01LU 0558-2019C 190390 ZMMZoning MapFiled
25 Central Park West
Subcommittee action
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Antonio ReynosoBarry S. GrodenchikDonovan J. RichardsFrancisco P. MoyaRory I. LancmanStephen T. Levin
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises · Wednesday, October 16, 2019
The one where a 14-story Brooklyn office tower hinged on saving one daycare center
Contents & search
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land-use items
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The Lesser Group's Fleet Center came to upsize its 101 Fleet Place site back to the C6-4 zoning the City Planning Commission had cut to C6-1, for a 14-story office building. But the hearing turned on the BCS daycare that occupies the existing building. Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo -- herself a mother with a two-year-old in daycare -- called it 'the breaking point,' pressing applicant counsel Raymond Levin whether accommodating the daycare back was 'a commitment or is it not a commitment.' A 32BJ member backed prevailing wages while Bruce Jacobs questioned eleven jobs for fourteen stories. Both
From the room
“council is in receipt of a letter uh of a written statement from the applicant that the application has been withdrawn”
— Francisco P. Moya
“NYCHA actually does a background check to make sure the person who's actually applying for the job is really a lease holding resident”
— Ed Brown
“the school uh which would occupy six stories um was uh of concern was city plannings being concerned about density”
— Raymond Levin
“My name is Bruce Jacobs, Coalition of the Rockaways, supporter of medical and religious freedom, 9-11 first responder, U.S. Navy veteran”
— Bruce Jacobs
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The decisions
202LU 0561-2019C 180524 ZMKZoning MapLaid over
101 FLEET PLACE
with 1 related matter · LU 0562-2019
The City Planning Commission approved the 101 Fleet Place rezoning but pared it down sharply, modifying the requested C6-4 designation to C6-1 and shrinking the proposed 14-story commercial building to 9 stories. The hearing centered on preserving the adjacent Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BCS), in Majority Leader Cumbo's district.
The deal
Site
101 FLEET PLACE
Stories
14 fl
District
Mandatory inclusionary housing
Opposition & support
Commends the City Planning Commission for bringing the size down from an original 21 stories to 14, but says 14 stories is still too big for the small street.
Opposes displacement of the daycare center facing a rent jump from $15 to $42 an hour; says that is the displacement the Coalition of the Rockaways is against and that the daycare must be able to come back at the rate they currently pay.
Argues his organization cares more about durable union jobs and apprenticeship programs than one-year jobs; doubts the local-hiring promises (the man speaking about jobs is not the developer) and says 11-12 jobs is too few for a 14-story building; warns there is no written guarantee the developer keeps it an office building rather than selling to build a four-story hotel.
Says there is no guarantee in writing that the developer keeps it an office building; they could sell to someone else who puts up a hotel, and the good intentions of the council would fall apart.
Insists on union apprenticeship programs as a future for the people; warns that approving weak job commitments on this project sets a bad precedent for other districts, citing Far Rockaway's similar fight for training and careers.
Praises the earlier jobs speaker as well-meaning but notes he is not the developer; argues 11-12 jobs is far too few for a 14-story building and that there must be more jobs than that.
Says fourteen stories for Fleet Street is too big and proposes nine stories; insists the daycare must be able to return at the rate they are currently paying — framing the rent jump as displacement.
Conditions
- Applicant the Lesser Group made a credible commitment to pay prevailing wages to future property service workers at the project.
Land-use review
CB Brooklyn Community Board 2
Properties101 FLEET PLACE
Where it standsCB Brooklyn Community Board 2 ✓→Committee→Full Council
Also in the record
Records not linked to a specific agenda item
Questions & answers
Q: How many jobs were generated out of BAM South through local hiring efforts?
Procedure
- Chair opens the subcommittee on zoning and franchises meeting; instructs witnesses to fill out speaker slips with sergeant at arms. — Francisco P. Moya
- Chair administers the oath to the testifying panel. — Francisco P. Moya
- Chair administers/reaffirms the oath to the panel regarding the truthfulness of testimony and answers. — Francisco P. Moya
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The people
On the dais · 1
Carlina Rivera
Public testimony: 4 in favor · 2 opposed
Practitioners & applicants
Federico Hernandez · Ed Brown · Bruce Jacobs · Raymond Levin
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The intelligence
Every parcel, owner, and applicant in this meeting, cross-referenced against Zonable’s NYC ownership, enforcement & legislative graph — the record behind the record.
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Owner portfolios, open OATH/ECB violations, 311 & DOB permits across every parcel discussed, developer track records, and an “ask this meeting” chat. For this meeting: 159 oath/ecb hearings across the 1 site discussed.
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