To the editor:

This week, the Village of Pelham advisory boards meet to near completion of their site plan review for the Pelham House apartment development and related municipal center. Both are located on Fifth Avenue north of the Pelham Art Center. Their approvals will set the stage for the final decisions by the Village of Pelham Board of Trustees.

But as of most recent meetings in January, the massive Pelham House violated zoning codes and raised flooding and pedestrian safety issues.

Pelham House is currently planned at more than 70 feet tall along Fifth Avenue. This would substantially exceed the maximum height allowed by village code.

Why is this development set to be approved at a height that violates the code and disrupts the character of our downtown?

Why is a planned second entrance to the parking deck adjacent to the former Capital One Bank site so close to Sixth Avenue that turning cars and children walking to school are at risk?

Why is no flood containment system included in the Pelham House basement parking garage? Inadequate flood protection could overwhelm our storm sewer and leave parked cars floating in a giant bathtub when the Hurricane Sandys and Idas of the future roll in.

It seems the pressure of a failing fire house, which led to the swap of village land for a new municipal center, has yielded a relaxation of the building code and efforts to preserve the character and scale of our downtown.

The planning and architectural review boards meet on Tuesday and Wednesday. One has already stated its intention to approve.

Right now, any of us can write an e-note expressing our concern that no building should be allowed to tower above our lovely village. The safety of our residents and even our storm-sewer system must be paramount in the final design of the Pelham House project. (These notes can be sent to [email protected] with a request to distribute them to the planning board, zoning board, architectural review board and village board.)

Want more detail? E-mail to [email protected]

Marilyn Hoyt and Dan Wharton

110 Sixth Ave.

along with:

Maria and Vincent Castagnozzi

Donald Chue

Fran Clerkin

Natalia Baklitskaya and Bryan Cover

Jeannie Crowley and Nick Dembowski

Kate and Ted Dembowski

Aileen and Tim Dose

Ray Downs

Lucy Hoffman

Tania Homenko

Mercedes Maldonado and John Fronce

Kerri and John Gristina

Jenn Silvester and Seth Jacobs

Tatiana and Alex Jacobsen

Donna Borsello Juliano

Molly and John Meehan

Bella and Bharat Motwani

Lois and Juan Carlos Navarro

Joanna and Ken Nilsen

Silvana and Michael Beckley

Bridget and Bill Bettke

Michelle and Paul Bloom

Li Peng

Kasia and Jon Platt

Maryanne Salerno-Quereshi and Tab Quereshi

Mike Guido

Christine Puleo and Bruno Reis

Nancy and John Smith

James Stoffel

Silmara and Ron Sucena

Michele and John Whalen

Peter Widulski

Eliza Jensen and Richard Wisniewski

Honyun Wu

Ying Yan