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CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. – Northern Westchester Hospital is seeking the use of additional parking spaces at Chappaqua Crossing for displaced employees in anticipation of construction on the hospital's parking garage.
Attorney Daniel Hollis said Chappaqua Crossing developer, Summit/Greenfield, has already agreed to loan out the spaces without charge, and the proposal is contingent on approval from the New Castle Planning Board.
According to Hollis, the construction will leave 250 employees per shift without parking spaces for a period of 18 months. Currently, Northern Westchester Hospital has 140 spaces at Chappaqua Crossing and the proposal would raise the total to 390.
The 140 spaces were loaned out four years ago when Reader's Digest was still a tenant of Chappaqua Crossing, Hollis said, and its absence leaves a considerable amount of spaces available for use.
"There is over half-a-million square feet empty, so that the additional 250 will not strain the existing inventory of spaces available for use," Hollis said.
Not wanting to risk employees being left without proper parking, he said, the hospital is hoping to fast-track the process.
"To have the ability to be able to get people back to their vehicles and get the new people to the hospital is critical," Hollis said. "If you have surgeries that are due to start at 8 in the morning and the physicians can’t be there at the appropriate time, that’s very much a hindrance to the operation of the hospital."
While the board agreed to move the process along, Council member Robin Stout noted there might be high community interest in any new activity at Chappaqua Crossing due to the high-profile of the property.
"Because of certain issues that have arisen in that vicinity over the past couple of years, the neighborhood is extremely interested," Stout said.
Following Hollis' informal presentation to the New Castle Town Board on Tuesday night, the proposal has been added to the town board's Feb. 28 agenda.
"With any good luck, next week you'll refer me to the planning board, and I can make their March 6 agenda so we can move this quickly as possible for a resolution," Hollis said.
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