of Maple Street A landscaped parking area set back from Maple Street with buffer planting to isolate it from nearby housing. • Create a Pedestrian Network The current layout of the Municipal Place shopping area discourages pedestrian access and instead requires shoppers to drive from one plaza area to another. A network of pedestrian routes should be established that provides safe and attractive links between the various shopping plazas and other commercial sites as well as other major destination points such as schools, the library, and recreation areas. These routes should link directly to store entrances and include landscaping, signage and seating areas that encourage pedestrian activity, as shown in Figure 4.3. As a first step in this program, the Village has already approved the construction of a sidewalk along the south side of Municipal Place, linked to new sidewalks along the east side of Riverside Avenue. PAGE 88 Municipal RS ID Place Facility E TREET VE AV E N U E LP MUNICIPA LACE (possible recreation site) RO MAPLE S RI Van Wyck Plaza Post Office Croton Commons U TE 9 Village of Croton-On-Hudson, NY BFJ Buckhurst Fish & Jacquemart, Inc. Figure 4.3. Municipal Place Concept 89 Existing Buildings Landscaped Plaza Potential New Building Pedestrian Routes CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN • Adapt Municipal Place Facility for Recreational Use The Municipal Place facility (recently used as a leaf composting area by Village residents) is located on the west side of South Riverside Avenue across from the automobile dealership. This area should be developed in a manner consistent with Gateway guidelines. • Prepare Long Term Redevelopment Guidelines In the longer term, redevelopment opportunities may occur which could help establish Municipal Place as a more pedestrian oriented road with new buildings creating a more traditional “street wall,” thereby screening parking lots to the rear (see drawing below). The Village should monitor potential redevelopment in this area and take advantage of opportunities that arise to re-orient this area from an automobile-based layout to one that better reflects Croton-onHudson’s historic development and character. New Building Parking Parking Figure 4.4. Possible long-term redevelopment strategy for Municipal Place shopping area As illustrated above, the Municipal Place center would reflect the more traditional layout of buildings, open space and roads that occurs in older commercial areas such as the Upper Village. Lining Municipal Place with buildings and landscaped sidewalks would also establish an attractive entry road leading from Route 9 to Maple Street and the Upper Village area. PAGE 90 CROTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN d. North Riverside The importance of North Riverside as a local commercial center has been recognized in recent years by the installation of new sidewalks and lighting that have helped to emphasize the area’s historic character. The proximity of the Brook Street pedestrian overpass and the nearby Senasqua Park, and a future waterfront park at the Village parcel, will allow the North Riverside district to play an increasingly important role as a link between the Upper Village and the Hudson River waterfront. New development or improvement should emphasize the area’s proximity to the waterfront, and relate to the pedestrian scale of the existing streetscape and architecture without obscuring the views to the river from uphill locations. The Village should also consider acquiring and developing the land at the junction of Brook Street and North Riverside for development as a pocket park and off-street parking area, to improve pedestrian and car access to the shopping area and enhance links to the Upper Village. Streetscape improvements on North Riverside Future streetscape improvements should expand on the sidewalk, lighting and signage improvements already undertaken by the Village. A planted buffer between Riverside Avenue and NYS Route 9 is recommended. New informational signs and landscaping should be considered for the pedestrian approaches to the Brook Street overpass leading to Senasqua Park and the rest of the waterfront. Guidelines encouraging a more consistent quality in building façade design and signage should be developed and implemented by the Village. Future infill and renovation efforts should respond to guidelines that emphasize a marine-oriented theme, such as the use of clapboard and selection of streetscape furniture and other features that would give this area a distinctive character reflecting its close relationship to the river. e. South Riverside/Harmon The South Riverside/Harmon area acts as an important imagedefining gateway to the Village due to its strategic location on Route 9A and its accessibility to the railroad station, Route 9 and Croton Point. A key section of this area is proposed as a “Gateway District” subject to special zoning district overlay regulations related to signage, landscape and other design requirements. This gateway district encompasses the lots fronting the north side of Croton Point Avenue east of Route 9, and properties on either side of South Riverside Avenue north of Croton Point Avenue to Benedict Boulevard. Improvements