The owner of the Wykagyl Shopping Center has applied to the Planning Board for approval of an addition to the Center. The proposal would expand the building behind the Houlihan Lawrence office and Big Top and add a second story in that area. The Zoning Code permits an expansion to the size and height of the building, provided the property owner satisfies numerous requirements, including adequate parking, prescribed setbacks from adjacent properties and roads, emergency access, loading docks, mitigation for adverse traffic impacts, and architectural compatibility (based upon the analysis of the Professional Architectural Review Committee). The Planning Board has jurisdiction over the application to require modification to comply with requirements and/or approve subject to conditions necessary to reduce impacts, or reject the plan. While as a Council Member I have no role in the Planning Board’s determination, I am concerned about the impacts of the proposal. I have been working closely with the most-concerned neighborhood associations, Northfield and 1270 North Avenue, and with the City’s staff who review the plans to assure that all aspects of the plan are carefully scrutinized and that all requirements are met in order to protect the neighborhoods and all users of the shopping center.
