Bulldozing a Garage to Create A Garden - Political Horsetrading as Compost

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CLINTON LAND USE & ZONING COMMITTEE                                  Agenda Item No. 5

April 4, 2002

Hon. Amanda Burden

Chair

City Planning Commission

22 Reade Street

New York, New York  10007

Re: Clinton Urban Renewal Area Site 7A - Portion of Block 1081/p.o. 1 - Applications by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development for Zoning Map Amendment (ULURP No. 010463 ZMM) and Approvals for Developments of Projects Known as the Old School Project (ULURP No. 020464) and the Clinton Parkview Project (ULURP No. 020465)

Dear Chair Burden:

At its regularly scheduled monthly full board meeting held on April 3, 2002, Manhattan Community Board No. 4 held a duly-noticed public hearing on the captioned applications and, having considered the report of its Clinton Land Use and Zoning Committee, voted to recommend approval of these applications by adopting the following resolution (__ in favor, __ opposed, __ abstaining, and __ present but not eligible to vote).

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECTS

Whereas, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) proposes to rezone and dispose of property in the western portion of Site 7A in the Clinton Urban Renewal Area to facilitate three development projects, as follows:

1.      The Clinton Parkview Project, which is proposed to be developed by the Clinton Association for a Renewed Environment (CARE), consists of new construction of an 11-story building on the northwest corner of 52^nd Street and 11^th Avenue, which will provide 96 units with a 70%/30% mix of low and middle-income rental housing (40 1BR and 56 2BR) and 4,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.  Seventy percent of the units will be low-income, affordable to households with income between 40% and 60% of area median income, and 30% of the units will be affordable to households with income up to 165% of area median income.   The two tiers of rents will be evenly distributed throughout the building, as will the two sizes of units.

2.      The Old School Project, which is proposed to be developed by Clinton Housing Development Company (CHDC), consists of the rehabilitation of the Old School building, a 5-story building at 552 West 53^rd Street near the southeast corner of 53^rd Street and 11^th Avenue.  The building will be converted into residential use and a 6^th and 7^th floor will be added.  The proposed project will be developed through HPD's Supportive Housing Program, and will provide a total of 53 units of low-income rental housing reserved for homeless single adults including people suffering from disabilities such as mental illness and AIDs.  In addition, the project will provide office space for social service support staff, a community room and a kitchen.

As part of the Old School project, the adjacent building at 550 West 53^rd Street, currently a one-story commercial garage, will be demolished and the property will be licensed by the developer to the Community Garden Association for use as a park accessible with keys that will be made available to members of the community for a nominal fee.

3.      The Flats Project, which is being developed by CHDC, consists of the rehabilitation of the Flats building, an occupied 7-story residential building adjacent to the Old School on the southeast corner of 53^rd Street and 11^th Avenue (554-556 West 53^rd Street).  This project has previously received all  necessary approvals, but is within the area to be rezoned.  The building will be rehabilitated to provide up to 33 low-income units financed under HPD's Neighborhood Redevelopment Program; and

REQUESTED ACTIONS

Whereas, to facilitate these projects, HPD is seeking:

(i)                           approval for a zoning map change for the area to be occupied by the three projects from the current M1-5 to an R8A with a C2-5 overlay (ULURP No. 020463 ZMM);

(ii)                         a UDAAP designation, project approval and disposition approval for the Clinton Parkview Project (ULURP No. 020465 HAM); and

(iii)                        a UDAAP designation, project approval and disposition approval for the Old School Project (ULURP No. 020464 HAM); and

PROPOSED REZONING

Whereas, the Board has previously expressed its support for the proposed rezoning, while taking no position on the appropriateness of extending the proposed rezoning further north or south along 11^th Avenue, and stating that it is the Board's intention to maintain the M1-5 zoning designation in the mid-block area, and to encourage "mixed use" zoning generally throughout the area  (see the Board's letter to HPD Commissioner Jerilyn Perine dated October 11, 2000, a copy of which is attached); and

Whereas, residential development would enhance DeWitt Clinton Park, which is directly to the west of the rezoning area; and

Whereas, the R8A zoning would mandate height and setback limits to minimize shadows on DeWitt Clinton Park; and

Whereas, the C2-5 overlay would allow for ground floor commercial use to enhance the retail presence along 11^th Avenue and activate the perimeter of DeWitt Clinton Park; and

CLINTON PARKVIEW PROJECT

Whereas, CARE has met repeatedly with the Board's Clinton Land Use and Zoning Committee since 1999, when its plans for the Clinton Parkview Project began to be developed, to ensure that the community remained informed about the project and that community concerns regarding the project were taken into account; and

Whereas, the Board has consistently supported the Clinton Parkview Project, because it helps to realize one of the key principles of a community plan for the Clinton Urban Renewal Area, which is to create more low and moderate income housing; and

Whereas, the only occupant of the buildings that will be demolished to make way for the Clinton Parkview Project, is We Can, the operator of a recycling facility;  We Can was given a month-to-month lease in 1991, with the express understanding that its tenancy would be temporary, pending development of the property in accordance with the community's plan; and

OLD SCHOOL PROJECT

Whereas, CHDC has met repeatedly with the Board's Clinton Land Use and Zoning Committee since 1999, when its plans for the Flats and Old School Projects began to be developed, to ensure that the community remained informed about the projects and that community concerns regarding the projects were taken into account; and

Whereas, the Board has consistently supported the Old School Project, because it helps to realize several of the key principles of a community plan for the Clinton Urban Renewal Area, which are to create more low-income housing, to retain and rehabilitate existing buildings, and to maximize open space and garden space; and

Whereas, the garage that will be demolished to make way for the community garden is occupied by an auto repair business under a month-to-month lease, and the Board understands that this tenant has agreed to vacate the building; and

Whereas, the Board wishes to commend all parties involved in the proposed projects, including in particular HPD, for their efforts at last to make such significant progress toward realizing the goals established for the Clinton Urban Renewal Area many years ago.

Therefore, Be It Resolved, that Manhattan Community Board No. 4 enthusiastically recommends approval of the proposed ULURP applications.

Sincerely,

cc:        [to be added]