The environmental review of New Rochelle’s ambitious downtown revitalization plan is just about ready to wrap up, with the release of a “Findings Statement” that lays out the expectations and requirements for new development.
Reflecting the comprehensive analysis in the Draft Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DGEIS) and Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement (FGEIS), as well as input received in two public hearings, the Findings Statement is the last word in a rigorous process that aims to measure the benefits and costs of our entire downtown plan. It touches on everything from public safety, to traffic, to schooling, to job creation . . . and much, much more.
Once the Findings Statement is approved, individual projects that fall within its parameters will be able to proceed without preparing their own full-scale environmental impact statements. This will greatly reduce procedural and financial barriers to positive development and make New Rochelle much more attractive to investors.
The City Council will have an opportunity to vote on the Findings Statement and the related Downtown Overlay Zone at our meeting next week. I’ll have more to say then.