Application by Developer to Build Apartments along Port Chester’s Recently Renovated Waterfront

Port Chester has seen great change along its coast on the Long Island Sound. Many developments have been made and several are still to come; everything being built so far is for the enrichment of the community. Not building apartments.

The new Costco is great for the village, the new movie theater, Marshall’s, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Commerce Bank are all incentives for people to come into downtown Port Chester. FMB Asset Management is looking to build a100-unit mid-rise building which would run alongside the currently under construction retail development.

Spending my entire 23 years living in Port Chester, I see the negative impacts that such an apartment would bring. The waterfront, or the marina as all the locals refer to that area as, used to be a place to hang out, enjoy the water (as filthy as it may be, it’s ours), meet friends before going out, etc. It was a social place; the youth could relax and stay out of the heavier traffic areas of Port Chester (and I don’t mean a place to hide and do bad things).

Now, with all of the construction and cops patrolling, there is no space for us anymore. Maybe the village feels that retail and recreation attractions will help those who once walked around the marina aimlessly, just passing time. They are wrong and adding apartments would make it even worse. These apartments will be on the higher end of prices due to their location and all the development going on around the area. This only means more pedestrian congestion in an area already losing surface area. Traffic is a nightmare already and an apartment building bringing 100 units will undoubtedly make matters worse.

There is simply no room for an apartment building. There was no room for Costco; they managed to squeeze it in there. There was no room for a theater, Marshall’s and Bed, Bath & Beyond but the village made room for them. And unless they literally build these apartments on the water, there is no room for them either but I’m sure they’ll find someplace to put it.