Photos by www.photoandgraphic.com.
MALTA – A yearlong effort by the town supervisor to promote more parking spaces has produced results at Ellsworth Commons, a prominent mixed-use commercial and residential plaza on Route 9.
Earlier this month, work crews hired by Ellsworth Commons eliminated grassy areas at the edge of Route 9 to create nearly 30 additional parking spaces in front of the two most visible buildings at the plaza.
Malta Supervisor Vincent DeLucia said the minor road construction followed a lobbying effort on his part that started in late 2016.
“I kept insisting that the owners of Ellsworth Commons” do the work, he said, “even though I didn’t have the authority or control.”
The original site plans for Ellsworth Commons included the same parking spaces but were ultimately modified to include the grassy areas instead, according to DeLucia.
The state Department of Transportation (DOT) has authority over projects on roads such as Route 9.
DeLucia said the DOT’s approval of the project is at least partially connected to the Town of Malta’s wider effort to reduce speed limits.
The Malta town complex is located directly across from Ellsworth Commons. Currently, the area speed limit is 30 m.p.h., but many drivers travel much faster than that as they either enter or leave a 45 m.p.h. zone only a short distance to the north.
Ellsworth Commons offers 70,000 square feet of retail space and more than 300 apartments. Yet some local residents have questioned town leaders about longstanding problems with commercial vacancy rates at the plaza.
DeLucia said that apartments in Ellsworth Commons have “the highest percentage of rentals” due to the proximity of GlobalFoundries.
A call to Ellsworth Commons for comment was not returned.
For more information, visit the website http://ellsworthcommons.info/.
