Rendering of proposed development at 1640 Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. Image Credit: S9 Architecture/CPC.

In addition to 114 new residential units, 34 of which will be affordable, the new development will feature two stories of retail space that is responsive to community needs.  On March 13, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to approve an application for a rezoning in the Flatbush Junction neighborhood of Brooklyn. The application calls for a rezoning of the applicant’s property at 1640 Flatbush Avenue, facing the Triangle Junction shopping mall to the north, Aurelia Court to the south, Flatbush Avenue to the east, and East 31^st street to the west, along with portions of an adjacent property and one located across East 31^st Street. The proposed rezoning will facilitate the development of a new 13-story mixed-use building on the applicant-owned 1640 Flatbush Avenue, and bring the other two properties into zoning compliance. (read more…)

Rendering of applicant’s proposed seven-story building at 41 Summit Street in Brooklyn. Image Credit: CPC.

The applicant’s proposed rezoning received strong pushback from the community. On January 9, 2019, the City Planning Commission held a public hearing on a proposed rezoning in the Columbia Street Waterfront District in Brooklyn. The applicant, 41 Summit Street LLC, sought a zoning map and a zoning text change to facilitate the development of a seven-story, approximately 10,000 square foot residential building at 41 Summit Street. The application was presented to the City Planning Commission by several members of Sheldon Lobel, including Richard Lobel and Sandy Hornick. (read more…)

Early rendering of Blondell Commons presented at the CPC Public Hearing on Jan. 30th. Image Credit: Aufgang Architects/NYC CPC

Critics raised concerns over more traffic due to larger number of parking spaces. On February 27, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to approve an application for a nine-story mixed-use residential and commercial building at 1346 Blondell Avenue in the Westchester Square section of the Bronx. To facilitate this development, named Blondell Commons, the application calls for rezoning a portion of a larger manufacturing district that mainly features auto repair shops along Blondell Avenue. Blondell Equities LLC brought the application. (read more…)

Rendering of proposed 4-story building at 63 Stockholm Street, Brooklyn. Image Credit: STAT Architecture/CPC.

The new building will bring 20 deeply affordable units to Bushwick, and will be constructed with sustainability features. On February 13, 2019, the City Planning Commission voted to approve an application by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development for the construction of a new and 100 percent affordable 20-unit building in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. HPD sought City Planning’s approval for the disposition of the City-owned property at 63 Stockholm Street, designation of the property as an Urban Development Action Area Program (UDAAP), and project approval. (read more…)

Building on left demonstrates the current issue with excessive mechanical voids. Image Credit: NYC CPC

The proposal discourages clustering mechanical voids in a way that inflates building heights. On January 28, 2019, the CPC announced the beginning of public review of the proposed rezoning plan to limit the use of excessive voids that artificially inflate tower heights in residential buildings. Currently, these voids, or multiple floors of empty space, are not counted as zoning floor area in the Zoning Resolution. (read more…)