From the Brooklyn Paper:Architects want to build the brownstone of the future in Red Hook, but the city is stuck in the past.
The Department of Buildings killed plans for a local businessman’s zero-energy building last week, citing zoning regulations.
“They could have just as easily ruled the other way,” said Jay Amato, who owns the Conover Street lot where he hoped to build the energy-efficient structure as a model for the future. “There was nothing in the regulations.”
Amato hired Garrison Architects to design the building, called Red Hook Green, more than a year ago.
But now it may not be built at all.
The problem is that the brownstone-sized lot is zoned for manufacturing — so Amato can’t simply build a house on it unless the city allowed him to invoke a zoning rule that allows for a small residence, called a caretaker’s residence, inside a manufacturing building.
Such residences can’t exceed 15 percent of the total square footage. Amato said the residential portion of his structure comprises only 12 percent.
Yet the city still denied the permit.
5 comments:
Oh the DOB. They are such pieces of work. Deny homes a point of egress in the basement because there's a 3 fixture bathroom, but it's a recreation room on the CO.
Till someone dies in that situation then it'll be a different story! Dont let a homeowner go past city property by 18 inches for a means of egress window well. NO. Have them scale it back so the window wont open fully. Have Plan examiners that find a new requirement every time you rectify the previous requirement so you can keep coming back, paying the $100 filing fee, and wait 2 weeks for another review.
I can go on and on and on.
Dont let this guy who's looking to make an example of HOW to build a house build a house.
Maybe the DOB rejected it because it's UGLY. I hope they reject more ugly buildings.
Architects want to build the brownstone of the future in Red Hook, but the city is stuck in the past.
Brownstone of the future?
Let's go back in time first, and remember the 1986 song "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk3.
Fast forward to the future - It looks like we'll all be wearing sewer boots, not shades, to wade through all the architectural crap, if this building is any indication!
Maybe the DOB rejected it because it's UGLY. I hope they reject more ugly buildings.
As they say in the British Parliament: "Hear! Hear!!"
Perhaps the owners of this building should emphasize that 14 "undocumented guest workers" will be living in the basement. That should put them on the fast track to approval!!
Viva la Tweeding!!!
The worst part of it is street level. It just shits on the public having a solid wall like that.
Then they will wonder why crime is so high.
Why didn't he check the zoning laws before purchasing the propery and having the architects design this? MORON! How is that siding considered a brownstone? It's an insult. The law allowing the residence is intended for the overseer of the factory to be able to live in close proximity to the factory. I have a hard time believing anything is manufactured there now. I actually agree with the DOB! Maybe this is a positive turning point :)
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