NEW ROCHELLE, NY (June 6, 2025) — The City of New Rochelle is set to massively expand its Vanguard Overlay Zone, a zoning initiative launched in October 2024,,according to a city agenda. The proposed expansion, detailed in Items 32–34, amends Sections 331-7 and 331-85.5 of Chapter 331, with a public hearing scheduled for July 8, 2025.
The Vanguard Overlay Zone, initially introduced alongside the Retail Tenant Improvement Program, aims to foster contemporary commercial development and pedestrian vitality. City officials now propose including additional downtown properties in the zone. The massive expansion will update the city’s zoning map to cover a much larger geographic footprint, as outlined in the map above.
The updated Section 331-85.5 will overlay the Downtown Business (DB), Downtown Mixed Use (DMU), Downtown Mixed Use Urban Renewal (DMUR), and Mixed Use Family Entertainment (MUFE) districts. It permits all principal uses allowed in these districts while adding new ones; on the list are experiential activities, billiard halls, bars, tattoo studios, sports facilities, artisan production spaces, and galleries.
“The Vanguard Overlay Zone is about creating a vibrant, modern commercial hub,” a city official noted in the agenda. “By allowing uses like tattoo studios and artisan spaces, we’re attracting diverse businesses and enhancing the pedestrian experience.”
Unlike the existing Downtown Overlay Zone (DOZ), which focuses on mixed-use development with residential, retail, and office components, the Vanguard Overlay Zone prioritizes experiential and entertainment-focused uses. The agenda highlights that the Vanguard Zone is more permissive, allowing businesses like bars and tattoo studios that may not fit within the DOZ’s framework.
A Short Environmental Assessment Form (SEAF) included in the proposal indicates no significant adverse environmental impacts, as the changes focus on regulatory adjustments rather than physical development. The Vanguard Overlay Zone also works in tandem with the Retail Tenant Improvement Program, which provides financial incentives, such as grants or loans, to businesses for property improvements within the expanded zone.
A public hearing on July 8, 2025, will allow community members to provide input on the proposed expansion, which city officials say is critical to refining the plan and ensuring it meets the needs of residents and businesses.
The agenda also includes a discussion item about the New Rochelle Business Improvement District (BID), a public-private partnership that supports downtown businesses through marketing and maintenance services. Sources say the current administration wants to get rid of the BID.
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This article was drafted with the aid of Grok, an AI tool by xAI, under the direction and editing of Robert Cox to ensure accuracy and adherence to journalistic standards.