A.
The purpose of this chapter is to facilitate the preservation and revitalization of the Village's Business District. Over the course of the last several years, the Village has been striving to address the stresses that changing patterns, especially internet shopping, have placed on our Business District. The Mayor and Village Board have communicated with virtually every Business District landlord and street level tenant to work in partnership with them to maintain vibrant buildings and tenancies. The Village has amended zoning laws to relieve entry barriers. The Village has worked with prospective tenants to facilitate their entry. The Village has conducted a multiyear comprehensive parking study which is now being implemented. The Village has sought out and encouraged the acquisition of the movie theater property by its new operator. The Village has enacted a new Public Amenity Mixed Use Zoning Law and has worked with the owner of a burned-down building to facilitate its reconstruction. The Village has recently worked with restaurant tenants to establish outdoor dining. The Village also has concerns with respect to the visual impact and condition of various buildings and storefronts in the Business District. The Village has been working with its Code Enforcement Officer to address some of these issues and has developed a design guide to assist new and existing tenants.
B.
The COVID crisis has placed new stresses on the Business District whose effects will likely be felt for some time to come. Despite all challenges, new businesses have recently opened and the Village's citizenry has contributed and worked to support our businesses. The One Larchmont organization has been an essential part of supporting our Business District, particularly during the COVID crisis.
C.
Our efforts to adjust to current circumstances and revitalize our Business District must continue and must be collaborative among the Village, its landlords, its commercial tenants and our citizenry. To that end, the One Larchmont organization has organized an exciting initiative for the transformation of the Business District, which includes creating a plan for a cohesive streetscape and the enhancement of building facades in the Village's Business District. The Village Board believes that it is essential to the success of this initiative that it be fully integrated with all other efforts of the Village Board regarding the Business District, and that proposals for improvements which will significantly enhance the Business District be processed expeditiously with direct involvement of the Village Board who will, in turn, coordinate approval, permitting and work issues with the Architectural Review Board, the Building Department and other Village departments, and existing active businesses. Accordingly, under the terms of this chapter, the Village is establishing a procedure for expedited review and permitting of certain building improvement proposals.