From the Queens Courier:
A split community board narrowly approved a proposal last week to rezone a portion of Union Turnpike.
The controversial rezoning plan would allow developer Sam Zirkiev build a four-story residential and retail structure at 158-15 Union Turnpike. It barely cleared Community Board 8 last Wednesday, with a nail-biting 17-14 vote.
“It was definitely nerve-wracking,” Zirkiev said. “In the end, I’m happy with the outcome. Hopefully, it’ll get some more business and shopping in the area and more tax revenue. I’m hoping it’ll be an asset to the community.”
Under current zoning rules, developers can build a 10-story community facility building, shaped like a pyramid, within 70,500 square feet of the site. However, its height would be capped at 35 feet if residential units are planned, Lobel said.
Zirkiev reiterated his lack of interest in building the pyramid-like structure that would likely house medical offices — but he said he could, if rezoning plans are rejected.
Board member Kevin Forrestal said this was a “scare tactic” used to sway the board.
“We’re making more and more problems for ourselves, and we’re not addressing the infrastructure,” Forrestal said.
12 comments:
Mr. Kevin Forrestal was right. The current zoning R3-2 only allows floor area ratio of 1.0. Now the R5D/C1-3 zoning will allow the developer double the size of the building. What a greedy developer!
The developer and his attorney misled people into believing a ten-story or a four-story could be built. Of course, they chose the four-story and its 2.0 FAR rather than the R3-2 FAR of 1.0 because it was not explained to them how zoning works.
The claim that a ten-story building had been approved was a lie. Approval was revoked by DOB because it exceeded the Floor Area Ratio/FAR.
See: http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/BScanJobDocumentServlet?requestid=4&passjobnumber=420044561&passdocnumber=01&allbin=4865359&scancode=SC472450543
Note, too, that the DOB document shows that it was not a completed audit either.
so much asphalt. Why are we still allowing setback buildings with stripmall parking?
Its ant-urban, anti-pedestrian, and just plan ugly.
Transit is lacking in the area, so people drive. That's why so much asphalt.
Funny thing is, R5D zoning is not supposed to have parking in front of the buildings... and curb cuts are not supposed to be off wide streets ....
Go figure!
Zirk is the same developer who demolished a beautiful old house at 33-54 74TH STREET in Jackson heights in 2008.
“It was definitely nerve-wracking,” Zirkiev said. “In the end, I’m happy with the outcome. Hopefully, it’ll get some more business and shopping in the area and more tax revenue. I’m hoping it’ll be an asset to the community.”
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Hoping, you approve this based on "hoping". This is how shit happens based on "hoping" instead of realistic terms.
I don't think the rendering shows parking in front. The car is heading into the building garage. The orange building is the old St. Joseph's Hospital and not part of this project.
Transit? All you have to do is extend the seven line through FLushing Meadow!
If they could build 70,000 + sf of building before with a FAR of 1.0, with new zoning they can build double that for a FAR of 2.0.
Does City Planning look at these proposals and determine when an applicant has not requested an appropriate zoning for the land?
As an Architect I can say the following about this site:
* The developer can NOT do more than a 40 foot building in the new zone anyways, he would just have to give up a great deal of air rights (floor area). He's actually limiting himself.
* A 10 story building was approved with residential, it was revoked mainly because of the residential. The developer could in fact to a 10 story community facility or drug rehab building there with the set backs in that ugly pyramid structure.
* In the new zoning the building most likely would be smaller in floor area and definatley smaller from a height perspective.
I'm surprised the developer only got a 17-14 victory from the community board.
The former St. Joseph's Hospital land and the vacant land where the new building is proposed consists of a single zoning lot.
The FAR will be based on the total measure of the hospital's floor area AND the floor area of the new construction.
The DOB revoked approval of building plans mainly because they exceeded the floor area as well as three other points made without doing a complete audit of the plans.
http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/BScanJobDocumentServlet?requestid=4&passjobnumber=420044561&passdocnumber=01&allbin=4865359&scancode=SC472450543
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