New-York tribune., 1922-01-01
Pelham Village
Now Safe From
Flat Invasion
Closes Up Cap in Defense
by Purchase Of Three
Block Fronts on North
Side of Pretty Colony

BY an Overwhelming vote Pelham
villagers have backed plan of their
Board Of Trustees for closing UP a gap
in the Residential dcfcnscs of the at
tractive littl. dwelling place. They
voted last Wednesday night, almost
two to one, for bond issue to buy a
strip of land opposite the New Haven
Railroad station that was to be i'm
proved with Al apartment house
Through the purchase the village viii
seal up every possible entrance for
apartment houses in this exclusive
single family dwelling park. The prop
crty will be taken over soon in the
name of the village, ostensibly for park
purposes. The supposition is that it
will be resold eventually for improve
ment with houses that will support the
fine structural character of the town.
Part Of the property likely will be in
corporated into bordering highways.
which are not sufficient for the traffic
needs of the town.
Told Flats Were Coming
Several weeks ago announcement was
made that Pelham Village was soon to
have an apartment house. Il would be
ono Of the finest in the suburbs of
New York and would add to the struc-
tural attractiveness of the place. House
owners in Pelham, however, did not
view the improvement in the same
light. The building of an apartment
would destroy everything that Pelham
meant to them. A number of owners
declared that they would sacrifice their
properties if the improvement was
made. The fact that apartment build
ngs had been erected in other well
known suburban places near New York
dld not relieve the feelings Of the viii
layers. There has been nothing in the
history Of Pelham that has aroused
more intense feeling.
A committee was selected to go to
the builder and explain to him the sit
uation. HIS answer was that he did
not think that his scheme to give Pei
nam a fine apartment building would
cause any opposition, especially since
1t would face the railroad station. He
agreed to abandon the Improvement
and the village was happy.
The scheme was then proposed to
take the property off his hands. Some
opposed this, but many were in favor
OF relieving the builder of the land,
which he had purchased for the definite
purpose of putting up flats.
The proposal whether or not Pelham
wanted flats came up for a vote last
week, and the answer was to keep them
out. The vote, correctly speaking. was
to authorize the issuance of bonds NOT
to exceed $4,000 for the purchase of
the projected apartment house site and
adjacent land. Options have been Sc
cured on the property and title to it
VIII be transferred as soon as the legal
details have been completed.
Purchases Three Block Fronts
The land to be acquired comprises
about sixty-six lots. extending on
Wolfe's Lane from First to Second
street; along First Street, which is
the highway paralleling the railroad
station, to Corlies Avenue, and from
Pelhamdale to Highbrook avenue The
frontage on First Street between Pei
hamdalc and Corlies avenues is owned
by the village and is now used as a
park. The purchase will give the trus-
tees control over four blocks of front
age on the north boundary of the viii
lage.
The property is held by five owners
IN addition to the apartment house
builder. 1t was deemed advisable to
acquire the other properties at this
time, in order to avoid similar trou-
hles in the future. The board of trus-
tees also has forced the sellers to place
restrictions on other properties which
they own, which will prevent their i'm
provement with buildings Objectionable
to the town.
Part of the property on Wolfe's Lane
will be turned into the road. for the
street is too narrow for the traffic on
started in 1926. The fear Of flats is