The fury of the residents is generated mainly by the rise of hotels, which have been built under 5 FAR conditions in order to beat the new 2 FAR zoning before it takes effect. Just how many hotels will be built is uncertain, but in the midst of anxious uncertainty, rumor pushes numbers up, even as high as three dozen. The nearly completed building at 39th Avenue and 29th Street may stand as a model for all those built or unbuilt. Though not 15 stories high, it soars Empire State-like, given its low-level surroundings. Palatnik said he is trying to tell the residents that a middle way must be sought or Dutch Kills will have not only hotels but also a deteriorated industrial base, amidst which the residential base is not likely to survive.No Easy Solution Seen For Dutch Kills Zoning Problems
4 comments:
The reporting of this stuff is so sad. Now lets get the facts staight:
As is so typical of CB1, the residents were encouraged to upzone their community. (Hey you have a building, you have a gold mine, as the leadership (who is still in place and making the biggest noises) in that sad doomed community tells everyone.)
The new proposal allows for a massive increase over existing buildings. We are looking at 11 story buildings lining Northern Blvd and four and five stories on the side streets where one and two exist today. So much for downzoning at the article somehow inplies.
Remember, these are the guys that bragged about bulldozing their community for development. Now they have it, now they are upset.
Do they deserve our sympathy?
The point here is that as a community, almost unique in NYC, they always wanted a massive increase in development.
For example, every time someone suggests adding 40,000 people to Sunnyside Railyards, the trundle out the president of Dutch Kills so say its swell.
Remember the infamous Mickeljohn of Hunter Collage (and the SSG debacle) gave a warmly recieved study for increased zoning.
Now they got what the hoped for.
Now they discovered that adding a story or two is meaningless with a 11 story monster in the backyard.
Now they discovered their homes are all but worthless, and soon, their community will be all but unlivable. They were warned that this would happen. Warnings that up to now had fallen on deaf ears.
Communities all over Queens that were downzoning had to cool their heels while city planning licked their chops and went at the massive upzoning in Dutch Kills. How many buildings could have been saved in that period of time?
Dutch Kills does not deserve our sympathy. But they do provide us with a cautionary tale that must not be forgotten.
The real concern here, is, not with ruining Dutch Kills. They have already committed suicide by ignoring warnings
The problem is, with all these barracks being built in a area with no ammendities, these new builidngs will become little more than privatly owned housing projects - a teaming tower of section 8 and illegal immigrants (so Astoria and Elmhurst and Corona, isn't it?)
Now what happens to all those little property owners of all those little petty goldmines? They did what they were supposed to do by upzoning. Now the roosters have come home to roost.
Their fate (and use to the politicans and developers) is over. Notice how the article bearly touched upon then? What happens to them is not important in the grand sceme of things. Besides, writing about a 'hotel' room 5 feet from your son's bedroom is bad press for development.
We don't write about those things now, do we? It gives development a bad rep.
The real problem here is not Dutch Kills Civic, but the fate of all those big 'luxory' projects by big developers along the Plaza and in Hunter Point.
Ah, now we have a real problem! Dutch Kills is only being noticed because they make an nice front.
Tough shit.
CB1, the community board from hell.
Funny, where are the polticians?
Hiding like they did when the power grid failed.
Then it took 3 days to invent a culprit - Con Ed - for their mismanagement.
This might take a little longer.
How about proposing a historic district for 29th Street?
Maybe someone from HDC or the like can schedule a chat with DKC.
Naw, if you are from Queens, you need to grovel at the door for years to get something like that.
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