OK….so what’s wrong with these two pictures?
The subject is obviously a MALL. The mall is the newest of the six malls that make White Plains, NY the retail hub of Westchester . It’s not unattractive and it has many popular shopping and dining destinations including Whole Foods, Fortunoff and the Cheesecake Factory. But something I missing…if you can’t quite put your finger on it, I’ll give you a little hint – the color you are looking for is green. For those who can’t quite put their finger on it – the problem is landscaping – or lack of same - You remember landscaping don't you? - It comes with TREES, BUSHES and other plants. The other missing component is the appropriate setback that makes said landscaping possible.
This is a St. Patrick’s day message to all architects and builders in Westchester – both commercial and residential – in honor of St. Patrick’s Day – could you make a commitment to the general public to show us some GREEN???? No, not the kind that you find on an Uncle Sam note – the kind that requires soil, is alive and GROWS??? You know, Trees, grass, plants??? Annoying stuff like that?
Now let’s compare this mall to two department stores built on the same street (Bloomingdale Rd.) but in an earlier era. The first is Neiman Marcus. Neiman Marcus is one of the anchor stores for the famous Westchester Mall. The mall itself was built in 1994 but this particular anchor store dates back to my childhood. It was built in the 1970s. Notice the trees surrounding the footpaths and the tree plantings and lawn area abutting the Crowne Plaza Hotel.
Likewise, Bloomingdales, built on the opposite side of Bloomingdale Rd. sports a rather large wooded area for a setback which makes the store itself almost invisible to the pedestrian during the summer months. It doesn’t look like much during the winter months, but during the summer it makes walking and driving down this road a pleasure.
This “green space” was the result of strict zoning and PLANNING on the part of the city officials. When I was growing up, White Plains was known as the “City in the Park.” Developers would come in with grandiose plans and if these plans were brimming with concrete and steel and not a spec of green, the city council would say “NO!” The builder would go back to the drawing board and come back with a more acceptable plan. There was less building in those days, but what did get built was a carefully crafted compromise between the needs of the developer and the needs of the city. It wasn’t easy. It was often messy, and it definitely was not this “anything goes that the builder wants” mentality we’ve got today.
Many developers find plantings annoying. After all, plants GROW. Root systems disrupt the surrounding concrete! My GOD! What a MESS! Who wants to accommodate a “thing” that grows and requires maintenance when we can have gloriously simple concrete, steel and glass? But there’s a problem here. Trees aren’t only pretty, they are necessary. Trees “do stuff” that concrete can’t - like absorb carbon dioxide, while producing oxygen. They also provide shade on a hot day, a noise and visual shield for close-in residential neighborhoods and they are aesthetically pleasing to the pedestrians. They encourage drivers to park their cars and enjoy a pleasant walk, instead of polluting the air while waiting for the closest parking spot.
It is no coincidence that as land values have increased that builders and investors have wanted to squeeze every last drop of profit that they can from each project. Maximizing floor space achieves that goal, but this leaves little or no space for landscaping and setback requirements. As time has passed, setbacks have gone on a starvation diet. Like Ophra Winfrey on a diet, they get smaller, and smaller, and smaller…….When I look at the Fortunoff Mall, setbacks with proper landscaping seem almost like a relic of an earlier time. There are a few token shrubs, no one can seriously say that the builders outdid themselves with the landscaping. In the early 90s White Plains, NY did what it needed to do to entice developers to build. But that was then. This is now. Developers find it tremendously profitable to build here and now it is time for the city to stop “priming the pump.” What was once an accommodation is now looked upon as a “right” and the city needs to look at the cumulative results the building spree. So far, the presence of older buildings with large setbacks has created a buffering “green zone.” But that won’t hold. As older developments cede way to newer development, the green is being gobbled up at an alarming rate.
In February, the City Council was presented with a “new plan” for Bloomingdale Road just south of the Fortunoff mall – yet another large shopping/dining mall is being proposed called “The Venue.” There are valid questions as to the wisdom of developing yet ANOTHER major shopping mall in a city that already has six such malls. The mall would take an existing and carefully planned office park and expand it to include 42,000 square feet of retail and parking to accommodate the retail. In the process, it would decimate over 100 old growth sycamores, maples and pine trees. Below are current pictures of the site.
So while increasing traffic and carbon dioxide emissions, it would also decrease the number of trees and expand the concrete jungle. The plans give nary a nod to landscape. They are attractive enough, but I’m not seeing any GREEN. I’m seeing outdoor dining space dominated by man-made awnings, concrete and glass. It looks elegant enough, but looks can be deceiving and trees of that size will take more than what is left in my lifetime to grow back. Where does it end? And how can we hope to improve our carbon dioxide emissions when each new project increases traffic while cutting down trees?
Green questions for a green day! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
For the news story and renderings in the White Plains Times click HERE.
For an excellent editorial on this development by John Bailey click HERE.
To Search for Homes and for further information go to my website/blog with free home search at The Westchester View.
I am always happy to answer your questions and you can speak to me directly on my moble phone: 914-374-5529.
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