The first Ralph’s Italian Ices and Ice Cream shop to hit Westchester County has caused quite a bit of an uproar. The storefront, which opened on Boston Post Road in the village of Mamaroneck in May, has area residents irate over long lines, loud noise and dangerous levels of traffic.
Further, Ralph’s, a popular Staten Island-originated chain, may have also skirted village planning procedures.
According to residents of Mamaroneck’s Keeler Avenue, who at a recent village Board of Trustees meeting voiced their concerns to the board, a lack of parking in the area has caused patrons of the shop to use their street as a quick parking stop.
As a result, according to Anthony Franceloa, a resident of Keeler Avenue, noise, unsightly garbage and a lack of parking have followed suit.
“For 18 years, I’ve resided on Keeler [Avenue],” Franceloa said. “Most of which has been peaceful and enjoyable. Things have changed because of Ralph’s.”
According to the shop’s website, Ralph’s closes at 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and closes at midnight on Sunday.
Noise and congestion aren’t the only unintended side effects of Ralph’s bustling business; more traffic has also created more dangerous conditions for pedestrians.
According to Stephanie Figliomeni, another resident of Keeler Avenue, lengthy lines have led patrons of the shop to pour over into the parking lot and into traffic.
“The lot cannot manage the amount of people that are visiting the establishment,” she said. “We’re very afraid someone is going to get hurt.”
According to village of Mamaroneck Mayor Norman Rosenblum, a Republican, the village Police Department has already issued several summonses to patrons who have parked illegally in front of driveways and no parking zones.
After numerous complaints from residents, as well as a petition circulating door to door that looks to alleviate noise and unsightly garbage issues, the village is now working to rectify the problems created by Ralph’s, and has required the owner of the store, Scott Rosenburg, a Long Island resident, to hire an engineer who will conduct a layout study to alleviate traffic congestion.
Rosenburg contends that his business has “followed every procedure possible,” citing his compliance in adding a seating area, as well as hiring an engineer to redesign a new layout.
“[The residents] are treating me like a criminal,” he said. “It’s not right.”
According to Village Manager Richard Slingerland, there is no current timeline for when the study will be completed; but Slingerland said the village is looking to “fix it as soon as possible.”
The impact of Ralph’s on Boston Post Road, however, may only be part of the problem, according to Trustee Ilissa Miller, a Democrat, who said Ralph’s—which is currently classified as a retail establishment—did not follow the proper vetting procedure in place for fast food establishments.
“I’m not angry that [Ralph’s] is there,” Miller said. “I’m just perturbed that it bypassed the process.”
According to New York state law, a fast food establishment is characterized by several criteria: requiring customers pay before they eat, having 30 or more chain locations in total, and serving either food or drinks.
According to the company’s website, Ralph’s currently has 80 store locations across New York and New Jersey, meeting all three criteria.
