Moratorium for Large Scale Development Under Consideration
A moratorium for larger scale non-residential and multi-family development is under consideration in the City of Rye. This week the Rye City Council floated the idea, a last minute addition to its agenda, and scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday, January 21,2025. The moratorium as discussed would be a six month stoppage in the B2 and RA zones and seems centered around concerns preserving the overall character of the downtown Purchase Street area.
“This is limited, again, to multi family and non residential development, and it is really to allow the City Council to take a closer look at some of the larger developments that the city council has seen in recent years, and give you a chance to look at the height, the bulk, the massing and the overall character of the community in these two districts,” said City of Rye Corporation Counsel Kristen K. Wilson when the idea was presented at Wednesday’s Council meeting.
There have been increasing concerns about some of the larger, and more non descript developments proposed or in the works. In a letter to Rye Mayor Josh Cohn and the Rye City Council last fall, the owner of the largest building on Purchase Street (65-67 Purchase, a building that houses the Village Social restaurant and other businesses) called foul on some of the new development in downtown Rye, noting Purdy Avenue in particular. At the time, Councilman Bill Henderson noted the letter and asked for a future discussion on the topic. The Council has also made initial moves to update its master (or comprehensive) plan that dates from 1985. An updated plan would (or could) provide guardrails around the preservation of various aspects of Rye, including the character of its downtown.
Asked what prompted the elevation of the issue and its unscheduled placement on the council agenda, Rye Mayor Josh Cohn said “A general sense of renewed developer interest in projects that may challenge the physical character of the town. The comprehensive plan might speak to the concern, but that plan will be years in the making. We have been preoccupied with budget while this has been back of mind. We decided to get it done.”
