residential Building Permits 1996-2010 11-2 11-2 Home Sales, Westchester County and Village of Rye Brook, 2002-2011 11-3 11-3 Foreclosure Judgments, Westchester County and Village of Rye Brook 11-4 11-4 Assessed Value, Village of Rye Brook 11-4 11-5 Single Family Housing in Rye Brook 11-8 11-6 Two-Family Housing in Rye Brook 11-9 11-7 Multi-Family Housing in Rye Brook 11-9 11-8 BelleFair Planned Unit Development in Rye Brook 11-14 12-1 Table of Zoning Districts and Acreage 12-3 13-1 Village of Rye Brook Draft Build-out Results 13-4 11
LIST OF MAPS Map Title Page 1-1 Location Map 1-1 1-2 Rye Brook and Environs 1-3 2-1 Regional Map 2-1 2-2 NYMTC Region 2-9 2-3 New York & Connecticut Sustainable Communities 2-10 3-1 Land Use 3-3 4-1 Population Density 4-4 4-2 Hispanic Population 4-9 5-1 Road Network 5-2 5-2 Traffic Volume 5-8 5-3 Public Transportation 5-9 5-4 Amtrak Northeast Routes 5-17 5-5 Aerial Photo of Westchester County Airport 5-18 6-1 Environmental Features 6-2 6-2 Topography 6-3 6-3 Soils 6-6 6-4 Impervious Surfaces 6-17 7-1 Open Space, Parks & Recreation 7-2 7-2 Proposed East Coast Greenway Routes 7-8 7-3 Open Spaces in Westchester County 7-9 8-1 Schools and Public Facilities 8-2 9-1 County Sewer Districts 9-2 9-2 Westchester County Sewer Districts 9-3 9-3 Tennessee Gas Pipeline System Map 9-4 10-1 Commercial Development 10-2 11-1 Neighborhoods and Place Names 11-5 12-1 Zoning 12-2 13-1 Build-out Analysis Results 13-3 12