P&Z Watch: Concerns Persist about Distance of Valet Parking to New Railroad Ave Restaurant

Previously the Greenwich P&Z commission approved a restaurant with 112 seats at 34 Railroad Avenue, on the corner of Steamboat Rd.

The restaurant is a key part of the redevelopment of the Greenwich Train Station and surrounding retail, known as Greenwich Crossing.

The applicant, GP Holding Company Inc, returned Tuesday night to the commission to request a modification to their Final Coastal Site Plan and Special Permit to increase in the number of restaurant seats from 112 to 130, and add a 20-seat bar for a total of 150 seats.

They proposed a managed on-site parking program with valet service, and to provide the parking required for all restaurant employees at the Greenwich Plaza parking garage.

Michele Cronin, representing the applicant, said Greenwich Plaza operates a strict security protocol, counting cars on a daily basis, and in the past six month there had never been fewer than 71 spaces available.

“There’s plenty of spaces there to accommodate those employees,” Cronin said.

She said the valet program could increase the effective capacity of the former Hopscotch parking lot by 19 spaces, from 36 self-park spaces to up to 55 attended spaces.  That would be achieved re-striping the spaces to make them narrower than required for self-parking.

With valets operating inside the Hopscotch lot, she said there would be no queuing on Railroad Ave. Restaurant patrons would leave their cars with the valet and walk down the block to the front door of the restaurant.

Ms Cronin and Joyce Storm, a restaurant leasing expert, said that in the process of looking for a national restaurant tenant, restaurateurs’ feedback was that a critical mass was 150 seats.

P&Z chair Margarita Alban asked about vehicles doing pickup and delivery.

“You’re putting a tighter demand on the parking at the former Hopscotch lot and knowing how many meals could potentially be picked up or delivered – you might have a delivery vehicle, and you might have vehicles coming in just pick up, which would be in excess of your seating number,” Alban said. “I’d be interested in data on that and how you would handle that.”

Also, Alban was concerned about handicapped and elderly people having to make their way from the valet to the front door of the restaurant and suggested the applicant work with Greenwich Police on the possibility of creating a drop-off  area close to the restaurant front door.

“We’d like to help this restaurant be profitable. It is our goal to be business friendly.”

Ms Cronin said if there was Uber Eats or pick up, that would already happen with the approved 112 seat restaurant.

“Can I stop you on that?” Alban asked. “We approved this in 2022, what I learned is we thought this would diminish post-Covid, but what has in fact happened is a permanent change in people’s dining habits. So we are now looking at potentially greater demand.”

Ms Cronin said up until 6:00pm, 112 seats would be adequate.

However, she added, “What they’re hearing from every single tenant – and this is why this space is still not rented out – is why we’re here, is for that prime dining time, which is from 6:00pm on, and on weekends, 112 is not enough.”

“I see the rationale or your request, but at the same time I’m looking for (accommodations for people with) disabilities and seniors,” Alban said. “Especially when we’ve made an investment in making the Avenue more ADA friendly.”

“We can look into it more,” Cronin said, adding that the Town of Greenwich owns the strip of parking spaces on Railroad Ave in front of the restaurant, not Greenwich Plaza.

“I’ve got to have a plan in place,” Alban said. “If the town and DPW and GPD don’t help… I just want to know we’ve tried, and made a genuine effort to accommodate.”

Dennis Yeskey said he remained concerned patrons would try to find a parking space as close to the restaurant as possible.

“The intangible amount of space that people are going to look for around that restaurant is really going to put a burden on the bottom of the Avenue, and it’s already super, super crowded. What people will do is give up and go down to the lot eventually. Anything you can do to be creative…” he said.

Ms Cronin said an important goal for the project overall was to connect Greenwich Ave to the Bruce Museum and the harbor.

Where previously there was a windowless wall of the former movie, soon there will be a vibrant restaurant with outdoor dining and a pedestrian plaza.

Alban said that from a zoning point of view, the desire was to avoid having an issue with accommodating different kinds of traffic and to accommodate seniors and the disabled.

“The police have to agree to a drop off in front of the restaurant door,” she said.

“If a handicapped person can park in the valet just like everyone else, why isn’t that a solution?” Cronin asked.

“Because they’re not going to walk 465 ft. I know that for a fact,” Alban said. “GPD does not allow you to do drop off in front of the restaurant.”

The applicant said there would be two or three valet staff working during peak hours to handle 57 cars in the former Hopscotch lot.

“The big question is how can we support the effort. My sense is staff will have to ask Chief Heavey to help and probably also the First Selectman,” Alban said. “I know in the past he has been very supportive of this effort to make the connection (of the Avenue to the museum and harbor).”

That application was left open, so the applicant could work out a drop-off situation with the Greenwich Police and the Dept of Public Works.

See also:

P&Z Commission Skeptical on Proposed Valet Service for New Restaurant at Greenwich Crossing

March 21, 2026

Gov Lamont Joins Officials to Kick-Off “Greenwich Crossing,” Starting with Construction of 5,000 Sq Ft Restaurant

October 21, 2024

Greenwich Train Station Renovation Project Unanimously Approved by P&Z Commission

March 7, 2023