Commissioners disagree over impact of added parking in Lower Manhattan. RBNB Wall Street Owner, LLC sought the Planning Commission’s approval for an 85- space public parking garage to be located within 63 Wall Street, a 36- story building with frontage on Hanover, Beaver and Wall Streets. RBNB planned to convert the building to residential, but the proposed garage would not be restricted to the residential tenants. RBNB explained at the Commission’s March 30, 2005 hearing that it sought the special permit to allow spaces to be leased during weekday hours to Wall Street office tenants to supplement the residential tenants’ use on weekends and evenings. The proposed garage would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

In a separate application, Maiden Lane Properties, LLC sought a special permit for a 62-space public parking garage at 100 Maiden Lane between Pearl and William Streets, a property it is converting from office space into a 336-unit residential development. The garage would have attendant parking and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. (read more…)

Plaza near WTC site to be modified for open air café and extra seating. The Millennium Hilton Hotel, located at 55 Church Street between Dey and Fulton Streets in the Special Lower Manhattan District, sought a special permit to modify a previously approved 3,647-squarefoot urban plaza. The original 1980’s approval of the building granted the developers a 51,826-square-foot floor area bonus in exchange for creating the plaza. The modifications, which include new landscaped planters, an open air café and additional seating, are contrary to the urban plaza requirements.

The major part of the plaza would be reduced from 2,552 sq.ft. to 2,047 sq.ft. to allow the café as a permitted obstruction and a portion of the Fulton Street sidewalk would be altered to accommodate additional seating and landscaping. Additionally, because of sub-surface conditions,Millennium sought to plant the required trees at another location in Lower Manhattan. (read more…)

Commission down-zones another Queens neighborhood. On April 13, 2005, the Planning Commission approved another of the Bloomberg administration’s down-zoning initiatives by rezoning 40 blocks of Kissena Park, a small residential neighborhood directly north of its namesake, the 235-acre Kissena Park.

The down-zoning, commenced at the urging of the Kissena Park Civic Association, would be the first rezoning plan passed since 1961 in this predominately one and two-family home residential neighborhood. Designed to match the context of the area’s buildings, the action proposed replacing the current R3-2 zoning with three districts (R2, R3A and R3X) that would generally limit future development to one and two-family homes on all 40 blocks. The current zoning allows rowhouse and large apartment development. The proposal would impact an area generally bound by 45th and 46th Avenues and Parson Boulevard to the east, Rose Avenue and Colden Street to the south and Mulberry Avenue, Union Street and Kissena Boulevard to the west. (read more…)

333-space parking garage to be located at the former Board of Education headquarters. The Planning Commission approved an application by Two Trees Management and EDC for a 333-space public parking garage to be located within the 300,000-square-foot, former Board of Education headquarters at 110 Livingston Street in Brooklyn. Two Trees plans to convert the 1925 building and construct an 88,000-square-foot addition for 308 residential units and a 6,000-square-foot community theater. Two Trees will maintain the building’s distinct facade, designed by McKim, Mead & White.

The property is bounded by Boerum Place, and Livingston, Court and Schermerhorn Streets. Access to the proposed 55,560- square-foot garage would be provided by a new curb cut on Livingston Street and the existing curb cut on Schermerhorn Street. To satisfy the parking requirement triggered by the addition, 42 of the 333 parking spaces would be dedicated to the new residential units and there would be 17 reservoir spaces. (read more…)

New station houses would consolidate FDNY units. The Planning Commission unanimously approved FDNY’s two applications for the acquisition and selection of lots in Brooklyn for two new firehouses that will consolidate Engine 201 and Ladder 114 in Sunset Park, and Engine 277 and Ladder 112 in Bushwick.

The FDNY sought approval to acquire a vacant, privately-owned lot at 5117 Fourth Avenue, Sunset Park, adjacent to Engine 201’s existing firehouse, where it would construct a new joint firehouse and battalion command center. The FDNY proposed to demolish Engine 201’s existing two-story facility at 5113 Fourth Avenue, constructed in 1892, and replace it with a three-story 13,000-square-foot, double-company station. No plan was proposed for the reuse of Ladder 114’s firehouse at 5209 Fifth Avenue, located one block from the proposed site. The Planning Commission approved the acquisition at 5117 Fourth Avenue, finding the location ideal due to its primarily commercial nature and its wide lanes. (read more…)