(the Katz property covering 2.4 acres) is situated adjacent to the automobile dealership. Van Wyck II shopping plaza, on the east side of Maple Street The complex of shopping plazas along Maple Street are characterized by groups of single-story buildings set back from the street and fronted by surface parking lots. Although there is a pedestrian path on the east side of Maple Street, the layout encourages automobile use, and the lack of safe and attractive pedestrian connections discourages shoppers from walking from one plaza to another. The vacant Katz property creates an important opportunity to create a focal point for this area. Given the proximity of the post office, restaurants and the mix of retail stores, this site could perhaps be established as a new center for the Village. Croton Commons shopping plaza, on the west side of Maple Street South Riverside/Harmon Shopping Area The South Riverside/Harmon commercial center is situated along the east and west sides of South Riverside Avenue south of Oneida Avenue. The center is bounded on the north and east by residential neighborhoods. To the west is Route 9 and to the south is the Van Cortlandt Manor property, a five-acre historic estate. The Harmon commercial area includes a mix of smaller-scale shops along South Riverside and a large (30-acre) shopping area south of Croton Point Avenue that includes the “Shop Rite Shopping Center.” As with the other shopping areas in the Village, Harmon contains a mix of retail and service establishments. Notable in the area is the PAGE 66 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN concentration of auto-related uses: along South Riverside between Oneida Avenue and Croton Point Avenue are eight auto repair shops, car dealerships and gas stations. Harmon also has numerous personal service establishments, including hair and nail salons, and professional services such as insurance and travel agencies and medical offices. The “Shop Rite” Shopping Center contains a Shop-Rite supermarket and a mix of service establishments such as salons, cleaners and laundromats, and retail establishments. The location of the Harmon/South Riverside shopping area enhances its retail potential: it is accessible to pedestrians from surrounding neighborhoods and is a gateway to Croton from the Croton-Harmon Railroad Station, via Croton Point Avenue. However, sidewalks need to be improved and extended to increase pedestrian access to the Shopping Center and the nearby train station. Auto dealership, Avenue South This area also lacks a strong architectural identity. Building form, façade design and site landscaping vary from one property to another. Utility poles and overheard wires on the east side of South Riverside Avenue dominate the landscape. In addition, many of the sidewalks are lined by unscreened surface parking lots. b. Hudson River Waterfront Shop Rite shopping plaza History of the Waterfront The Hudson River, which forms Croton-on-Hudson’s western boundary, is one of the defining features of the Village. The River was the impetus for Croton-on-Hudson’s earliest settlements and industry, attracting Dutch traders in the 1600s and later supporting several industries, including shipping and brick manufacturing. In 1846, the tracks were laid for the Hudson River railroad line and in the early 1900s, an engine terminal was constructed close to Croton Point. The construction of the railroad reserved a large portion of waterfront property for utility and transportation uses, creating a barrier between the waterfront and the elevated parts of the Village, which were developing for residential and commercial uses. This barrier was reinforced with the construction of north-south US Route 9 in the 1960s and the closing of the Croton North railroad station near the Upper Village. Today, the railroad continues to have a significant presence adjacent to the waterfront but the other waterfront industries have disappeared. Two parks – Westchester County’s Croton Point Park at the southern end of the Village, and the Village’s Senasqua Park – draw residents to the waterfront for recreational activities. In addition, several recent projects have created new residential and PAGE 67 Riverside CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN recreational uses along the waterfront and reconnected this area with the rest of the Village. These projects include the creation of the Half Moon Bay condominiums, the construction of the Brook Street pedestrian bridge and the purchase by the Village of waterfront property (“Village parcel”) in 1996. Waterfront Land Uses The Hudson River stretches the length of the Village’s western perimeter. Although historically used for mostly industrial and railrelated purposes, the land along the riverfront today is primarily characterized as residential, recreational, and vacant. The major land uses are described as follows: Croton Point Park, at the south end of the waterfront, is a 504-acre Westchester County park, located on a peninsula that juts out into the Hudson River. Road access is provided by Croton Point Avenue, which connects to Routes 9 and 9A. The park offers a range of amenities including camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking and