Stable Brooklyn\/East Windsor Terrace Community Group
\nGeneral meeting, Monday, June 27, 2005, 7:00-8:30pm
\nInternational Baptist Church, Caton Place and Coney Island Avenue<\/p>\n
CORRECTED NOTES (7\/13\/05)<\/p>\n
20
\nresidents and Randy Peers, Vice-Chair of CB7 and Chair of the Land Use
\nCommittee, attended the general meeting. Apologies to those who could
\nnot attend because of incorrect information about the building entrance.<\/p>\n
COMMITTEE REPORTS Zoning In 1993, the Ocean Parkway Special Zoning We intend to submit a ULURP application seeking new Downzoning would not affect 23 Caton Property reports A ULURP application was made in December 23-45 Caton Place committee: Anna Brackett, Erin O’Leary Erin Caton Avenue committee: June Reich Please note that no committee has yet been formed for the following property: Environmental reports Street-safety committee: Phillip Jones NEW BUSINESS Beautification committee Letter-writing committee NEXT GENERAL MEETING OF STABLE BROOKLYN IS TUESDAY, JULY 26, TIME AND PLACE TBD. <\/p>\n Respectfully submitted, Stable Brooklyn\/East Windsor Terrace Community Group General meeting, Monday, June 27, 2005, 7:00-8:30pm International Baptist Church, Caton Place and Coney Island Avenue CORRECTED NOTES (7\/13\/05) 20 residents and Randy Peers, Vice-Chair of CB7 and Chair of the Land Use Committee, … Continue reading
\nDownzoning report
\nDownzoning committee: Mandy Harris, Nat Moss, Erin O’Leary, Anna Brackett
\nMandy
\nand Nat related information from their meeting with Richard Bearak from
\nthe Brooklyn Borough President’s office. Zoning maps of the
\nneighborhood and various zoning designations will be posted to www.stablebrooklyn.com<\/a> for review.<\/p>\n
\nmap illustrates how the blocks between Caton Place and Caton Avenue
\nfrom Ocean Parkway to East 8th Street are zoned differently from the
\nsurrounding neighborhood. These blocks, currently zoned R6, threaten
\nthe smaller houses of the area, as developers can build high rise, high
\ndensity buildings as-of-right as currently zoned. The zoning is higher
\ndensity and lacks the contextual “B” suffix that the rest of Windsor
\nTerrace enjoys (R5B). The history of zoning in this area supports our
\nbid to be downzoned.<\/p>\n
\nDistrict was formed and the area was zoned R5. However, because of
\npending construction of a nursing home on Caton Avenue between E7 and
\nE8 Streets, City Planning decided to exclude the blocks between Caton
\nPlace and Caton Ave from Ocean Parkway to East 8 Street from
\ndown-zoning. These blocks were left R6 while the rest of the area was
\nrezoned R5.<\/p>\n
\nzoning, probably at R5B level. (Exact zoning we will ask for is still
\nunder discussion and review; R5B is in line with the rest of Windsor
\nTerrace, which makes for a compelling argument for us: we are part of
\nWindsor Terrace and deserve the same protection as our neighbors on the
\nother side of the circle.) As a community group, we have the Cypress
\nHills Community ULURP application as a guide. In their case, City
\nPlanning ushered the application through. We will seek sponsorship for
\nour ULURP from CB7, which has already indicated their support, from
\nCity Councilman Bill de Blasio, from City Planning, and from the
\nBorough President’s Office. Mr. Bearak noted that Marty Markowitz’s
\noffice is unlikely to sponsor a specific community group application.
\nRandy Peers advised that we ask de Blasio’s office to sponsor us rather
\nthan assume they will not.<\/p>\n
\nPlace (tire factory and Little Gray Barn), which is going to be a
\n107-unit apartment building as-of-right. Our downzoning application
\nwould encompass 22 Caton Place (chalkboard factory), which already has
\na ULURP application pending to be upzoned to R7A. <\/p>\n
\n22 Caton Place committee: Emily Waters
\nDave
\nhas tried to trace the owner of the property, listed as A. Yagoda.
\nInformation will be public record when the ULURP is certified; in the
\nmeantime, it may remain hard to pinpoint a person behind the
\ndevelopment company.<\/p>\n
\n2004 for this property to be upzoned from R6 to R7A. Randy offered that
\nwe might use the R7A application as a way of negotiating concessions
\nwith the developer. Is there a way to gain concessions on number of
\nparking spaces, on footprint of building viz lot line, etc, in exchange
\nfor not opposing upzoning? The developer can always build an R6
\nbuilding as-of-right at any time (unless and until we successfully
\ndownzone the property, in which case the developer would likely seek a
\nvariance…). When their ULURP is certified, CB7 will hold public
\nhearings. They will hold these public hearings in our neighborhood if
\nwe request it (either at International Baptist Church or Holy Name). <\/p>\n
\nA
\nsmall group met with Mr. Kavlak, the developer, on Sunday, June 26, to
\nlook at the plans for the building, a 107-unit condominium building.
\nThe building will be 8 stories high (7th and 8th stories stepped back),
\nwith 57-61 parking spaces two floors below ground. Entrance to parking
\ngarage is on Caton Place, adjacent to the back entrance to 71 Ocean
\nParkway. The facade is aluminum and glass. The plans have been approved
\nand construction may begin a month from now. Expected construction time
\nestimated to be 16 months. The building was designed by Karl Fischer; a
\nrendering can be found on the architect’s web site, http:\/\/www.kfarchitect.com\/<\/a> (click on multifamily and then Caton Place for details). <\/p>\n
\nnoted that there is little we as a community group can do at this stage
\nof development. However, Mr. Kavlak was nice to meet with us and might
\nbe amenable to community suggestions for improvements (in exchange for
\nnot holding up construction with stop-work orders). We should draw up
\nspecific suggestions such as use or placement of flood lights, mature
\ntrees and landscaping, benches, etc. <\/p>\n
\nJune
\ndid not contact the owners of record because she was unsure how to
\napproach them, or what conversation to have, given our plans to
\ndownzone. Randy suggested we table Caton Ave for the time being and
\npoll our community about what we’d like to see there. This needs to be
\ntaken up.<\/p>\n
\nCorner property at Coney Island Avenue and Kermit Place (old auto lot and ice cream parlor)<\/p>\n
\nSewers committee: Dave Werner
\nDave
\nreported on his conversation with DEP, in which he reiterated questions
\nin Brennan’s letter. We are waiting for answers from DEP. (Brennan’s
\nletter will be available to read on www.stablebrooklyn.com)<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMandy
\nshared CB7 letter to DOT, with map by Phillip Jones, requesting stop
\nsigns and other signage at the intersection of Caton Place and East 8
\nStreet. Nat asked about making East 8th Street one-way. We also
\ndiscussed traffic problems on Ocean Parkway. We would like stop signs
\nalong Ocean Parkway from Caton Avenue to the circle, in order to slow
\ndown cars and discourage illegal truck traffic. Jane volunteered to
\ntake this up. Randy instructed her to call Jeremy Laufer, District
\nManager of CB7 (718-854-0003), who will make the request to DOT on our
\nbehalf. <\/p>\n
\nBlock party committee
\nPermit
\napplication to close a street must be made 3 months in advance. Erin
\nwill look into the application process. Emily and June volunteered to
\nhelp. Agreed that September would be a good time to have a block
\nparty\/silent movie night.<\/p>\n
\nOther beautification projects might include a Kensington Stables painting party.<\/p>\n
\nJune
\nvolunteered to write letters to State Senator Carl Andrews, Assemblyman
\nJim Brennan, Councilmember Bill de Blasio, Borough President Marty
\nMarkowitz, CB7 to give them a synopsis of our activities and to thank
\nthem for their support.<\/p>\n
\nJune Reich
\nJune@mhwebwerks.com
\n718-851-0441<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"