Well-Planned Growth for Hunters Point and Long Island City
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Well-Planned Growth: A Community Vision for Hunters Point and Long Island City Presentation for: Hunters Point & Long Island City Community April 2018 Hunters Pt & LIC Community Court Square Civic Association | Hunters Point Civic Association CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 Hunters Point Community Coalition | Long Island City Coalition Well-Planned Growth for Hunters Point and Long Island City • Who’s involved? • Where are Hunters Point and Long Island City? • What’s happening right now? • What’s wrong with that? • What’s already happened? • What’s our vision for the future? • What can I do now? Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 Who is involved? Not-for-profit organizations collectively representing residents, property owners and business owners of the LIC community • Court Square Civic Association Championing holistic development - infrastructure, green space, schools Advocating for a livable neighborhood • Hunters Point Civic Association Improving the quality of life - education, transportation, parks Advocating for responsible development • Hunters Point Community Coalition Promoting community-based planning since 1995 Assisting in environmental planning and protection • Long Island City Coalition Promoting community-driven progressive change at all levels Helping transform community ideas into actions Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 Where are Hunters Point & LIC? • In western Queens on the East River • Between Midtown Tunnel and Queensboro Bridge • Across from UN • Near the south end of Roosevelt Island • Approximately ¾ square miles Hunters Point & Long Island City Map and Satellite Photo Google Maps, February 2018 Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 Queens Queens Plaza Court Square Queens West & Hunters Point South Greenpoint, Brooklyn East River Roosevelt Island United Nations Queens Midtown Tunnel Manhattan Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 Hunters Point & Long Island City Satellite Photo Google Maps, February 2018 What’s happening right now? “… by far more • 5 major waterfront developments are proposed apartments East River Tennis Club/“Lake Vernon” LIC Waterfront Mixed-Use Redevelopment (EDC) than any other Life Sciences Hub (EDC) neighborhood Anable Basin - Proposed Rezoning in the Paragon Paint - BSA Variance Application country…” • 3 large-scale planning efforts are underway “Top U.S. Neighbor- Long Island City Core Rezoning (DCP) hoods that Got the Hunters Point North - Waterfront Access Plan Revisions (DCP) Most Apartments After Sunnyside Yards Overbuild (EDC) the Recession,” RentCafe.com Blog, May 26, 2017 • While other massive developments continue Queens Plaza Court Square Queens West Hunters Point Hunters Point South Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 What’s wrong with that? Overdevelopment, spot zoning and piecemeal planning mean: “Long Island City residents are living with the outcomes #7 at rush hour John Murray of rezonings that or other aren’t compre- hensive and don’t take into account the whole neighborhood or Overflowing schools the whole of the Overcrowded subways Packed parks community’s needs.” Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, City Limits, April 2018 CSO at Anable Stalled library Basin or other Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 Inadequate infrastructure Risks of flooding Inadequate public services What’s wrong with transportation? Overcrowded subway platforms & trains, delays, tough commutes “Any rezoning in Long Island City must take transportation, schools and culture Court Square Station & Trains at Rush Hour into account. Photos by CSCA, April 2018 7 trains already suffer from crowding and delays. If we want to add more people to the neighbor- hood, we must improve public transit.” Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, 2017 Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 What’s wrong with the parks? Packed parks, overcrowded playgrounds, little recreational space Long Island City is ranked with the 43rd lowest ratio of park and playground acres to residents out of 51 neighborhoods in NYC. New Yorkers for Parks, City Council District Profiles, 2015 Crowding at parks and playgrounds Photos by HPCC, April 2018 Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 What’s wrong with the schools? Overcrowded schools, inadequate funding, schools in floodplains “Asked about school overcrowding, Van Bramer said…that he’s secured funding for 14 new schools with 5,000 seats but that the neighbor- hood is still ‘in desperate need of schools’ due to the rapid pace of development…” Citi Limits, April 2018 LIC Community fights for schools Photo by Nautilus International March 2018 Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 What’s wrong with infrastructure? Overflowing storm outfalls, backed up sewers, outages during storms, no green infrastructure “Reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) with Green Infrastructure… Reduce combined sewer overflows with Sewage & Stormwater high-level storm overflows in 2016: sewers” BB-022 - 18 events with 1 million gallons Brooklyn-Queens Water spilling into Anable and Wastewater Basin Initiative #8 & #9, A Stronger, More BB-021 & BB-023 - Resilient New York, 26 events each with page 266, City of New 29 million gallons York, 2013 spilling into the LIC waterways Combined Sewer Outfall (CSO) on East River Photo by Nautilus International, February 2016 Data from NYC Department of Environmental Protection Photo of sewer overflow into Newtown Creek by RiverKeeper Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 What’s wrong with flooding? Risks to life, critical infrastructure overwhelmed, damages to property, shoreline erosion, business disruption, utility outages “Create an implementation plan for comprehensive flood-protection improvements on public and private property along the Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Long Island City coastlines.” Flooding at high tide on a clear day in Gantry State Park on the East River Photos by HPCC, April 2018 Brooklyn-Queens Waterfront Initiative #5, A Stronger, More Resilient New York, page 257, City of New York, 2013 Hunters Pt & LIC Community Flooding & storm surge during Superstorm Sandy CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Photos from LIC Climate Coalition Presentation July 2018 October 2012 What’s wrong with City services? Insufficient public facilities like libraries, inadequate City services “Overdeveloped… and underserved” Thomas Paino, RA Executive Director Hunters Point Community Coalition LIC community rallies for STOP signs near schools Photo from www.LICPost.com , January 2017 $43M Unfinished library in Queens West Warekar, Tanay. “Queens’s Steven Holl-design library is delayed yet again.” Curbed.com, May 2, 2017. Photo via Field Conditions. Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 Trash instead of street trees Empty pits instead of street trees Photos by CSCA, April 2018 Photos by CSCA, April 2018 What’s happening right now? Five major waterfront developments are proposed: East River Tennis Club / “Lake Vernon” Life Sciences Hub (EDC) LIC Waterfront Mixed-Use Redevelopment (EDC) Anable Basin Rezoning Paragon Paint Hunters Point Waterfront Satellite Photo Google Maps, February 2018 Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 East River Tennis Club Views of Proposed Development from the East River • 900 (or 1,100) dus and Hunters Point • Two 28-story towers Cornell, Katy. “A Closer Look at the Yet-To-Be-Built ‘River East’ Residential Plan from Peter Poon & four 8-story lofts Architects.” CityRealty.com (August 29, 2016). • 1.2M sf Renderings by Peter Poon Architects. • 2 acres open space Hunters Pt & LIC Community CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 EDC - LIC Waterfront Project • TF Cornerstone designated as developer • 4.5 acres • 1.4M sf total • 1,000 dus • 300,000 commercial (min) RenderingfromEDC NYC • 2-3 towers (350’- 500’ tall + 150’ if Drive, mixed-use) th View View 44 along Site Plan & Aerial Photo with Location in Red Hunters Pt & LIC Community NYC EDC. RFP to CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 developers (February 2016) NYC Board of Education Building at 44th Drive looking north from Vernon Boulevard Chen, Jackson, “Long EDC- Island City bidding to become city’s life LifeSciNYC science hub,” Real Estate Weekly, • 2 acres of NY City- February 14, 2018 owned land • 585,000 sf existing Board of Education offices & logistics • 300,000 sf goal for new lab & office space for R&D • 0 sf open space • $100M in NYC Capital Funds including City- owned land • Tax abatement incentives Left: Site Location on Land Use Map Right: NYC Board of Education Building looking northeast from 44th Drive NYC EDC. “LifeSci NYC” RFEI to Hunters Pt & LIC Community developers (January 23, 2018) CSCA | HPCA | HPCC | LICC Presentation July 2018 Anable Basin Above left: Overview of proposed Above right: Proposed massing combined with EDC LIC Waterfront Project Rezoning massing looking west Below: Incremental shadows cast on East River and open spaces https://www.anablebasinlic.com/ • 15.4 acres, 3 acres MAS Comments on Environmental Impact of Anable Basin Rezoning underwater • 5.8M sf total = 10.8 FAR without lands underwater • 3,650 - 5,000 dus • 3.1 acres open space • Six towers from 350’ to 695’ tall Hunters