• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

CITY PLANNING COMMISSION May 21, 2014/Calendar No. 10 C 140227 MCK IN THE MATTER OF an application submitted by the Department of Parks and Recreation and Xavier High School, pursuant to Section 197-c of the New York City Charter, for a major concession to Xavier High School to use and renovate Red Hook Park Field Ballfield Number Three, 100-134 Bay Street (Block 602, Lot 1), Community District 6, Borough of Brooklyn. The City of New York Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) filed an application on January 2, 2014 to grant a major concession to Xavier High School (Xavier), the co-applicant, for the use of Red Hook Park Ballfield Number Three (the “Ballfield). The proposed action would allow Xavier High School to renovate and modernize the Ballfield in exchange for Xavier’s continued use of the ball field on a scheduled basis for a ten year term. BACKGROUND The Ballfield is located in Red Hook Park at 100-134 Bay Street (Block 602, Lot 1) in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn Community District 6. The Ballfield, and entirety of Red Hook Park, are mapped parks under the jurisdiction of and maintained by DPR. For the last 10 years, Xavier High School has held a DPR permit for use of the Ballfield and other locations in Red Hook Park. Xavier High School was founded in 1847 and is a Catholic Jesuit college preparatory school located in Manhattan at West 16th Street, educating young men of diverse backgrounds and means. Besides an academic college prep curriculum, Xavier fields over 32 teams including football, soccer and rugby. Xavier has utilized facilities in Red Hook Park since the 1950’s. Red Hook Park is a 58 acre park that has active and passive recreation facilities, including: soccer fields, baseball fields, benches, a public pool, waterfront access, and picnic areas. The Ballfield (Block 602 Lot 1) is adjacent to a track, park pathways, and landscaping, with handball courts and restroom facilities to the west. All recreational fields within Red Hook Park contain field lights, except for Ballfield Number Three. Red Hook Community Farms is located one block to the west of the Ballfield and Columbia Street. A few blocks north of the park is the New York City Housing Authority-owned Red Hook Houses, and to the southwest, is the Red Hook IKEA. The surrounding area to the south, east, and northwest is generally developed with industrial properties, including a cement factory, vehicle storage lots, one-story warehouses, and the iconic, but vacant, grain terminal. The area is generally zoned for industrial uses with a residential district to the north of the Ballfield. An M1-1 district is mapped to the west and northeast, and an M3-1 district to the south encompasses nearby industrial and commercial uses. R5 and R6 districts (with a C1-3 overlay over a portion along Lorraine Street) are a couple blocks to the north. Aside from Red Hook Houses, there are also some three-story townhomes, a day care facility, and one-story commercial buildings with local retail uses along Lorraine Street. Columbia Street to the west of the Ballfield is a major north-south connecting street within Red Hook. Further west is the Van Brunt Street commercial corridor. The Gowanus Expressway abuts the neighborhood to the north, leading to the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connecting Brooklyn 2 C 140227 MCK to Lower Manhattan. The F and G subway lines stop at Carroll Street and Smith and 9th Streets to the north and east of the neighborhood. The B57 and B61 bus lines run along Lorraine Street to the north of the Ballfield. Also a nearby Ferry stop is located in the Erie Basin at Ikea and runs on afternoons, evenings and weekends. The applicants propose a concession agreement that would allow Xavier High School to use the field on days and at times mutually agreed upon by DPR, and subject to approval by the Franchise and Concession Review Committee, which is part of the Mayor's Office of Contracts. In exchange, Xavier will make capital improvements to the Ballfield and adjacent amenities, thereby expanding the playing hours of the Ballfield and creating an improved recreational facility that will be easier for DPR to maintain for the local community. Currently, the playing surface area of the Ballfield is extremely worn due to heavy use and the difficulties involved for DPR to maintain a seeded lawn. The Ballfield is surrounded by a running track, which is a quarter-mile oval with a rubberized surface. There are no field lights currently at Ballfield Number Three, and therefore there is no play at dusk or in the evening. Xavier will undertake the following improvements: 1. Reconstructing the existing bare grass field and replacing it with synthetic turf, which will eliminate the need for DPR to seed the field on a regular basis, which is both a 3 C 140227 MCK maintenance expense and also puts the field out of service for over two weeks while seed takes hold and grows 2. Installing field lights for evening play, which will increase playing time for the larger community on a yearly basis 3. Resurfacing the perimeter running track 4. Reconstructing the low chain-link fence that surrounds the running track. It is anticipated that, pursuant to the concession agreement, the Ballfield would be used by Xavier for a ten year term, at the following times: for 3 days a week between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. between September and May, and for a few hours during the weekday during two weeks in August. This is subject to the availability of the Ballfield, and at DPR’s discretion they may be directed to utilize other ball fields. Although the running track would be improved by Xavier, it would not be part of the concession agreement for specific use by Xavier. The improvements will result in a field that has been upgraded and maintained for the betterment of the larger community. The provision of synthetic turf and the addition of field lights will result in an increase in the number of hours the field can be used by members of the public. The improvements will conform to DPR standards and the maintenance of the area subject to the proposed concession agreement will remain the responsibility of DPR and subject to DPR’s Parks Inspection Program. 4 C 140227 MCK ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW This application (C 140227 MCK) was reviewed pursuant to the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), and the SEQRA regulations set forth in Volume 6 of the New York Code of Rules and Regulations, Section 617.00 et seq. and the City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) Rules of Procedure of 1991 and Executive Order No. 91 of 1977. The designated CEQR number is 14DPR006K. The lead agency is the Department of Parks and Recreation. After a study of the potential environmental impact of the proposed action, a Negative Declaration was issued on January 8, 2014. UNIFORM LAND USE REVIEW This application (C 140227 MCK) was certified as complete by the Department of City Planning on January 21, 2014, and was duly referred to Community Board 6 and the Borough President, in accordance with Title 62 of the Rules of the City of New York, Section 2-02(b). Community Board Public Hearing Community Board 6 held a public hearing on this application on February 22, 2014, and on March 12, 2014, at a public meeting by a vote of 35 to zero with one abstention, adopted a resolution recommending approval of the application. 5 C 140227 MCK Borough President Recommendation This application was considered by the Borough President, who held a public hearing on February 27, 2014 and issued a favorable recommendation with conditions on April 25, 2014 as follows: 1. “The Department of Parks and Recreation memorialize in the major concession documents that construction must commence in the late fall and that such work a restriction [sic] be incorporated into relevant bid specification documents. 2. “Xavier retains Brooklyn-based contractors and subcontractors, especially those that are designated LBEs consistent with section 6-108.1 of the City's Administrative Code and MWBE establishments as a means to meet or exceed standards per Local Law 1 (not less than twenty percent participation) and that such firms pursue the hiring of residents in Red Hook.” City Planning Commission Public Hearing On April 23, 2014, (Calendar No. 3), the City Planning Commission scheduled a public hearing for May 7, 2014 on this application (C 140227 MCK). The hearing was duly held on May 7, 2014 (Calendar No. 23). There were three speakers in favor of the application and none in opposition. Two speakers in support represented the Department of Parks and Recreation, and one represented Xavier High School. Representatives from the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) described the current condition of the Ballfield and how the lack of field lights prevents play at dusk or in the evening and that the maintenance of the seeded grass lawn further reduces play hours due to not only seeding, but also waiting for the field to dry after heavy rains. Xavier High School described their long history of use on the Ballfield, their multiple meetings with 6 C 140227 MCK Community Board 6 and their desire to set a positive example of a private/public partnership that would benefit a local community. There were no other speakers and the hearing was closed. Waterfront Revitalization Program Consistency Review This application was reviewed by the Department of City Planning for consistency with the policies of the New York City Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP), as amended, approved by the New York City Council on October 13, 1999 and by the New York State Department of State on May 28, 2002, pursuant to the New York State Waterfront Revitalization and Coastal Resources Act of 1981 (New York State Executive Law, Section 910 et seq.).

Load more

  15

Copy Link