Blind Brook Lodge Owners, Inc. letter to Mayor Cohn, City Council and Planning Commission

2/7/2025

Honorable Mayor Cohn

Rye City Council Members

Nicholas Everett, Chair, Rye Planning Commission

Re: Disapproval of Rye Arts Center’s proposed zoning change and expansion at 25 Milton Road

We want to support initiatives that benefit the Rye community’s enjoyment of the arts if they are of benefit to the entire community. We believe that the Rye Arts Center’s proposed expansion will cause adverse impacts to the Rye community as a whole and that the proposed zoning change to convert 25 Milton Road into an Arts Center Use Standard should not be approved unless substantial restrictions are put in place to prevent negative consequences for the community at large.

As we represent 131 households that form a substantial voting bloc in the Rye community, we ask for your thoughtful consideration of our concerns regarding the Rye Arts Center’s current proposal which we have outlined as follows.

1. Traffic Volume and Delays on Milton Road

1. The size and structure of the new Rye Arts Center facility clearly anticipates its use for large group events, which will be essential for the Rye Arts Center to generate sufficient revenue to cover its cost of operations (see Financial Concerns below).
2. Large group events will block traffic on Milton Road for extended periods of time as vehicles approach to park and or drop off attendees from the North and South access points. This volume of traffic would be greater than the grid lock that now occurs during school pickup and drop off in the vicinity of the Resurrection Grammar School, and the three Nursery Schools of Resurrection, Presbyterian, and Christ Churches.
3. A traffic study should include a rational model of the additional traffic load caused by the Rye Arts Center’s new facility layout and planned usage.
4. Construction vehicles offloading and onloading while standing on Milton Road will block the street during construction as there is only one lane in each direction. This was evident during the recent renovation of a couple of the houses near the Resurrection School.

2. Pedestrian Safety – Increased traffic volume and the multiple entry points to the proposed new facility will increase driver confusion and distract them from safely avoiding pedestrians in the vicinity.

3. Environmental Concerns

1. An Environmental Impact Statement should be prepared before completing the review of the Rye Arts Center’s proposed zoning change.
2. 80% of 25 Milton Road is in a wetlands restricted area and the current rendering of the proposed new Rye Arts Center facility involves substantial excavation adjacent to the wetlands area.
3. The proposed zoning change would make four other properties subject to the new "Arts Center Use Standard." One of these sits on Rye Brook adjacent to the Nature Center and another of these is in or next to the Wetlands Conservancy adjacent to Rye Golf Course and Jay Heritage Center. And there could be significant unintended negative consequences from converting the zoning of these properties.

4. Unauthorized use of Blind Brook Lodge’s Private Parking – Our parking lot across from 66 Milton Road is frequently misused by non-residents and this unauthorized use will substantially increase as the volume of activity increases at the new Rye Arts Center facility.

5. Reduced Property Values - Residential properties adjacent to 25 Milton Road, including 66 Milton Road (Blind Brook Lodge), will become less valuable because of the construction of the large new commercial facility envisioned by the Rye Arts Center in place of the beautiful circa 1885 residence that it will replace.

6. Financial Concerns for Rye Arts Center

1. The viability of the proposed new Rye Arts Center facility will depend on a substantial increase in their annual revenue.
2. Much of the Rye Arts Center’s fundraising today is concentrated on a single donor, and to succeed financially the Rye Arts Center will have to make an extraordinary increase in their annual fundraising to support the ongoing operation of its new facility, otherwise they will need to run many events in their new space to generate sufficient income.
3. It is dangerous to compare the Rye Arts Center’s proposed expansion to the recent expansion of the Bruce Museum in Greenwich as the completion of the Rye Arts Center’s proposed expansion and ongoing operation carry enormous financial risks when compared to the Bruce Museum.
4. In the 2022/2023 fiscal year, Rye Arts Center lost $103,460, excluding the 25 Milton Road property donation, compared to the Bruce Museum’s $8,529,649 gain in that period.
5. Rye Arts Center’s annual donations represent 42% of total revenue compared to the 93% that the Bruce Museum brings directly to their bottom line as income.
6. Rye Arts Center’s program service income at 54% of revenue comes with costs of operation and brings a small fraction of this amount to their bottom line.

These concerns represent the potential for substantial negative impact on the Rye community if the Rye Arts Centers’ rezoning proposal for 25 Milton Road and its associated new facility construction on that site are allowed to proceed.

We thank you for your full consideration in this matter and support you in making the best decision possible for the residents of Blind Brook Lodge and the entire Rye community.

Sincerely,

The Board of Directors

Blind Brook Lodge Owners, Inc.

Sarah O’Keefe, President David Kent, Treasurer

Hope Bernard, Vice President John Johnson, Secretary

David Barton