Parking Size Changes in Proposed New Village Plan

Tritec Real Estate Company’s to replace the vacated Swezey’s department store with 291 apartments, 46,000 square feet of retail and 18,000 square feet of office space now has two less parking spots in order to simplify the required variance that must pass by the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to proceed with the plan .

The company’s attorney, David Sloane, withdrew the previously proposed 8 feet by 18 feet parking spot size at at . The issue of parking size made the pending comment from the village planning board.

The planning board’s recommendation, which was read into the record by ZBA chairperson Nicholas Fuccillo, was that while a local municipality allowing parking sizes of eight feet wide could not be found, that they could tolerate a size that was 18 feet in length.

“To make everyone’s life easier, I would like to modify the application by withdrawing my request for the eight foot stalls, so the only issue is that they are 18 feet,” Sloane said. The standard parking spot size is 9 feet by 20 feet according to village code.

With the size change, 466 parking spots are now proposed in the plan, down two from the original 468. Previous editions of the plan included on-street parking, which has since been eliminated from the calculation as a condition of it being approved by the village board of trustees.

Approximately 15 people attended the meeting. Unlike the last ZBA meeting, those that chose to speak in the public comment section of the meeting gave their approval for the project.

“With this development, we all benefit, especially Main Street businesses,” Mitch Borcina said.

Brian Cruz, 27 of Medford, said that he currently lives with his parents but said after the meeting could afford the .

Nicholas Fuccillo, chairperson of the ZBA, reminded those in attendance that this board cannot respond to comments regarding the plan itself as that is what the Village Board of Trustees is responsible for.

“What is before us is the length of a size and the length of a line,” Fuccillo said. “But if you ask about the use of the spaces, that is not what is before the zoning board of appeals,” he said.

A final decision on the proposed parking variance will be made during a session closed to the public, which is standard procedure for the ZBA.

The next Zoning Board of Appeals meeting is April 20 at 7:30 p.m.