Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources
Bay Street Corridor Rezoning & Related Actions Final Environmental Impact Statement CEQR No. 16DCP156R CHAPTER 8: URBAN DESIGN AND VISUAL RESOURCES A. INTRODUCTION This chapter assesses the potential effects of the Proposed Actions on urban design and visual resources within the Project Area and Study Areas. As outlined in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” the Proposed Actions includes a series of land use actions intended to implement recommendations of the Bay Street Corridor Neighborhood Planning Initiative (the “Plan”). The Proposed Actions would affect an approximately 45‐acre area on Staten Island’s North Shore in the Tompkinsville, Stapleton, and St. George neighborhoods, Community District 1 (the “Project Area”). The Project Area comprises four parts: (i) Bay Street Corridor Project Area; (ii) Canal Street Corridor Project Area; (iii) Stapleton Waterfront Phase III Sites A and B1; and (iv) three City Disposition Sites. The Proposed Actions seek to create a vibrant, resilient, downtown environment with stronger connections to New York Harbor and surrounding neighborhoods. In addition, the Proposed Actions would also create new housing opportunities, including affordable housing, as well as support existing and new commercial development in the Project Area. As described in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” 30 sites have been identified as Projected Development Sites and 23 as Potential Development Sites in the Reasonable Worst Case Development Scenarios (RWCDS). According to the CEQR Technical Manual, urban design is the totality of components that may affect a pedestrian’s experience. These components include streets, buildings, open spaces, wind, natural resources, and visual resources. A visual resource is the connection from the public realm to significant natural or built features, including views of the waterfront, public parks, landmark structures or districts, otherwise distinct buildings or groups of buildings, or natural resources.
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