P&Z Rule on Increased Seating at Train Station Restaurant Space

On Tuesday the P&Z commission considered an expansion of restaurant seating at the available restaurant space at the corner of Steamboat Rd and Railroad Ave.

The restaurant is part of Greenwich Crossing, the $30 million mixed-use commercial and train station revitalization at 2–34 Railroad Avenue.

The restaurant use was previously approved for 112 seats in 2023.

The applicant, GP Holding Company Inc, asked for 38 additional seats for a total of 150 seats – 130 in the restaurant, plus 20 bar seats.

Michelle Cronin for the applicant, said they had been unable to find a restaurant with national prominence to take the space without the additional seating.

Unlike other Metro North train stations, Greenwich train station is is privately owned and maintained in a public-private partnership with the Town of Greenwich and the Ashforth Company. Oct 1, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager

Former Hopscotch Lot where the applicant will offer managed parking for patrons of the restaurant and other uses in the building. The applicant will create signage, attendant monitoring of the valet lot, website and navigation information, and tenant cross-promotion to encourage use of the lot. Oct 1, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager

Railroad Ave is heavily traveled, serving as the primary artery connecting I95 at exit 3, the train station, and the retail and office hubs around Greenwich Plaza. Oct 1, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager

The applicant’s restaurant leasing expert, Joyce Storm, said the amount of capital it takes to open a restaurant today is in the millions of dollars.

“It’s not about having the most expensive restaurant in Greenwich, because we don’t,” she said. “We want a really strong operator who has the capital and ability, first to build it out, and then to operate.”

Cronin talked about managed parking in the Hopscotch lot and how they would offer valet service there for patrons of the restaurant and other businesses in the building, as well as additional spaces in the Greenwich Plaza parking garage for restaurant employees and guests when there are large events.

That parking would be free with validation.

The applicant/owner offered to manage the parking all day, starting at 10:00am to give extra assurance of extra parking for retail tenants during times when the restaurant is less active.

The applicant will re-stripe that lot to increase the effective capacity from 36 self park spaces to as much as 57 attended spaces.

They will also increase the number of dedicated employee parking spaces at the Greenwich Plaza parking garage from 9 to 20, including 11 exclusively for the use of restaurant employees.

They also proposed parking for large events or restaurant buyouts be in the Greenwich Plaza parking garage.

Cronin said a minimum of 71 spaces have remained available within the 696 space tenant garage during business hours.

Across the street from the train station and restaurant there is Plaza Restaurant, the former MacDuff’s at 99 Railroad Ave (has a sign saying Le Sauvage Greenwich will open this fall), Thai Basil, Taco Project (approved by P&Z at former cigar store at 91 Railroad Ave), and Britt & Co Bagels.

First Selectmen Camillo Zoomed in to urge approval of the increased seating.

“I think in this case here, the 150 in total seat capacity is not a big ask seeing that it is at a railroad station and a lot of people are coming off the train and are already parked. It’s not like they are looking for more spaces and also it’s downtown and a lot of people walk. I think it will have a built-in audience already. From a town perspective, people keep asking me what is the hold up here?”

Camillo said if the seating did not increase, the applicant could lose potential restaurant tenants.

“That whole block is being transformed, something that we talked about for years. We’re so close right now – if there is anything that cries out for a bit of a variance, it’s right because it’s right at a train station,” Camillo said.

“From a Town perspective, we would love to see this get done and we can have that whole block transformed and continue the walk of a beautiful new Greenwich Avenue to the waterfront, and this is a connector,” Camillo said.

Nevertheless, the commission raised parking and traffic concerns, and noted there is already illegal parking and maneuvering for scarce parking.

The applicant’s traffic consultant John Canning said that there was a limited overlap between restaurant and retail peak demand.

He said a survey of 33 retailers on Greenwich Ave found that about 94% of them close by 6:00pm, while peak restaurant demand is at approximately 8:00pm on Saturday.

Commissioner Dennis Yeskey said he was disappointed that additional drop off areas had not been added.

“I still think it’s not a parking problem, per se. It’s a traffic problem,” Yeskey said. “The bottom of the Avenue, it’s packed with restaurants and they do not close by 6:00pm. It’s the tightest part of the Avenue.”

“I’m worried about a giant traffic jam at the bottom of the Avenue and spilling into Railroad Avenue,” Yeskey said. “I think what we’re going to find is bad.”

“I think I beat you up a couple times about going to the Police Dept. You’ve done it. Hopefully they were nice to you. I think they’re making a mistake. I’m disappointed,” Yeskey said.

P&Z Chair Margarita Alban said there was an increase in take-out and delivery since the pandemic, and commissioner Nick Macri asked about Uber Eats driver pick-ups.

Cronin said short duration take-out and delivery vehicles would use the valet parking lot rather than park along Railroad Avenue, and there was potential for orders to be transferred through a rear entrance.

“We can’t control where Uber goes,” Cronin said. “They will be allowed to come into our lot and once they get a feel for how the site operates, use Propark, and go through the back corridor that goes all the way to the restaurant.”

Mr. Macri likened vehicle movement to flowing water.

“As soon as you put a stone in the stream, the stream backs up. The stone is people dropping off and picking up,” he said. “Everything that happens in front of this restaurant is a critical issue.”

“Mr. Yeskey brought it up. It has nothing to do with parking. It’s the back and forth. The jockeying for spaces. The jumping out to pick up an order. Dropping somebody off at the front door of the railroad, and now this.”

Ms Cronin said the applicant had met with Greenwich Police who did not want to encourage drop-off along Railroad Avenue.

“Your point about the back and forth on Railroad Avenue is exactly why the Police Dept does not want us to put a drop-off there,” she said. “They feel if we put a drop-off there, people are going to be encouraged to go there, and that will cause problems.”

Cronin recalled similar resistance to the commission’s request for a kiss-and-ride along Steamboat Rd, by the stairs to the train platform.

Indeed, back in 2022, the applicant’s team warned that traffic would back up into the intersection of Greenwich Ave if there was a drop-off area along Steamboat Rd.

“You can’t force everyone to do the right thing. There’s going to be bad actors. They might do a kiss-and-ride, or they might do a drop-off they’re not supposed to do, but by keeping the parking in the lot and making it as convenient as possible for all of the users, people are going to go there,” Cronin said. “It has to be that learned behavior.”

Commissioner Peter Lowe asked about ADA access to the restaurant for someone using the Greenwich Plaza parking garage.

Ms Cronin said the person could use elevators up and over the train tracks, and then take the new elevator within the train station to get down to Railroad Avenue.

There is a twin elevator system to cross over the train tracks, and a new internal elevator from the train station lobby down to street level on Railroad Ave. Oct 1, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager

“What you just described would not support the notion of convenience,” Lowe said.

Cronin said there were other options including ADA spots on Railroad Ave, existing ADA accessible drop-off in front of the train station, and accommodations in the Hopscotch lot that will be managed by Propark.

She explained that the applicant had evaluated two potential passenger drop off locations with DPW, Parking Services, and Greenwich Police, but neither was supported due to concerns regarding double parking, queuing, conflicts with loading activities, and requiring mobility impaired patrons to cross Railroad Avenue.

Instead the applicant will rely on the existing accessible spaces near the restaurant and the managed parking in the Hopscotch lot.

Commissioner Mary Jenkins said even today, with vacancies in the new Greenwich Crossing building, double-parking and parking in non-parking spaces is a problem.

“I see this as a safety issue,” Jenkins said. “The problem is if people can’t find parking, then you get traffic, you get circulation, people who are frustrated find some other illegal approach.”

“I’m very concerned now about the volume, queuing and backup, not only for businesses in Greenwich Crossing, but across the street and in the immediate area. It’s bad now. It’s really bad now,” Jenkins said.

Trucks double parked alongside outdoor dining nodes on Greenwich Ave. Sept 30, 2026 Photo: Leslie Yager

Ms Cronin said a thorough traffic analysis had already been done and approved by both the Town traffic consultant, BETA Group and the DPW Traffic division when the project was approved.

“They both seem to come to the same conclusion which is from a traffic perspective, there will not be any issues here,” Cronin said, adding she was comfortable doing a post-occupancy traffic study including extending a block away on Mason Street.

“We do want to make sure that people aren’t going around and around,” she said.

A block from the Greenwich Train Station, construction is underway at Chilston Court an 8-30g affordable housing development will have a total of 78 residential units in two buildings. Sept 30, 2026

The property at 2-34 Railroad Ave is legally non conforming related to the building coverage, lot coverage, setbacks and parking required for the uses in the building. The Greenwich train station opened in 1838, so the transportation hub and early surrounding structures predated widespread automobile use. For the most part, businesses on Railroad Avenue have historic exemptions from parking requirements. Sept 20, 2026

Ms Cronin said the other developments and businesses had some responsibility to manage traffic as well.

“All of the data that we have provided supports what we are asking for, and all we’re asking for is approvals to do it and then confirm that it is working,” said traffic expert John Canning.

He said the plan was not to let the Hopscotch lot get full.

Commissioner Arn Welles asked town planner Pat LaRow the status of the 210 seat restaurant approved in 2024 at 1-3 Greenwich Ave (Building 3 at Pickwick Plaza).

Mr. LaRow said that had not proceeded.

LaRow did say that Kyma Greenwich, approved for 200+ seats in 2022 at Lewis Street and Liberty Way, is proceeding.

Third, an 88 seat restaurant, Cucina Angelina, recently opened within Restoration Hardware at the former Ralph Lauren building at 265 Greenwich Ave.

In the motion to approve the expanded restaurant seating, conditions included no special events at the restaurant during the first 12 months, no special events during Chamber of Commerce annual sidewalk sales (July), and any other special events would be subject to approval by the P&Z director, Pat LaRow.

After 12 months the applicant will return to the P&Z commission with 11 items:

• utilization rates for the western parking lot
• data on queuing into Railroad Avenue
• accident data for the parking driveway/
• overall restaurant seat utilization
• volume of pick up and delivery
• number of special events, attendees, when held and issues encountered
• any changes in operations versus the original proposal
• Traffic study – trip generation: applicant will return with a new/expanded intersection parking study, with expanded traffic study with expanded traffic area as agreed by the P&Z director
• any comments received regarding ADA accessibility
• any comments or interventions from DPW
• applicant is to go to ARC for any new signage

The vote on the motion to approve was 5-0.

Voting in favor were: Anne Noel Jones, Peter Lowe, Dennis Yeskey, Arn Welles and Margarita Alban.