PRESENTATION
Addressing Brooklyn Botanic Garden's concerns and shadow impact
0:15:07
·
136 sec
The presenter addresses the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's request for further height and density reductions, arguing against these additional changes and emphasizing the minimal difference in shadow impact between the current proposal and the Garden's requested modifications.
- BBG requested reducing the project from a 15-degree angle to a 10-degree angle (R7D to R7A)
- The proposed reduction would decrease density by 36 units (10% on top of CPC reductions)
- Developer argues the shadow impact difference is minimal (3 minutes on the most impacted day)
- $500,000 has been committed for artificial lighting and infrastructure improvements at the Garden
- Presenter emphasizes the choice between minimal sunlight difference and significant housing and job creation benefits
David Rosenberg
0:15:07
Before I start taking one questions from members of the committee, I wanna make one point about the Brooklyn Potato Gardens public request of this council that to reduce the heightened density of the project even further.
0:15:20
Now, as was quoted in this morning's New York Times, the Brooklyn Potato Garden is a nonprofit that is not in the business of addressing the city's housing crisis.
0:15:31
And they might be fine with the development here of 165 168 condos.
0:15:38
But the city council is in a different spot.
0:15:40
We're in a housing crisis with a city of a 1.41% vacancy rate and a desperate need for housing of old types across the city.
0:15:49
Now while the Gardens request to reduce this to from a 15 degree angle to a 10 degree angle, an r 70 to an r 7 a, sounds like a minor change.
0:16:00
The proposal in reality would reduce density by 36 units, more than 10% on top of what has already been reduced by the City Planning Commission, and would effectively guarantee that the site is developed as market rate condos with nonunion labor.
0:16:15
Now publicly, the Garden has couched this request onto the guise of further mitigating shadow impact.
0:16:21
But we believe that facts matter.
0:16:24
Looking at the single most impacted resource that has been brought up again and again by the Garden during public review, the hearty plant in nurseryyard.
0:16:32
Where the garden cultivates many of its sensitive plant collections.
0:16:37
And you look at it on the most impacted day, which is the June 21st analysis day, which is when there's the most sunlight.
0:16:43
The difference between the r 7 d that was approved by the city planning commission.
0:16:48
And the r 7 a that the botanic garden is now requesting is a grand total of 3 minutes between the shadow impacts of the r 7 d versus the r 7 a.
0:17:00
We have already committed to a half $1,000,000 for artificial lighting and other infrastructure improvements at the garden.
0:17:07
As between 3 minutes of sunlight or 355 new mixed income homes for New Yorkers, or 3 minutes of sunlight versus 100 of good paying union jobs, we think the choice is clear.
0:17:20
And with that, I'm happy to take questions from the committee.
