Council down-zoned lots with pending development. The Council rezoned 14 blocks of Greenwich Village west of Washington Street, replacing manufacturing and commercial zoning in the area with contextual zoning districts. The proposal came from the Planning Department after Far West Village residents complained of the growing number of large development proposals that followed construction of the Richard Meier-designed, 205-foot luxury residential towers along West Street.

In the proposal, the Planning Department designed contextual commercial zones to allow commercial and residential uses, but limited the size and density of new development to match the neighborhood’s existing character. The rezoning will cluster medium-density residential buildings on portions of West and Washington Streets and greatly restrict the density along the Far West Village’s narrow residential streets like Charles Street. (more…)

Queens developer claimed out-of- date layout made apartments unfit. A Queens developer proposed to demolish two adjacent two-family buildings in Long Island City, replacing them with a five-story, 20- unit building that required waivers from BSA for floor area, yard, height, setback and open space.

The proposal was strongly opposed by the community, Borough President Helen Marshall, Community Board 1 and Council Members Peter F. Vallone, Jr. and Tony Avella. Faced with community opposition, the developer slightly decreased the proposal to a 15,005- square-foot 16-unit building that remained 6,140 sq.ft. larger than an as-of-right development. (more…)

Mall to expand at Rego Park site once considered by Wal-Mart. On September 15, 2005, the City Council approved a text amendment, special permit and modification of a restrictive declaration to allow the expansion of the Rego Park Mall in Rego Park, Queens. Alexander’s Inc., the applicant, and Vornado Realty Trust, the developer, proposed a 1.8 million-square-foot project consisting of a 600,000-square-foot four-story mall with 1,416 parking spaces at the base and two residential towers totaling 600,000 sq.ft. with 450 apartment units rising above the base structure. Retailer Century 21 will occupy 122,000 sq.ft.

The 277,000-square-foot project site, currently used as a surface parking lot, is bounded by the Long Island Expressway, Junction Boulevard, 62nd Drive and 97th Street. The site had been the subject of several unbuilt development proposals, including one in 1976 and one in 1986. The special permits required for the proposed project allow the developer to modify height and setback requirements for the residential towers; reduce the number of accessory off-street parking spaces; modify signage; and construct a two-level vehicular and pedestrian bridge across 62nd Drive connecting the existing mall parking garage with the new one. (more…)

New residential tower will be nine feet from adjacent co-op building. On September 28, 2005, the City Council approved a text amendment and special permit to allow construction of a 26-story, mixed-use building at 1129-1133 York Avenue in Manhattan. The proposal called for a zoning map amendment to change the site from C8-4 to C1-9 and a special permit to build a 100-space parking garage.

The developer, the Witkoff Group, plans to use HPD’s Inclusionary Housing Program to develop inclusionary units off-site on East 76th Street between First and York in exchange for a bonus to develop the proposed project as-of-right with a total of 138,576 sq.ft., 120 dwelling units and 6,171 sq.ft. of retail space. (more…)

Developers and residents claimed rezoning was racially motivated. On September 15, 2005, the City Council approved a zoning map amendment to rezone a 21- block area encompassing Mott Creek and the West Lawrence section of Far Rockaway in Queens. The proposal was initiated by area residents concerned about their community’s over-development.

It called for the rezoning of an area bounded by Hicksville Road to the north, Beach 9th Street and Beach 6th Street to the west, Seagirt Avenue and the Far Rockaway Inlet to the south, and the Nassau County line to the east. Under the proposal, the area north of Seagirt Boulevard was rezoned from R3-1 to R4-1 to allow larger residential buildings and decrease the lot size requirement. South of Seagirt Boulevard was down-zoned from R5 to R4A and R3X. (more…)