RAC Expansion: It's Not Safe Nor Does It Fit in

My name is Andrew Bazylevsky and I reside at 15 Milton Road with my family of three young children.

The proposed parking lot and driveway of the new facility facing Milton Road present a major safety concern for both pedestrians and vehicular traffic at an already busy stretch of road. We are arguably the most impacted residential neighbor of the proposed expansion to the Rye Arts Center at 25 Milton Road given that we abut the property immediately to the north. Assuming a northern egress along the northbound side of Milton Road, the proposed roadside parking lot and driveway would result in an amplification of traffic congestion right at our property line where we walk our children to and from Midland School, nearby playgrounds or the Rye Free Reading Room multiple times per day. Additionally, by attempting to squeeze in another major traffic zone in between Blind Brook Lodge and its parking lot, Rye Recreation, the existing Rye Arts Center, Christ’s Church and its parking lot as well as its nursery school along Rectory Street, Palisade Drive, and the traffic circle at the end of Milton Road, the city would be dramatically increasing the odds of a traffic accident within this 500 foot stretch of road. Furthermore, the immediate area would be subjected to increased noise pollution as well as air pollution from the continuous flow of cars performing pickup, idling and drop-off duty throughout the day servicing thousands of Rye Art Center students.

Additionally, the majority of Milton Road is residential with homes of a similar style from a century ago, creating a warm, traditional flow through the main artery of the city. The proposed structure for the Rye Arts Center expansion is not without merit, but it simply does not fit the style of Rye nor match any building in the vicinity - be it house, church or school. Moreover, placing a parking lot in front of such a polarizing structure creates an even bigger eyesore reminiscent of a strip mall more befitting commercial zones on Boston Post Road just down the hill. As we all know, context is everything. A building must aim to join the existing landscape surrounding it, not disrupt it. The proposed structure would stand as a stark break in the charming flow of Midland Road, thereby diminishing its aesthetic for residents and would-be home buyers alike. I once lived next to a parking lot in the city. My family and I moved into our forever home in a peaceful, residential area and it must remain as such for the sake of what we all fell in love with Rye when we first pulled into town. As a rather relevant and recent example, our neighbors at 2 Grace Church Street at the traffic circle tore down their old home last year much like the Rye Arts Center intends to, and instead of building a modern house, built - as the listing states - "An architectural stunner that blends modern luxury with historical charm." Any expansion to the Rye Arts Center must aim to accomplish the same.

Thank you in advance for your sincere consideration of this serious matter.