Baltic Street Update: Chan Engages Critics
The latest word from Baltic Street, where residents have been up in arms over plans for a 118-foot tower, is that developer Joe Chan has made some conciliatory moves recently that suggest he may actually be taking some of the community feedback to heart. From what we gather, Chan had a meeting last week with…
The latest word from Baltic Street, where residents have been up in arms over plans for a 118-foot tower, is that developer Joe Chan has made some conciliatory moves recently that suggest he may actually be taking some of the community feedback to heart. From what we gather, Chan had a meeting last week with Richard Bearak from Marty Markowitz’s office to which he brought his new “design architect” and “community liaison” Peter Himmelstein. According to Himmelstein, the team is doing a new zoning analysis and rethinking all their options. This could be a giant p.r. stunt for all we know, but it certainly seems like a positive development (no pun intended).
Negotiation a Tower on Baltic [Brownstoner] GMAP
How is it a trade of one stucture for another? If we convince the Baltic developer to downsize, it is not a trade of any kind.
Today Councilman Tony Avella (who is planning a run for mayor) held “Zoning for the Future” hearings at City Hall. Speaker after speaker asked that their neighborhood be down-zoned. His Zoning and Franchise committee of City Council heard passionate pleas for maintaining the character of neighborhoods.
The City does not have a comprehensive plan for developement or zoning. It happens when people in an area scream. Neighborhoods compete for the Zoning commission’s attention and wait years for change. Meanwhile houses are demolished for big buildings.
We need to demand that real City Planning happens so that developement can be supported by parallel services and infrastructure, not imposed on neighborhoods where services are already stretched to the limit. Developers need to contribute to neighborhoods, not come in, make profit and run.
Councilman Avella seems sympathetic to the concerns of residents. He expressed interest in comprehensive planning.
Tell your councilperson you support citywide planning and the elimination of the Community Facilites Bonus. Tell Avella you appreciate that his committee listens to New Yorkers.
An anonymous group of developers acting under several LLC’s have drawn up plans to build a dozen walkup buildings with elevations up to 63’ along Bond and Sackett (plans propose taking that portion of Sackett for private use); behind these buildings the plan lays out 5 towers reaching as high as 138’ into the Gowanus skyline. These plans are have been made public and are published in the developers State Brownfield Cleanup application material held at the library on Union and Clinton.
The community does have a say over these plans because none of this is permitted under current law and if the law is to be changed, the community has a real say in any change.
Park Slope is only now beginning to realize their missed opportunity on having community say over 4th Avenue. Yes they got their R6B height limits in their neighborhood, but now they can only sit back and watch as a solid high-rise wall of buildings goes up to forever block the views from Park Slope out towards the harbor. Thank De Blasio for that.
Well the same is being planned for Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill. The community is in an uproar over as-of-right buildings like this one Chen proposes on Baltic. So the plan is to prevent any more of these structures by changing existing residential zoning to R6B height limits and, in exchange, give away the land at the edge of the canal to residential zoning while granting zoning heights similar to those in the new 4th Ave zoning.
So is it OK to stop a 118 foot structure on Baltic St near existing high-rise housing in exchange for 138 foot residential high-rise on Union St at the Union St Bridge and the canal? Just how much should a community pay in loss of community character for the promises of economic growth? We all need to be calling more meetings with our local elected officials so they understand better what is important in our community. Beyond sharing information in blogs, writing letters to our electeds is a very effective way to contribute to this community consensus. Do we want the scale of the 4th Ave rezoning to march al the way across to this side of the canal as De Blasio has stated it should?
chuck,
mr. chan has nothing to do with bldg on Smith/Baltic. That is Mr. Tung who sold either property or develop rights to this property to Mr. Chan.
one cent: Mr. Chan’s building on corner of Smith and Baltic (Faan restaurant) is ugly. a little community pressure to build something aesthetically pleasing is great!
one cent: Marty Markowitz feels it’s important for the developer of one 118-foot building to listen to the community, but doesn’t want the community involved with the development of 17 skyscrapers in Atlantic Yards. WTF?
Peter is a great architect and should do a great job. I am a friend of his, and trust his taste. As for the developer, his own house is great. We can only hope.
Will be interesting to see result. Since developer is building as of right and presumably purchased development rights based on some price per buildable sq ft whether can feasably change scope of project. Hope can satisfy neighbors and build something reasonably attractive.