Police Academy – College Point, Queens CHAPTER 2: LAND USE, ZONING, & PUBLIC POLICY
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Police Academy – College Point, Queens CHAPTER 2: LAND USE, ZONING, & PUBLIC POLICY A. INTRODUCTION A detailed assessment of land use, zoning, and public policy is appropriate if a Proposed Action would result in a significant change in land use or would substantially affect regulations or policies governing land use. Under City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR) Technical Manual guidelines, an assessment of zoning is typically performed in conjunction with a land use analysis when the action would change the zoning on the site or result in the loss of a particular use. Similar to zoning, some assessment of public policy typically accompanies an assessment of land use. Under CEQR, a land use analysis characterizes the uses and development trends in the study area, and assesses whether a Proposed Action is compatible with or may affect those conditions. The Proposed Action involves a site selection of a public facility to facilitate the construction of a new Police Academy. A new Academy would allow the NYPD to consolidate many of their current training facilities, which are currently spread throughout the City, into one central location. The directly affected area (“site” or “proposed development site”), located in the College Point neighborhood of Queens, encompasses approximately 35 acres and consists of the following parcels: Block 4321, Lot 48; Block 4323, Lot 19; Block 4324, Lot 1; Block 4325, Lot 1; Block 4326, Lot 1; Block 4327, part of Lot 1; Block 4328, part of Lot 1; Block 4329, Lots 1, 7, 10, and 75; Block 4301, part of Lot 1; Block 4359, part of Lot 1; Block 4358, part of Lot 1; Block 4357, part of Lot 1; Block 4356, part of Lot 30; and Block 4354, Lot 50.1 As discussed in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” the proposed Academy consists of approximately 2.4 million gsf, including academic space, physical training facilities, administrative and support components, an indoor pistol range, a field house, a tactical village, a drivers training course, a police museum, and a visiting housing/lecture housing facility. Additionally, a minimum of 2,000 parking spaces would be provided on-site, including an above-grade parking garage of approximately 1,800 spaces and 200 additional parking spaces that would be located in at-grade parking lots and along the interior road network throughout the site. Based on the currently proposed development program, in addition to the site selection action, the proposed development will require the following overrides from the deputy mayor: 1. 42-00 Permitted Uses: An override of ZR 42-00 to permit the NYPD Museum and a guest lecturer lodging facility (dormitory), both use group 3A, within the M2-1 district. 2. 126-22 Floor Area Ratio: • An override of the FAR requirements of the M2-1 district limits to permit an FAR of 2.0, consistent with the site’s previous M3-1 zoning. The proposed floor area of the project is approximately 500,000 square feet more than is permitted by the new M2-1 district. 3. 43-23 Permitted Obstructions in Required Yards or Rear Yard Equivalents; 126-231 Minimum Required Front Yards: 1 The Block and Lot information includes all portions of the former streets located within the boundaries of the project site that are shown on the available tax maps (including portions of the following streets which were demapped on City Map 4700 as of Feb. 28, 1977: 124th St., 125th St., 126th St., 127th St., 128th St., 129th St./20th St., 130th St./21st St., and 22nd St.) 2-1 POLICE ACADEMY FEIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, and Public Policy • An override to allow the required parking structure and the museum to be located within portions of the required front yard (10-foot on one frontage of a corner lot). The physical constraints of the site require the parking structure and the museum to be situated in portions of the front yard. 3a. 126-234 Planting Requirements in Front Yards; 126-31 Parking Regulations: • An override to allow the proposed parking use to be located in portions of the required 15-foot front yard and a waiver of planting requirements in the same locations. An override of planting requirements in portions of the required 10-foot and 15-foot front yards occupied by the museum. The physical constraints of the site to accommodate the entire program require the parking use and museum to be situated in portions of the front yard which then cannot accommodate the required planting. 4. 43-23 Permitted Obstructions in Required Yards or Rear Yard Equivalents; 126-232 Minimum Required Side Yards: • An override to allow the required parking structure to be located in the required 10-foot side yard. The physical constraints of the site to accommodate the entire program require the parking structure to be situated in portions of the side yard. 5. 43-23 Permitted Obstructions in Required Yards or Rear Yard Equivalents; 43-261 Beyond 100 Feet of a Street Line; and 43-28 Special Provisions for Through Lots: • An override of ZR 43-23, “Permitted Obstructions in Required Yards or Rear Yard Equivalent” to allow a structure in excess of 23-feet tall to be constructed in a 20-foot deep rear yard and a 20- foot deep rear yard equivalent along College Point Boulevard and the southern lot line. The physical constraints of the site require the parking structure to be situated in a portion of the rear yard and rear yard equivalent. 6. 43-43 Maximum Height of a Front Wall and Required Front Setback Regulations in the M1-1 and M2-1 Zoning Districts; 126-24 Height and Setback Regulations: • An override of ZR 43-43 for to allow an encroachment by the parking structure and the stair towers to project into the initial setback and sky exposure plane along College Point Boulevard and 28th Avenue. • An override to allow an encroachment by the ramp and Firearms and Tactics building to project into the initial setback and sky exposure plane along 28th Avenue. • An override to allow an encroachment by the fieldhouse to project into the sky exposure plane along 28th Avenue. • An override to permit a minor encroachment of the proposed police museum into the initial setback and sky exposure plane along 28th Avenue and Ulmer Street. • An override of ZR 43-43 to permit an encroachment of the administration building to project into the sky exposure plane along Ulmer Street. • The physical constraints of the site to accommodate the entire program require these structures to be situated in the initial setback and to encroach beyond the sky exposure plane. 7. 44-21 Required Accessory Off-Street Parking Spaces: • An override of ZR 44-21 for a modification of accessory parking requirements to allow fewer on- site accessory parking spaces than required by zoning in the M1-1 and M2-1 zoning districts. Approximately 2,000 parking spaces would be provided on-site, including approximately 1,800 accessory parking spaces within the proposed on-site parking garage and 200 additional parking 2-2 Police Academy - College Point, Queens I Legend Land Use WORLD'S FAIR MARINA Quarter Mile Radius Project Site Residential Commercial Buildings Industrial & Manufacturing Buildings Transportation & Utility Public Facilities & Institutions Open Space & Outdoor Recreation Parking Facilities Vacant Land Other 119 ST 2 9 A V 120 ST 1 2 2 7 0 A S V T 121 ST 122 ST 123 ST 123 ST 123 ST 3 2 0 5 A A V V C O 124 ST 124 ST L L E G E P O I N T B L 125 ST 2 5 R D 126 ST 127 ST 127 ST FLUSHING CREEK 2 6 A V 3 1 2 8 A V A V VAN W YCK EP W U L HI M TE ER S T S O T NE EP H I G G I N S S WH S Land Uses Within the Quarter Mile Study Area T IT 3 3 E S A T V D O O W N N 3 I N E 4 G S E T P A E V T N U L B M E C O R L L I S N 3 S T P L 2 A MARSH V 3 1 D R MILLER ST W 3 H 3 1 I 3 T R E A D S ST PRINCE V T W O H N E IT E E S P T F O A R R N I N E G T O N E S P T L I S N D R E N P E L 2 9 3 R L 5 A D A T V I W M H E 1 3 IT 7 E R S T ST O P 138 ST NE L E Figure 2-1 P EN N B WH C ITE A S 3 T R O 1 NE L 2 E D P T 139 ST 8 S R O R R W N D P L LEAVITT ST POLICE ACADEMY FEIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, and Public Policy spaces that would be located in at-grade parking lots throughout the site and along the Academy’s interior street network. Approximately 5,683 parking spaces are required per zoning for the proposed on-site uses. As the proposed development would operate 24-hours per day, 7-days a week with a variety of overlapping shifts, the required accessory parking is not warranted and the proposed development will require a zoning override to modify the accessory parking requirements.