St. John’s pitches parking expansion plan, town notes safety, traffic benefits 

A proposal by St. John the Evangelist Church to construct a new 72-space parking lot drew generally favorable feedback from consultants and officials during an April 8 Planning Board meeting, with members pointing to improved traffic flow and safer site conditions as key benefits. 

The project calls for 69 standard parking spaces and three accessible spots on the church campus, largely on a grassy area adjacent to the parish hall. Town planning consultant Pat Cleary described the plan as a “significant improvement” over existing conditions, particularly in how vehicles enter and exit the site along East Lake Boulevard. 

Currently, a loosely defined roadway configuration near the church creates what Cleary characterized as a “free-for-all,” allowing vehicles to cut through an area that can be confusing and potentially unsafe. The proposed redesign would eliminate that ambiguity, clearly channeling traffic into and out of the property. 

“It would clarify that you’re staying on East Lake and turning into the church,” Cleary said, adding that the revised layout would “improve that traffic circulation significantly.” 

The plan also includes landscaped islands, new curbing and internal traffic controls aimed at calming vehicle movement. Cleary recommended narrowing a wide area near an intersection to discourage erratic turning movements and adding striped pedestrian crossings between parking islands to improve safety for foot traffic. 

Board members and consultants emphasized the importance of signage, especially during the transition period after construction, as parishioners adjust to the new traffic pattern. 

“People are used to going along this ‘Westcott Drive,” said project architect Joel Greenberg. “Signage is going to be very important… especially at the beginning.” 

The proposal does require a waiver from a town code provision that typically mandates at least 75 feet between driveway intersections. In this case, the [distance] would be significantly less, but Cleary said the board has the authority to grant the waiver and argued the redesigned layout represents a net safety gain. 

The project will also require coverage under the state’s general stormwater permit due to the scope of land disturbance. A stormwater pollution prevention plan has been submitted and is under review, though only minor revisions are expected. 

Among other comments, planning officials raised questions about landscaping durability, the potential need for irrigation, and whether a large existing tree on the site can be preserved. Any new lighting will also need to be detailed in future submissions. 

Separately, discussion touched on long-standing confusion over property ownership in the area. Building Inspector Mike Carnazza requested updated survey information to reconcile conflicting maps showing the extent of church-owned land. Greenberg said research conducted through Putnam County land records indicates that Westcott Drive is owned by the church, while McMahon Place belongs to the town of Carmel, and that documentation will be shared with the board. 

The Planning Board ultimately moved to declare itself as the lead agency for environmental review of the project, a procedural step under the State Environmental Quality Review Act. 

No final approval was granted at the meeting, with additional documentation and plan revisions expected before the board takes further action.