Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS CHAPTER 8: URBAN DESIGN AND VISUAL RESOURCES

A. INTRODUCTION

This chapter provides an assessment of the potential impacts on urban design and visual resources that could result from the proposed action. As described in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” the proposed action includes zoning map and zoning text amendments, street demapping, and park mapping in an area spanning 184 blocks in the Greenpoint and Williamsburg sections of Brooklyn. The proposed action would result in substantial amounts of new above-ground development by 2013 with urban design characteristics different from those currently attributed to the project area and located within areas containing resources of visual significance. Given the above conditions, an analysis of urban design and visual resources is therefore appropriate as per the guidelines of the CEQR Technical Manual. For purposes of analysis, the urban design and visual resources study area is coterminous with the study area used for the analysis in Chapter 2, “Land Use, Zoning, and Public Policy,” delineated by a ½-mile radius around the proposed action area.

Together, the urban design components and visual resources of an area define the distinctive identity of a neighborhood. As stipulated by CEQR, the analysis of urban design will assess the effects of the proposed action on those attributes that constitute the physical appearance of buildings and streets in the study area. These attributes include building bulk, use, and type; building arrangement; block form and street pattern; streetscape elements; street hierarchy; and natural features. The concept of bulk is created by the size of a building and the way it is massed on a site. Height, length, and width define a building’s size; volume, shape, setbacks, lot coverage, and density define its mass. The analysis of visual resources provided in this chapter will assess the effects of the proposed action on the study area’s visual resources, which are its unique or important public view corridors, vistas, or natural or built features. Waterfront views, public parks, landmarked structures, landmarked districts, and natural resources are examples of visual resources. As per the guidelines of CEQR, only views of visual resources from public and publicly accessible locations will be assessed.

The proposed action would alter the urban design of the study area, yielding significant, but not adverse, changes along the waterfront and nearby upland areas. The introduction of medium-density residential uses along the waterfront would result in appreciable differences in building bulk, height, and scale when compared to the low-density structures and open lots of varied condition that are presently characteristic of the industrial waterfront and that are expected to remain in the future without the proposed action. The introduction of new parkland, a waterfront promenade,streetscape improvements, and ground-floor retail use that would accompany development would extend corridors of activity from upland areas to the currently desolate waterfront, fundamentally transforming the way in which the waterfront spaces are used and how they connect to upland areas. Zoning changes in the upland areas would maintain existing trends of nonconforming use but are not anticipated to significantly alter the streetscapes, given proposed contextual zoning controls which would require new buildings to maintain streetwalls and similar height to existing structures. Waterfront zoning would also ensure a sensitive transition of bulk and scale as the waterfront areas interface with the upland neighborhoods.

8-1 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

The proposed action is also not expected create a significant adverse impact upon visual resources as it is anticipated to improve the visual quality of the proposed action area through the replacement of dilapidated, and often vacant, lots and structures with new and more active uses. The proposed Waterfront Access Plan (WAP), which is included in the proposed action, would maintain, improve, and open additional significant visual and access corridors to the waterfront. Although the addition of new buildings along the waterfront would preclude skyward views at certain vantage points, the development controls of waterfront zoning and the proposed zoning text changes would provide new and unencumbered public views and vantage points for pedestrians at the water’s edge, where closed streets and lots along the waterfront do not allow public access today.

B. EXISTING CONDITIONS

Urban Design

Overview

The primary study area is contiguous with the proposed action area, an approximately 184-block area bounded roughly by the East River, the Williamsburg Bridge, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and McGuinness Boulevard. For the assessment of urban design, the proposed action area has been divided into three sub-areas: the waterfront, Upland Greenpoint, and Upland Williamsburg, as shown in Figure 8-1. The secondary study area, which extends a half-mile radius from the proposed action area, contains all or part of 612 blocks that span Greenpoint and Williamsburg. The secondary study area has been roughly divided into six sub-areas: Central Greenpoint, Northeast Greenpoint, the Williamsburg waterfront, Northside, Southside/South Williamsburg, and Eastern Williamsburg. These areas are identified in Figure 8-2.

The secondary study area is comprised of several grids of blocks that intersect or change orientation at features such as elevated roadways, service roads, parks, and large industrial/manufacturing or residential complexes. The majority of the blocks in the secondary study area are rectangular in form, while blocks that have tapered to triangular or trapezoidal forms often appear when grids meet or are reoriented around features such as parks or bridges. Lots are also typically rectangular, and buildings in the study area are generally oriented parallel to street lines.

Figure 8-3 illustrates the street hierarchy in the study area, which includes the BQE (I-278), a federal interstate highway; several major north-south and east-west avenues, many of which connect with the BQE; and a system of smaller one-way local streets, running roughly east-west. Though mapped, many streets connecting to the East River waterfront are blocked by fences or street closures created at and around industrial properties, which often span several blocks. Elevated roadways, including a segment of McGuinness Boulevard, the Williamsburg Bridge, and the BQE, slash through the urban fabric of the study area, creating punctuations between neighborhoods with their large size and their accompanying service roads, which generally contain light-industrial and automotive-oriented uses.

The urban form of the proposed action area varies widely and can be correlated to building’s original use and proximity to the historically industrial waterfront. Buildings formerly or currently catering to industrial and manufacturing uses are concentrated in areas within roughly two blocks of the East River

8-2 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 8-1 Urban Design & Visual Resources Primary Study Area

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T A H T N S L O R GG UEN P T A INQ A T R S BOR S S 1 V B S I R T C T S O S 8TH A T O ST DW V ST A YCK AY TEN E OLE Y S CK ST CH C T 2N N EY S Y D TE S 5 R S S T A W T V H Y S M P E A T X T N

E E S 9T S D S ME H H ST S O T G ST Y 3 TAG T N R S R S V D R T Y E P S ES ST A L K S T O R E SCH W A E E U S 9TH E R B N B ST Q K E U G - S

T S 10TH P 4 S ST G N T I O H H A Y S T R T W T O T S V L S SEROLE D K E S H M I S C O E S G S K 11TH O 5 ST N T W P L I R H S E L E L B T E H U B V N A A L SE E T NTRO V P I MO AV O S O D ION T YDIVISIO IV VIS B R M N AV N ISI DI S E E ST ON N U N M A D D A RU V O F A AV OE T O V SE B R O T B R H RO S L NT O R T A MO SON AV T M D R E S R EW JOHN S O L T R N A L E I P H Y A I T E B S S V A E E S IN T O B U T A K T U KIB R T V S N AV H MC S L M N S R A SO U G N E A E V HN ST H JO RUM M R O R P E W O M BO T S J C O B A L A S I I O I Y O C H L H T N W B T N S A E L L O S L A K GE B V H I T D E T O O S S A S M W R A E A T O S R R N T V H W T S S BIN A M I A IB E C K S M I O T M H V T R R T T T A S T E E S D T N S RW Y H R RE S R S O E E S O L A M Y T M N E N O S T T Y N T V L H D E E S O T C E T O A P E P D IGEL ST S R V G IV SE A D A IS RV E V IO ANNEL LO L NA ET ABOUT CH Y T VAR WALL A U T V T T R S S D R RE ST N A MOO O W LS Y I E C W H E T T V S S E T R S H T RET S S C VA G O T N S R S LY N R Y O E E T N LE D W D O Y D ST R T I COOK AV H M T ING K E H SH E A R LU N V O F

Feet Legend: 0250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 Primary Study Area (Proposed Action Area) ´ Secondary Study Area (1/2-Mile Radius) Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 8-2 Urban Design & Visual Resources Secondary Study Area

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F L E N O O O L E L

M R A N S D S B H R D P S T I A A T D M A G N R O E S B W T L S S O U AK S L A O H D T K O L V T T T U R S E L A V I S R M AN A A R S M N R M T O S N O R T N G T EG N I T O V Y G M T L T A A A U H S A C A N O D E S E N N E T R C N I RS L N A R T N A S I L A M C A O N S B I V R V T F N T A V K A S R T S F E Y N E L D T O O T S V R S K Y S E A S A R S T E T E T R D S M V R N E I S T K L P T E L QUAY ST K E N Central M

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Feet Legend: 0250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 Primary Study Area (Proposed Action Area) ´ Secondary Study Area (1/2-Mile Radius) Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 8-3 Street Hierarchy

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2 A T E D V R H N A N A S S R T 1 E AV A E V 3 K U K N T AU V M E N I S TTO 1 H AS N E T 1 1 N AV S S N IGGS O M Y T 4 G H R T T R DR ON H H H N H S U S T N N U S E I A T L T T S T N M N A 1 S O S R B N T 0 E T S R VT E G S O Y D H L Y A L S D C R L S L R E N S A A T B T D R K A S M T D N O M V LO N F H T T E 9 N C E T I O A S R H A G R M T V V V S R U T A L D ER T T NG O I A I E S D N V L A E O S V N AD R S R E N K T E E B R T S K 8 E T T S E H V A S N A B M T S L PL V G V ION N V A IG D VIS 7 A R T DI T D S S H T N Y S N R O T T E T PW S K N M ON W X T D S F 1 A E RT S G D N 2 E EM R N HERB E A 6 / V T N S R H N C H O B T A H T V N RI A A H S A S E E E E H N T T R N S E D U V E I T H T E R T D T A A K -Q O E N O Y N Y N P I N E S T U A Y R S A W A M L R T 5 B T E S T V K Y O H S R R O S F T A S N O S E R T M T T R V E T N S B B O T E Y N L R ON S T S R E D S S R 1 E H RICHAR S T 1 H G R R O E T T A H V E H ARD S U A IT Y N S N BA V W V N B V S M 3 T A A I R A N B A A R D N A D 1 O V T V 4 D T T E S T R 0T SON S S T S D L N H O H ICHAR ESP O R S D D S R ST F S ADAL CK TR T R A T O E D T ONO S T J U C V E N ST T I R T U S N T S R B 9 FROS N T I N T I E CC V H I M V P O A S A O N A S E A M N P E T I D LM S R D IL E K GN A T Y O S M 8 ST S S B G V RO E K I T F W O T ST E T R H P THERS R WI V E X W O D S T E T P T O U S T S O S SON S N ACK I N N L M G N J R 1 IT 7 N E S E E S A E T I ST E E T N H L S V V S ER U I A T S B ITH T A A T E W -Q ON S R V T ACKS V R O T N J H S U Y N R L T

O N 6T R K LLMAN AV E E SKI H I O GR P O P Y O AN S E D O T N R S S B G T N M AN AV A AV A M L E KILL R H 5 V S M T V E I T A P T H A AS H H M A S V T A S 1 N A S N M SHA T S 4T ST RON ST N A M T H YE D A ONSEL A S M C O E T V V A R R L

N G N E E V T L B O 1 O H A O H S N S U O S T N A N 2 S R N AV U N A S E METR U T T O T I PO D T A OL LITAN AV R P M A S I RO H ET V T S M T M R T F E I V B W I A L L E D L E A O M N I AN AV R O V V O TROPOLIT C N ME S R L I A A K E O S T J R P H V T G U L O T T A V R V G E S A P ST D N 3R N E VOE V A A E H D D S E S D S G T T T T E S Y K T T E A H C T R S S T T S R S C ST 1 Y T D S Y S S A P AN 4T T E ST R H W Y S M A SLIE G S V T N _AIN A ST T R E 30 A D U RS R K E O W T E D PO SM S R R B R 2N H JE O D N AU S O M R 5 F S H T T O U S ST G H D V P WER T E S E N PO A A T S S N E A T ND T I I NS L A G B O K S GR C P O Y A N E SG T 3 M EN V M R S T G A S IG D R 6 A A A T S V H R T G T N H S D N T V T D N S ND S I S RA E N T G L R U O S B E A T D 4 S T E F S H Y OW S O E A D 5T T P A H R ME M U ST N U PL V BO E QUE ER ST J E BR RIN N MAU OA V BO D V R G WAY I A O T E A H T N S PL O R GG EN E T TA B U A S BORINQ S R 1 V N ST B R S I RO T S C S 8 A O T N O TH S V T DW ST ST A A A YCK U S Y TEN E OLE D Y S T CH 2 U CK S S C T N TEN EY W Y S D S R 5 Y S E T A W Y T V H T A P S S M E E E A L T X O T Y N R E E E A S S 9T S D ME H S H ST S O T ST Y 3 TAGG T N R S R S V D R T Y E T P S ES S A L K S T O R W E SCH W A E E U B S 9TH E R N B ST Q K E U G - S T S 10TH S P 4 S ST G N T I O H H A Y S T R W T L O T V T S S EROLE D D S K S S E IV H M I IS S C IO O E S N G S K V 11TH A O 5 ON A S VN E T W T P S I E R H L N HN S E L JO L U E E B T R E H U E B V N A V A L SE I E R T NTRO R V P I MO V S O A O T D ION T YDIVISIO T S B N N S IV VI S R M AV S A ISI DI E P E ST HAM E ON N U N M GRA A D D A RU IN V O F A AV OE T O V SE B R O T B R H RO X L NT O R S T A MO SON AV T M D R E S R EW JOHN S O L T R N A L E I P P H E A IS T ON Y B S V E E E IN S RIS A T O B AR U T A K T U IB H R T V S N AV H MC K L N S S M R A SO U G N E A E HN T H S V JO UM S M R R O R P E W O M BO T S J O B C B A

L A S I O I S I Y O C O N L H H T TA N W B T N S AT N A E L L R L K G O S A GE G B H I V D E T O T S O S M W A R S A A A E T R N O S R R T V H W T S S E BIN A M I A B E KI S T O M T MC I H V T R T T R A T S S T E E S D T S N S S E T T RWY H R RE ME Y S R S O THA E E S O L A M N S M N E O T T T T Y N V L H D U E E S O T C E T O A P E P D IGEL ST S R V G IV SE A Y A IS RV D V I S O W E O ST K CHANNEL L Q L N RET ROC LLABOUT Y H T T A VA WA A - U S V T N R T D S N ST N R MOORE O N O A S C W ST IL Y OOK W S E E C W E H T T YN T V T E T E S S S S E S E S H T ST R G L T VARE R S U H C S G O T R N R Q G N R R S U - Y C O L O E E F Y B N R T N E K E N S Y U E T T W L E N R D L B S A Y M D V O K S T T A L A D K S E R T I I U COO AV A H OO M M T T V V L S O ING R K T E L O A B H H S I I R A R S G E A R L E L LU N P O F R V W B L M L T A I I A T B E T O O ISE S E A R W EVO U K S W O T P DEB ST E V L S S H R T A ET N E R S Y V G H TI P N R B N A R R A W MO O O O R V O T E D I L A C H B A G D EN W K T S W UNION AV H S S A B T T T A Y E A ES B R R A A V OR W E R VE F N

Feet Legend: 0250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 Primary Study Area (Proposed Action Area) Major Arterials Secondary Study Area (1/2-Mile Radius) Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (I-278) ´ Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

and Newtown Creek, and in certain upland portions of Williamsburg. These buildings include both low- rise, high lot coverage buildings that vary in their placement upon lots, as well as loft buildings of four to six stories. The industrial streetscapes are barren of street furniture and contain few trees. The vacant lots that punctuate the industrial waterfront, often overrun by wild grasses and trash, provide makeshift open spaces and informal vantage points for waterfront views. Sidewalks in these areas are generally unkempt and are often in poor condition. Streetscapes and sidewalks improve, however, in the residential and mixed-use areas farther inland from the waterfront, with more trees, street furniture, and better maintenance of public walkways.

The study area includes the Bushwick Inlet, a unique and protected cove inset from the coastline along the East River, just to the west of the intersections of Kent Avenue with N. 13th through N. 15 th Streets. The Bushwick Inlet, which is discussed in further detail in Chapter 10, “Natural Resources,” is a significant natural resource which has long been publicly inaccessible due to the waterfront buildings that border it. The study area is bounded to the west by the East River, and to the north and east by Newtown Creek. The topography of the area is relatively flat, especially along the shoreline, where extensive filling and leveling occurred in the mid-19th century, as discussed in Chapter 7, “Historic Resources.” There are several points that feature gentle downward slopes that meet the East River waterfront in Greenpoint just above the Bushwick Inlet and at the Williamsburg Bridge. These slopes are faintly visible to pedestrians in the streetscape, though not dramatic enough to be physically perceptible. The study area also includes several parks that provide pleasant surroundings for leisure activity and relaxation.

Primary Study Area (Proposed Action Area)

Waterfront

The waterfront portion of the proposed action area includes two groups of lots: the first is generally bounded by West Street, Commercial Street, and McGuinness Boulevard to the east; Quay Street to the south; and the East River to the north and west, with the exception of one block that protrudes to Franklin Street, between Dupont and Eagle Streets. The second group is bounded by Quay Street to the north, Kent Avenue to the east, North 3rd Street to the south, and the East River to the west, excluding the two entire waterfront blocks between North 7th and North 9 th Streets.

! Street Hierarchy, Street Pattern, and Block Form: The waterfront street system caters to local traffic. The three major arterials in this area: Kent Avenue/Franklin Street, Manhattan and Greenpoint Avenues, cater to two-way local traffic and are also designated as local truck routes. The remaining streets, generally oriented east-west, carry one-way traffic. The waterfront features a rectilinear street pattern, where the block forms maintain a rectilinear edge along Kent Avenue and West Street while the East River variegates their western boundaries. Kent Avenue and West Street run generally parallel to the waterfront edge while perpendicular to the parallel east-west streets, which are mapped as extending from these streets to the waterfront. Of the approximately 25 east-west streets in this region, only 10 reach the water’s edge, as built, publicly accessible streets, as shown in Figure 8-4. Those streets that reach the waterfront typically meet dead ends fenced off at the bulkhead line and are sometimes blocked by buildings or run through industrial lots gated from public access. Greenpoint Avenue extends westward one half-block past West Street and culminates at the entrance to a 1.6 acre grassy area, formerly the WNYC radio transmitter site, where planning for renovation into park space is underway.

8-3 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 8-4 Existing Blocked Waterfront Corridors in Proposed Action Area

K Legend: EE CR N W TO Primary Study Area (Proposed Action Area) EW ´ N

M Corridor Blocked at West St./Kent Ave./ ASHST C

G

M U Commercial St.

A I

N

N

T N S H L X ST E A A BO I S Corridor permeable; waterfront blocked C T S ER T A M B

M N L by structure O

C A

V T CLAY S Corridor permeable due to vacant use ST DUPONT or unlocked perimeter

T EAGLE S

ST Examples: FREEMAN Oak Street at West Street, facing west T GREENS

F

R

W A T E N S HURON S K

T L

I S N

T

S

T INDIA ST

JAVA ST

KENT ST

OINT AV GREENP

T MILTON S

T E NOBLE S L E O M N A A N R AK ST L O O H D T A S R S R T EG I T LY M T A U C ER A E C N R L A B I N S V F A V A S T F E N E L T O O R Java Street at West Street, facing west K Y E S E R ES R D S M N I S T L P T L QUAY ST K N

A

R D F O B B I BU N S G V H S A W E N T A ICK M RM I N O NL S N E 1 T T 5T H S T

N 12 TH S N T 1 A N 3T AU 1 H N ASS 1T S 14 N H T TH R S S E T T V N I 10 R TH T S S T A N E 9 TH S T N 8 TH S T S G N V IG 7 A R TH T D S N T E N K 1 N 2T 6T V H H A S S E T T H T N Y 5 W TH North 7th Street at Kent Avenue, facing west S T T S Y N R 1 R 1T E H AYAR N B S B 3 V T R N A N D D 1 S T 4 0 T S T R T H O H R S F S E T D T U C IV E N ST R B 9T N H I V O A S S T N

GN A M 8 E IG T V FRO TR R H O D S T T P T S S O N L N G R 1 IT 7 N E S A T I S V T N H L RS I S A S B THE R T V T E WI O N R ST U 6T R N G H I R YE O AN S E D T N ST N M 5 VE A TH A V S H S N T 1S T 4T ST H Y S W T P X N E 1S S 2 T S ND ST N ST E FIL E LM U O METROPOLITAN AV Q RE - P N GR L HO S V A P V Y 3R N E L D A D S A ST S T K E T Y O H C O Feet T S R 1 R Y ST A B S M W 0T 250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

! Building Arrangement, Bulk, Use, and Type: Floor area ratios (FARs) in this area range from below 1.0 to approximately 4.0, the higher end of which generally describes buildings built before the establishment of the NYC Zoning Resolution in 1916. The waterfront lots vary with regard to building arrangement and lot coverage. Lots that contain equipment, containers, vehicles, and other materials tend to have small accessory buildings; older loft buildings tend to be taller with high lot coverage, and warehouses tend to be one- to two- stories in height, with moderate to high lot coverage. With the exception of Newtown Barge Park, the waterfront lots along Commercial Street, west ofits intersectionwith Clay Street, feature large storage lots containing vehicles, buses, shipping containers, building materials, and small, low-coverage, administrative buildings. These uses extend to the lots between Box and Green Streets, which are used for open storage. These lots are closed off from public entry and view by a mixture of chain-link fencing and wild vegetation visible from the surrounding streets. Newtown Barge Park is nestled in among these open storage lots at Dupont Street.

Several industrial loft buildings, two to six stories in height with high lot coverage, extend along the waterfront from Box Street east to McGuinness Boulevard. Extending south from Huron Street, the majority of industrial buildings have high lot coverage and range from one to three stories in height. Just to the north of the Greenpoint Terminal Market, along the north side of Greenpoint Avenue, exists a cluster of seven three-story residential buildings of brick and mortar construction. The Greenpoint Terminal Market site, located between Oak Street and Greenpoint Avenue, features a five-story building that breaks the continuity of lower structures along the waterfront. The facility, as shown in Figure 8-5, is mostly vacant, featuring above- ground pedestrian bridges that form connections between its waterfront buildings as well as connections to buildings across West Street. At the southern end of the Greenpoint Terminal Market site stands a four-story, high coverage loft building. South of this site is a large, mostly paved lot containing a 4-story former freight terminal building. Several one-story retail and warehousing buildings stand between Quay Street and the Bushwick Inlet, and are pictured in Figure 8-5. South of the Bushwick Inlet, the Bayside Fuel site, located at North 12th Street, features large cylindrical fuel containers, several nondescript one-story buildings, a 3-story building, and vehicle parking. The blocks between North 10th and North 12 th Streets contain three large one-story file warehouse buildings and a garage for sanitation trucks. Vacant lots, fenced off from public view and access, are located between North 9th and North 10 th Streets, and between North 6th and North 7 th Streets. On the two lots between North 4 th and North 6 th Streets, two buildings, one to two stories in height, support truck storage and paper recycling facilities. The southernmost block in this area, between North 3rd and North 4 th Streets, contains a six-story loft building partially converted to residences.

! Streetscape Elements: The general streetscape of the waterfront area is unappealingly austere, featuring few attractive features (see Figure 8-6). The waterfront lots currently create a continuous barrier between the upland neighborhoods and the water’s edge–though often punctuated by intersecting streets or vacant lots, building walls and fences delineate property lines from the public right of way. Greenery is sporadically encountered on public sidewalks, and is more often noticed growing unkempt within the borders of lots that are vacant, industrial, or used for open storage (see Figures 8-7 and 8-8). Yellow bollards are often noticed at the garage entrances and curb cuts of industrial buildings, functional for vehicular users of these facilities and creating small but bright contrasts against drab building facades. Street lighting is provided by standard “cobrahead” lampposts, which are commonly found throughout the City. Sidewalks near the waterfront parcels are in varying states of repair and often littered with trash. Business names are found painted on the facades of the older industrial structures,

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though these businesses are usually no longer present; newer, active establishments tend to have physical signage attached to their facades.

! Natural Features and Topography: There are no significant natural or topographic features within the Greenpoint Waterfront area. Views of the East River, the Manhattan Skyline, and Long Island City are available over the low waterfront lots and over the open park areas (see Figure 8-7). The Bushwick Inlet, located on the East River to the south of Quay Street, is a shallow body of water that is protected from the strong East River tides by its inset position within the bulkhead line. The inlet is inaccessible to the public due to a perimeter of buildings and fences.

Upland Greenpoint

The upland Greenpoint area is located adjacent to the Greenpoint waterfront. This area includes all of the blocks bounded by West Street to the west and Franklin Street to the east; those blocks bounded by Commercial Street, McGuinness Boulevard, and Clay Street; and portions of the blocks between Clay and Dupont Streets, Freeman and India Streets, and between Kent and Milton Streets.

! Street Hierarchy, Street Pattern and Block Form: The principal arterials in Upland Greenpoint include Franklin Street, Manhattan Avenue, McGuinness Boulevard, and Greenpoint Avenue. The east-west streets carry local one-way traffic, with the exception of Greenpoint Avenue, which is two-way. This area features a rectilinear grid that is truncated to the north by Commercial Street to form triangular blocks, and tapered to the south as Kent Avenue/Franklin Street branches off into Banker Street. Blocks to the south of Dupont Street are 200 x 400 feet in size, while those to the north range from 200 x 400-foot triangles to 200 x 800-foot rectangular blocks.

! Building Arrangement, Bulk, Use, and Type: With the exception of low-coverage, single-story structures on open storage lots and vacant lots, buildings in this area are generally aligned with their lot boundaries. A large variety of buildings exists in this area. Residences characteristic of Central Greenpoint are found along Box and Clay Streets east of Manhattan Avenue, featuring a continuous streetwall of multifamily walk-up residences two to four stories in height (see Figure 8-8) and mixed residential/street-level commercial use along Manhattan Avenue. Residential buildings of similar bulk are found interspersed between West and Franklin Streets to the north of Kent Street and along the west side of Franklin Street from Kent Street to Eagle Street, which create semi-continuous frontages that are at times interrupted by low-rise industrial uses or vacant lots. The buildings between West and Franklin Streets to the north of Greenpoint Avenue, like those in the Northside neighborhood discussed in the next section, visibly exemplify the transition from industrial/manufacturing to mixed-use and residential apartments and low-rise loft buildings eastward to Franklin Street (see Figure 8-9).

The northernmost upland blocks along Commercial Street feature a few large, bulky industrial loft buildings ranging from three to four stories in height. Five- to six- story industrial loft buildings are present along Greenpoint Avenue between West and Franklin Streets, generally occupied by commercial and light industrial uses with some residential use; and along the east side of West Street from Oak to India Streets, a discontinuous group of lofts that includes the upland component of the Greenpoint Terminal Market. Three- to four-story residential buildings are found along Franklin Street between Green and Eagle Streets.

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Industrial/manufacturing and mixed-use buildings on the blocks between West and Franklin Streets have varied lot coverage but create a nearly continuous streetwall of up to six stories along the east side of West Street. Bulky low-rise industrial uses, generally one to two stories in height, line the south side of Green Street between Franklin Street and Manhattan Avenue. South of Greenpoint Avenue, a combination of taller loft buildings and low-rise, high-coverage industrial buildings line the blocks between West and Franklin Streets, with two- to four-story residential buildings along Franklin Street and between Oak and Quay Streets.

! Streetscape Elements: The industrial areas along Commercial and West Streets tend to be barren and uninviting. Street benches are present outside of several loft buildings along Commercial Street and around the perimeter of Greenpoint Park (see Figure 8-9), the latter of which also features decorative paving and many street trees. Street trees are occasionally found along the east-west streets, near the locations of mixed-use and residential buildings and rarely along West Street. Street trees are common along Franklin Street, accenting the semi- continuous streetwalls formed by the colorful brick facades of the residential buildings situated along this corridor. Curb cuts regularly punctuate the sidewalks for vehicle entry into properties.

! Natural Features and Topography: There are no significant natural or topographic features within the Upland Greenpoint area.

Upland Williamsburg

Upland Williamsburg is the largest sub-area of the proposed action area, extending east from Kent Avenue/Franklin Street to McGuinness Boulevard, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), and Union Avenue, and extending from Quay Street south to Grand Street and South 5th Street. With regard to urban design, it is also the most diverse.

! Street Hierarchy, Street Pattern, and Block Form:Themajorarterialinthisarea is Metropolitan Avenue which is oriented in the east-west direction and carries two-way traffic. McGuinness Boulevard; the BQE and its service road, Meeker Avenue; and Union Avenue are the arterials that form the eastern border of this area while catering to through and local traffic. The BQE is federally designated as Interstate Highway 278. Bedford Avenue, a northbound local street at the center of Northside-Williamsburg, is notable in that it experiences a moderate level of truck activity related to the commercial uses present on the street, as well as local vehicles and buses. The east-west streets of the Northside sub-area, like its blocks, are generally oriented perpendicular to the coastline and the north-south streets are parallel to the coastline. The section of Northside to the east of Union Avenue, just to the south of McCarren Park, is an extension of the Eastern Williamsburg grid that lies on the other side of the BQE. A majority of the blocks in this area are 200 x 400 feet in size with several larger blocks, approximately 200 x 500 feet, located to the east of Union Avenue. Irregular block forms are found at the corners of this sub-area, at the divergence of McGuinness Boulevard into Graham Avenue, and Humboldt Street, and to the northwest near the industrial waterfront.

! Building Arrangement, Bulk, Use, and Type: Buildings in this area, with the exception of automotive facilities and vacant lots, are generally aligned with their lot boundaries. This area also features a wide variety of building types.

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The core of this area is generally centered around the intersection of North 7th Street and Bedford Avenue. (see Figure 8-10). Historically residential, buildings in this area are generally attached and vary from three- to four- story multifamily residential dwellings, to converted industrial loft buildings. Continuous frontages of three- to four- story residential buildings are found along the east-west streets between North 4th and North 9 th Streets between Wythe Avenue and Roebling Streets, set back uniformly and generally interspersed with converted one- to two-story industrial lofts and the occasional vacant lot or structure. Similar buildings can be found on Grand Street and Graham Avenue and along Bedford Avenue from North 4th to North 12th Streets. In addition, those residential buildings along Bedford Avenue between North 3rd and North 9 th Streets and Grand Street between Bedford Avenue and Havemeyer Street feature nearly continuous street-level retail frontages. Street-level retail is also interspersed along Driggs Avenue, North 6th Street, and North 7 th Street.

Larger, 5-6 story loft conversions are found at North 11th and Berry Streets, and along North 4th and North 3 rd Streets. Further south from North 3 rd Street, attached residential buildings are found along the east-west streets with FARs of up to 3.0. Larger loft buildings, up to six stories in height, are found at many corners, often converted from industrial to residential use. Typical loft structures are located at North 3rd and 4 th Streets along Kent and Wythe Avenues; in the blocks south of North 6th Street east of Roebling Street; among the blocks between North 10th Street, Richardson Street, and McCarren Park; and among the blocks east of Bedford Avenue to the south of Metropolitan Avenue. These industrial buildings generally create a consistent streetwall with mixed-use industrial/residential buildings and feature high lot coverage and regular arrangement with respect to their lots. Several structures higher than six stories are found in Upland Williamsburg, along South 1st Street, South 5 th Street, Hope Street, and Metropolitan Avenue west of Wythe Avenue.

Automotive facilities, found primarily in areas near the BQE, generally exhibit FARs of up to 1.0 and varied lot coverage. Areas containing these facilities are also frequently punctuated by vacant lots. Low-rise industrial buildings, ranging from one to two stories in height are predominantly found along Kent Avenue/Franklin Street and Wythe Avenue between Meserole Avenue and North 9th Streets. These buildings tend to have high lot coverage and feature industrial, storage, and automotive uses. Buildings of similar bulk are found on the blocks bounded by Driggs Avenue, North 3rd , North 4 th , and Berry Streets; along North 5 th Street to the west of Berry Street; North 9th and North 10 th Streets to the east of Driggs Avenue; and along South 1st and South 2 nd Streets to the west of Wythe Avenue.

! Streetscape Elements: The industrial borders of the Upland Williamsburg area along Kent Avenue/Franklin Street and the BQE are bare and uninviting. Litter on the sidewalks from pedestrians, motorists, and vacant lots is common, there are a number of vacant lots, and street trees are few. Sidewalks along Meeker Avenue and the BQE are adjoined by lots storing automotive and vehicle parts, and vehicles in varying states of repair.

The streetscape of the inland core, given the presence of residents and pedestrians, is better maintained than the outskirts. Street trees regularly adorn the sidewalks along the Bedford Avenue, Grand Street, and North 6th Street corridors as do benches provided by local retail establishments. Distinctive signage periodically protrudes from the uniform streetwalls, especially along Driggs and Bedford Avenues, and North 6th , North 7 th , and Grand Streets, to signal the presence of cafes, galleries, and shops in the converted industrial storefronts (see Figure 8-10). Commonly found at the base of streetlights along the major mixed-use and retail

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thoroughfares are freestanding newspaper boxes that distribute local community papers and free weeklies. Stoops of multi-family residential buildings along Bedford Avenue provide informal seating for residents and passersby alike, while stoops of residential buildings along the east-west streets to the south of Grand Street cater to private use by residents. Stoops and setback areas at these residences are usually surrounded by fencing and/or shrubbery, and are often adorned with potted plants. Although vacant lots and structures are found throughout this area, they are concentrated along the BQE and south of Grand Street.

! Natural Features and Topography: There are no significant natural or topographic features within the Northside area. McCarren Park, a 35.7-acre park located at North 12th Street, offers seating areas and walking paths interspersed among green areas with trees and plantings. Nestled in between and shared by the communities of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, McCarren Park is considered to signify an informal border.

Secondary Study Area (½-Mile Study Area)

Central Greenpoint

The Central Greenpoint area contains the major commercial thoroughfares in Greenpoint: Manhattan Avenue, as it extends from Clay Street to McCarren Park, and Greenpoint Avenue. This region is roughly bounded to the north by Clay Street, Calyer Street, and Norman Avenue; to the east by McGuinness Boulevard and Humboldt Street; to the south by McCarren Park and the BQE; and to the west by Franklin Street and Banker Street. Three grid forms create the layout of this region, segmented by Calyer Street and McGuiness Boulevard.

Buildings are arranged linearly along blockfronts, creating continuous rows of three- and four-story residential buildings along the east-west streets and continuous street-level retail along the entirety of Manhattan Avenue and portions of Greenpoint Avenue. Residences in this area often feature small front setbacks for stoops, steps to below-grade levels, or small planting areas, and rear setbacks for yards, and often have brightly colored facades (see Figure 8-11). The east-west streets, with the exception of Greenpoint Avenue, feature a fairly continuous streetwall, at times interrupted by a garage or an alleyway. Street-level retail establishments are periodically present along Franklin Street. Mixed residential/ commercial and commercial buildings, ranging from two to four stories in height, line Manhattan Avenue, and are host to locally-oriented retail shops. Greenpoint Avenue and Manhattan Avenue feature nearly continuous street-level commercial retail facades beneath residential stories. The portion of Greenpoint Avenue in the secondary study area features a continuous streetwall of two- to four-story buildings, most of which are residential buildings with ground-floor retail.

Street trees generally line the east-west residential streets, and few street trees are distributed along Greenpoint and Manhattan Avenues. Street trees found along the predominantly residential east-west streets are generally found curbside, and are often accompanied by shrubs and smaller vegetation planted by residents within or at their property lines. New York City Transit (NYCT) bus shelters are frequently encountered along these two major thoroughfares. Decorative trash receptacles are found along the retail frontages of Manhattan Avenue. Decorative, “bishop’s crook” lampposts are also found along Manhattan Avenue, commemorating the Greenpoint Historic District (see Figure 8-11), while standard streetlights serve the rest of the area.

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Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

Northeast Greenpoint

Northeast Greenpoint is dominated by industrial and manufacturing activity. The Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) is the most prominent industrial tenant of the area. This region generally extends between McGuinness Boulevard and Newtown Creek, and is bounded to the south by Calyer Street, Humboldt Street, and Norman Avenue. McGuinness Boulevard and Greenpoint Avenue are the major arterials in the area. Greenpoint Avenue provides a connection to Queens to the east via the J.J. Byrne Memorial Bridge, which traverses Newtown Creek to Queens. McGuinness Boulevard rises above grade north of Freeman Street as it connects to the Pulaski Bridge, which connects this region to Long Island City in Queens (see Figure 8-12). This region features a row of 200 x 500-foot blocks located between McGuinness Boulevard and the Newtown Creek WPCP, which exists on a superblock spanning from McGuinness Boulevard to North Henry Street. These blocks align with the general North Greenpoint grid form. The street pattern is then reoriented to the south of Greenpoint Avenue. With the exception of some residential and commercial use along the east side of McGuinness Boulevard, this area is host to industrial buildings and warehouses of low height and high lot coverage, interspersed with loft buildings, vacant lots and parking lots.

Few streetscaping elements are found in this area, augmenting its bare, industrial character, and sidewalks are often occupied with loading and unloading activities of industrial businesses. In this region, street trees are found in abundance around the Newtown Creek WPCP, creating visual barriers between the industrial uses inside and the public streetscape (see Figure 8-12). Underneath the elevated portion of McGuinness Boulevard, litter is scattered along sidewalks that are in generally poor condition. Curb cuts and bollards are commonly visible at large industrial frontages and leading into lots for vehicles and equipment.

Williamsburg Waterfront

The portion of the Williamsburg waterfront located within the secondary study area includes blocks extending from the East River to Kent Avenue, between North 7th and North 9 th Streets, and between North 3rd Street and Clymer Street. The major arterials in the area include: Kent Avenue, which carries two-way traffic in the north and south directions; Metropolitan Avenue, Broadway, and Division Avenue, all of which carry two-way traffic in the east-west directions.

The Williamsburg Waterfront area features a grid uniformly oriented perpendicular to Brooklyn’s coastline at the East River, almost radial in the extension of the upland street patterns. Kent Avenue mimics the curvature of the coast line. Waterfront lots vary in size, with varying depths west of Kent Avenue but adhering to a rectilinear grid form along their eastern frontages. This area includes some one- to two-story buildings with moderate to high lot coverage, as well as taller buildings and residential development sites. The blocks between North 3rd Street and Grand Street contain Con Edison facilities, a New York Power Authority generation facility, and Grand Ferry Park. The Domino Sugar site, which contains several buildings of up to 11 stories and a prominent emissions stack, is located between Grand Street and South 5th Street. Several vacant lots, overgrown with grasses, exist underneath the structural supports of the Williamsburg Bridge at South 6th Street and the coastline (see Figure 8-13). Further to the south, the former site of the Kedem Winery, at South 8th Street, contains a combination of vacant land and a two-story building being used as a private educational facility. The former site of the Schaefer Brewery, just below South 9th Street, is undergoing construction of new residential buildings of up to 25 stories.

Street trees are scarce throughout this region, whereas wild vegetation is often seen growing out from within the borders of industrial and vacant lots. Street trees line the east-west streets, generally

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Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

accompanying low-rise residential buildings. Aside from the lampposts furnishing street lighting, no street furniture is found in this area. Sidewalks and structures are in varying states of repair, and areas around vacant structures and around the support structures to the Williamsburg Bridge are littered with trash. Curb cuts for vehicles into industrial and warehouse buildings are found along most building frontages. There are no significant natural or topographic features within the Williamsburg Waterfront area. Views of the Williamsburg Bridge, and limited views of the Manhattan Skyline and the Manhattan Bridge are generally available from street level. Views of the East River are generally limited to publicly accessible streets that meet the waterfront.

Northside

Although most of the Northside neighborhood is within the proposed action area, four groups of blocks are located within the general boundaries of the proposed action area but would not be affected by the proposed action. Two enclaves of one- and two-story industrial buildings stand to the southwest and west of McCarren Park, along the east side of Wythe Avenue between North 12th and North 9 th Streets and along the west side of Berry Street between North 12th and Banker Streets. These buildings contain light industrial uses, such as metalworking, and are part of existing M1-2 and M1-1 light manufacturing districts. Lastly, a group of ten lots on a block bounded by Hope, Grand, Roebling, and Havemeyer Streets is not included in the proposed action area. Three-story multifamily residential walkup buildings, with frontages on Hope and Roebling Streets, flank several lots used for parking and a single-story industrial building.

Southside/South Williamsburg

The Southside/South Williamsburg portion of the secondary study area extends east from Kent Avenue to Union Avenue, roughly bounded to the north by Grand Street and to the south by a boundary roughly created by an east-west axis drawn at the intersection of Bedford Avenue and the BQE. This sub-area contains the Williamsburg Bridge and its elevated roadway connections to the BQE, and features four major arterials: two two-way arterials oriented in the east-west direction, Broadway, and Division Avenue; and UnionAvenue, a two-wayarterial oriented in the north-south direction that forms the eastern border of the sub-area. The BQE and Meeker Avenue slice through this area and the BQE forms its elevated connection with the Williamsburg Bridge in the vicinity of South 6th Street and Broadway. The J, M and Z train lines run along an elevated route following the Williamsburg Bridge to Roebling Street, at which point the route continues southeast along Broadway, further dividing the streetscape (see Figure 8-13.) North of Division Avenue, streets oriented in the east-west direction run perpendicular to the coastline, while those oriented north-south run parallel to the coastline. South of Division Avenue, the grid is reoriented, running perpendicular to the Brooklyn Navy Yard and to Kent Avenue. The three grid forms in this area are delineated by its major arterial streets: the BQE, Division Avenue, and Broadway.

Broadway is the major retail spine of the Southside/South Williamsburg sub-area, providing locally- oriented street-level retail. The streetwalls of Broadway and Division Avenue feature stretches of discontinuity, generally correlated to sites of industrial uses or open storage uses, that punctuate the continuity created by residential building facades (see Figure 8-14). Local east-west streets in Southside/South Williamsburg are dominated by multifamily residential buildings ranging from 2 to 6 stories in height, typically creating a semi-continuous streetwall and moderate to high lot coverage (see Figure 8-14.) The tallest structures in this area, by comparison, are NYCHA subsidized housing developments, generally located to the southeast, with the exception of the Jonathan Williams Houses, a complex of five buildings up to twenty-one stories in height located along the north side of Division Avenue at Roebling Street. The cluster of public housing in the southeast includes Bedford Gardens,

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Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

Independence Towers, Cooper Park Houses, and the Taylor Wythe Houses. A group of blocks located to the southwest of the proposed action area, to the north of South 4th Street, contains one- to two-story industrial buildings with high lot coverage used for light industry and transportation-related uses.

Eastern Williamsburg

The Eastern Williamsburg portion of the secondary study area extends from the BQE and Union Avenue eastward and southeastward to Porter, Morgan, Bushwick, and Division Avenues. Most of this area is predominantly residential, with several large-scale superblock housing complexes, and industrial use predominating to the east of Kingsland and Morgan Avenues. Vacant lots are found throughout this area, but are more common south of Grand Street. Eastern Williamsburg features four major arterials: Graham, and Bushwick Avenues, major two-way collectors oriented in the north-south direction; and Metropolitan and Division Avenues providing east-west routes across the area. The BQE and Meeker Avenue form the western boundary of this area.

Three major grids comprise this region. The largest grid form consists of 200 x 400-foot and 200 x 500- foot blocks oriented perpendicular to Union Avenue. This grid extends eastward from Union Avenue to the intersection of Metropolitan, Maspeth, and Bushwick Avenues. From this intersection, several blocks extend radially eastward towards Kingsland and Morgan Avenues. These thoroughfares formthe western boundary of another grid form which runs parallel to the boundaries of the East Williamsburg In-Place Industrial Park.

Automotive and light industrial uses lie along the southern side of the BQE and Meeker Avenue, featuring single- and two- story buildings with low lot coverage (see Figure 8-15.) In addition, industrial and manufacturing uses are found at and east of Kingsland and Morgan Avenues, where building heights decrease to single-story buildings with full lot coverage. Many of these buildings are located within the East Williamsburg In-Place Industrial Park (EWIPIP), which, as detailed in Chapter 2, “Land Use, Zoning, and Public Policy,” is an approximately 150-block area that contains a mixture of industrial and manufacturing establishments.

The majority of Eastern Williamsburg is comprised of 200 x 400 foot blocks of attached and semi- attached multifamily residential structures that range from two to six stories in height. The continuity of this mid-rise residential fabric is broken, but accentuated, by three large residential clusters. The Cooper Park Houses, a federally subsidized housing development of eleven seven-story apartment buildings, stands between Eastern Williamsburg and the EWIPIP. The Williamsburg Houses are in the center of Eastern Williamsburg, encompassing four superblocks on which twenty four-story apartment buildings stand. The Lindsay Park Houses, located southeast of the intersection of Montrose and Union Avenues, occupy three superblocks containing four buildings twenty-one to twenty-two stories in height (see Figure 8-15).

Perimeter fencing and plantings are commonplace along the residential corridors, where single and multifamily residential buildings create continuous streetwalls from east to west. These corridors are occasionally punctuated with driveways and curb cuts that lead to inset garages. Commercial corridors, such as Graham Avenue, feature local retail and service establishments with bright, varied signage.

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Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

Visual Resources

Based on criteria outlined by the CEQR Technical Manual, 19 resources have been identified as having visual significance in the half-mile study area. These resources include views of significant historic and architectural landmarks and views of natural areas, the East River, the Manhattan skyline, and the Williamsburg Bridge. Table 8-1 outlines these 19 resources. Figure 8-16 illustrates the location of these resources, and Figures 8-17, 8-18, 8-19, and 8-20 provide photographs of each resource, with the exception of Greenpoint Park, which is pictured in Figure 8-9. Resources identified in Figures 8-16 to 8- 20 are also noted with their respective key numbers provided in Table 8-1.

C. THE FUTURE WITHOUT THE PROPOSED ACTION (NO-ACTION)

In the future without the proposed action, it is anticipated that recent development trends away from industrial/manufacturing use and towards residential use within the proposed action area would continue. As noted in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” no new industrial buildings have been constructed in the past 10 years, and although many waterfront parcels could be used for industrial uses as-of-right, the growth of industrial space is unlikely. As a result, there would be no substantial change in urban design conditions or views of visual resources in the future without the proposed action. As is discussed in this section, some as-of-right developments and BSA-approved developments are expected to occur both within the proposed action area and the surrounding area, including developments on some of the projected development sites included in the Reasonable Worst Case Development Scenario (RWCDS) furnished by DCP.

Of the 76 projected development sites in the RWCDS, DCP has identified 30 sites which are expected to be developed, converted, or reactivated in the future without the proposed action (an additional five sites would experience continued residential use). Of these 30 sites, 13 are expected to undergo reactivation or conversion of an existing building, and 17 sites would feature new development projected to occur compliant to as-of-right zoning or through BSA variances in the future without the proposed action. For analysis purposes, only those sites that would accommodate new above-ground construction will be discussed.

The No-Action RWCDS indicates that the proposed action area would attain an additional 68,500 sf of commercial space and 866 residential dwelling units (DUs) under Scenario A. In addition to the commercial and residential development included in Scenario A, Scenario B considers the scenario in which the proposed TransGas Energy facility has been approved for development at the Bayside Fuel site.

Urban Design

Overview

In the future without the proposed action, RWCDS projected developments and No-Action development sites are expected to contribute site-specific improvements in the visual quality of the urban design study area. However, given the modest number and distribution of these developments throughout the study area, it is anticipated that overall conditions would remain essentially unchanged under Scenario A. Under

8-12 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 8-16 Locations of Visual Resources

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T N S H L ST E A BOX IA S C T S Newtown ER T L A B P A M AI N N M L DG O E A A C A V ST C V CLAY Barge Park K T E S E ST Y ONT R DUP R 15 C N 14 E E L H A H H T E ST W EAGL R O Greenpoint Park N ST FREEMAN

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R A M S N S D B H R D P T I A A S T D M A G 9 N R O E S B W T L S O AK S S U A Playground L O H D K O T L V T T T U R S E L S R A M N AV I A R S MA N S R M O R N T T NO G T EG N I T O V Y G L M T T A A A U H S A N C A O D E S E N N E T R C N I R L N A R T N A S I A L M A O C N S S I T B V R V N F A V K S T R A T S F E Y N E L D T O O T S V R S K Y E S S A A T E R S T E T R D S M V R N I E S T K L P T L E QUAY ST K E N M

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R D S F O V SSAU A T B NA E B W V I Y N A A R G ER V R R H E S A C N I T M T MA C OR K A N S N Monsignor V 1 A 5 T T V H TH S AN T McGolrick Park

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2 A T V R H 17 N A N A S S R T 1 AV A E V N 3 U K U K T A V M E N I S TTO H N E 1 AS V E ST 1 1 N N S A S IGG O M Y T 4 G R H T T R DR ON H H N H H U S S T N N U T S E I A T S T L N M N A E S IN 1 S O B R N 0 E T T R VT E G S O Y D H L Y A L S D V C L L S R L R E N S A A T T B I R K A D S M D N O M T V LO F H T T E N C Y 9 O E A T S R H A G R R M T V V V S R U T A D R I T NGE T O A I E S K D N V L A E O S V N AD S R R E R T N T E E B T S K S 8 E T T S E H V A S S A B M T S L PL V G V N D SIO N N V 12 IG VI A 7 A R T DI T D S S H T McCarren Park N Y S N O T A E T E T W S K N M P ON W X T D S 1 A E RT S G D N 2 E BEM E R T T N HER A V N S R H 6 N O B C T A H H T V N RI H S A S A E A E E E H N T T R N T S D U V T H T E 6 E I R T D T 13 A A K -Q O N E O Hecla Iron Works N N P I Y Y N E S T A Y R S A M L R A T A 5 W B T E S T V K Y O H S R R O S F T A S O S E R T M T T R V E N T H S B B O R T N L S Y SON R T E D S S R 1 E CHAR S 1 H RI G T H R R T 5 O E N T 19th PoliceA Precinct H E H ARD S U A IT Y N S N BA V W V N B V S M 3 T A A I R N A B A A N R A D Russian OrthodoxD 1 O V T V 4 D T T E S T R 0T SON S S T S D L N H H AR ES Station House & Stable O ICH O S D S R D R S F S ADAL CK TR T R A M T O E D T O S T J ON PU U C V N ST T I E R T S CathedralB of the9 N ST S R RO N T I F T I E CC H I M V P V O A S A O N A S E A M N P M T I D L S R D IL E K GN A T Y O S M 8 ST S S B TransfigurationG V RO E I T F W O T T T H P RS S E R R X WITHE O D S T E W V T P T S O S O S ON ST N CKS I N L G N JA S R 1 IT 7 N E of Our Lord E 19 E S A T I ST E V T N H L RS U I S E A T A S B ITH Q N ST R V T E W - CKSO V O T N JA

S U Y N R L 6 R N K N AV T E O SKILLMA H I GR Y O O AN S E D T N R 18 S B G T N M MAN AV AV E A ILL R 5 V SK TH V E Grand Ferry Park T A P H A AS H H M S V N T A S 1 A S 4 M CooperSHAR Park T T ST ON ST N S A M T H LYE D ONSE A S M C O E T V

A R R L

N G N E V T L H B O 1 O A O H S S U N S T N A O U 2 S R N AV N A S E METR D T IT T OPOLIT R T A OL AN AV P M A S I RO H T V T E T S M M R T W I F V B W I A L L E D L E A O i N M I l R O V AN AV V O TROPOLIT C N E S l M L i R I A A K a E O S T J R m G P H V U T L O T T A S V RA P V ST E s N 3R N E VOE V D A A E H D D D S b E S S G T T T T E S Y u K T E T H C T A r S S g T T S R S C ST 1 Y T D S Y S S A P AN B 4T T E ST R H W Y S M A SLIE G r S V T N _AIN T E 30 S i T R S d A D K R R WE g O O MT E D P S e S R R B R 2 JE O ND AU S O M R 5 F S H T T O U ST G H P RS E 3 D V E WE T S N PO S A T S N E A T ND T I SN L A G B O R K S G C P Y A N E SG T 3 EN V M R S G T S IG D R A 6 A S A A T V H R T G T N H S D T V T D N S ND S A E N I S GR L Former Opera T R U O S B E T D 4 S E F TH 11 Y OW S S O E D 5 P A TH T R ME M L U BO S N UP 8 T HouseE Building UE R ST Q JE E B IN N AU RO V BOR M AD R G KingsW CountyAY I A O T A H T N S PL O R GG 7 UEN T TA A BORINQ S R S 1 V ST B S I Savings Bank RO T S C S 8TH A T O ST DW V T 10 A CK ST S S AY TEN EY LE Y HO S 2 CK ST SC C T N TEN EY Y S D S 5 R S T A W Y T V H ST S M P E E WilliamsburgA T L X O T N R E E E S S 9T S D ME H H S ST Former SparrowS O T G ST Y 3 TAG T N R S R S V D R T Y E T P S ES S A L K Savings Bank S T O R E SCH W A E E U S 9TH E R B N B ST Q K E U G Shoe Factory - S T S 10TH P 4 S ST G N T I O H H A Y S T R W T L O T V T S S EROLE D S S K H ME I S C O E S G S K V 11TH S O 5 ON A T N R T W P S L I H HN S E L JO E L B T R E H U E B V N A V A L SE I E T NTRO R V P I MO V S O A O T D ION T YDIVISIO T S N N S IV IVI S B R M AV S A ISI D E E ST HAM E ON N U N M GRA AV D D A V RU IN O F A A OE T O V SE B R O T B R H RO L NT O R S T A MO NSON AV T M D R E S R NEW JOH S O L T P R H A L E I A I T ON P V Y E E S B S IS S A E O BIN ARR U T A T K T U IB H H K R T V S N AV MC L N S S M R A O U S G N E A E HN T H V JO UM S M R R O R P E W O M BO T S J C O B A B

L A S I I I Y O O C N O L H T TA N W B H T N S AT A E L L R L K O S A GE G G B V H I D E T T O O S S M W A S A A R A E T R N O S R R T V H W T S S BIN A I B M E A KI S T O M T MC I H V T R T T R T A S T E E S S D T T N S S WR Y H R RE T AME E S R S O TH E S O Y L A M M N E N O S T T T Y N T V L H D E E S O T C E T O A P E P D EL ST S R V IV SEIG A Y G A I RV D V SI W E O ST K S ANNEL LO L N ET ROC ABOUT CH Y H T A VAR WALL A U T V T T N R S S N D T N R OORE S O O A M S C W ST IL Y OOK W S E E C W E H T T N T V T S E T E S S S E E S ST R S G H ET U T VAR R S H C G O R N S R T Q R R S U - G Y N C O L O E E F Y B N R N E T E S Y U E T T N W L E N R D L B S M D V A Y K S T O A D ST A L R T I I U COOK AV E A H O M T V V L M S O T NG R K T E L O A B H HI S I I R A R S G E A R L E L LU N P F R V W B L M L O T A I I B E T R A O ISE ST E A W EVO U K S W O T P DEB ST E V L S R T S A ETH N E S Y V G H TI P N R B N A R R A W MO O O O R V O T E D I L A C H A G D EN W K S W UNION AV H S A B T T A Y E A B R A AV V

Feet Legend: 0250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 Proposed Action Area 1 Visual Resources ´ Secondary Study Area (1/2-Mile Radius)

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

TABLE 8-1 Visual Resources in the Study Area

Key Resource # Name Location Resource Description(1) Description of Views

1 East River Along the west and River body running between Visible from several northwest border of Upper New York Bay and the east-west streets that the study area Long Island Sound, which reach the water’s edge, separates the boroughs of as well as from vacant Manhattan and the Bronx lots west of Kent from Brooklyn and Queens. Avenue/Franklin Street

2 Manhattan The eastern border of The mixture of buildings that Visible from most points Skyline Manhattan, across constitute the Manhattan along the waterfront the East River from skyline. Views of such the study area structures as the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the United Nations are visible from Greenpoint, while Stuyvesant Town, the MetLife Tower, and Con Edison substation are visible from Williamsburg.

3 Williamsburg Broadway &West St. City-owned vehicular bridge Bridge visible from Bridge traversing the East River to most points along the connect Brooklyn and waterfront Manhattan.

4Astral 184 Franklin St. Model tenement apartments; Visible from its Apartments NYCL, S/NR immediate surroundings

5 Russian 228 North 12th St. Yellow brick church featuring Visible from its Orthodox onion domes; NYCL, S/NR immediate surroundings; Cathedral of the visible from McCarren Transfiguration Park of Our Lord

619th Police 43 Herbert St. / 512- Former police station of Visible from its Precinct Station 518 Humboldt St. Romanesque revival style; immediate surroundings House & Stable NYCL

7 Williamsburg 175 Broadway (at Domed bank building of Visible from its Savings Bank Driggs) Italian Renaissance style; immediate surroundings NYCL, S/NR

8 Kings County 135 Broadway Bank building representative Visible from its Savings Bank of French Second Empire immediate surroundings style; NYCL, S/NR

9 Greenpoint All or parts of 10 A variety of apartment Visible from its Historic blocks in Greenpoint buildings and houses built immediate surroundings District during Greenpoint’s industrial prosperity; NYCL, S/NR (1) NYCL - Resource is a New York City Landmark; S/NR - Resource appears on the State/National Register of Historic Places; S/NR eligible - Resource has been declared eligible for S/NR designation.

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TABLE 8-1 (continued) Visual Resources in the Study Area Key Resource # Name Location Resource Description(1) Description of Views

10 Former 185 Broadway Cast-iron building; heard by Visible from its Sparrow Shoe LPC, S/NR eligible immediate surroundings Factory

11 Former Opera 253 Roebling Street Cast-iron building; S/NR Visible from its House Building eligible immediate surroundings

12 Hecla Iron 100-118 North 11th Four-story industrial building Visible from its Works Building Street with cast-iron facade; NYCL, immediate surroundings S/NR eligible

13 McCarren Park Bounded by Nassau NYCDPR Public Park Visible from immediate Ave., Bayard, surroundings and north- Leonard, & N. 12th south thoroughfares Sts. leading to it

14 Greenpoint Commercial, NYCDPR Public Park Visible from its Park Franklin, & Dupont immediate surroundings; Sts. offers East River views

15 Newtown Commercial, NYCDPR Public Park Visible from its Barge Dupont, & West immediate surroundings; Park Sts. offers East River views

16 American Franklin, Milton, & NYCDPR Public Park Visible from its Playground Noble Streets immediate surroundings

17 Monsignor Driggs & Nassau NYCDPR Public Park Visible from its McGolrick Aves., Russell and immediate surroundings Park Monitor Sts.

18 Cooper Park Sharon & Olive NYCDPR Public Park Visible from its Sts., Maspeth & immediate surroundings Morgan Aves.

19 Grand Ferry East River, Grand NYCDPR Public Park Visible from its Park Street, Kent Ave. immediate surroundings; offers East River views (1) NYCL - Resource is a New York City Landmark; S/NR - Resource appears on the State/National Register of Historic Places; S/NR eligible - Resource has been declared eligible for S/NR designation; NYCDPR - New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Scenario B, the TransGas power plant would alter the visual quality of the waterfront and the immediately surrounding area.

Primary Study Area

Waterfront

In the 2013 future without the proposed action, several projects would be developed in the Waterfront sub-area under No-Action Scenario A. These projects include a streetscaping project, two new uses in

8-14 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

existing buildings, two open spaces, and additionally, under Scenario B, a power plant. The locations of these developments, with the exception of the streetscaping project, are illustrated in Figure 8-21.

The Reconstruction of Kent Avenue/Franklin Street by the NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) is expected to be completed in the future without the proposed action. This reconstruction project spans Franklin Street from its intersection with Commercial Street in Greenpoint to its intersection (as Kent Avenue) with the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Williamsburg, and will repave and resurface the street as well as provide sidewalk improvements, sewer upgrades, water infrastructure upgrades, lighting, and traffic control improvements. This reconstruction, scheduled for completion in 2008, is expected to enhance the development of the surrounding properties by improving vehicular and pedestrian traffic circulation conditions, directly addressing the poor conditions of this corridor noted in the discussion of existing conditions.

The WNYC Transmitter site, a grassy lot approximately 1.6 acres in size, is expected to be renovated into a primarily passive recreation area by the analysis year of 2013. At present, the site is closed off from public access and is in generally poor condition. Currently a one-story building used by NYCDPR for maintenance exists on the site. It is anticipated that a pier would be constructed at the site, which would provide recreational opportunities and closer contact with the East River for park users. This development would provide a much needed improvement to the site, as well as a positive amenity at the water’s edge for the community.

In addition, a new 0.2-acre open space at the Manhattan Avenue Street end is expected by 2005 in conjunction with the reconstruction of Manhattan Avenue, scheduled for completion in the summer of 2005. The site would contain a passive recreation area containing sitting areas, pedestrian pathways, and a canoe launch at the water’s edge, and is being developed by NYCDOT.

The No-Action RWCDS also indicates that 15,000 sf of new commercial use (a catering hall) would be developed at Site 3, located between Freeman and Green Streets at the waterfront. In addition, there is a residential conversion planned for 184 Kent Avenue, an existing six-story loft building at the waterfront between North 3rd and North 4 th Streets, that is not included in the No-Action RWCDS. The project is currently in the application stage for a BSA variance, under which the building would be converted further to residential use with the potential for the addition of several stories on top. The 184 Kent Avenue development would provide a 0.1-acre promenade for public waterfront access, accompanying the development of residential units with an amenity for the surrounding community.

Under Scenario A, the urban design of the Waterfront sub-area of the primary study area is expected to improve slightly as a result of the site-specific open space improvements and streetscape improvements. Although the development projected on Site 3 and the proposed BSA variance at 184 Kent Avenue would create new and possibly expanded structures, respectively, overall future No-Action conditions would be similar to existing conditions.

Under Scenario B, the TransGas Energy Facility, a 1,100 MW power plant, is assumed to be approved for development, and would be constructed on the Bayside Fuel site, the lot situated along the southern edge of the Bushwick Inlet, roughly between North 12th and North 14 th Streets. The facility would have varying height components, with a main building base 60 feet in height, a 122-foot high building component and a 325-foot ventilation stack. Although this development proposes an industrial use similar to that which exists at this site, the development would also be of an appreciably different scale from the site’s existing condition, which contains several one-story buildings, one three-story building, a vehicle parking area, and large cylindrical fuel containers. The height and bulk of the main building for the

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TransGas power plant would be significantly larger than the buildings in its vicinity, with its stack visible from upland areas.

Under Scenario B in the future without the proposed action, it is also expected that the Waterfront sub- area of the proposed action area would be similar to existing conditions. However, the urban design of the area at and around the Bushwick Inlet, with regards to bulk, scale and height, would change quite drastically as a result of the TransGas Energy facility development.

Upland Greenpoint

In the 2013 future without the proposed action, the northern (Franklin Street) segment of the Kent Avenue/Franklin Street Reconstruction, as discussed above, will have been completed. In addition to the repaving and resurfacing of the roadways, repairs will be made to the sidewalks to functionally and aesthetically improve the corridor.

As shown in Figure 8-21, four developments located in the Upland Greenpoint sub-area are anticipated as part of the No-Action RWCDS. An estimated 39,000 sf residential conversion is projected at Site 19, a 2,640 sf residential reactivation is projected at Site 29, and 12,000 sf of commercial space is projected for development at Site 55 through a conversion from industrial to commercial use. These three sites would undergo no change in bulk. In addition, 15,217 sf of new residential construction, pursuant to R6 regulations in the Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District, is projected at Site 39, which is currently a vacant lot. As there are no height limits in R6 zoning districts, this development has the potential to be taller than the three- and four-story residential buildings that form its context.

In the future without the proposed action, the urban design of the Upland Greenpoint sub-area as a whole is expected to remain similar to existing conditions, given that the majority of projected developments in this scenario consist of actions, such as conversions, that would maintain existing building forms while incorporating new uses. However, Site 39 is an exception, as it may create a structure that is different from other structures in this area.

Upland Williamsburg

The Upland Williamsburg area, comprising the largest portion of the proposed action area, would contain 23 No-Action RWCDS projected developments and a streetscape improvement project along Manhattan Avenue. According to the No-Action RWCDS, there are 23 sites projected for new development in the Upland Williamsburg area in the future without the proposed action. The locations of these sites are illustrated in Figure 8-21. Of the 23 projected developments in this area, 10 sites would undergo use conversions for existing vacant and industrial buildings to accommodate residential and commercial use, in line with ongoing trends. The remaining 13 sites would undergo new construction.

New residential development is projected to occur at Site 90 in the future without the action, which would yield 15,564 sf of residential use on a site to the east of McCarren Park that currently contains vehicle and open storage use and would create a building which could be as tall as 6 stories at the front lot line, and would not be subject to a height limit. Three additional lots located to the south of McCarren Park, Sites 108, 110, and 111, that are currently used for vehicle and open storage uses would undergo new residential construction. These three sites are currently unimproved, and in the future without the action would contain buildings that could be as tall as 6 stories at the front lot line and not subject to a height limit. The five 4-story industrial loft buildings at Site 105, located along the south side of Bayard Street across from McCarren Park, are slated to undergo a full conversion to residential use. In addition, a permit

8-16 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

has been granted for the construction of a new residential tower at Site 105. Site 185 is comprised of seven vacant lots at Kent Avenue and North 7th Street, an area zoned M3-1, and would undergo new residential construction to yield 45,000 sf of residential use pursuant to a BSA variance. Sites 190, 191, and 193, which are located along North 7th and North 8 th Streets between Bedford Avenue and Roebling Street, would feature new residential development, with buildings up to 6 stories tall at the front lot line, and not subject to a height limit. At present, Site 190 currently contains a low-rise industrial structure, Site 191 contains two vehicle and open storage lots that contain buildings with FARs of 0.05 and 1.16, and one an industrial lot featuring a low-rise industrial building with an FAR of 1.0. Site 193 is a vacant lot.

In addition, conversion of industrial space to retail space would occur at Site 102, which contains two single-story buildings with full lot coverage that are used for industrial and automotive uses, and at Site 207, an industrial building that is presently vacant. Site 207, which has its frontage along North 6th Street, would further the street-level retail character of the thoroughfare. The three buildings on the aforementioned No-Action sites have FARs of approximately 1.0.

The developments projected in the future without the action for the Upland Williamsburg area are illustrative of the ongoing growth of residential and commercial use throughout the area. The height, bulk, and setbacks of these structures would be determined by the terms of the site-specific conversions and BSA zoning variances granted to developers, and can vary from site to site. In the case of as-of-right development, such design characteristics would be determined by existing zoning and could include buildings that are significantly taller than their surroundings, given that there are no height limits set forth by the zoning designations (N-R6(M), M3-1 e.g.) in the areas that would undergo development. In the future without the proposed action, the overall urban design of the Upland Williamsburg sub-area of the proposed action area is anticipated to remain similar to existing conditions due to the limited amount of development projected to occur.

Secondary Study Area

There are 83 sites in the secondary study area that are expected to be developed with residential uses in the future without the proposed action. These sites, as shown in Figure 8-22, would result in a total of 2,188 DUs. Two of the developments would also yield 39,300 sf of commercial space. These developments are projected to arise from residential conversions and as-of-right development, with the exception of Sites S1, S2, S3, and S4. Sites S1, S3, and S4, discussed as part of the Williamsburg Waterfront sub-area of the secondary study area, have filed site-specific rezoning applications and are pending approval or approved for residential development. Site S2 was rezoned to residential as part of the Williamsburg Bridge Rezoning adopted in 1998.

Central Greenpoint

In the Central Greenpoint sub-area of the secondary study area, there are 10 No-Action sites anticipated for residential development as-of-right under the existingR6 zoning. Site S41 currently contains a 3-story building that would be used for residential uses. Site S42 currently contains a vacant lot upon which a residential structure would be built in accordance with R6 zoning, which allows heights of up to 6 stories at the front lot line and does not limit heights. Other sites that would be built under the same R6 bulk regulations include Site S43, a lot that is currently vacant and located along Guernsey Street; Site S44, a 4-story building undergoing conversion to residential use; Site S45, which is a single-story industrial building undergoing expansion to residential use. The lots that comprise Sites S46, S47, S48, S49, and

8-17 Feet Legend: 0250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 Proposed Action Area Urban Design Analysis Subareas Eastern Williamsburg Secondary Study Area (1/2-Mile Radius) Northeast Greenpoint Northside ´ Secondary Study Area No-Build Sites Central Greenpoint Southside/South Williamsburg Williamsburg Waterfront

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2 6 2 6 8-STORY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, AT THE TIME EXISTING S 5 S12 2 3 1 3 9 S 2 CONDITIONS WERE COMPILED IN LATE 2003, FINAL CERTIFICATES S S11 OF OCCUPANCY HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED AND THEY WERE NOT FULLY OCCUPIED. THEREFORE, THEY ARE INCLUDED IN THE NO-ACTION CONDITION FOR ANALYSIS PURPOSES.

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 8-22 No-Action Sites in the Secondary Study Area Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

S50, along Engert Avenue, have been consolidated into one approximately 9,837 sf lot and are currently being developed into four residential structures, also in accordance with R6 zoning.

Given that this area already reflects a residential scale and character and the developments are few in number and distributed throughout the sub-area, significant changes to the urban design of Central Greenpoint are not anticipated in the future without the proposed action.

Northeast Greenpoint

No new development is anticipated in the Northeast Greenpoint sub-area of the secondary study area in the future without the proposed action. The Newtown Creek WPCP is undergoing renovation and an expansion of its facilities. This project, which would create more buildings at the site, is slated for completion by 2013. As such, the area is expected to retain its mostly industrial character and the urban design of the area would remain the same as under existing conditions.

Williamsburg Waterfront

The Williamsburg Waterfront sub-area of the secondary study area would undergo several developments in the 2013 future without the proposed action. In the 2013 future without the proposed action, the southernmost (Kent Avenue) segment of the Kent Avenue/Franklin Street Reconstruction, as discussed above, will have been completed. This project includes such functional and aesthetic improvements as roadway repaving and resurfacing and sidewalk rehabilitation.

The development of East River State Park, a 6-acre state waterfront park between North 7th and North 9 th Streets, is projected in the future without the proposed action. The location of this development is indicated on Figure 8-22. Formerly the site of the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal, the park would provide waterfront open space for passive and active recreation, while providing views of the river and the Manhattan skyline. This development would open up a formerly inaccessible industrial site to park users and local residents, and create a site-specific urban design improvement.

Two large-scale residential developments are expected within the Williamsburg Waterfront sub-area: the Kedem Winery site, indicated as Site S1 located at 420-430 Kent Avenue and the Schaefer Brewery site, indicated as Site S3 and located at 460 Kent Avenue. These projects have filed site-specific rezoning applications and are pending and approved, respectively, for residential development. Due to the stipulations of waterfront zoning, each would provide promenade areas for public waterfront access. The Kedem Winery site is expected to create 450 residential units in two buildings 245 and 185 feet in height with a 0.3-acre waterfront promenade. The Schaefer Brewery site is expected to create 350 residential units in a building featuring two towers, 136 and 234 feet high, and a 0.3-acre waterfront promenade. These developments are representative of the growing residential demand in Williamsburg, especially on the waterfront, where desirable unobstructed views of the East River, the Williamsburg Bridge, and the Manhattan skyline are available.

The development of large-scale mixed residential-commercial buildings in the Williamsburg Waterfront sub-area in the future without the proposed action would bring about dramatic changes to Brooklyn’s profile along the East River to the south of the Williamsburg Bridge, and provide more access points to reunite the surrounding community with the water’s edge. Along its southern tip, this area would feature a concentrated region of buildings that are of a significantly higher density and height than the existing buildings and those further upland. These developments, in conjunction with proposed streetscape

8-18 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

improvements and parkland, would likely result in a more appealing and more active streetscape than the dormant industrial streetscape that exists at present.

Northside

In the Northside sub-area of the secondary study area, only one development is anticipated in the future without the proposed action. The construction of a 4-story residential building has already been completed at Site S24, a No-Action site located at 98 Havemeyer Street between Hope and Grand Streets. Although this site is located within the boundary of the proposed action area, the site was not considered as part of the No-Action RWCDS as earlier versions of the proposed action’s boundaries had excluded it. This development is in line with ongoing trends of residential growth in the Northside sub-area. As such, it is anticipated that the overall urban design of the Northside sub-area of the secondary study area in the No- Action future would remain similar to existing conditions.

Southside/South Williamsburg

The Southside/South Williamsburg sub-area of the secondary study area is anticipated to have 32 developments in the future without the proposed action. Site S2, the Gretsch Building at 60 Broadway, is a former industrial building currently converting to residential use pursuant to zoning, in a 15-block area that was rezoned in 1998. The Domsey site, indicated as Site S4 and located at 421-471 Kent Avenue, would create 540 residential units in a 80 foot-high building.

Sites S5, S6, S9, S16, S25, S26, S27, S28, S29, S30, S31, S32, S33, S34, S35, S36, S37, S38, and S39 would develop with residential buildings under R6 district regulations, which allow buildings up to 6 stories tall at the front lot line, include no height limit, and allow a maximum residential FAR of 2.43.

Sites S10, S11, S12, S13, S14, and S15, which comprise an entire block have recently been developed within an area zoned for R7X residential use, which would require the Quality Housing Program and allow a maximum FAR of 5.0.1 Residential buildings in these districts create apartments of medium density with high lot coverage and required front wall setbacks of 8 feet on wide streets or 15 feet on narrow streets. Buildings in R7X districts often yield 10-14 story apartment buildings, depending on the number of setbacks created.

Sites S7 and S8 are developments underway along Broadway in a C4-3 zoning district. They share one 8,000 sf lot, which currently contains one single-story commercial building that would presumably be removed or expanded to make way for 24 residential units.

Variances from C8-2 commercial zoning to residential uses on Sites S17, S18, S19, S20, S21, S22, S23, and S40 would replace existing commercial and industrial structures, at FARs of up to 2.0, with residential structures of varying bulk.

With the future No-Action development planned and underway in the Southside/South Williamsburg sub- area, continuity would be restored to some of the streetwalls and blocks in the area with the development of vacant lots and the occupation of vacant buildings. In addition, the industrial and vacant buildings

1 As noted in Chapter 2, “Land Use, Zoning, and Public Policy,” although Sites S10 through S15 are currently developed with 8-story residential buildings, at the time existing conditions were compiled in late 2003, final certificates of occupancy had not been issued, and they were not fully occupied. Therefore, they are included in the No-Action condition for analysis purposes.

8-19 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

affected would presumably be better maintained with their more active newfound residential use. While these developments also further the growth of residential use throughout Williamsburg, they again have the potential to be of different height than existing structures and of different bulk when variances and conversions are undertaken. However, on the whole, it is anticipated that the urban design of the Southside/South Williamsburg sub-area would remain similar to existing conditions.

Eastern Williamsburg

In the Eastern Williamsburg sub-area of the secondary study area, there are 40 sites expected to be developed in the future without the proposed action. These sites would yield a total of 241 residential units from a mixture of commercial, vacant, and industrial properties scattered throughout Eastern Williamsburg. Although the area would benefit from the reduction of vacant properties through development, it is anticipated that the urban design of this area in the future without the proposed action would remain essentially the same as under existing conditions.

Sites S51, S52, S53, S54, S55, S56, S57, S58, S64, S65, S66, S67, S68, S69, S70, S71, S72, S73, S74, S75, S76, S77, S78, S79, S80, S81, S82, and S83 would develop with residential buildings under R6 district regulations, which allow buildings up to 6 stories tall at the front lot line, include no height limit, and allow a maximum residential FAR of 2.43. Sites S59-63 are adjoining vacant lots that would undergo new construction. Sites S70-77 are adjoining lots that contain vacant lots and low-rise industrial buildings that would be removed or expanded to host residential use.

Development is underway at vacant sites S59, S60, S61, S62, and S63, which would feature new residential construction, which is permitted as-of-right under the sites’ existing C4-3 zoning.

Visual Resources

In the future without the proposed action, existing views of visual resources are not expected to undergo substantial change.

Primary Study Area

The development projected to occur in the primary study area is not expected to have substantial effects on views of significant visual resources. Individual developments in the future without the proposed action, such as the rehabilitation of the former WNYC transmitter site and the waterfront promenade accompanying the conversion of 184 Kent Avenue, would make site-specific improvements, but would not improve overall views of the Manhattan Skyline and the East River. No views of significant historic or architectural resources, which are generally from the immediate vicinity of each resource, would be significantly affected. Under No-Action Scenario B, the TransGas Energy Facility is anticipated to preclude certain views of the East River and of the Manhattan skyline for pedestrians on West Street. In addition, development in the primary study area under both No-Action scenarios is not expected to lead to the opening of any new visual corridors to the waterfront.

Secondary Study Area

Secondary study area developments with effects on visual resources are few in number and site-specific. One new visual resource, East River State Park, would be developed along the Williamsburg waterfront and would provide unobstructed and up-close views of the East River and the Manhattan Skyline.

8-20 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

However, the residential developments anticipated at the KedemWinery, Schaefer Brewery, and Domsey sites to the south, which would feature structures ranging from 80to 245 feet in height, would likely limit views of the East River and Manhattan skyline from upland areas. However, the Schaefer and Kedem developments along the waterfront would provide new public vantage points along the water’s edge, as well as new access corridors and visual corridors to the waterfront.

D. THE FUTURE WITH THE PROPOSED ACTION (WITH-ACTION)

In the future with the proposed action, as described in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” upland areas within the proposed action area would be rezoned for medium-density residential, mixed industrial/residential, and mixed commercial/residential use. R6 and R8 residential districts that would yield an average FAR of 4.3 would be established on waterfront parcels. Accompanying changes to the zoning text would add special bulk controls that would produce new waterfront development with a compelling skyline, a sensitive transition to the adjoining neighborhoods, and a pedestrian-friendly streetscape. Commercial overlays are proposed on the waterfront side of West Street, Commercial Street, and Kent Avenue. The proposed action would also result in the elimination of the Special Northside and Special Franklin Street Mixed Use Districts, which would be replaced with medium-density residential, mixed industrial/residential, and mixed commercial/residential zoning. The proposed zoning districts for upland areas include contextual districts which would impose new height limits on new development. In addition, the proposed action would rezone an area between McCarren Park and the Bushwick Inlet, as well as two blocks between Manhattan Avenue and the Pulaski Bridge, from M3-1 to M1-2.

The development expected to occur in the future with the proposed action on the 76 projected development sites in the RWCDS are expected to produce 8,257 DUs and 337,160 sf of commercial/retail use. In addition to the aforementioned developments, the proposed park mapping and street demapping actions would result in the creation of a 27.8-acre waterfront park, which is expected to be developed in the area between North 9th Street and the northern edge of the Bushwick Inlet under Scenario A. Under Scenario B, the approval and development of the TransGas Energy Facility at the Bayside Fuel site is considered, and the waterfront park would be sized at 15.9 acres.

Under both development scenarios in the future with the proposed action, a total of 264 sites, which include industrial and commercial buildings as well as vacant parcels and a few vacant or underbuilt residential buildings, were considered less likely to be developed within the foreseeable future, and were thus considered potential development sites (Table 1-2 lists all potential development sites). As discussed in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” the potential sites are deemed less likely to be developed because they did not closely meet the criteria listed above. However, the analysis recognizes that a number of potential sites could be developed under the proposed action in lieu of one or more of the projected sites in accommodating the development anticipated in the RWCDS. The potential sites are therefore also addressed in the EIS for site-specific effects.

8-21 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

Urban Design

Overview

In the 2013 future with the proposed action, it is expected that substantial amounts of development would occur throughout the proposed action area, resulting in diverse upland regions of residential and mixed use supported by a framework of local commercial corridors, and a streetscape much in line with the direction, scale, and trend of current development, except that height limits would prevent tall buildings that are out of scale with their surroundings. The streetscape on waterfront blocks would meet the upland neighborhood at a similar scale, with taller buildings permitted on portions of waterfront blocks that are further from the upland street. The proposed action would create contextually sensitive development in both waterfront and upland areas that is not presented in the future No-Action condition. Waterfront properties would undergo a pronounced transformation from barren and dilapidated spaces to vibrant residential areas bolstered by ground floor commercial activity and a continuous waterfront promenade. In addition to revitalizing the stark waterfront region, the proposed action would serve to reacquaint its residents with the water’s edge, long inaccessible to the public due to the remnants of an industrial waterfront.

The proposed action would bridge the gaps in the urban fabric that have grown between the upland and waterfront areas of Greenpoint and Williamsburg and would create new pedestrian activity and life at the waterfront akin to the activity that thrives in upland areas. The proposed action would also require, through zoning, that new buildings in upland regions be sensitive to the types of buildings that currently exist within the neighborhood. By zoning requirements for contextual development, the urban design and character of the upland areas can be maintained while accommodating the growth of residential and commercial use.

Primary Study Area

Waterfront

The waterfront sub-area would contain four projected and fourteen potential developments in the future with the proposed action, which would replace the majority of manufacturing zoning designation at the waterfront with residential zoning. The areasurroundingthe Pulaski Bridge would feature a lower density industrial/manufacturing zoning designation. The location of these development sites are illustrated in Figure 8-23. All of the waterfront development sites, with the exception of Site 211 that would be mapped as park, would entail new above-ground construction.

Development on all of the waterfront development sites would be subject to waterfront zoning regulations, which would require 15 to 20 percent of the development’s total lot area to be developed and maintained as public access areas along the East River. (Sites mapped with both R6 and R8 zoning districts at an average FAR of 4.3 would be required to provide 17.6% of the site as public access.) In conjunction with the proposed Waterfront Access Plan (WAP), which is illustrated in Figure 8-24, these requirements would serve to create shore public walkways, supplemental public access areas, and upland connections. The WAP also requires the maintenance and creation of several important visual corridors along Dupont, Eagle, Green and Oak Streets, north and south from the ends of West Street, and northwest from Commercial Street near the intersections with Box and Clay Streets. From projected development Sites 3, 56, and 199 alone, the total public access area created would amount to 4.76 acres of primarily passive open space along the waterfront.

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Waterfront T N S H T T 9 S N H T 8 N H T 7 N ´´ Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

Under the proposed zoning, both projected and potential development sites on the waterfront would have streetwall heights of 40 to 65 feet along the upland end of the block, with buildings of similar height on much of the rest of the site, and many sites would include taller buildings ranging from 150 to 350 feet. New buildings within 100 feet of the first upland street would be limited to 65 feet in height. Bulk renderings of the projected waterfront sites, described below, are provided in Figures 8-25, 8-26, and 8- 27.

Projected Site 3, a parcel that extends past West Street to Franklin Street, is projected to be developed with mixed residential/commercial buildings, featuring towers ranging from 150 to 350 feet in height located at a distance from the upland street, and 150-foot tall buildings closer to the upland areas. Site 3 would contain 2,351 DUs and 40,000 sf of commercial space along West, Dupont, Eagle, and Green Streets. Projected Site 56, which encompasses the Greenpoint Terminal Market site, would create a residential development with varied bulk, including low-rise buildings of 40 to 65 feet along West Street as well as towers from 150 to 350 feet in height. Site 56 is expected to contain 1,999 DUs and 60,000 sf of commercial space. A development with 1,194 DUs and 70,000 sf of commercial space is expected at projected Site 199, including low-rise buildings of 40 to 65 feet along Kent Avenue as well as taller buildings of 250 to 350 feet. All three sites would develop and maintain a shore public walkway, supplemental public access areas, and upland connections, as well as provide new visual corridors and maintain existing ones.

Projected Site 211 is shown on Figure 8-24 as public park, comprised of four blocks inclusive of the Bayside Fuel site, would be developed as park under With-Action Scenario A. Tentatively called “Inlet Park”, this waterfront park would have a land area of approximately 27.8 acres on the waterfront lots from North 9th Street to the Northern edge of the Bushwick Inlet, and would connect with East River State Park, located between North 7th and North 9 th Streets.

Of potential developments 1, 2, 3.1, 3.2, 24, 34, 41, 44, 51, 52, 62, 67, 68, and 222 in the waterfront sub- area, the majority of these sites could feature streetwall heights of no more than 65 feet, with portions of some buildings 85 feet in height set back from the streetwall, and towers ranging from 150 - 250 feet in height. Several sites would be shorter in comparison, such as Site 68, on which the highest structure would be 85 feet in height, and Site 52, on which three 65-foot residential structures would be constructed.

With-Action Scenario B would be inclusive of all of the development discussed above with the exception of Site 211, which would no longer be mapped in its entirety as park. As in No-Action Scenario B, the TranGas Energy Facility is assumed to have been approved and constructed at the southern edge of the Bushwick Inlet at the Bayside Fuel Oil site, leaving the northern edge of the inlet vacant, and Inlet Park sized at 15.9 acres. The 1,100 MW power plant would have a 325-foot tall ventilation stack, with a streetwall of 60 feet set back to the main building height of 122 feet.

Assessment

! Street Hierarchy, Street Pattern, and Block Form: The street hierarchy in the Waterfront sub- area would not be changed, as West Street and Kent Avenue would continue to function as the major arterials for the area. However, with the creation of a retail corridor along the east side of the waterfront sites, it is anticipated that the function and ambience of the street would change, creating a new, active pedestrian district that would contain local retail establishments and services (see Figure 8-28).

8-23

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

Alterations to the existing street pattern would occur in the future with the proposed action. Under Scenario A, North 9th , North 10 th , North 11 th , and North 12 th Streets would be demapped between Kent Avenue and the U.S. Pierhead Line; Quay Street would be demapped between West Street and the U.S. Bulkhead Line; and Inlet Park would be established in the area bounded by North 9th Street, Kent Avenue, Franklin Street, Quay Street, and the U.S. Pierhead Line. Under Scenario B, North 9th , North 10 th , and North 11 th Streets would be demapped between Kent Avenue and the U.S. Pierhead Line and Inlet Park would be established in the area bounded by North 9th Street, Kent Avenue, North 12 th Street, and the U.S. Pierhead Line. Of the aforementioned street segments to be demapped, it should be noted that only North 11th and North 12th Streets are built streets. The segments of North 11th , North 12 th , and Quay Streets that would be demapped under either Scenario are not built streets at present, and therefore changes to existing street pattern and block form would be minimal.

In addition, pursuant to the regulations set forth in the WAP, several additional streets along the waterfront would be extended to the water’s edge as upland connections, providing pedestrian access to the shore public walkway. Aside from the demapping of streets in both development scenarios, no major changes to block form are anticipated.

! Building Arrangement, Bulk, Use, and Type: As under existing conditions, buildings would be arranged fairly regularly, aligned parallel to existing streets. There would be a significant change in the bulk of waterfront structures to accommodate the change from industrial to medium- and high-density residential use slated for the waterfront sites.

Special regulations to be established for the WAP-regulated waterfront between Manhattan Avenue and North 3rd Street, would mandate that buildings within 100 feet of the first upland street be limited to 65 feet in height. Buildings in other portions of R6 districts would have maximum base heights of 65 feet, with a height of 85 feet permitted after a setback, and a maximum building height of 150 feet subject to floor plate and setback regulations. In R8 districts, buildings would be subject to a maximum base height of 70 feet, with a height of 85 feet permitted after a setback, and a maximum height of 250 feet subject to floor plate and setback regulations. Up to half of the towers on sites within R8 districts with multiple towers could rise to a maximum of 350 feet, subject to floor plate and setback regulations. Floor plate regulations on waterfront towers would ensure that towers would not exceed a maximum length or width. As such, towers in R8 districts would be permitted floor plates of up to 11,000 sf and towers in R6 districts would be permitted floor plates of up to 8,100 sf. An additional geometric restriction, which does not allow any dimension of the rectangular tower base to exceed 170 feet, ensures length controls on towers.

As noted above, building setbacks for new development would be required above a maximum base height of 65 feet in R6 districts and 70 feet in R8 districts. For those buildings exceeding 110 feet in R6 districts, or 210 or 310 feet in R8 districts, setbacks would be required at 110, 210, or 310 feet, respectively, such that the building floor plate above this height is no more than 85% of the building floor plate below this height.

The creation of modest (C2-4) commercial overlays to accompany the residential zoning would create locally-oriented commercial retail that would support the residents of these developments and in the surrounding areas and be compatible with residential use. Special regulations for the WAP-regulated area would apply here, permitting small retail uses, limited to 10,000 sf per establishment, in waterfront areas outside of commercial overlays. In addition,

8-24 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

water taxi docks, for vessels carrying up to 99 passengers, would be a permitted use on the waterfront throughout the WAP area.

The bulk at Projected Site 211 would be reduced dramatically under Scenario A, as the existing structures associated with the Bayside Fuel site would be removed to make way for a park with little to no bulk associated with it. The waterfront blocks between North 10th and North 12 th Streets, which currently contain tall, bulky warehouse buildings would undergo a bulk reduction under both scenarios in the future with the proposed action. Under Scenario B, the bulk at the Bayside Fuel site would be increased from existing conditions to make way for the TransGas Energy Facility. The energy facility would consist of a taller, bulkier base than that of the residential developments anticipated on nearby sites in the future with the proposed action, while the heavy industrial use would be anomalous amidst the residential uses and open space to the north and to the south.

Building types and uses would change significantly, with vacant land and one- to six-story industrial structures replaced by residential buildings featuring four- to six- story streetwalls along West Street and Kent Avenue. Beyond 100 feet from West Street and Kent Avenue, some buildings would rise after setbacks to approximately eight stories, with towers of between 15 and 35 stories closer to the water’s edge.

The future urban form of the sub-area would be characterized by waterfront developments, their bulk and heights varied to create an interesting skyline, with new open spaces near the shoreline. Taller structures would be located at a distance from adjoining neighborhoods, while lower buildings would be located at the upland edge of waterfront blocks to create a sensitive transition to the adjacent upland areas. Given the different configurations of waterfront parcels and the proposed modifications to waterfront height and setback requirements, there exists opportunity for an interesting and diverse skyline through the variation of building heights and designs. It is anticipated that the proposed action would bring about beneficial changes to the waterfront streetscapes, replacing the dilapidated and barren industrial streetscapes through the introduction of contextually sensitive buildings that feature street-level retail uses. The proposed action would extend pedestrian activity and active street-level uses from the upland neighborhood to West Street and Kent Avenue and throughout waterfront blocks.

! Streetscape Elements: The streetscape would stand to benefit from developments resulting from the proposed action. Streetwall heights would be consistent with the heights of adjoining neighborhoods, allowing maximum streetwall heights of 65 feet in R6 areas, 70 feet in R8 areas, and heights ranging between 40 and 65 feet along Kent Avenue and West Street.

The commercial overlays proposed along Kent Avenue and West, Green, and North 6th Streets would encourage pedestrian activity at street level to enliven the streetscape along these residential corridors. Waterfront zoning text changes would allow small retail establishments of up to 10,000 sf to operate outside of the commercial overlays, and further the vitality of the streets at pedestrian level. Special regulations applicable to the area governed by the WAP would further the activity and aesthetic of the streetscape by requiring parking structures to be “wrapped” by active use, with no parking garages exposed to the street. In addition, the planting of street trees would be required throughout waterfront blocks. The WAP would also provide connectivity between waterfront public access areas and public streets and public parks, further improving the experience of pedestrians and open space users.

8-25 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

! Natural Features and Topography: No change in the natural features and topography of the Waterfront sub-area are anticipated in the future with the proposed action. The proposed action would create an additional open space resource, Inlet Park, sized at 27.8 acres under Scenario A and 15.9 acres under Scenario B. Additionally, Scenario A would restore public access to the Bushwick Inlet, establishing parkland around the Inlet and providing new opportunities for public enjoyment of the waterfront, including possible opportunities for recreational boating given its shelter from the strong tides of the East River.

Upland Greenpoint

In the future with the proposed action, the Upland Greenpoint sub-area would undergo development in line with the existing trends of use as well as existing building scale and form. Existing manufacturing districts and the Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District would be replaced with medium-density residential and mixed-use districts, including contextual residential districts. While a majority of the anticipated development in this area is projected to occur through conversions of existing industrial buildings, some sites would experience new development subject to contextual bulk controls, which would maintain the continuity of the area’s present urban design. Contextual zoning would limit building heights and regulate streetwall and setbacks to ensure that future development is consistent with existing structures and thereby minimize impacts on urban design. The locations of projected and potential development sites in the Upland Greenpoint sub-area are provided in Figure 8-23, and the specific development at each site is described in Table 1-1 in Chapter 1, “Project Description” and keyed into Figure 1-6.

Assessment

! Street Hierarchy, Street Pattern, and Block Form: There would be no change to street hierarchy, street pattern, or block form in the Upland Greenpoint sub-area in the future with the proposed action.

! Building Arrangement, Bulk, Use, and Type: Most new residential buildings in this area would be subject to coverage limitations and yard requirements of R6A and R6B districts, leading to the maintenance of consistent streetwalls and building heights. New residential buildings in R6A districts would have a maximum allowable FAR of 3.0, would have a maximum setback of 8 feet on wide streets and 15 feet on narrow streets, and would have maximum lot coverages of 65% for interior or through lots and 80% for corner lots. New residential buildings in R6B districts would be subject to a maximum FAR of 2.0, line up with the streetwall of adjoining buildings, and have a maximum lot coverage of 60% for interior or through lots and 80% for corner lots. Both R6A and R6B developments would be subject to height limits, with R6A buildings limited to 60 feet at the streetwall and 70 feet after a setback, and R6B buildings limited to 40 feet at the streetwall and 50 feet after a setback. New buildings in R6 or M1-2/R6 districts would not be subject to contextual zoning requirements, but could be built pursuant to Quality Housing height and setback rules, which are similar to R6B rules on narrow streets and similar to R6A rules on wide streets. The proposed action would provide consistent regulations, through zoning, for projected and potential development throughout the Upland Greenpoint sub-area (refer to Figure 8-23).

The arrangement of new structures in this area is anticipated to be consistent with streetwalls and property boundaries, as under existing conditions in the Upland Greenpoint sub-area. The

8-26 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

uses anticipated under new development and conversion would include residential and local commercial use, which are consistent with existing conditions in this area.

! Streetscape Elements: Vacant properties, especially along Commercial Street and West Street, would be home to new structures featuring consistent streetwalls. Street trees would be required for all new residential buildings in the R6A and R6B contextual districts to be established under future With-Action conditions in the Upland Greenpoint sub-area, which would offer an improvement in an area which experienced severe tree loss due to the infestation of the Asian longhorn beetle.

! Natural Features and Topography: There would be no change in any natural or topographic feature in the Upland Greenpoint sub-area in the future with the proposed action.

Upland Williamsburg

Most of the Upland Williamsburg sub-area of the proposed action area, with the exception of the blocks between McCarren Park and Kent Avenue/Franklin Street, would be rezoned to permit residential use, local retail use in commercial overlay districts, and a mix of residential, commercial, and light industrial uses in mixed-use districts. The future urban design of the area would be generally similar to existing conditions- many of the projected developments would occur through conversions, while projected new construction would replace vacant and underbuilt lots with buildings consistent with the range of existing heights in the area. Contextual zoning controls would introduce building height and streetwall regulations in order to ensure that future development is compatible with existing building forms. The locations of projected development sites in the Upland Williamsburg sub-area are provided in Figure 8-23, and the specific development at each site is described in Table 1-1 in Chapter 1, “Project Description” and keyed into Figure 1-6.

Assessment

! Street Hierarchy, Street Pattern, and Block Form: There would be no change to street hierarchy, street pattern, or block form in the Upland Williamsburg sub-area in the future with the proposed action.

! Building Arrangement, Bulk, Use, and Type: Most new residential buildings in this area would be subject to coverage limitations and yard requirements of R6A and R6B districts, leading to the maintenance of consistent streetwalls and building heights. New buildings would be subject to the contextual bulk regulations discussed above for Upland Greenpoint. On one block, which would be zoned M1-2/R7A, new residential buildings would be subject to R7A regulations, which are similar to R6A regulations but include a maximum streetwall height of 65 feet and a maximum building height of 80 feet. New buildings in R6 or M1-2/R6 districts would not be subject to contextual zoning requirements, but could be built pursuant to Quality Housing height and setback rules, which are similar to R6B rules on narrow streets and similar to R6A rules on wide streets. The proposed action would provide consistent regulations, through zoning, for projected and potential development throughout the sub-area.

The arrangement of new structures in this area is anticipated to be oriented in line with property boundaries, as under existing conditions in the Upland Williamsburg area. The new uses projected to be developed within existing and new buildings would be primarily residential, along with local retail, in line with existing trends of development.

8-27 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

! Streetscape Elements: The streetscape of the Upland Williamsburg area in the future with the proposed action would remain similar to existing conditions. Any new construction would be required to conform to contextual controls featuring consistent streetwalls. Street trees would be required for all new residential buildings in the R6A and R6B contextual districts in the Upland Williamsburg sub-area, offering streetscape improvement in an area that also experienced severe tree loss due to the Asian longhorn beetle infestation.

! Natural Features and Topography: There would be no change in any natural or topographic feature in the Upland Williamsburg sub-area in the future with the proposed action.

Secondary Study Area

The proposed action is not anticipated to result in significant adverse impacts upon the Central Greenpoint, Northeast Greenpoint, Williamsburg Waterfront, Northside, Southside/South Williamsburg, and Eastern Williamsburg sub-areas of the secondary study area. The residential and mixed use areas that generally border the edges of the proposed action area would provide a smooth transition to the surrounding residential districts. By 2013, the Williamsburg Waterfront and nearby areas of Southside/South Williamsburg would already contain large-scale residential developments, mentioned earlier as No-Action Sites. Because these developments would have utilized site-specific variances, rezonings, and residential conversions, they would retain a different urban design character than projected developments within the proposed action area.

Visual Resources

Primary Study Area (Proposed Action Area)

In the future with the proposed action, views of visual resources within the waterfront sub-area of the primary study area would undergo significant, but not adverse changes, while views from upland areas would be marginally affected by the development projected by 2013. Views of individual buildings, historic districts, and most of the parks outlined in Table 8-1 would not be affected in the future with the proposed action, given their proximity to upland projected and potential developments which would be subject to contextual and mixed-use zoning that would maintain streetwalls and the general form of the upland areas. Individual visual resources affected by the proposed action are discussed below.

The substantial development on the waterfront in the future with proposed action, as described earlier, would be regulated by the proposed WAP (as shown in Figure 8-22, 8-23, and 8-24). The WAP establishes certain visual corridors to the waterfront and waterfront views and upland connections to the waterfront. Although opportunities for full and partial street-level waterfront views (illustrated in Figure 8-4) from public thoroughfares for pedestrians would be reduced, connections to the waterfront would provide access to unobstructed views of the river and the Manhattan skyline at the water’s edge. Public streets that extend to the waterfront, while not designated as visual corridors in the WAP, would remain as view corridors to the waterfront. In addition, the WAP would maintain existing visual corridors as well as create new ones. Angular views of the East River and the Manhattan Skyline across waterfront lots from Kent Avenue, West Street, and points further inland would be precluded intermittently due to waterfront development anticipated in the future with the proposed action. The waterfront developments themselves would also form an attractive and diverse skyline that could be enjoyed from waterfront areas of Manhattan and Queens.

8-28 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

Available views of the Williamsburg Bridge from long distances along the residential waterfront would be reduced due to the scale of waterfront development along the waterfront parcels south of the Bushwick Inlet. However, many proximal views would be maintained due to the continuation of industrial uses along the Williamsburg Waterfront outside of the proposed action area, where new development is not projected. In addition, many new views would be provided given the accessibility to the water’s edge that would accompany waterfront development.

Newtown Barge Park, which would be flanked by new residential development to the east and west, would remain visually accessible to passersby and local residents.

The partial views available through fences, vacant lots, or through industrial equipment under existing conditions would be replaced with closer views at the water’s edge. Views from the park of the East River and the Midtown Manhattan skyline would be maintained and accessibility to these views would be expanded.

In addition, the proposed action would create Inlet Park, a major visual resource, sized at 27.8 acres under Scenario A and 15.9 acres under Scenario B. Under Scenario A, the park would connect to the waterfront promenade to the north along the waterfront parcels; connect to East River State Park to the south; offer new views of the Bushwick Inlet, an area long cut off from the public by surrounding industrial uses; and reconnect pedestrian activity to the water’s edge. Under Scenario B, the park would be reduced in size, still connecting to the East River State Park to the south, but no longer providing direct views of the Bushwick Inlet, given the construction of the TransGas Energy Facility. Under both scenarios, however, the park itself would be a tremendous visual amenity to the surrounding community, as it would replace the combination of visually unappealing vacant lots and industrial structures that currently comprise the site and would replace the industrial activities and inactive uses at the site with recreational facilities, access to the water for activity or observation, and waterfront views. The park would provide a significant improvement of views of the East River, the Williamsburg Bridge, and the Manhattan Skyline.

E. CONCLUSIONS

In the 2013 future with the proposed action, significant, but not adverse, changes would be made to urban design conditions in the proposed action area. The Greenpoint and Williamsburg waterfronts would undergo the most appreciable change, as new bulk, heights, and uses would result in vibrant residential streetscapes, revitalizing the decaying industrial waterfront that exists today. Low-rise buildings would be located at the upland edge of waterfront blocks, creating a smooth transition of scale from areas further upland to waterfront blocks, where taller residential buildings of varied heights and design would be located closer to the shoreline. As a result of the proposed action, the placement of locally-oriented retail uses at street level and the planting of street trees would transform barren streets into active and appealing streetscapes featuring amenities conducive to pedestrian activity. The provisions of waterfront zoning text and the Waterfront Access Plan (WAP) set forth by the proposed action would create a shore public walkway in conjunction with waterfront development, ensure a variation of the skyline through floor plate and setback requirements, and maintain upland connections to the waterfront in the absence of public streets, ensuring that the portions of Greenpoint and Williamsburg that are navigable and attractive to pedestrians extend past Kent Avenue and West Street. In the upland areas, the implementation of contextual zoning would provide a structured system for residential and mixed-use development to exhibit sensitivity to the scale of its context through streetwall, height, and setback regulations while

8-29 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 8: Urban Design and Visual Resources

accommodating much-needed new housing development. The diversity of uses in the upland areas would be accommodated and reinforced through mixed-use zoning and commercial overlays.

The proposed action would set forth several changes to street pattern and block form along the waterfront, which are not anticipated to adversely affect urban design, but are expected to improve urban design conditions. Accompanying the development of Inlet Park, several streets would be demapped to facilitate the mapping of a new park comprised of the demapped street segments and surrounding parcels. Block form would be affected by the requirement of upland connections on waterfront blocks, which would effectively reopen streets that are currently closed off within waterfront parcels spanning multiple lots. Upland street pattern, block form, and building arrangement would be maintained.

No adverse impacts upon visual resources are anticipated as a result of the proposed action. The proposed action would considerably change views of and within the proposed action area, but would not block significant public view corridors, vistas, or natural or built features. Shore public walkways and supplemental access areas established by the WAP would create new settings from which to enjoy improved views of the East River, the Manhattan skyline, and the Williamsburg Bridge. Visual corridors established by the WAP will ensure waterfront views are maintained when access is not physically available, while supplemental access areas and shore public walkways will create many new vistas from which to enjoy the visual environment along the East River. Lastly, under Scenario A, the proposed action would create Inlet Park, a new visual resource that would reintroduce access to the Bushwick Inlet. Under Scenario B, the TransGas Energy Facility would be sited to the south of the Inlet, and although Inlet Park would be created, its smaller form would not extend to the Bushwick Inlet.

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