Grand Prix New York Seeks Arcade Game Expansion

Grand Prix New York wants to increase the number of arcade games that it can have from 25 to 75, reviving an old proposal that was curbed by Mount Kisco's Planning Board more than two years ago.

Jim Diamond, whose firm Diamond Properties is the landlord and part owner of Grand Prix, appeared before the planning board on Tuesday to discuss the proposal, which requires an amendment to the property's site plan. He described the reason for wanting more as part of trying to make the business viable and in figuring out what the right number of devices is for it.

Grand Prix, which operates an indoor racing course and bowling alley, originally sought the arcade games in 2010 when it originally proposed bowling. The planning board only approved having 25, and he noted that traffic impact was a concern over the matter. Diamond added that a follow up for the issue was allowed after the bowling alley, called Spins Bowl, reopened, and that a traffic study was done late last year for the site, which is at 333 N. Bedford Road and includes an array of other tenants, such as Saw Mill Club East.

According to the traffic results, the peak morning hour of 9-10 a.m. showed 354 trips, which are entrances and exits from the site, and an evening peak hour of 6-7 p.m. showed 376 trips.

The property has a cap of 450 trips per hour, and Diamond felt that adding arcades would not be a problem.

“Our feeling is that there's zero impact,” he said, adding that he did not know if doing a traffic study specifically tied to a higher number of arcades would quantify anything. Diamond also noted that there would be no physical changes inside or outside of the property.

Meanwhile, there appears to be a rift over how many games are at Grand Prix. Diamond noted that the building inspector's count showed 47, but added that those included driving simulators, which he does not consider to fall under the same category. He also explained that games with multiple players would be counted as more than one device.

Diamond Properties purchased the site, which was a former Grand Union warehouse, in the mid-2000s. It is now 96.8 percent occupied, Diamond said. Grand Prix, meanwhile, provides about 85 jobs.

Planning Board feedback appeared to be mixed among members who chose to weigh in.

Board member Ralph Vigliotti was concerned that the arcade games serve as a main use for the property instead of an accessory, or secondary use. Referencing the disputed 47-game count, Vigliotti said that “it seems that that you didn't comply with our earlier number number,” adding that the business made the decision to change it.

Vigliotti said, “once you move from 25 machines to your 75, it's not accessory anymore, it's an arcade, it's a separate business.” He added that he was not sure there was another business in the village that had 75 and with arcade games as a sole use.

Addressing Vigliotti's concern, Diamond argued that the games are an accessory use – up to three are allowed – saying that racing and bowling “the primary use for site and that's why people go there.”

Vigliotti then asked Diamond if people could choose to use the games and not go bowling or racing, to which Diamond replied that they can. The board member then argued that the games would not qualify as an accessory use, adding that his concern is “not traffic so much as the use.”

Diamond, moments later, stated that no matter what number is picked, it “is sort of an, an arbitrary number that you're, we're all just pulling out of the air.” He added, “and to the extent that it's not having any negative impact on the property or the village at all, why put an overly restrictive number on the business that harms the economic ability of, of the business to survive and prosper in the community and provide 85 jobs like we currently do?”

Diamond also noted that most of the revenue for Grand Prix comes from racing or bowling, which supports this contention that the games represent an accessory use.
 
Board member Stanley Bernstein was more sympathetic. While he noted that traffic was an historical concern, he felt that the games still represent an accessory use no matter how many are on the site. He also noted that the 25-game number was agreed to “only because we wanted to see what would happen.” Bernstein added that “perhaps we let it last too long.”

Traffic studies have been required for the property at various intervals, Diamond said, until the site become more than 90-percent occupied. Further studies are not required as long as the tenant mix stays “consistent.”

The planning board, still open to the proposal, agreed to have a public hearing for it on June 11.