QUESTION
What are the commitments to affordability and sustainable design in the proposed rezoning?
0:56:11
·
7 min
The developers are currently committed to 25% affordability and are considering sustainable design features for a proposed rezoning and development project.
- The developers are actively studying options under Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) beyond the baseline 25% affordability.
- Sustainable design features, including stormwater retention and potential green roofs, are under consideration, contingent on support from city or state programs.
- Childcare facilities are planned to be included within the development, with space already identified in the tentative design.
- Discussions with labor unions, including the Carpenter's Union, are ongoing, with further dialogue planned.
- A commercial tower development is considered uneconomical due to zoning restrictions, indicating a preference for residential development.
Kevin C. Riley
0:56:11
At the city planning commission, the commission noted that the baseline 25% affordability should be reconsidered given that rezoning is being requested not only for the development site, but also a neighborhood site allowing for larger development.
0:56:26
Are you ready to commit to the level of affordability yet?
Jerry Johnson
0:56:31
I know our clients are thinking about it and they are, but right now we're committed to 25%.
0:56:36
60% MIA.
0:56:37
They're looking at the other options under MIA.
Kevin C. Riley
0:56:42
Thank you.
0:56:43
Counsel Zimmerman?
Julie Menin
0:56:45
Thank you so much, Cher.
0:56:46
So to be clear, just to follow-up on the Cheri's question, I mean, we've been very clear both Community Board 8 in my office about the 30%.
0:56:54
So I wanna make sure I'm on the record saying that.
0:56:58
So number of different questions.
0:56:59
We're still in cover sations about this, of course.
0:57:02
But at this point, how confident do you feel that you can address the concerns that have been raised by Community Board 8 about the height and yet preserve the amount of affordable housing that is sorely needed.
Jerry Johnson
0:57:16
Yeah.
0:57:17
So when we looked at this proposed building and we designed it, we designed it with standard floor to ceiling heights, as well as a a shape and a sculpt sure to the building that provide would provide an a class apartment building in, you know, this area of New York City.
0:57:32
Within those constraints, there are some ways potentially to modify the Florida ceiling heights and potentially the widths of the building and bring it down and we're in the midst of studying that to determine what can be done that would still preserve the design intent and the unit layouts and the efficiency as well as the Ford Flights to some extent and we'll be able to respond shortly.
Julie Menin
0:57:59
Okay.
0:58:01
I know you mentioned a little bit about sustainable design in your opening comments.
0:58:05
But can you be more specific?
0:58:07
Are you going to be able to incorporate sustainable design features, a green roof, vegetative lanner's rain gardens and the site design are there specifically storm water mitigation measures that are being incorporated into the project.
Jerry Johnson
0:58:21
So right now, it's very early in the process mainly because for the develop development to go forward, we need other city or state programs like 421a.
0:58:32
But those have been looked at, and they will be incorporated to the extent branch going feasible.
0:58:38
There will be storm water retention per code.
0:58:41
We're required to do that, and there are a number of ways to accommodate that.
0:58:45
And these are all things that we will look at and we will incorporate into the project.
0:58:49
As you know, sustainable measures over the last number of years have been proven to be both environmentally, helpful, and economically sustainable and beneficial.
0:59:01
And we will be looking at all of those as we move forward in formally design, finalize the design of the building.
Julie Menin
0:59:09
Okay.
0:59:10
We have a childcare crisis in the city, and it's been a top priority of the council.
0:59:14
I know the chair has made this a top priority as well.
0:59:18
Last year, the council passed 5 of my bills focused on increasing access to affordable accessible childcare.
0:59:24
Community Board A talked about it in their conditional approval, the importance of childcare, We've had conversations about this.
0:59:31
I've mentioned specifically the importance of trying to incorporate child care facilities on the site.
0:59:37
Can you you mentioned it briefly.
0:59:38
Can you talk a little bit more about what specifically you were thinking in that regard?
Jerry Johnson
0:59:43
Yes.
0:59:43
So, we over the course of going through this pre application process and community review.
0:59:51
We've had numerous conversations with service providers in the area.
0:59:55
Of which some of them are day care providers, also senior centers.
0:59:59
And we understand the parameters of what they would be looking at for those types of facilities.
1:00:05
In terms of size, location within the building, and the the space that has been identified within the proposed building as shown, meet all of those criteria for those those users.
1:00:20
And so we've reached out to some very specific ones, and while it's early to negotiate with them and finalize deals, we do have space that would be appropriate for them, and that's been included in the the tentative design.
Julie Menin
1:00:34
Okay.
1:00:35
You mentioned in your presentation, you've reached an agreement with 32bj, so I'm happy to hear that.
1:00:40
I wanted to get a sense of the status of your negotiations with other labor unions.
1:00:45
I we've got members of the carpenters union here.
1:00:47
We may have other labor here.
1:00:49
I'm not sure.
1:00:50
There's a big column that's preventing.
1:00:51
So if I'm not mentioning someone, I apologize.
1:00:53
Could you just give a sense of where those other negotiations stand?
Jerry Johnson
1:00:58
Yeah.
1:00:58
I we've had a couple of meetings, I believe, with the Carpenter's Union, and we are looking forward to continuing that dialogue with future meetings in in the near future.
Julie Menin
1:01:07
Okay.
1:01:07
I'm just gonna urge that you, you know, continue those conversations.
1:01:11
I think it's very important to continue those conversations and absolutely prioritize them.
Jerry Johnson
1:01:15
We understand.
Julie Menin
1:01:16
Thank you.
1:01:18
If the rezoning is approved as proposed circumstances change in the next few years, such that the residential building that's proposed is not built what is preventing you from building a commercial tower on the C4 6 portion of the site?
Jerry Johnson
1:01:34
Yeah.
1:01:35
So first, those properties aren't under our control.
1:01:39
Like, we don't own those.
1:01:40
We're just gonna be merging with them in the future.
1:01:42
So if that site fell apart.
1:01:46
Those owners would be subject to the zoning, but we wouldn't have anything to do with that.
1:01:51
Having said that, the C4 6 District is a low density commercial district.
1:01:56
The FAR is only 3.4.
1:01:59
Further, the bulk regulations of the C4 6 district would would require then commercial tower regs, which are different.
1:02:07
Than residential tower rigs.
1:02:10
And those commercial tower rigs have a huge encroachment requirement or setback for any commercial tower, which basically means that the tower would be squeezed.
1:02:22
And so it becomes an uneconomic development opportunity for commercial buildings, especially on a narrow street because the encroachment requirements are so strict.
1:02:33
And so we believe that in the future, there wouldn't be the a commercial tower, there wouldn't be an impetus for it.
1:02:40
And the f a r from commercial tower would only be three point 3.4 in those in that location.
Julie Menin
1:02:47
And have you identified the mix of units would be created from studios to 3 bedrooms, etcetera.
Jerry Johnson
1:02:54
We've identified a sample set in this slide.
1:02:58
I believe it's Slide 16.
1:03:02
We've got them
Eric Knowles
1:03:03
Yes.
1:03:03
To the appendix if if they wanna bring it up.
Jerry Johnson
1:03:07
So that the sample that we have as a breakdown, out of the total452 units, 92 would be or 20% would be studios.
1:03:20
248 or 55% would be roughly one bedrooms.
1:03:26
91 or 20% would be 2 bedrooms, and then 5% or 21 units would be 3 bedrooms.
1:03:35
And again, those would be proportional to both the affordable units as well as the market rate.
1:03:40
So it would be the same proportion of units within both programs.
Julie Menin
1:03:45
Alright.
1:03:46
Question that was conveyed to me recently by Community Board 8.