All stories about "Downzoning"

Despite some very loud last-minute opposition to a rezoning of 13 blocks of Williamsburg's Grand Street, the downzone was passed by the City Council yesterday. The measure covers Grand Street from Marcy Avenue (next to the BQE) to Berry Street and limits most new buildings to four-six stories. One of the things that helped speed action on the measure were planned 10 and 15-story Karl Fischer buildings at the corner of Grand Street and Driggs Avenue. Fast work has been going on at one of the sites with demolitions, excavation and a foundation being poured all at the same time, in the hope of slipping in under the old zoning, particularly if opponents had held up the downzoning. There were reports of one or two developers going door to door to rally opposition to the rezoning. Up to 20 possible planned projects might have to be redesigned to meet the new height restrictions. The rezoning also eliminates what opponents call a "much-abused" community facilities provision that allowed construction of bigger buildings in return for what they say was non-community space.
· Grand Street Rezoning Approved [WGPA]
· Building 'Cap' in W'Burg [NYP]
· Opponents: Downzone to Put Burg on 'Teetering Edge of Doom' [Curbed]

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Last week, after the City Planning Commission voted for a downzoning of Grand Street in Williamsburg that would give a 15-story Karl Fischer "Monster Tower" a serious shave, the ubiquitous architect was quoted in the Brooklyn Paper as saying that the building would be "substantially redesigned" as a result. The implication was that the building couldn't slide in under the old zoning. A tipster emailed to say that maybe it still can because while the old building on the site recently barely disappeared, work is progressing at a lightening pace. In fact, demolition, excavation and foundation work are all going on at the same time. It's significant because if a foundation is completed before the new zoning takes effect then the building can go to 15 stories under the old zoning. Will Hot Karl beat the downzone? Stay tuned.
· Grand Street Rezoning Moving, Karl Fischer Shrinking [Curbed]
· Will Burg's Grand Street Rezoning Chop Karl Fischer Towers? [Curbed]

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It looks like that 15-story Karl Fischer building that would go at the corner of Driggs and Grand in the Burg will end up suffering major shrinkage due to the speed at which a city downzone is moving. The downzoning--which covers a 13-block area between Berry Street and the BQE and Metropolitan Avenue and South First Street--passed the City Planning Commission this week and could go the City Council by May. It will limit building height to 50-70 feet. Fischer told the Brooklyn Paper that his 15-story Driggs & Grand Karl may get a lot less hot and will be "sustantially redesigned" as a result of the downzone. No word on the ten-story Fischer across the street, but it would also be due for a serious buzz cut.
· Grand idea, too late [Brooklyn Paper]
· Will Burg's Grand Street Rezoning Chop Karl Fischer Towers? [Curbed]
· Gandar's Getting Goosed by Big Karl Fischer [Curbed]

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There was a rally this morning on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall to call for fast action on a downzoning of Carroll Gardens and calls for a moratorium on buildings taller than 50 feet while the downzone is in process. One speaker, blogger and City Council candidate Gary Reilly said he wanted to keep Carroll Gardens from "becoming the next Williamsburg." Mr. Reilly also said, "Keep Carroll Gardens/ South Brooklyn SHORT and happy!" A special correspondent noted that the workday crowd included representatives of most groups representing the neighborhood and says that at the end, "drizzle began to fall as buses roared past and onlookers disappeared into the Supreme Court lunch crowds." Last week, the Department of City Planning agreed to redefine some neighborhood streets as narrow, limiting the size of buildings that can be built. The Department of City Planning has now formally committed to a downzoning for the neighborhood, a process that will take 18-24 months under normal circumstances.
· At Rally, News of Carroll Gardens Downzoning Progress [Brownstoner]
· Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Neigborhood Roundup [Curbed]
· Carroll Gardens Meeting Report: Moratorium Now [Curbed]

It's been a busy week in Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill, that testy little corner of Brooklyn where residents are up in arms about a number of developments--actual and proposed--in their midst. Here's where some things stand:

1) Downzoning: The push to downzone the neighborhood took some baby steps forward this week. The City Planning Department has agreed to change some arcane zoning regulations that define very narrow streets in the neighborhood as "wide" based on included the big "gardens" that in front of buildings from which the neighborhood got its name. A number of blocks have been defined as broad avenues (and therefore allowed for much taller buildings to be developed) even though they're barely wide enough to accommodate parked cars and one driving. A rally to push a City Council resolution calling for quick action on an overall downzoning is coming next week.

Brooklyn's most famous Finger Fight in the Burg is not the only one. Today, the developers of the Finger of Clinton Hill, also known as 163 Washington go before the obscure, yet powerful, Board of Standards and Appeals to try for a third time to get the thumbs up to build to 16 stories. The issue is whether enough of the building was finished before the neighborhood was downzoned last year and a seven-story height limit was imposed. (The initial call was that they missed the deadline.) A group that calls itself Building Too Tall is fighting against the tower, saying that there's no way the building should go ahead. An email blast they sent out yesterday called today's hearing "a fixed fight against GLC Developers Group who are trying to build a 16-story tower in pre-Civil War Clinton Hill..." This is the third BSA hearing on the building. The issue comes down to how much concrete was poured and when and whether the developer broke the rules while playing Beat the Downzone.
· BSA Considers 163 Washington Plans for 3rd Time [Brownstoner]
· Fight Over Tall Washington Street Building Enters Third Round [Gowanus Lounge]
· BSA Postpones 163 Washington Decision Until January [Brownstoner]

There's enough sentiment in Williamsburg to downzone part of Grand Street and surrounding blocks before a couple of new 10 and 15 story buildings can get going that the local community board did back flips last night to vote on the city's downzoning proposal. Instead of postponing a vote until next month, a Community Board 1 committee held a meeting during the bigger board meeting to approve the downzoning. The vote by the full board for the plan was 23-2 in favor. Why the rush? Developers of the two Karl Fischer buildings at Driggs and Grand could still get them built if work is far enough along before the downzoning takes effect. "We trying to fast track it," one neighbor pushing for fast action says. "Every day that we wait gives these guys time to go." Residents are looking for a hearing at Borough Hall next week, but are afraid of slow going at City Planning. In the meantime, demolition is going on at one of the sites and a parcel across the street has been mysteriously cleaned up in the last week. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.
· Will Burg's Grand Street Rezoning Chop Karl Fischer Towers? [Curbed]

Sure, 2007 still has some life left, but an interesting Williamsburg fight is already shaping up for '08. A couple of days ago, the outlines of a rezoning of Grand Street were released by the City Planning Department. If it makes it through the process, new buildings in a 13-block area between Berry Street and the BQE and Metropolitan Avenue and South First Street could be limited to 50-70 feet in height by summer. (The area was left out the 2005 Williamsburg rezoning that limited tall buildings away from the waterfront.) What this means, in particular, is that two big Karl Fischer buildings that would rise across Driggs Avenue from each other on Grand Street could get seriously chopped in size. The Fischer tower on the left is 10 stories. The "Monster Tower" on the right is 15 stories. The height limit on Grand would be about five stories. This also means that a game of Beat the Downzone could ensue for at least one of the planned buildings. The rezoning could happen by summer if all agree to it.
· Grand Street Rezoning [nyc.gov]
· Grand Street Burg Downzoning in the Works [Gowanus Lounge]
· Burg Downzone in the Works [Brownstoner]

With an update today of the ineffectual-sounding downzone proposal for the far Upper West Side (new developments on Broadway would be capped at 14 stories, side streets at some lesser height) comes a missive to the Curbed inbox with fresh news on development in the micronabe: "Nothing has been posted from the Park West Village/808 Columbus projects for a long time. Lots of activities. On the west side of the block that runs from 97th to 100th St, Whole Foods has signed a contract for 57,000 feet of space. Its panache as a drive to attract more retail is striking. Plans have also been announced for the same three blocks on the east side, where a tennis court once stood. Soon, we'll see three new buildings: two 12 stories, one 15 stories. Foundation work to start this summer."

That rendering, at top, shows the 808 Columbus area in all its future glory—808 at left, and the three newbies across Columbus to the east. Concludes our tipster, "Lovely architecture, no? Someone called it Dallas, with a touch of Hong Kong."
· Plan to Cap Building Height on UWS Moves Ahead [NYSun]
· Upper West Side Gets in the Downzone [Curbed]
· More UWS Upzoning: 808 Columbus Eyes 29 Stories [Curbed]