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PEEKSKILL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

Peekskill, New Yark

Preparedby: SasakiAssociates, Inc. December1989 PEEKSKILL WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

Peekskill, New

LAND USE PLAN

Preparedby: SasakiAssociates, Inc. December1989 Table of Contents ~

INTRODUCTION

Goalsand Objectives

ExistingLand Use 2

Opportunitiesand Constraints 3

Land Use Plan 6

1 Peekskill Waterfront District/#8826 April 4, 1990 Page 1.

INTRODUcnON

This Land Use Plan is the result of a planning effort initiated b:1'the of Peekskill in early1989. The purposeof the effort wasto developa masterplan for the Waterfront District whichwould form a framework for red(~velopmentof the waterfront . New controlsand DesignGuidelines written to foster the creation of a new neighborhoodthat would be responsiveto the visual characterand topographicalfeatures of the PeekskillWaterfroIrt.

The City set up a Waterfront TaskForce made up of membersof Council, keyland ownersand otber local citizensto guide the planningprocess. Sasaki Associates,acting as lead planners/designersand Halcyon,Ltd.as market and financialconsultants, formed the consultantteam.

After an initial goal-settingsession and site reconnaissance,a seriesof alternative approacheswere prepared that were basedupon a review of market conditionsfor a number of land use types. Feedbackfrom the Task Force and from Peekskill citizensthrough a series of public hearingsresulted in the developmentof a preferred land use plan which reflectsthe goals of the city, existij1gmarket conditionsand the physicalparameters of the District.

The productsof this effort include a Land Use Plan; TechnicalReport with cost estimatesfor the public improvements,amarket surveyand financial model which testedthe financial feasibility of the major plan components;a Zoning Ordinanceand set of Design Guidelinesfor the new Waterfront District. For detailed information on the financial model and topics discussedbelow, refer to the TechnicalReport.

STUDY AREA

The studyarea includes all of the property currently within the Waterfront District and runs from Louisa north to Annsville Creek, and includc~all the land west of Route 9 as well as the CentralAvenue corridor to WashingtonStreet.

GOALS AND OBJEcrIVES

The following goalsand objectiveswere developedthrough discus:;ionswith the Waterfront TaskForce, public input and the Planningstaff.

Retain and expandpublic accessto the waterfront for both passiveand active recreation.

Preservekey views to and mountainsbeyond. Peekskill Waterfront District/#8826 April 4, 1990 Page2

Encourage the development of waterfront dependent or ,,-ater related uses which are accessible to the public, and contnoute to year round, day and night activity.

Link the Central BusinessDistrict to the waterfront throu;ghtthe Central corridor.

Createa visual identity for the district.

Encouragepreservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings.

Providepublic improvementsand amenities.

Identify suitable building envelopeswhich will allow for densitiesthat ad.d people and activityto enliventhe area,and will be attractiveto prospective developers,yet respondto the scaleof existingstructures and the topography. of the waterfront district.

Be achievable. It should establisha clear frameworkof land use, densityand massingwhile providing flexibility for unique opportunities and future market conditions.

EXISnNG LAND USE

Initially set up as a port city takingadvantage of the Hudson Riv'~ras a transportationlink, the Peekskillwaterfront was devotedto hea,'Yindustrial uses suchas stove-makingand other iron productssince the last cenhlry. This waterfront has only recentlybeen reclaimed from its industrial p;1St,and most traces of its shippinga~d manufacturinghistory have been removed.

The Riverfront Green, a constructed on landfill over what v~asonce the site of stove manufacturers, coal piles and wharves, is currently the central feature of the waterfront area. The park is used for active and passive recreation including boat launching, picnicking and is the site of festivals and fairs during Ule summer season. It also holds commuter lots for the Metro North rail syst.~mand provides vehicular accessto Travis Point and the Peekskill Yacht Club.

Central Avenue is the most direct link from downtownto the noIthern end of the waterfront, running alongMagregorie Brook in a narrow ravine. Along it are a mix of industrialand retail usesin one- and two-storystructures terminating at a retail lumberyardlocated alongthe railroad line.

North of Central Avenue, Water Street is primarily light industrial with a number of vacant buildings and a single-lane dirt road which leads from tl1ere to Annsville Creek, a basin at the of the District. Annsville Crl~k is currently underutilized as an open space resource. Peekskill Waterfront District/#8826 April 4, 1990 Page3

The central core of the waterfront includingSouth Water Streetand Railroad Avenue. is dominatedby the Metro North commuterrail-line arld . including the necessaryparking to servecommuters to City and Poughkeepsie.Surface parking lots are located along South WolterStreet. in the Riverfront Greenand adjacentto the station. A number of the,e parcelsare currently owned by the City of Peekskill. Other usesinclude re,taurants. a residential and car repairshop. Severalhistoric structure:;including the Union Hotel and Carbonescluster at the intersectionof Hudsorl and South Water .

South of the railroad stationis a 28-acreparcel owned by the Si:.tersof St. Joseph, the site of the four-storyconvent, several out buildingsincludin!~ the chapeland private cemeteries. The majority of this parcel is undeveloped The main convent building is a dominatingarchitectural feature of the Waterfront.

South of this parcel two City-owned parcels are currently used for maintenance trucks and material storage. These parcels will be removed iron] the Waterfront District and be designated for commercial development such as office or light industrial use.

0 PPORTUNITIES AND CONSTRAINTS

Topography-The majority of the Waterfront District is relatively flat land edgedby steep rock bluffs running north~southand roughly following the alignment of Route 9. The railroad trackSwhich bisectthe waterfront from north to south result in relatively narrow developmentparcels. However,the advantageof being at the base of the bluff is that some of the parcelscan accommodate taller structures without affectingthe viewsof other buildingsfurther from the Hudson, Only the St. Joseph'sparcel is at the top of the bluff, and here there are steepslopes and rel~tively shallowsoils. Building heightshere are more sensitivethan elsewherein the District, becauseof views from the river and the Riverfront CJreen.

Views -The combinationof steep topographyleading down to the waterfront and the unobstructedviews across Peekskill Bay and the Hudson Rivl~rto undeveloped, wooded New York State conservationland, createa unique experienceof spectacularnatural beauty. The width of the River at this location provides stunning viewsacross the river and north to Bear Mountain, and less appealing views to the south at Indian Point nuclearstation and the RESCO power plant.

Access -Street accessto the waterfront area from the center of , surrounding neighborhoods and from Route 9 is very good. Three major roads connect with the waterfront: , Central Avenue and! . Hudson Street terminates at the central core of the waterfront, connects adjacent residential neighborhoods and also provides the only vehicular crDssingof the railroad tracks to the Riverfront Green. Peekskill Waterfront District/#8826 April 4, 1990 Page4

Interchanges at Main and Hudson Streets provide access from Route 9, and an additional at Louisa Street is under construction. 'rhe Louisa Street interchange will serve refuse trucks on their way to the regional RESCO plant.

Pedestriantraffic to and from the Waterfront is limited by the steepgrade change and current land usesalong these roads, as well as the current lack of activity at the waterfront.

The Metro-North commuterrail line servesPeekskill and provides commuter serviceto and Poughkeepsie.Metro-North is currently planning constructionof 600-800new commuterparking spaces in Cortlandt, adding500-700 spacesto the supplyin that area. It is anticipatedthat the curreJlltpressures on parking at the PeekskillStation will be relieved. However, it is i:mportantthat parking supplybe maintainedin Peekskillin order to retain the existing levels of servicewhich include expresstrains to New York City.

Traffic and Parking -A parkingand inventoryconducted by Sasaki Associates,in June of 1989,showed that peak hour traffic condi1:ionsat key intersectionswithin the District are good to excellent,with the e"ception of the Route 91SouthStreet , during afternoon peakhours. Once the new Louisa Street interchangeis completed,this condition will be greatlyimproved. It is expectedminimal impactson traffic will result from the developmentplanned for the District.

Publiclyowned and privatelyleased commuter parking spaces011. the street and in surfaceparking lots near the Riverfront Greenand the Metro North Commuter Railroad Station number about527 total spaces.The public spa(:es(494) are controlled by meters, or by permitssold by the City to Peekskill residentsand non- residents.The parking inventoryconducted during a typical weel<:day,showed an overall ocupancyof 90 percent.

Implementationof the masterplan will displace310 commuter p:lrking spaces within the District. A parkingstructure is proposedon a site comprisedof three parcelsacross from the railroad station, at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Requa Street to accommodateapproximately 325 cars. This stru(:ture is sited at the baseof the bluff on a site which allowsfor three levels of parking without blocking views from residencesalong South Street. The parking structure is key to redevelopmentof the Waterfront District becauseit will replace commuter parking,andprovide spacefor commercialland usessuch as restalJrants,concerts, and festivalsat the Riverfront Green. The provision of additional!spaces will also provide a long term solution to growth in Peekskill. Peekskill Waterfront District/#8826 April 4, 1990 Page 5

Ownership -The City of Peekskill owns a number of key parceb: in the Waterfront District, including parcels along South Water Street, in the centJ~alcore of the District, and all of the riverfront property West of the railroad tJ:acksbetween Louisa Street and Magregorie Brook, as well as the Annsville C:reek area. This provides an excellent opportunity for control over the quality and type of development that occurs on these parcels, as well as the creation of new and upgraded open space network.

Open Space and Recreation -The Riverfront Green is a well US(:dpublic park, yet the adjacent lands at Travis Point and Annsville Creek are undeJ:-utilized,due to limited accessibility. However there is a good opportunity for d(weloping continous public accessthrough, a network along the riverfront beginning at Travis Point, running north to Magregorie Brook, over a pedestrian the railroad tracks, and up to Annsville Creek. This linear system could eventually be linked up with other systems in adjacent conservation lands.

Environmental Quality -Opportunities for recreationalfishing and swimmingin the are limited at this time due to pastand current pollution problemsin the river. The PCB levelsin larger fish is suchthat c;ommercialfishing, or even rental of boatsfor recreationalfishing is not practical at this time. As the river improves in water quaJity,swimming and fishing maybecol11e more attractive, and provisionsfor theseuses have beenmade in the Land Use Plan. The water quality and depthsat Annsville Creekneed further studyto detei:minethe practicalityfor develop~g sailboardingor other small boatingfal;ilities there. Regardingwater depthsat Travis Cove,fathometric mappingis required to determine the amountand type of dredgingthat will be required for marina development. Market Summary -A market overview was conducted for key land uses identified as desirable for the Waterfront District. Based on the results of the survey, there is a strong demand for housing in the mid to upper middle price range. Average size is approximately 1350 square feet. Units in the smaller rang'~ of 900 to 1200 square feet are likely to sell more quickly within the next years. There is also a strong demand for marina slips within this portion of the Hudson, as evidenced by the selling out of the first phase of a new marina nearby. The ex1entof the market is unknown, yet its likely that 375 to 425 slips could be absorbed 'llithin the ten year time frame. It is clear that a market exists for a business/tourist oriented mid- priced hotel, and this need will become stronger as redevelopmerlt activity takes place. Service retail of several thousand square feet can beaccommodated to serve the needs of the existing and projected resIdential population. Higher end retail and boutiques will also rely on the overall improvement and upgrade of the waterfront. Peekskill Waterfront District/#8826 April 4, 1990 Page 6

LAND USE PLAN

The following is a description of the major components of the land use plan by area within the District. The accompanying maps include an illustrative plan. a land use diagram and a perspective rendering illustrating the intent of the plan in three dimensions.

CENTRAL AVENUE

.Develop new pedestrian oriented gateway to the riverfront.

.Upgrade streetscape with addition of trees and special lighting, granite curbs, new sidewalks and paving.

.Encourage a mix of uses including residential, retail, an:! craft studios, workshops, and light assembly. Assume incremental redevelopment of existing buildings with infill of new buildings and uses. CENTRAL PORTION

Primary uses in early phases will be residential. Encouragc: retail at ground floor especially along South Water Street. The PemartStreet industrialsite redevelopedfor residenti:1luse or mixed commerciaVresiden tial.

The Homestyle Bakery expanded to a restaurant/cafe in CUITent location.

Dain's lumberyard designated as a new focal point for retail at the base of Central Avenue in a courtyard configuration. Surfaceparking on westside of South Water Street doublesas a weekly farmersor antiquesmarket.

New parking structure at Railroad Avenue and Requa Stret:t with option for retail on ground floor. Professionaloffices over retail/restaurantacross from Railn)ad Station. Create new pocket park at terminusto Central Avenue. RelocateHistoric Lent House to this site.

ST. JOSEPH'S PROPER1Y Primaryuse on site is residential. Existingconvent building convertedto apartmentor condominiumunits or renovateduse as new hotel. Residentialtownhouses and flats developedon flatter portions of site. Continuesconvent use on the site. Bridge linking the site to Travis Point providesdirect waterfront accessfor this site and the City. Peekskill Waterfront District/#8826 April 4, 1990 Page7

TRAVIS POINT

New hotel on Travis Point with function rooms, restauranu; and other public spaces. Yacht Club expandedto new marina on north side of Point. Boat launchrelocated from Riverfront Green to Marina site. TravisCove. site of future marina with accessfrom Louisa ,Street. RIVERFRONT GREEN Park zoned for activeand passiveuses. Picnic area alongsouthern strip. New and boardwalkalong river's edge. Consolidatechildren's play areainto activezone south of main axis.. Bandshellfor performancesand concertsat north end in n(:w lawn area. Formal flower bedsat centeraxis.

.Strengthen. framework and overall image including some upgrade of water's edge. with granite cobble or other appropriate mate:rial.Future swimming beach near present boat ramp. ANNSVILLE CREEK

~oad to Annsville Creek with si.8nalallowing two-way traffic in one lane. Will lmprove safety and expand publIc use. Createpicnic area and dock for launchingmodel boatsor \\lndsurfing. j"""l ..1" _0.- , ,: I :'-.- ::...!" : / , , : --- ; ' , , .! , ,r--.f- . ..' . .' , ..: "

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WATERFRONTDISTRICT

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WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN City of Peekskill, N.Y.

Sasaki Associates,Inc. Halcyon Ltd.

.'..f" WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN City of Peekskill, N.Y.

Sasaki Associates,Inc. Halcyon Ltd. WATERFRONT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN City of Peekskill, N.Y.

Sasaki Associates,Inc. Halcyon Ltd.

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