Xmas Comes Early for 1638 8th Ave Developers
Contextual development advocates in the South Slope were stunned last week when the Board of Standards and Appeals vested 1638 8th Avenue, aka Lake Windsor. The Board’s grounds for the action? That the foundation was “substantially complete” by the the time the neighborhood was down-zoned. We don’t claim to be experts on these matters but…
Contextual development advocates in the South Slope were stunned last week when the Board of Standards and Appeals vested 1638 8th Avenue, aka Lake Windsor. The Board’s grounds for the action? That the foundation was “substantially complete” by the the time the neighborhood was down-zoned. We don’t claim to be experts on these matters but does that look like a substantially complete foundation to you? Can anyone explain how this would possibly qualify? A definition of “substantially complete” would probably be a good place to start.
BSA Hearing on 1638 8th Avenue [Brownstoner] GMAP
Nicolo. WTF?
“Downzoned” area protect s(OK on one one hand( preserve) the “current”residents and housing stock. Yes, expansion is needed, but not at the expense of doubling or tripling the population of a block or ‘hood. INFRASTRUCTURE? Until the city and or responsible developers (that was a joke) deals with the fact of “taxing the system” our “essential character” by over crowding of schools, backed up sewer sys, packed subways, etc.
Reality check, Nicolo or do you live in a part of Bklyn (sheat, the City for that matter) called “Dreamland?”
As to the class character of our communities. As more neighborhoods get downzoned economic pressure builds on the other zones to convert. That puts overwhelming pressure on the remaining industrial space to turn residential. The “working class” character of the neighborhood is largely a function of the neighborhoods proximity to what used to be called “work” for lack of a more lucid term. The “archaic” zoning laws of 1961 perceived this and valued the waterfront industries in Sunset Park, Gowanus and Red Hook. They are still valueable, irreplaceable really. And those remaining industrial jobs ought to be landmarked and preserved if we are really concerned with the essential character of our neighborhoods. Downzoning is the worst thing possible for industry in Brooklyn and will force the “working class” character of our neighborhoods to move to Newark.
True OE. How did that become a lot. But, from what I have heard, peoples backyards etc are sinking from this gaping hole.
On the contrary, I’d rather know that lot is NOT going to be a mud pit for the next 10 years. What really mystifies me is how this became a tax lot.. it looks like an alley way or they took a slice out of people’s backyards.
This giant hole of 1638 8th Ave runs directly behind a lovely property that is on Windsor Place (bet 7th & 8th)for sale by Corcoran (J. Minsky). Too bad, it may be a much harder sell now.
South Slope or Greenwood Heights is going through a renaissance. Every week new faces, many out of towners moving in. Besides all the new construction projects, there are building being gutted out, and new facades being put up. Bank branches and restaurants are sprouting up. The reference to slum and Pakistan is way off the mark. Most people I have spoken to, owners and renters like the neighborhood. It is becoming very diverse with working class, yuppies…..It definitely will develop its own unique character in a few years. Far enough from downtown bk and ratnerville to be effected by the pitfalls but within minutes to enjoy what amenities it may bring.
What you are looking at is actually just the shoring to protect the neighboring properties. Very few piles were actually driven.
eryximachus69@yahoo.com posts the same old boring rant when he’s not working at the Soylent Green factory….. …Hey eryx, who’s having all those babies in the s.slope? People over 65? If you are such a big anachist why haven’t you been squatting the vacant lot at 1638? You could have had free rent for the last year. Maybe you were afraid your trust fund check would not be deliverable.
Sorry about that last post…If your budget was $1 million for your foundation and you spent $600,000 on repairing lots of mistakes that still counts as substantially complete.
The BSA takes into account the money spent by the developer in determining whether to vest or not. That includes bad busines practices, mistakes in engineering, mistakes in the placement of the piles, removal of those piles, damage to neighbors personal property and the resulting law suits. So in this case where remove them and start over and that the place collects all the ground water for an entire square block so that they had to build a new sewer connection to the street just for the run off