CB2 Says Dock Street Design is "Too Tall"

After being postponed due to time on Wednesday night, two Community Board subcommittees met in the following days to vote on various aspects of Two Trees' proposed Dock Street development in Dumbo. On Thursday, the youth, education and cultural affairs committee voted made a unanimous recommendation to support the inclusion of a public middle school in the mixed-use development; on Saturday, however, at the land use committee, a motion to approve the project failed to pass. “It’s too tall — that’s the only problem, it’s too tall,” said board member Sophie Truslow. The committee then voted 10-1 to support a rezoning of the site to allow for a 75-foot-tall building, a limitation that Two Trees' attorning Ken Fisher told the Brooklyn Paper would make the project “completely unfeasible.” Jed Walentas tried to keep the door open to a smaller modification: “If the community asked us to make the building a little shorter, we’d be happy to consider it before the application completes the process,” he said. The Community Board ~~executive committee~~ will make a final vote on the project on January 14 before it moves on to the Borough President's office as part of the ULURP process.
CB2 Panel Says No to Walentas [Brooklyn Paper]
Dock Street Moves Forward — Second Vote on Saturday [Brooklyn Paper]
Full House, No Vote at Dock Street Hearing [Brownstoner] GMAP
How Does Dock Street Stack Up? [Brownstoner]
The Next Step for Dock Street [Brownstoner]
DOE: It's Time to Examine Dock Street [Brownstoner]
Two Trees Plans Mixed Use Building Next to Bridge [Brownstoner]
Dock Street Plans (Marina and All) Go 3D [Brownstoner]
Dock Street Protesters: 20% There on Signatures [Brownstoner]

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.brownstoner.com/mte/mt-tb.cgi/7722

Comments

Communities do not want to see this much new density. The area is zoned M2, that is a low-rise manufacturing. How does one go from there to R8? A re-zoning of the site to permit reasonable mixed use would be OK but not for a 215-foot tall slab. In any case, I doubt very much this would get built any time soon no matter what the outcome of the CB vote. I assume the full board will vote soon?
The Dept. of Education should line up an "alternative B" for its middle school if it really wants to build a new one in the district. It just looks less and less likely that new highrise condo projects, especially one without views up to the seventh floor, will get built before 2015.

Posted by: sam at December 22, 2008 10:05 AM

I don't know, Sam. I bet if you asked the store and restaurant owners in Dumbo they'd tell you that more density is precisely what the neighborhood needs. You're going to see a lot of these places closing in the coming months.

Posted by: Atlantic Frantic at December 22, 2008 10:09 AM

I agree with Atlantic Frantic. This is not the out-of control density of Atlantic Yards we're talking about here. This is your normal urban density. This is the kindof project that adds vitality to a neighborhood, not one the overwhelms existing infrastructure.
Also Sam- your assesment of the market is a bit off. First of all this is a rental project, not a condo. Lenders are looking way more favorably at rental project right now. Also, most of the floors without views will be taken up by the school. FInally, Walnetas has pretty deep pockets and can probably afford to put up a nice chunk of equity in order to get this thing started, and then he can go back and refinance the thing when lending conditions improve. If i had to bet on one project that is not yet in the ground would go forward, this is the one I would bet on.
And no - I have relationship with Two Trees or walentas, before you call me a shill.

Posted by: Make My Heights the P Heights at December 22, 2008 10:18 AM

If retail operations need to close in the next few months, there is nothing this project could do for them. Even under the best circumstances it still has six months of land-use reviews (ULURP) ahead of it. It is a non-conforming proposal in every way. Everything about it requires special waivers. getting all of those special permits takes time and if there is enough political pressure, they may never be obtained.
I would like to see a new garage and school built here in addition to a moderate-sized condo. I just doubt our economy is up to it right now. The Walentases may be planning for 2011, when maybe things will begin to pick up.

Posted by: sam at December 22, 2008 10:18 AM

I really think the school needs to be in a location where it can expand if necessary. It was stated by Jed Walentas at the CB meeting that there would be no room to grow the school at that site.

Also, I don't know that density is necessary when it is also a tourist attraction. Restaurants and bars are always crowded in the area.

Posted by: AndYouWillKnowUsbyTheTrailofRenters at December 22, 2008 10:20 AM

I support this project (especially the garage and school) but I think they need to go back to the drawing board. They need to get their ducks in a row and present a new scheme, somewhat smaller, in order to get the OK of the full CB2 Board in January.

Posted by: sam at December 22, 2008 10:32 AM

A couple points of clarification:

The CB2 Land Use Committee did not vote 7-6 against the ULURP applications. A motion to approve the project failed to pass when it only had six supporters. That is not the same thing.

Also, the Executive Committee does not vote on matters that are referred to the full board. However, it does review them to ensure that the matter is ready to go. CB2 will vote on the four land use applications and the proposal to site a school at this location, separate matters before separate agencies, at its January 14 monthly meeting.

Robert Perris, District Manager
Community Board 2

Posted by: Robert Perris at December 22, 2008 10:39 AM

So in other words, the real vote will be on Jan. 14.
Will the full board take into consideration at all the comments of the committee members who voted agaisnt?

Posted by: sam at December 22, 2008 10:52 AM

dumbo + nimby = dumby

Posted by: blackstoner at December 22, 2008 11:12 AM

sam, the board members will receive in advance of the meeting the minutes and "action reports" from both committee meetings and minutes of the public hearing. All board members, therefore, will be exposed to a variety of opinions. I anticipate a fair amount of discussion at the meeting before the community board votes on its recommendation(s) to the City Planning Commission and the School Constrution Authority.

Posted by: Robert Perris at December 22, 2008 11:48 AM

Thank you Robert.

Posted by: sam at December 22, 2008 12:39 PM

Thanks for the clarification, Rob. Hope it's correct now.

Posted by: brownstoner at December 22, 2008 2:01 PM

Will they preserve the barbed wire? It is very regional.

Posted by: Inigo at December 22, 2008 10:00 PM