Q&A
Council Member Riley questions Richard Bass on 2185 Coyle Street Rezoning
1:53:30
ยท
3 min
Council Member Kevin Riley engages in a Q&A session with Richard Bass, a planning and development consultant, regarding the 2185 Coyle Street Rezoning project in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. The discussion covers the proposed zoning districts, building heights, economic considerations, and community outreach efforts.
- The project proposes a mix of R6A, R7A, and R7X zoning districts on a 96,000 square foot lot.
- Building heights will range from 4 to 9 stories, despite zoning allowing for taller structures, due to economic factors.
- Outreach has been conducted with NYCHA leadership to determine retail needs in the area.
Kevin Riley
1:53:30
Thank you, Richard.
1:53:30
Just have a few questions.
1:53:31
I'm gonna turn it over to council member Narcisse.
1:53:34
There have been 2 other private applications in the area since 2022.
1:53:39
One mapped in r 6 a district on Coyle Street and one mapped to r 7 d district on Avenue V.
1:53:45
This application proposes slightly higher density and height.
1:53:50
How did you arrive at the mixture of the proposed 3 zoning district r 6a, r 7a, and r 7x for this site?
Richard Bass
1:54:00
This site versus those 2 other sites is really different.
1:54:04
First of all, it's a 96000 square foot lot.
1:54:07
It may be the largest lot I've rezoned in my 45 year, practice.
1:54:14
The the other Coil Street developments backed on brownstones and there it was sensitive to the scale of those brownstones, so that's why that was an r six a.
1:54:25
And the the, Avenue V in Coil Corner, was, again, a much smaller lot.
1:54:32
Our opportunity to create, this amount of of housing and affordable housing and reestablish the supermarket, lent us to go towards these zoning districts.
1:54:44
Even though, and I'm gonna use a prop for a second.
1:54:49
Even though the height districts the height in these districts are higher than we want, zoning is like this this cup.
1:54:57
Your zoning entitlements bring it up to maybe 70% of the cup.
1:55:02
Under the new r seven x, it's actually actually only 60% of the cup.
1:55:07
So even though we we have the ability to go higher, we're not going to for economic reasons.
1:55:13
We're going to do stick and plank construction and not do steel.
1:55:17
That's why the heights are between 4 9 stories.
Kevin Riley
1:55:21
You're proposing a building ranging from 4 to 9 stories, but the proposed zoning district allows significantly more high in the r 7a and r seven x districts.
1:55:31
Why not take advantage of this full high allowed by the zoning then?
Richard Bass
1:55:34
Because it it doesn't make economic sense.
1:55:37
To build higher, we would have to do steel.
1:55:39
Steel is much more expensive.
1:55:41
If this was a midtown Manhattan, site with a view of the Hudson River, I might give you a different answer.
1:55:47
But this is in he Sheepshead Bay.
1:55:49
We wanna make the project affordable.
1:55:51
The, quote unquote, market rate units are going to be priced almost at the same level as the affordable units.
1:55:57
So we have to keep costs under control.
Kevin Riley
1:56:01
And lastly, have you undertaken any outreach or engagement with the NYCHA, Nordstrom, or Sheeps Bay House Tenant Association to determine which ground floor retail uses are most needed in the area?
Richard Bass
1:56:12
Yes.
1:56:12
And again, I wanna compliment the the council member who gave us those introductions.
1:56:17
We've had several discussions with the NYCHA leadership.
1:56:21
We know what they would like in terms of retail.
UNKNOWN
1:56:24
Let me get
Richard Bass
1:56:25
this project took, much longer than, we expected.
1:56:29
So we've had discussions with various retailers ins including supermarket, operators.
1:56:34
But until we have an approval and we start getting into construction, we won't be able to nail down the exact tenant, but we know what they want.
Kevin Riley
1:56:44
Thank you, Richard.
1:56:45
Before I call on council member Narcisse, the only, in person testimony I have here is Caitlin, from 32 BJ.
1:56:52
If you wanted to testify on this COIL project and I did not call your name, please just indicate to the sergeant at arms that you filled out a paper.
1:57:00
Alright?
1:57:01
Council member Narcisse?