Residents concerned that waiving height requirement would set bad precedent. On August 5, 2009, the City Planning Commission heard testimony on City Island Estates’ proposal to build a residential development at 226 Fordham Place on City Island. The 43-unit project, abutting the eastern shore of Long Island Sound, would be built on a 279,154 sq.ft. site and include 21 two-family detached homes and one single- family detached home. The plan called for building 17 of the 21 two-family homes up to 41.5 feet in height, while the remaining homes would be built to 35 feet.

To facilitate the project, the developer applied for waivers for the height and setback requirements of the Special City Island District. This included modifying the 35-foot height limit for new developments and enlargements. The developer also proposed rezoning the lot from M1-1 to R3A. (more…)

Two new supplemental fees created. The City Planning Commission adopted an eight percent increase in land use application fees and CEQR near fees to become effective August 10, 2009. The approved changes also include two new supplemental fees: one triggered by land use applications for all projects over 500,000 sq.ft., and another for projects that necessitate a restrictive declaration related to the environmental review.

A supplemental fee for land use applications involving projects between 500,000 and 999,000 sq.ft. will be $80,000. For construction between 1 million and 2.49 million sq.ft., the fee increases to $120,000. All projects over 2.5 million sq.ft. will trigger the maximum fee of $160,000. (more…)

Amount of bicycle parking spaces required for affordable housing developments could be waived or reduced. On March 4, 2009, the City Planning Commission approved, with several modifications, the Department of City Planning’s proposed bicycle parking text amendment. The amendment would require developers to provide secure, enclosed bicycle parking facilities in new buildings, enlargements of buildings of 50 percent or more, and conversions to residential use.

Although the Commission expressed support for the proposal, it believed revisions were necessary to address concerns raised during its February 4th public hearing. 6 CityLand 25 (March 15, 2009). The Commission modified the text to allow affordable housing developers to allocate less space, or no space at all, for bicycle parking that would otherwise be required. The reduction or waiver would apply to cases where the development lacked space for the required number of parking spaces, the additional space could not reasonably be constructed based on the amount of financing available, and the reduction was the minimum necessary to address financial limitations. The Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development would be required to make these three findings before Buildings could grant the waiver or reduction. (more…)

Modification allows businesses on portions of 37th Avenue to expand. On February 18, 2009, the City Planning Commission approved, with one modification, the Department of City Planning’s rezoning proposal for North Corona, Queens. The proposed rezoning impacts 100 blocks generally bounded by Roosevelt Avenue on the south, 89th to 95th Streets on the west, Northern and Astoria Boulevards on the north, and 114th Street on the east.

The current proposal is City Planning’s response to the out-of- character development that occurred after a broad rezoning of the area in 2003. To further limit the density of new construction, City Planning proposes to rezone portions of 68 blocks from R6B to R5 and R5A, and from R5 to R5A. The R5A contextual zoning district, which had not been created at the time of the 2003 rezoning, would limit new development to one- and two-family detached houses. The proposal would also create a contextual corridor along portions of Astoria and Northern Boulevards by rezoning these areas from R6 to R6A This action would encourage medium-density development and establisha fixed maximum building height of 70 ft. (more…)

Community Board 4 recommended disapproval unless parking was reduced by approximately 20 spaces. On September 24, 2008, the City Planning Commission approved AG West 22nd Street Realty LLC’s special permit application to build an attended public parking garage at 133-145 West 22nd Street in Chelsea, Manhattan. The special permit, if approved by Council, would allow a maximum of 137 spaces, with 47 parking spaces and 45 two-tier stackers on portions of the first floor, cellar, and sub-cellar of AG’s proposed mixed-use development. The new 99-unit residential building, with 2,211sq.ft. of ground floor retail space, would be an as-of-right development, but a special permit would be required for the parking garage. The proposed development is roughly bounded by 22nd and 23rd Streets between Sixth and Seventh Avenues.

Community Board 4 opposed AG’s plan, in part, because it claimed that the surrounding streets would be ill-equipped to handle an increase in traffic. CB4’s letter to the Planning Commission noted that the proposed parking facility would be located on the northern midblock of West 22nd Street, a narrow street that is becoming primarily residential in character with ground floor commercial and retail uses. Also, CB4 found the facility to be at odds with the “City’s broad policy of reducing vehicle traffic in Manhattan below 110th Street,” and asked the Commission to deny AG’s application unless the number of parking spaces was reduced to 20 percent of the number of dwelling units, and a majority of those spaces were reserved for monthly parkers who live in the community. CB4 also requested that the 45 two-tier stackers be eliminated from the proposal.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer disagreed with CB4’s traffic analysis, and supported AG’s plan on the condition that the garage would be operated as it was studied in AG’s environmental assessment statement. The EAS assumed that 83 vehicles would park in the garage overnight, 17 from accessory use and 66 from the public. Stringer noted that since the EAS was completed before AG increased the proposed number of residential units from 89 to 99, AG should increase accessory use parking to 19 spaces if 99 units were constructed.

The Commission approved AG’s application 11-1, with only Commissioner Karen A. Phillips voting no. The Commission found that the garage would not create a significant adverse traffic impact since it would generate less than 50 additional vehicles per hour. The Commission also noted that a traffic study, submitted with AG’s EAS, stated that there would be “no difference in the level of service at the surrounding intersections.” Based on this finding, the Commission determined that the surrounding streets would be able to handle the increased traffic.

ULURP Process
Lead Agency: CPC,Neg.Dec.
Comm.Bd.: MN 4,Den’d, 35-5-0
Boro.Pres.: App’d
CPC: App’d, 11-1-0
Council: App’d, 51-0-1

CPC: West 22nd Street Garage (C 070261 ZSM – special permit) (September 24, 2008). CITYADMIN

CITYLAND Comment: The City Council approved the application without modification on October 23, 2008.