By Dave Matlow
From a tiny drive-up to a 4,600-square-foot commercial building, Westport developer Rob Haroun has big plans for the property he owns at 100 Post Road East next to old Town Hall.
The new commercial building will replace the bank drive-in next to the old Town Hall on Post Road East. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
Haroun, who will go before the Zoning Board of Appeals with his project on Tuesday night, plans to demolish the former bank drive-up structure in the spring of 2012 to begin construction on his one-story building.
He said the new structure will have a brown brick exterior similar to that of the old Town Hall located at 90 Post Road East and occupied by the retailer Spruce.
Haroun said the new building will blend in with other downtown brick structures such as the nearby Post Office, the police station on Jesup Road, and Urban Outfitters scheduled to open on Post Road East. He said his building’s exterior will also have a limestone border around the windows and a small courtyard in front.
For those concerned about downtown traffic, Haroun stressed his development will improve traffic patterns.
“Many now cut through the parking area between the old Town Hall and 100 Post Road East,” he said. “The new development will redirect Post Road traffic and won’t dump additional traffic onto the busy thoroughfare.
“Currently, the left-hand turns from Post Road that drivers use as shortcuts are dangerous,” Haroun added. “With the new development, traffic will stay in the municipal areas.”
He acknowledged that the project will cost his property parking spaces, reducing them 36 to 25.
But that should not affect approvals for his project, Haroun noted, pointing out that the property is in Business Central District (BCD), which relies on municipal parking.
“It’s a BCD zone which has no parking requirement just as is the case with Tiffany’s, Urban Outfitters and the new multi-level Gap store on Main Street,” he said. “All rely on municipal parking.”
Wonder what’s going to happen to all that parking; and the driveway access?
there goes another nice old building?