South Side concept plans draw parking and density concerns from residents and commissioners

Mount Vernon planning staff presented three concept proposals for infill townhouse development on the city’s South Side at a planning board meeting, and local commissioners and residents raised repeated concerns about parking, density and stormwater capacity.

The applicants sketched similar plans for three vacant parcels — two roughly 10,000‑square‑foot lots (408–412 South Seventh Avenue and 345–351 South Ninth Avenue) and a larger 0.63‑acre parcel near the train station at 113 Franklin Avenue — proposing clusters of single‑family townhouses (mostly six units on the smaller lots and 12 on the larger). Associate Commissioner of Planning Lucas Herbert said the concepts were presented at the developer’s request to get staff and board feedback before formal applications are filed; he noted the proposed designs were intended to conform with the RMF‑6.75 townhouse regulations but that final plan‑examiner sign‑off would be required.

Board members and neighbors raised recurring objections. Commissioners worried the larger 12‑unit project relies on a single internal private roadway and garage access behind units, and they suggested that limited on‑street parking (one side only in places) could make spillover onto nearby streets acute during evenings and visitors’ periods. One resident urged the developer to reduce the count from 12 to 9 or 10 on the tight block to permit more rear‑yard surface parking and to avoid fire‑truck access issues. The applicant said garage stalls were envisioned as tandem two‑car garages but acknowledged owners may use garage space for storage, thereby increasing curb parking demand.

Stormwater and infrastructure concerns also surfaced. A commissioner and public works commenter told the board that existing area drainage and sewer capacity have known constraints; the board asked applicants to bring more thorough stormwater, sewer and circulation analyses to any future formal submission. Commissioners also asked the applicant to show separation distances between garage buildings (an 18‑foot minimum is required in the RMF district) and to provide clear details on private road width and whether it would permit fire‑truck egress and two‑way traffic.

Board members and staff recommended the applicant consider traffic‑calming and design changes that reduce unit counts where the block and street pattern are narrow, make garages genuinely useable as two‑car spaces, and add on‑site or off‑site surface parking where feasible. The developer said the group includes investors and an architect (Shadi Bridal) who have done similar townhouse rows elsewhere in the area and that the concepts were shown to gauge planning board receptivity before formal filing.

Why it matters: The proposals bring new home‑ownership‑style units to long‑vacant lots, which planning staff views as consistent with local housing objectives. Residents and board members said they support infill but want the projects sized and engineered to avoid loading local streets and utilities.

What’s next: The developers may file formal planning applications for each site; the board asked for detailed plans showing garage configuration, private‑road dimensions, fire access, parking counts and stormwater/sewer analyses before any approval vote.