Land Use, Zoning, and Public Policy

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS CHAPTER 2: LAND USE, ZONING, & PUBLIC POLICY

A. INTRODUCTION

A detailed assessment of land use, zoning, and public policy is appropriate if the proposed action would result in a significant change in land use or would substantially affect regulations or policies governing land use. Under CEQR Technical Manual guidelines, an assessment of zoning is typically performed in conjunction with a land use analysis when the action would change the zoning on the site or result in the loss of a particular use. Similar to zoning, some assessment of public policy typically accompanies an assessment of land use. Under CEQR, a land use analysis characterizes the uses and development trends in the study area, and assesses whether a proposed action is compatible with or may affect those conditions.

This application is for several actions in the Greenpoint and Williamsburg areas of northern Brooklyn, including zoning map and zoning text amendments, changes to the city map involving street demapping and establishment of a park (collectively, “the proposed action”). The directly affected area, located in Brooklyn Community District 1, encompasses all or parts of 184 blocks. The proposed action would result in the net addition of approximately 7,391 DUs and 253,698 sf of ground-floor local and general retail, and a decrease in industrial space, vehicle and open storage uses, and vacant land. The proposed action would also map a new park along the waterfront and establish a Waterfront Access Plan (WAP) to provide a coordinated network of waterfront open spaces. As the proposed action includes zoning map amendments and zoning text changes and is expected to result in substantial changes to land use at certain sites, a detailed assessment of its effects on land use, zoning, and public policy is warranted.

The land use study area consists of both a primary study area, which is coterminous with the boundaries of the proposed action area, where the land use effects of the proposed action are direct, and a secondary study area, which, according to the CEQR Technical Manual, should be used when other, more indirect effects may occur as a result of a proposed action. For the purposes of this analysis, the secondary study area extends approximately a ½-mile from the proposed action area boundary, although the area considered in this assessment has been adjusted to take account of natural and man-made barriers that separate the area from Queens on the north and east, and to include in their entirety those blocks falling partially but substantially within the ½-mile radius. Both the primary and secondary study areas are shown in Figure 2-1. The primary study area is bounded generally by the East River, the Williamsburg Bridge, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and McGuinness Boulevard. As shown in Figure 2-1, the secondary study area covers an area bounded at its outer limits by Newtown Creek to the north, the East River to the west, North Henry Street/Vandervoort Avenue to the east, and roughly aligned with Boerum Street to the south.

2-1 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 2-1 Land Use Study Area

N EW TO WN

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D E R I AV I L E OLE A MESER ST S LTON N M S MI T E O T N W E M N W R T C E D O H U W L N G S U E S C S R T M E E ST C U S E OBL T K N I K E L N B

E F L N O O O L E L

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

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H N A S N A S R T 1 AV A E V N 3 U K U K T A V E M N I 1 H S T AS V N E T 1 1 N A S N S T T S 4 IGG O M Y R DR G N H T T O O H H H N H U S S T N N U T S E I A S T T L N M N A 1 S O S

B R N T 0 E T R TV E G S O Y D H L Y A L D C S S R L L R E S A A N T T B K D R A S M O T D N M V LO F H T T E 9 N C E T O A S R H A G R M T V V V S R U T A D R T GE T O I A I EN S D N V L A E O S V N R AD R S E N T E E B R T S K 8 E T TH S E V A S A B M L V T S L N P G V SIO N V IG D IVI 7 A R T S D T D S H T N Y S N O W T T E T P S K N M ON W X T D S 1 A E ERT S G D N 2 E B M R T N HER E A 6 V N S R H N H O B C T A H T V N RI A A H S A S E E E H N S E T T R N D E U V T I T H E R D T A A K -Q T O E N N O P Y Y E N I N Y S T A 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 E O S S R M T R T V T E N T S B B O T T N L R S Y SON R T E D S S R 1 E HAR H RIC G S T 1 H R R O E T A ST A H E H YARD U IT A N S N B V W B VI N V S M 3R A T A A N B A A D N R D 1 V 4 O T 0 D T V T E S T R T SON S S T S D L H O H ICHAR E ON S D R D S R L K S F S ADA S C T TR T R S O A E D T O T J ON P U C V E N ST T I R T U S N S R B 9 FROST N T I C T I V H I M V O O A A C N NorthsideS E A M N P T I D LM S R D IL E K GN A S T Y O M 8 ST S S B G V RO E I T F W T O T S E T R H P ITHERS R X W W V O D S T E T P T S O S O S SON ST N N CK I L G N JA S R 1 IT 7 N E E ST A T I ST E E V N H L RS U I S B HE A T A S E IT Q N ST R V T W - CKSO V O T N JA U Y N R L 6 RS N K N AV T E SKILLMA H I O GR Y O O AN S E D T N R S B G T N M AN AV AV E A M KILL R 5 V S TH V E T A H A ASP H H M S V T A S N A 1S 4 M SHARO T T T N ST N S A S 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 1 O H B A O O H S S U A O S T N N V U 2 S R N A S N A E METR T IT T OPOLI D T A OL TAN AV R OP M A S I TR H E V T T M M S R T F I V Eastern WilliamsburgB W I A L L E D L E A O M N I AN AV R O V V O ETROPOLIT C N M S L R I A E A K O S T J R

P V T G H U L O T T A S V R V E 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 S T E Y K T T E A H C T S S T T S R S C ST 1 Y T D S Y S S A P N T E A 4T A ST R H W Y S M SLIE G S V T N 0_AIN T T R E 3 S A D RS R K E O W T E D PO SM S R ER B R 2N UJ O O D A S M R 5 F S H T O U T TH P RS S G D V WE N T S E PO S A T E A S D T T I N SN L B O A K S GR C P Y A N E SG T 3 EN V M R S G T S G A 6 I D R A A A T S V H R T G T N H S D ST V T D N S S AND I R E N T G L U R O S B E T D 4 E S T F S H Y OW S O E D 5 P A TH T R ME M U S N U PL BO T E UE R ST Q JE E B RIN N MAU ROA V BO D R G WA I Y A O T A H T NA S PL O R GG QUEN T ST TA BORIN S R S 1 V B S I RO T S C S 8TH A T O ST DW V T ST A A EYCKS S Y TEN OLE Y S CK ST SCH C T 2N EN EY Y D T S 5 R S S T A W Y T V H ST S M P E E A L T X O T N ER E E S S 9T S D ME H H S ST S O T ST Y 3 AGG T R ST N R S D R V T Y E T P S ES S A L K T R E S SCHO W A E E U S 9TH E R B N B S Southside T Q K E U S G - S T 10TH P 4 S ST G N T I O H H A Y S T R T W T O S V L T E S SEROL D K E S H M I S C O E S G S K 11TH O 5 N A S N O T R T W P S L I H HN S E L JO E L B T E H U B V N A A L SE E T NTRO V P I MO V S O A O D ION T YDIVISIO S B N IV IVI S R M N AV ISIO D E E ST HAM N 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 L NT O R S T A MO SON AV T M D R E S R NEW JOHN S O L T P R H A L E I A I T O V Y E E S B S IS S A E O BIN ARR U T A T K T U KIB H R T V S N AV H 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 O B C B A S L I O A I I Y O C O H L H T T N W B T N S AT A E L L R L K G A E O B S G G V H I D E T T O O S S M W S A A R A E A T R N O S R R T V H W T S S BIN A M I A IB K S E C T M I O T M H V T R R T T T A S T E E S S D T T N S T RW Y H R RE AM S R S O TH E E S O L A M Y T M N E N O S T T T N V Y D E S O T L H O E D ST C E T R A P E P I EIGEL S V G A V S A D IS RV E V IO ST ANNEL LO L N ET RO ABOUT CH Y T A VAR WALL A U T V T T R S S D ST N R OORE O A M S W T L Y K S I E COO W H E T T V S S E S H RET ST R S C VA G O N R Y R C L E E N E TR

Feet Legend: 0250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 ´ Brooklyn Tax Lots Primary Study Area (Proposed Action Area) Secondary Land Use Study Area (1/2-Mile Radius) Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

B. BACKGROUND AND DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

The study area was part of what was historically known as the “Eastern District,” which encompassed the neighborhoods of Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Bushwick, East New York, Cypress Hill, and Brownsville.1 The Dutch established the town of Boswijck (Bushwick) in the mid 17th century, incorporating much of present-day Bushwick, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint. This isolated, rural community largely disappeared as the Eastern District was urbanized in the 19th and 20 th centuries. This urbanization occurred first near the Williamsburg and Greenpoint waterfronts. In fact, Williamsburg grew so rapidly that it became a separate city in 1852, only to be annexed by Brooklyn in 1855.2

Greenpoint and Williamsburg developed more than 100 years ago during Brooklyn’s great industrial age, when both sides of the East River were dominated by large factories, oil refineries, and shipyards. By the mid-19th century, the Eastern District’s waterfront had become heavily industrialized as ship builders, china and porcelain factories, glass makers, oil refineries, sugar refineries, iron foundries, and other industrial establishments expanded. This transformation spurred the growth of a multi-ethnic residential community on nearby residential streets. The neighborhoods adjoining the waterfront housed the workers and, within Greenpoint and Williamsburg, homes and factories intermingled, setting a pattern of mixed use that still shapes the neighborhoods today.

Over the years, these neighborhoods have grown and adapted to changing economic conditions. The refineries and shipbuilders have gone, and new generations of businesses, entrepreneurs, artists, and residents have emerged. Heavy manufacturing uses, which once dominated the area, have given way to light manufacturing, wholesaling, distribution, and construction. Between 1991 and 2002, both the Williamsburg and Greenpoint areas (excluding the area west of McCarren Park) lost approximately 40 percent of their industrial jobs. Manufacturing employment declined significantly in Williamsburg and Greenpoint in that same period, with manufacturing employment alone declining by 72 percent in Williamsburg, and 60 percent in Greenpoint. While some smaller manufacturing firms remain, industrial activity in Williamsburg and Greenpoint has shifted toward non-manufacturing uses such as the wholesaling and distribution of food and beverages, furniture, and apparel, as well as construction-related uses.

The area between McCarren Park and Kent Avenue/Franklin Street is the only area within the study area where industrial employment increased between 1991 and 2002. Upland blocks exhibited stability and a significant number of industrial jobs, including manufacturing, with moderate growth in construction and wholesaling jobs. However, waterfront blocks just to the west remain largely vacant or underutilized. The Bayside Fuel depot on Bushwick Inlet has indicated its intent to discontinue operations at this site, and in late 2002, Consolidated Freight, a large freight forwarding company with facilities on the waterfront in this area, declared bankruptcy and ceased operations.

As real estate prices in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan rose during the 1980s, many artists found the industrial lofts of Williamsburg to be both accommodating and affordable places in which to live and work. This contributed to the growth of the population of artists, performers, and designers in Williamsburg and into Greenpoint. Towards the late 1990s, Williamsburg gained citywide recognition

1 This is Brooklyn: A Guide to the Borough’s Historic Districts and Landmarks; Andrew S. Dolkart; The Fund for the Borough of Brooklyn, Inc.; 1990; p. 72.

2 Ibid.

2-2 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

as a burgeoning cultural center, with bookstores, galleries, performance spaces, and restaurants among its many offerings.3

Today, Greenpoint-Williamsburg is a vibrant community, from the bustling commerce of Manhattan and Bedford Avenues to the many distinctive side streets. The waterfront, however, remains largely derelict, dominated by empty lots and crumbling structures, and is almost entirely inaccessible to the public.

C. LAND USE

Existing Conditions

Primary Study Area

During the early development of Greenpoint-Williamsburg, before the advent of zoning, housing was built in clusters or sometimes interspersed with factories. Some areas, including the center of Northside and along Franklin Street in Greenpoint, were primarily residential then, and remain primarily residential today.

Elsewhere, older residential buildings are located in areas currently zoned for industrial or automotive use – such as along Berry Street, Wythe Avenue, and Grand Street in Williamsburg, and Calyer and Clay Streets in Greenpoint. Although these buildings contribute to the area’s enduring mixed-use character, existing zoning does not permit new residential uses or the reactivation of residential buildings that have been vacant for more than two years.

With the conversion of loft buildings to residential use in recent years, new residential uses have been emerging within industrially zoned areas. Though many of the conversions have occurred illegally, they have nonetheless activated the once-vacant upper floors of many older loft buildings. The map of residential growth in Figure 2-2 shows the extent to which residential use has spread from the traditional core of Williamsburg and Greenpoint onto virtually every block of adjoining areas. These surrounding areas contain a varied mix of older residential buildings, loft conversions, and industrial and commercial uses, a pattern best suited to the mixed use zoning recommended as part of the proposed action.

Land uses in the primary study area are illustrated in Figure 2-3. As shown in Figure 2-3, the primary study area contains a variety of uses, including residential, commercial, institutional (community facility), automotive, and industrial. Numerous buildings contain a mix of residential and commercial or industrial use.

Table 2-1a outlines percentages of the total lot area within the primary study area devoted to each type of land use. The total primary study area, which is coterminous with the proposed action area, is approximately 17,375,843 square feet in lot area (approximately 399 acres). Five (out of the ten) land use categories comprise a majority (87.4%) of the study area. These categories are: industrial/manufacturing (30.7%); lots containing vacant land, vacant structures, parking, or open storage (16.8%); residential use

3 Williamsburg Neighborhood History Guide; Marcia Reiss; The Brooklyn Historical Society; 2000; pp. 15-16.

2-3

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 2-3 Primary Study Area Land Use

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

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H N S N S T 1 AV A 3 U K U N T A V M I 1 H N S T AS V N 1 1 N A S T T S 4 N RIGG O R D G H T T O H H H N U S S U N T S E I T S T L N M N A 1 S O S B R N 0 E T T R E G O Y D H L

L C S S R L L E S A T T K D R A S O T N M V F T H T 9 N C E O A T S H A G R M T V V S R U RT A I T D ENGE D A I V N A S V N R R McCarren S N T E E T K 8T S E H V S E S A B M T S L G V N IG D 7 AV R T T D S S H T N Y S N O T T W KE N M P W X T D 1 A E RT S G N E EM 2 N HERB E 6 T N S R N B T AV H H T V N O Park A H S A S A E E N E E H T T R N S D U V T E I T H E R Q T D T A A K - O E N O Y N Y N P I N E Y S A R 5 W A B M L T R A T V K Y H S R O T S E S O S T T R R T E N S B B T R T Y N L SON S E RD S R 1 E H RICHA T 1 H R O T ST A E H YARD U A N S N B V B V V S M 3 T A A I R N AV B A R D N D 1 T O T 4 0 D S E S T R T DSON T S R L H O H CHA E RI S D D R S F S ADAL S T TR T R S O E D T O T ON P U C V E N ST T R I U ST S N T R B 9 FROS N T I C T I V H I M O O A C S E N P T I S R D

GN A ST Y O M 8 ST S G V RO E I T F W T O T S S TR R H P WITHER O D S T X W T P T S E T S O S SON S N L N G N JACK R 1 IT 7 N E E S A T I ST E V T N H L RS I S A S B ITHE U T R T V T E W -Q KSON S O T N JAC

S U N R LY 6 R N K N AV T E SKILLMA G H I O R Y O O AN S E R D T N ST N M B AN AVG AV E A LM KIL R 5 V S TH V E T A P H A AS S H H M S N T A

1 M ST 4 T ST TH LYEA S NSE A S M CO T V

A L

N N E L B 1 O H H S O U S T N A U 2 R AV N S TAN S D T LI T A PO O M S I ETR H T T M M F R B W IL A L E D O M N I V R V O ETROPOLITAN A C M S L A R E A K O S T J

P V T G H U L T A O T V R V S P T D N 3 A E S V R A N E EVO A D S D D S G E ST T E S Y T K T T E H C T S S T T S R S 1 Y T S Y S S A P 4 T E T M A ST H W Y S SLIE S V T N 0_AIN ST T R E 3 S A D K R R E O W E D PO S R B R 2N S O D 5 F S H TH T OP U RS ST D V WE T S E N PO S T E A ST D I N L A B O R P S G S N G 3 T M R S G G A S I D R 6 A A A T S V H R T G T N H S D ST V T D N S S AND N I GR E L T U R S B E O D 4 E T F S H Y S O E 5 P TH T R M L U S N UP T E QUE R ST N JE E B RI N MAU ROA V BO DW R AY I A O H T N UEN PL O Q A BORIN S R 1 V B S I R T C OA ST Feet Legend: 0250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 Proposed Action Area Primary Study Area Land Use Industrial Vacant Lot/Vacant Building/Parking Use ´ Automotive Open Storage Mixed Residential/Commercial Commercial Park/Open Space Mixed Residential/Community Facility (Institutional) Community Facility/Institutional Residential Mixed Residential/Industrial Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

(16.8%); parks and open space (12.5%); and mixed industrial and residential use (10.6%). It should be noted that the industrial/manufacturing category includes numerous underutilized and marginally used properties. (Land use surveys classified industrial buildings as industrial uses unless specific evidence of vacancy or a different use was observed.)

TABLE 2-1a Existing Lot Area by Land Use in the Primary Study Area Lot Area Percent of Total Lot in Square Feet Area in Primary Land Use (sf) Study Area (%) Automotive 528,246 3.04 Commercial 239,342 1.38 Community Facility (Institutional) 674,484 3.88 Industrial (Manufacturing/Wholesale) 5,340,541 30.74 Mixed Commercial / Residential 729,325 4.20 Mixed Industrial / Residential 1,832,693 10.55 Mixed Residential / Community Facility (Institutional) 20,899 0.12 Park / Open Space 2,178,379 12.54 Vacant Land / Vacant Structures / Parking Lots / Open Storage 2,921,339 16.81 Residential 2,910,595 16.75 TOTAL 17,375,843 100.00 Sources: Land use survey data from the NYC Department of City Planning (January 2004), the NYC Department of Finance (NYC DOF) Property Information System (March 2004), land use survey data from Philip Habib and Associates (July 2002).

Table 2-1b outlines percentages of the total lot area within the Greenpoint portion of the primary study area devoted to each type of land use. The Greenpoint portion was determined to be all lots in the primary study area that were north of North 14th Streets, and Nassau Avenue, north of McCarren Park. This area is approximately 5,667,358 square feet in lot area (approximately 130 acres). Three (out of the ten) land use categories comprise a majority (82.8%) of the study area. These categories are: industrial/ manufacturing (35.4%); lots containing vacant land, vacant structures, parking, or open storage (32.8%); and mixed residential and industrial use (14.5%). There are no community facility/institutional uses nor mixed residential/community facility (institutional) uses within the Greenpoint portion of the primary study area. As noted above, the industrial/manufacturing category includes numerous underutilized and marginally used properties, as land use surveys classified industrial buildings as industrial uses unless specific evidence of vacancy or a different use was observed.

Table 2-1c outlines percentages of the total lot area within the Williamsburg portion of the primary study area devoted to each type of land use. The Williamsburg portion was determined to be all lots in the primary study area that were south of North 14th Streets, and Nassau Avenue, inclusive of McCarren Park. This area is approximately 11,708,485 square feet in lot area (approximately 269 acres). Three (out of the ten) land use categories comprise a majority (66.5%) of the study area. These categories are: industrial/manufacturing (28.5%); lots containing residential use (21.0%); and open space (17.0%). As noted above, the industrial/manufacturing category includes numerous underutilized and marginally used

2-4 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

properties, as land use surveys classified industrial buildings as industrial uses unless specific evidence of vacancy or a different use was observed.

TABLE 2-1b Existing Lot Area by Land Use in the Greenpoint Portion of the Primary Study Area Lot Area Percent of Total Lot in Square Feet Area in Primary Land Use (sf) Study Area (%) Automotive 204,661 3.61 Commercial 58,793 1.04 Community Facility (Institutional) 0 0.00 Industrial (Manufacturing/Wholesale) 2,007,740 35.43 Mixed Commercial / Residential 80,281 1.42 Mixed Industrial / Residential 823,848 14.54 Mixed Residential / Community Facility (Institutional) 0 0.00 Park / Open Space 182,349 3.22 Vacant Land / Vacant Structures / Parking Lots / Open Storage 1,859,784 32.82 Residential 449,902 7.94 Total 5,667,358 100.00 Sources: Land use survey data from the NYC Department of City Planning (January 2004), the NYC Department of Finance (NYC DOF) Property Information System (March 2004), land use survey data from Philip Habib and Associates (July 2002).

TABLE 2-1c Existing Lot Area by Land Use in the Williamsburg Portion of the Primary Study Area Lot Area Percent of Total Lot in Square Feet Area in Primary Land Use (sf) Study Area (%) Automotive 323,585 2.8 Commercial 180,549 1.5 Community Facility (Institutional) 674,484 5.8 Industrial (Manufacturing/Wholesale) 3,332,801 28.5 Mixed Commercial / Residential 649,044 5.5 Mixed Industrial / Residential 1,008,845 8.6 Mixed Residential / Community Facility (Institutional) 20,899 0.2 Park / Open Space 1,996,030 17.0 Vacant Land / Vacant Structures / Parking Lots / Open Storage 1,061,555 9.1 Residential 2,460,693 21.0 Total 11,708,485 100.0 Sources: Land use survey data from the NYC Department of City Planning (January 2004), the NYC Department of Finance (NYC DOF) Property Information System (March 2004), land use survey data from Philip Habib and Associates (July 2002).

2-5 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

The Waterfront Area

Although zoned for heavy manufacturing, the East River waterfront in both Greenpoint and Williamsburg contains no heavy manufacturing, and is underutilized, with many large parcels of vacant land and many abandoned or only partially occupied buildings.

The waterfront block furthest northeast in the proposed action area, between the Pulaski Bridge and Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, contains a soap and candle manufacturer, a vehicle repair shop, a construction contractor’s yard, and a multistory industrial building containing two pre-1961 residences. On the west side of Manhattan Avenue is the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC), a loft building which has been redeveloped for a variety of industrial and commercial users, including woodworkers, metalworkers, and design firms. Immediatelywest of the GMDC building is a loft building largely converted to residential use, a largely vacant two-story warehouse building, and a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus depot.

Extending to the west of the MTA depot is the northern half of the Greenpoint Lumber Exchange site, a 22-acre site which is currently used for vehicle and equipment storage. This property consists of two parcels of privately owned land, including a pier at the end of the prolongation of Green Street, separated by a City-owned lot leased to the Lumber Exchange and the Newtown Barge Park, a city park. The New York City Department of Environmental protection (NYCDEP) operates a sludge barge loading facility on the City-owned site and maintains an easement through the City-owned property for a pipeline from the sludge storage tank on an adjacent City-owned lot.

On the blocks south of the Lumber Exchange property, roughly between Green Street and Kent Street, there are several one-story industrial buildings, including buildings for a recently defunct printing company, a furniture wholesaler, and a car dispatch facility. Along the waterfront between Kent Street and Greenpoint Avenue is the former WNYC transmitter site, an approximately 1.6 acre parcel which is currently inaccessible to the public, but planned for improvement as a public park by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). On the same block, there are several existing residential buildings and contractor’s facilities.

The Greenpoint Terminal Market site occupies over three blocks of land along the East River between Greenpoint Avenue and Oak Street. This site, which is largely vacant, includes six industrial buildings ranging in height from one to seven stories, several of which are severely deteriorated. Immediately south of the Greenpoint Terminal Market is a now vacant piece of land formerly occupied by Consolidated Freight, a national freight forwarding company that declared bankruptcy in August 2002.

The waterfront block between Quay Street and the Bushwick Inlet contains an MTA garage, small one- story industrial and commercial buildings, and vacant land. On the southern edge of the inlet is a fuel depot owned by Bayside Fuel, containing storage tanks and ancillary structures such as garages and maintenance facilities. A document storage facility, Department of Sanitation garage, and an automobile impound lot occupy the blocks south of Bayside Fuel between North 12th and North 9 th Streets.

The remaining waterfront blocks in the proposed action area, between North 3rd and North 7 th Streets, contain vacant land used for vehicle storage, a paper recycling facility, and a loft building (184 Kent Avenue) mostly converted to residential use.

2-6 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

The Upland Area

The upland portion of the primary study area is characterized by mixed residential, commercial, and institutional uses. The distinctive physical character of Greenpoint and Williamsburg is shaped by a mix of low- and mid-rise residential and industrial buildings in the upland neighborhood. In general, three types of buildings predominate in the upland area: three- to four-story brick or frame buildings often with stoops, which form a continuous street wall; five- to six-story apartment buildings and older industrial loft buildings; and low-rise industrial buildings and vacant land.

Housing in the primary study area is concentrated in neighborhood cores in the upland areas, with retail concentrated along the main commercial streets of Bedford Avenue in Williamsburg and Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint, which offer a wide range of commercial and retail activity. Retail and other commercial uses are also scattered throughout the surrounding mixed-use area. In addition, an increasing amount of conversion from industrial to residential uses has taken place within the proposed action area, particularly in Williamsburg.

Greenpoint In Greenpoint, the upland portion of the proposed action area abuts the residential core of the neighborhood, which is centered around the commercial corridor of Manhattan Avenue. The blocks between Franklin and West Streets from Eagle to Java Street contain older residential buildings as well as several recently constructed apartment buildings. Clusters of residential buildings, many of which were built prior to the implementation of the current manufacturing zoning in 1961, also occur on the block bounded by Box Street, Clay Street, Manhattan Avenue, and McGuinness Boulevard; and on the block bounded by Oak, Calyer, West, and Franklin Streets.

The remaining portion of the proposed action area in Greenpoint, in the areas west of Manhattan Avenue and Franklin Street, is characterized by a mix of industrial buildings, nonconforming residential buildings, and loft buildings at least partially converted to residential use. On the west side of Franklin Street between Milton and Noble Streets is the American Playground, a park nearly one acre in size.

Williamsburg Central to the Williamsburg section of the proposed action area is the commercial strip along Bedford Avenue and the residential core of the Northside neighborhood. Roughly from North 4th to North 10 th Streets, Bedford Avenue has developed into a lively and nearly continuous string of shops, restaurants, and bars with residential use above. Because the NYCT L rapid transit line stops directly at Bedford Avenue and North 7th Street, this commercial area has become an attraction for visitors and residents alike. The surrounding blocks to the east and west are comprised mostly of three- to four-story residential buildings dating from the first two decades of the twentieth century, but also include a number of residentially converted industrial buildings. Additional clusters of residential buildings exist to the northeast of McCarren Park along Graham Avenue; along Grand Street, which also contains numerous ground-floor commercial uses; and on the blocks bounded by Grand Street, Wythe Avenue, North 3rd Street, and Berry Street.

Northside Gardens, a Mitchell-Lama development, consists of two 3-story cooperative buildings located on the block bordered by Bedford Avenue, North 4th , North 5 th , and Berry Streets. This development is subsidized for moderate-income families and contains 41 apartments. Northside Gardens is directly adjacent to an urban renewal area (URA), the Bedford-North 3rd URA, which encompasses the three blocks bounded by North 5th , North 3 rd , and Berry Streets; and Bedford and Metropolitan Avenues. Urban renewal areas are discussed in greater detail in the “Public Policy” section of this chapter.

2-7 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

Outside these concentrations of residential buildings, a mix of industrial, residential, and commercial uses exists. To the south and west of the Northside residential core is a patchwork of industrial buildings, numerous loft buildings partially or fully converted to residential use, early twentieth-century residential buildings, automotive uses, and vacant lots. While the mix of uses varies, every block in this area contains residential use. Among the residentially converted buildings in this area are 151 Kent Avenue, and the Esquire building at South 1st Street and Wythe Avenue, a condominium in a 16-story building formerly used for the manufacture of shoe polish.

The blocks south of McCarren Park on either side of Union Avenue, and the blocks just east of the park along Manhattan Avenue, are characterized by a similar mix of industrial, commercial, and residential uses interspersed with vacant lots. The proposed action area also includes portions of a few blocks just east of the BQE, where nonconforming residential buildings are mixed with industrial buildings, auto repair shops, and vacant lots. The proposed action area also includes nine blocks east of the BQE, bounded by Metropolitan Avenue, Union Avenue, Borinquen Place, and Rodney Street. These blocks contain a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings as well as vacant lots and auto repair yards.

Five blocks located just north of the Williamsburg bridge, between South 5th Place and Kent Avenue, contain a mix of loft buildings, several of which have been residentially converted, low-rise industrial buildings, and nonconforming residential buildings.

An area between McCarren Park and Kent Avenue/Franklin Street, roughly between North 9th Street and Calyer Street, is characterized primarily by modern, one- and two-story industrial buildings and contains almost no residential use. This area contains a number of active industrial firms and many industrial jobs, in such activities as food manufacturing and distribution, brewing, glass and metal product manufacturers, plastic products manufacturing, and construction.

Open Space Resources

The 36-acre McCarren Park is the largest open space resource in the area, and has a variety of active recreational facilities, including a jogging track, tennis, bocce and handball courts, and baseball and soccer fields, as well as an unused swimming pool. Grand Ferry Park, a 0.5-acre parcel at the western end of Grand Street, is a public park that serves as one of the few access points to the waterfront. In Greenpoint, the former WNYC transmitter site occupies approximately 1.6 acres on the waterfront. It is currently inaccessible to the public, but the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) plans to redevelop this site as a public park (refer to Chapter 5, “Open Space”).

Community Facilities

Community facilities in the primary study area are concentrated in areas with more residential land use, namely upland areas where housing is concentrated and located farther from the waterfront, which was dominated by manufacturing and industry. The primary study area, anchored by the waterfront, contains fewer community facilities than the secondary study area. Public schools, libraries, and day care facilities are centered along the residential core upland from the waterfront, and are generally located in and around the Northside, Southside, and Williamsburg neighborhoods. Public safety facilities (fire and police protection); hospital facilities and ambulatory programs; and facilities for seniors are situated in the Williamsburg area, with some in central Greenpoint as well. Churches in the primary study area include Sts. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church on South 2nd Street between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue, and Our lady of Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Church on North 8th Street between Havemeyer Street and

2-8 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

Marcy Avenue. Community facilities in the primary and secondary study areas are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 4 of the EIS.

Secondary Study Area

Land uses in the secondary study area are illustrated in Figures 2-4a (Greenpoint area) and 2-4b (Northside, Southside, East Williamsburg). The northeastern section of Greenpoint houses a substantial industrial base. Heavy industrial uses are primarily located in the eastern portion of the Newtown Creek waterfront. Further to the east of the proposed action area, in the portion of Greenpoint bordering Newtown Creek, is the Newtown Creek Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP), the largest wastewater treatment facility in the City, with a capacity of approximately 310 million gallons per day. The area around Newtown Creek also contains various industrial uses, including waste transfer stations, and petroleum and natural gas storage facilities. The north side of Paidge Street is occupied by the Motiva natural gas and diesel fuel product terminal, with a storage capacity of 54,818 barrels (bbls)4 , and two warehouse structures to the east of the terminal. A vacant lot separates this row of structures from the Whale Creek Canal to the east, which extends southward to abut the Newtown Creek WPCP.

As illustrated in Figure 2-4, industrial and manufacturing establishments in eastern Greenpoint are prevalent in the area between McGuinness Boulevard and the Newtown Creek WPCP from the waterfront to Greenpoint Avenue, the region from Newtown Creek WPCP southeast to Norman Avenue, and the area several blocks to the south and east of the intersection of Meeker and Kingsland Avenues. Buildings in these areas range from 1 to 3 stories and generally house smaller industries or warehouses.

The residential core of the Greenpoint portion of the secondary study area extends north and south from the intersection of Manhattan and Greenpoint Avenues, where the Greenpoint Avenue stop of the G NYC Transit (NYCT) subway line is located. Several 1- to 4-story residentially converted industrial lofts exist between Franklin Street and Manhattan Avenue, and 1- to 4-story apartment buildings are found between Manhattan Avenue and McGuinness Boulevard. The busy retail strip of Manhattan Avenue is centered around this rapid transit access point. This area is the retail core of Greenpoint, and home to many local- retail establishments including restaurants, bakeries, and shops that serve the needs of nearby residents. These establishments are generally situated on the ground floor of multi-story residential buildings. Other corridors with substantial ground-floor retail activity include Nassau and Driggs Avenues, just east of McCarren Park (see Figure 2-4). Churches and community facilities are found along Manhattan Avenue, and interspersed in the blocks north of Greenpoint Avenue.

The southern portion of the secondary study area falls within the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. The area south of North 3rd Street near the waterfront contains several industrial facilities, including Con Edison Facilities. The New York Power Authority (NYPA) currently operates a 47 MW turbine power plant at River Street between North 1st and Grand Streets. The facility was sited as part of NYPA’s In- City Generation project to generate power for the City within its boundaries. The Domino Sugar refinery site is located on the waterfront lot between Grand Street and South 5th Street. Domino Sugar was an active manufacturing facility and major employer in the area until January 2004, when it shut down its refining operations at this location. The company refined and packaged sugar in the 11-story structure on the lot, a salient feature of the East River skyline for 148 years. Domino Sugar also occupied several buildings for administrative and other functions ancillary to the refinery. The facility has announced that

4Motiva Company website, http://www.motivaenterprises.com/images/editor/ACFbztLMj.pdf (accessed February 2004)

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it plans to maintain 20 of approximately 250 employees to continue the packaging operations until September 2004.

Just to the south of the Domino Sugar site lies the Williamsburg Bridge, which has provided a connection between the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn and the East Village and Lower East Side areas of Manhattan since its completion in 1903. The 1,600-foot long bridge is suspended approximately 135 feet above the East River by cables from two 310-foot high steel towers and recently underwent a reconstruction that was completed in June of 2002.5 The bridge has physical roadway connections that ramp down to Broadway in addition to its elevated connection to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

The waterfront to the south of the Williamsburg Bridge is occupied by a restaurant, warehouse facilities, a City-owned automotive facility, and the Certified Lumber site with its southern frontage on Division Avenue. Residential development is currently underway on the former site of the Schaefer Brewery. When completed, this development will contain 350 residential units in buildings up to 25 stories, ground floor retail, and a publiclyaccessible waterfront walkway. On the waterfront just south of Division Street, there is a shut-down power plant, currently owned by Con Edison.

In the southern portion of the secondary study area, residential use predominates to the south and east of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway/Meeker Avenue, in close proximity to the public transit available along Metropolitan Avenue. Blocks in these areas are sometimes anchored by local-retail uses at the corners, such as delicatessens or laundromats, and also contain residences, ranging from 2- to 3- story attached and semi-attached single and multi-family homes to 2- to 4-story attached apartment buildings.

Monsignor McGolrick Park, the largest open space resource in the secondary study area, is a 9-acre park that caters mainly to passive recreation. Other major open space resources include Epiphany Playground near the Williamsburg Bridge and several public squares throughout the secondary study area, and are discussed in greater detail in Chapter 5, “Open Space”. The provision of active recreational spaces is also characteristic of the educational facilities and larger housing developments in the area.

Subsidized housing developments, such as public housing properties managed by the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) that are subsidized for low-income families, as well as State- and City-subsidized Mitchell-Lama Properties for middle-income families, are found throughout the secondary study area. These developments are found at the south edge of Southside and along the eastern edge of East Williamsburg, where they occupy the edges of predominantly residential areas, while blocks further south and further east become more industrial in character. In addition, some of these developments fall within the four Urban Renewal Areas located in the secondary study area, which are discussed in greater detail below under the “Public Policy” section of this chapter. These subsidized housing developments, including the Bedford Gardens Development (discussed below), are shown in Figure 2-5 and are summarized in Table 2-2.

Three NYCHA housing developments are found in the Southside portion of the secondary study area, just to the south of the Williamsburg Bridge. The Jonathan Williams Plaza Houses, a 5.58-acre development bordered by Roebling Street, Broadway, Division and Maujer Avenues contains five buildings (14- and 21-stories high) with 577 apartments housing approximately 1,674 persons. The Taylor-Wythe houses, a 4.2-acre development situated on Wythe Avenue between Clymer and Ross Streets, contains five buildings (8-, 11-, 12-, and 13-stories high) with 525 apartments, housing approximately 1,681 persons. Lastly, Independence Towers, a 5.33-acre development bordered by Clymer Street, Wilson, Wythe, and

5http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/williamsburg/

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Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

Bedford Avenues, contains six 21-story buildings with 744 apartments, housing approximately 2,179 persons. Also in this area are two Mitchell-Lama developments, Roberto Clemente Plaza, a 25-story complex in the area bounded by Morton Street, Clymer Street, Division Avenue, and Wythe Avenue that contains 532 apartments; and Bedford Gardens, a 6-story complex in the area bounded by Ross Street, Bedford Avenue, Williamsburg Street West, and Wythe Avenue that contains 647 apartments.

TABLE 2-2 Subsidized Housing Developments in the Land Use Study Area

NAME TYPE NUMBER OF UNITS Primary Study Area Northside Gardens Mitchell-Lama (for moderate-income families) 41 Secondary Study Area Jonathan Williams Plaza Houses NYCHA (for low-income families) 577 Taylor-Wythe Houses NYCHA 525 Independence Towers NYCHA 744 Roberto Clemente Plaza Mitchell-Lama 532 Bedford Gardens Mitchell-Lama 647 Cooper Park Houses NYCHA 699 Williamsburg Houses NYCHA 1,620 Lindsay Park Mitchell-Lama 2,702

Source: New York State Supervised Middle Income Housing Developments, http://www.dhcr.state.ny.us/ohm/Hsgdevls/hsgdevls.htm; NYCHA Guide to Developments, http://home.nyc.gov/html/nycha/tdhtml/devdirectory5.html

Two NYCHA housing developments are found in East Williamsburg, in the eastern portion of the secondary study area. The Cooper Park Houses, a 12.14-acre development bounded by Kingsland, Frost, Morgan, and Maspeth Avenues, contains eleven 7-story buildings with 699 apartments housing approximately 1,753 persons. The Williamsburg Houses, a 23.34-acre complex bordered by Leonard, Scholes, and Maujer Streets and Bushwick Avenue contains twenty 4-story buildings with 1,620 apartments housing approximately 3,109 persons. Also in this area is one Mitchell-Lama development, Lindsay Park, a complex of four 21-to-22-story cooperative buildings with 2,702 apartments, generally bounded by Montrose, Manhattan, and Union Avenues and Moore Street.

As shown in Figures 2-4a and 2-4b, thoroughfares containing substantial amounts of ground-floor retail include Graham Avenue, Grand Street, Manhattan Avenue, and Lee Avenue, where food markets, laundromats, restaurants, and local retail stores are commonly found. Graham Avenue, which also has the unofficial name of “Avenue of Puerto Rico,” has neighborhood-oriented stores such as Duane Reade drugstores, ice cream shops, and bridal stores. Grand Street is one of the major retail thoroughfares in East Williamsburg, home to several mainstay businesses such as a Washington Mutual Bank, a McDonald’s, the Liberty Department Store, and the Key Food and Associated supermarkets. Manhattan Avenue also has neighborhood retail offerings, featuring the Wedel Chocolate Store, gift shops, and health food stores. Lee Avenue features many eateries, bookstores, and religious institutions, including the First Baptist Church and the Congregation Zemach Tzedek of Viznitz, a Jewish synagogue.

2-11 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

The Future Without the Proposed Action (No-Action)

Primary Study Area

In the future without the proposed action, it is expected that the current land use trends and general development patterns would continue. These trends and patterns are characterized by an overall decline in heavy industrial and manufacturing uses and a continued shift to lighter industrial uses and as-of-right development. Given increasing demand for residential conversion and development, requests for Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) variances for residential use in light manufacturing areas, illegal conversion practices and the deterioration of vacant land and buildings are expected to continue. Moreover, it is anticipated that the waterfront would remain inaccessible to the public in the future without the proposed action, and no new parkland would be provided within the proposed action area (with the exception of the former WNYC transmitter site discussed earlier).

There is a development proposal at 184 Kent Avenue, which is located within the proposed action area, that has filed an application for a BSA variance for new residential use within a manufacturing building. This project is anticipated to generate up to approximately 256 dwelling units (DUs), approximately 27,124 sf of retail/commercial space, and an accessory parking garage.

No-Action Development

As detailed in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” the Reasonable Worst-Case Development Scenario (RWCDS) identified by DCP for no-action conditions identified as-of-right and BSA-approved development that is projected to occur on 30 of the 76 projected development sites as-of-right pursuant to the existing zoning in the future without the proposed action (existing residential use is projected to continue on five additional sites in the No-Action). The Reasonable Worst-Case Development Scenario (RWCDS) identified by DCP for no-action conditions also identified development that could occur on 87 of the 264 potential development sites as-of-right pursuant to existing zoning in the future without the proposed action.

Scenario A In the future without the proposed action (No-Action), as-of-right and variance development is expected to occur on 30 of the 76 projected development sites as detailed in Table 1-1 in Chapter 1, “Project Description.” As shown in the table, development on those 30 projected development sites, combined with existing residential use projected to remain, is expected to consist of a total of 866 DUs and 68,500 sf of local commercial/retail. When combined with the existing developments on the remaining projected development sites, the future No-Action development program on the 76 projected development sites is expected to consist of 866 dwelling units (DUs), 83,462 sf of commercial/retail, 1,294,281 sf of industrial/ manufacturing/warehousing space, 642,686 sf of vehicle and open storage, 32,309 sf of automotive uses, 619,913 sf in vacant buildings, and 949,997 sf of vacant land.

Scenario B As with Scenario A, as-of-right and variance development is expected to occur on some projected development sites in the future without the proposed action (No-Action) under Scenario B. As such, the No-Action development program under Scenario B is identical to Scenario A except that it includes the development of a 1,100-megawatt power plant to be developed on the Bayside Fuel site, which is included in projected Site 211 under No-Action conditions. The facility, proposed by the TransGas Energy Company, would be an estimated 187,125 sf in size.

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As such, the No-Action development program for Scenario B would include more industrial/ manufacturing/warehousing space as it anticipates the development of the power plant. The No-Action development program under Scenario B is expected to consist of 866 DUs,83,462 sf of commercial/retail, 1,422,001 sf of industrial/manufacturing/warehousing space, 642,686 sf of vehicle and open storage, 32,309 sf of automotive uses, 619,913 sf in vacant buildings, and 949,997 sf of vacant land (please refer to Table 1-3, in Chapter 1, “Project Description”).

Secondary Study Area

In addition to the continuation of existing trends, from heavy industrial and manufacturing uses towards lighter industry and residential conversions, and resulting as-of-right development, there are also 83 developments in the secondary study area that are expected to be developed in the future without the proposed action. Table 2-3 outlines these development sites and Figure 2-6 depicts their locations. As shown in Table 2-3, the anticipated development in the secondary study area in the future without the proposed action is expected to consist of a total of 2,188 DUs and 39,300 sf of commercial space.6

Sites S1, S3 and S4 have filed site-specific rezoning applications and are pending or approved for residential development. Site S2, the Gretsch Building at 60 Broadway, is a building currently converting to residential use on a site that was rezoned as part of the Williamsburg Bridge Rezoning, a rezoning of approximately 15 blocks around the Williamsburg Bridge that was adopted in 1998.

In addition, it is possible that because demand for housing is growing in Greenpoint-Williamsburg, residentially zoned areas surrounding the primary study area may see additional pressure for residential development in the future without the proposed action that would otherwise be accommodated in the primary study area under the proposed action.

The Future With the Proposed Action (With-Action)

Planning Framework

Based on an analysis of existing land use and recent trends in the Greenpoint-Williamsburg study area, a land use framework was developed, as illustrated in Figure 2-7, which identifies the following elements:

! Key Residential Areas: While none of the primary study area is currently zoned as a residential district, with the exception of two small R6 areas on Greenpoint Avenue and Grand Street, several sections exhibit a predominantly residential character, including areas on the edges of larger residential neighborhoods – near Grand Street; northeast of McCarren Park; and along the west side of Franklin Street in Greenpoint – as well as the area near the Bedford Avenue station of the L subway line in Williamsburg. As illustrated previously in the primary study area land use map provided in Figure 2-3, land uses in these areas consist predominantly of residential buildings and community facilities such as schools and houses of worship.

! Key Mixed-use Areas: These areas contain a mix of older residential buildings, converted loft buildings, and light industrial uses, as well as vacant and underused buildings and land. As

6 Although Site S24 is currently developed, and 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.

2-13 Feet Legend: 0250 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 Proposed Action Area ´ Secondary Study Area (1/2-Mile Radius) Secondary Study Area No-Build Sites

S41

S S

4 4 S42 8 9 ENUE S50 OINT AV GREENP S46 S47

V I M R A

T N M S H

A A C T E G T U A I N N N A E V S E S N U B E O U L E V A R Y A D W S S43 S E R P X E S45 S N E S44 E U -Q N LY K O O R B S65 S64 184 Kent Avenue

E S67 U S66 N E V A D R O F S69 D E S68 B

R S52 E S57 V I S51 S55 R M S53 S56 ETR T S25 OP S O LIT S54 A AN E AVENUE S78 S30 S27 S31 S24 S58 S32 S26 S34 S35 S28 S S S36 S 77 S 7 7 S33 S 6 S 7 5 S 7 S5 S 7 4 7 3 S2 7 2 1 S8 0 S1 S7

Y S6 A S29U W N S79 S4 S I S3 S9 O S82 S83 S E S37 N R A P V X E S80 S81 E S38 N S E S39 U NU N AVE E SION E DIVI E U Q S16 - N S40 Y L K O O R B

7 S13 S1 18

S S S15 19 S 6 S 6

2 S10 20 0 S14 S S S 1 S * NOTE: ALTHOUGH SITE S24 IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPED AND 2 6 6 S 2 5 S12 2 3 1 SITES S10 THROUGH S15 ARE CURRENTLY DEVELOPED WITH 3 9 S 2 S11 8-STORY RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, AT THE TIME EXISTING S 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.

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 2-6 No-Action Development Sites in the Secondary Study Area

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

TABLE 2-3 No-Action Development Sites in the Secondary Study Area (½-Mile Radius of Action Area) Residential Commercial Site # Block Lot Address Status Units Space (sf) S1 2128; 2134 5, 25; 48, 50, 56, 250 420-430 KENT AVE (Kedem Winery) Rezoning application filed 450 26,900 S2 2130 5 60 BROADWAY (Gretsch) Under construction 130 0 S3 2134 36 460 KENT AVE (Schaefer Brewery) Rezoning approved; Under construction 350 12,400 S4 2135 1,100, 35 421-471 KENT AVE (Domsey) Rezoning approved 540 0 S5 2129 18 30 BROADWAY Building permit issued 6 0 S6 2131 7502 416 BEDFORD AVE Building permit issued 11 0 S7 2132 16 170 BROADWAY Building permit issued 12 0 S8 2132 16 158 BROADWAY Building permit issued 12 0 S9 2137 9 102 SOUTH 8 ST Building permit issued 28 0 S10 2165 7501 535 KENT AVE Building permit issued 30 0 S11 2165 7501 525 KENT AVE Building permit issued 30 0 S12 2165 7502 580 WYTHE AVE Building permit issued 32 0 S13 2165 7503 570 WYTHE AVE Building permit issued 24 0 S14 2165 7504 576 WYTHE AVE Building permit issued 24 0 S15 2165 7505 564 WYTHE AVE Building permit issued 32 0 S16 2173 42 177 TAYLOR ST Building permit issued 12 0 S17 2238 32 2 THROOP AVE Building permit issued 5 0 S18 2238 33 2A THROOP AVE Building permit issued 5 0 S19 2238 35 4 THROOP AVE Building permit issued 5 0 S20 2238 36 6 THROOP AVE Building permit issued 5 0 S21 2238 38 12 THROOP AVE Building permit issued 5 0 S22 2238 38 8 THROOP AVE Building permit issued 5 0 S23 2238 38 10 THROOP AVE Building permit issued 5 0 S24 2383 7503 98 HAVEMEYER ST Building permit issued 8 0 S25 2392 46 115 SOUTH 1 ST Building permit issued 3 0 S26 2394 26 227 SOUTH 1 ST Building permit issued 3 0 S27 2406 10 150 SOUTH 1 ST Building permit issued 32 0 S28 2408 16 236 SOUTH 1 ST Building permit issued 16 0 S29 2413 27 395 SOUTH 2 ST Building permit issued 4 0 S30 2417 14 120 SOUTH 2 ST Building permit issued 14 0 S31 2417 29 342 BEDFORD AVE Building permit issued 20 0 S32 2417 29 117 SOUTH 3 ST Building permit issued 14 0 S33 2420 20 250 SOUTH 2 ST Building permit issued 8 0 S34 2431 7 337 BEDFORD AVE Building permit issued 8 0 S35 2432 5 174 SOUTH 3 ST Building permit issued 8 0 S36 2432 7 180 SOUTH 3 ST Building permit issued 8 0 S37 2438 30 385 SOUTH 4 ST Building permit issued 2 0 S38 2450 139 353 SOUTH 5 ST Building permit issued 2 0 S39 2462 116 348 SOUTH 5 ST Building permit issued 2 0 S40 2465 9 442 SOUTH 5 ST Building permit issued 10 0 S41 2512 41 158 FREEMAN ST Building permit issued 4 0 S42 2550 78 93 KENT ST Building permit issued 10 0 S43 2644 54 82 GUERNSEY ST Building permit issued 9 0 S44 2681 41 280 DRIGGS AVE Building permit issued 7 0 S45 2685 30 623 HUMBOLDT ST Building permit issued 6 0 S46 2703 1 36 RUSSELL ST Building permit issued 4 0 S47 2703 1 38 RUSSELL ST Building permit issued 4 0 S48 2703 1 169 ENGERT AVE Building permit issued 7 0 S49 2703 1 171 ENGERT AVE Building permit issued 7 0 S50 2703 1 34 RUSSELL ST Building permit issued 4 0 S51 2751 3 478 UNION AVE Building permit issued 8 0 S52 2754 41 133 CONSELYEA ST Building permit issued 8 0 S53 2758 6 88 CONSELYEA ST Building permit issued 6 0 S54 2758 6 92 CONSELYEA ST Building permit issued 6 0 S55 2758 6 306 LEONARD ST Building permit issued 6 0 S56 2760 15 180 CONSELYEA ST Building permit issued 7 0 S57 2760 16 180A CONSELYEA ST Building permit issued 7 0 S58 2776 24 293 GRAHAM AVE Building permit issued 5 0 S59 2787 32 115 MAUJER ST Building permit issued 3 0 S60 2787 32 117 MAUJER ST Building permit issued 3 0 S61 2787 32 119 MAUJER ST Building permit issued 3 0 S62 2787 32 121 MAUJER ST Building permit issued 3 0 S63 2787 32 113 MAUJER ST Building permit issued 3 0 S64 2829 45 56 MONITOR ST Building permit issued 8 0 S65 2829 46 58 MONITOR ST Building permit issued 8 0 S66 2857 33 258 RICHARDSON ST Building permit issued 4 0 S67 2857 33 252 RICHARDSON ST Building permit issued 4 0 S68 2875 5 442 HUMBOLDT ST Building permit issued 8 0 S69 2875 40 246 WITHERS ST Building permit issued 25 0 S70 2907 24 72 MASPETH AVE Building permit issued 3 0 S71 2907 24 74 MASPETH AVE Building permit issued 3 0

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TABLE 2-3 (continued) No-Action Development Sites in the Secondary Study Area (½-Mile Radius of Action Area) Residential Commercial Site # Block Lot Address Status Units Space (sf) S72 2907 24 76 MASPETH AVE Building permit issued 3 0 S73 2907 24 76A MASPETH AVE Building permit issued 3 0 S74 2907 24 70 MASPETH AVE Building permit issued 3 0 S75 2907 28 80 MASPETH AVE Building permit issued 3 0 S76 2907 28 82 MASPETH AVE Building permit issued 3 0 S77 2907 28 78 MASPETH AVE Building permit issued 3 0 S78 2919 20 242 DEVOE ST Building permit issued 8 0 S79 3023 13 58 TEN EYCK ST Building permit issued 14 0 S80 3043 5 160 MANHATTAN AVE Building permit issued 16 0 S81 3043 23 185 GRAHAM AVE Building permit issued 4 0 S82 3044 6 162 SCHOLES ST Building permit issued 8 0 S83 3044 6 160 SCHOLES ST Building permit issued 7 0 Total: 2,188 39,300 Source: NYC Department of City Planning (Fall 2003) NOTE: Although Site S24 is currently developed, and 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.

shown in Figure 2-3, mixed-use areas surround the residential core of Williamsburg, and, in Greenpoint, are found primarily between Franklin and West Streets.

! Key Commercial Corridors: Although commercial uses are scattered throughout the mixed-use areas, the two principal commercial corridors are Manhattan Avenue (in Greenpoint) and Bedford Avenue (in Williamsburg). Greenpoint Avenue and Grand Street, running east-west, were also developed originally as local retail streets. In addition, North 6th Street and Green Street, which contain storefronts and older commercial buildings and terminate in piers on the waterfront, are identified as potential secondary commercial corridors (see Figure 2-7).

! Key Industrial Areas: Based on land use surveys and analysis of employment data, three industrial areas were identified for the maintenance of manufacturing zoning: S The area roughly between McCarren Park and Kent Avenue/Franklin Street is almost exclusively industrial, and buildings are mostly low-rise and more modern than elsewhere in the study area. Activities include glass products manufacturing, a brewery, plastic bag manufacturing, metal stamping, and a variety of construction-related activities. S At the southwest edge of the primary study area, the area encompassing the former Domino Sugar plant, Con Edison and New York Power Authority storage and power generation facilities, and an adjoining area between Kent and Wythe Avenues, is an industrial area. Zoning is this area should facilitate continuing and future industrial uses on these sites. S The northernmost two blocks between Manhattan Avenue and McGuinness Boulevard, next to the Pulaski Bridge approach and across Manhattan Avenue from the Greenpoint Manufacturing and Design Center (GMDC), remain predominantly industrial.

! The Waterfront: Approximately two miles of waterfront, extending from Manhattan Avenue southward to North 3rd Street, are analyzed as a contiguous whole offering singular opportunities for open space and residential development. Manufacturing zoning should be maintained at the north end of Manhattan Avenue, where the GMDC is located, and at the south end of the waterfront, between North 3rd Street and the Williamsburg Bridge.

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With-Action Conditions for RWCDS Projected Development Sites

The Department of City Planning has identified 76 projected development sites that are considered the most likely to be developed in the future with the proposed action. Criteria were applied to sites in the primary study area in order to classify them as such. These criteria include: loft buildings suited to residential use, sites located in areas with substantial residential use, larger sites with common ownership as opposed to multiple ownership, and older industrial buildings as opposed to recently constructed industrial facilities. These criteria are explained in greater detail in Chapter 1, “Project Description.”

Scenario A

At the 76 projected development sites identified by DCP, it is expected that most of the future No-Action uses would be replaced, although in a few cases some No-Action uses would remain while expanded development rights would be used for the rest of a site to maximize permitted as-of-right development. Refer to Table 1-1 in Chapter 1, “Project Description” for details.

As specified in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” the new development resultingfromthe proposed action on the projected development sites would consist of 8,257 DUs, and 337,160 sf of local retail and commercial uses in addition to a new park with a land area of approximately 27.8 acres extending from North 9th Street to the northern edge of Bushwick Inlet. As discussed in Chapter 1, the projected incremental change to result from the 76 projected development sites under Scenario A is 7,391 DUs. There would also be 253,698 sf of local retail, a new park with approximately 27.8 acres of land area, - 949,997 sf of vacant land, -642,686 sf of vehicle and open storage uses, -557,906 sf in vacant buildings, -1,136,269 sf of industrial/manufacturing/warehousing space, and -24,876 sf of automotive uses.

Scenario B

As with Scenario A, new development induced by the proposed action under Scenario B would consist of 8,257 DUs and 337,160 sf of commercial/retail, but with a smaller park at Site 211, which would have land area of approximately 15.9 acres. Scenario B also assumes that the 1,100 MW power plant assumed under No-Action conditions for Scenario B would continue to occupy the Bayside Fuel site, which constitutes a portion of projected Site 211, in the future with the proposed action, and the area at the northern edge of Bushwick Inlet would remain vacant. As discussed in Chapter 1, “Project Description,” the projected incremental (net) change that would result from the proposed action at the 76 projected development sites under Scenario B is 7,391 DUs, 253,698 sf of local commercial/retail, a new park with approximately 15.9 acres of land area, -555,764 sf of vacant land, -642,686 sf of vehicle and open storage uses, -557,906 sf in vacant buildings, -1,076,864 sf of industrial/manufacturing/warehousing space, and -24,876 sf of automotive uses.

With-Action Conditions for RWCDS Potential Development Sites

DCP has also identified 264 potential development sites where, although considered less likely, development could occur in the future with the proposed action. These sites include vacant parcels, vacant or underbuilt residential buildings, industrial buildings, and commercial buildings that did not meet DCP’s criteria for the classification of projected sites and are thus considered less likely to occur by the analysis year of 2013.

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Assessment

The proposed action would rezone approximately 184 blocks in the Greenpoint and Williamsburg areas of Brooklyn, and these proposed zoning changes are anticipated to result in new residential development on 76 projected development sites, with a net increment of 7,391 DUs and 253,698 sf of new local commercial land use.

Primary Study Area

The proposed action would result in positive changes in the land uses present in the primary study area and is not anticipated to result in significant adverse land use impacts in this area. These changes would be in accordance with the proposed zoning framework, which promotes residential areas, mixed-use areas, commercial corridors, and industrial areas. The proposed action would result in an increase in the area zoned for residential use, and would also increase the amount of area zoned for mixed use to accommodate light industrial/manufacturing uses, commercial uses, and residential use.

The proposed action would facilitate the expansion of housing supply in an area that has been experiencing an increase in the number of residences and a rise in housing demand. Vacant and underutilized lots, especially those located along the waterfront, would be candidates for redevelopment under the proposed action. Residential and mixed use zones would create opportunities to legalize existing loft conversions. Commercial overlays along streets where existing ground floor retail uses exist would encourage the growth of local-scale commercial activity, which, in turn, would accommodate and be compatible with residential growth. The new residential uses generated by the proposed action would spur neighborhood retail uses which would benefit existing resident and worker populations. New parkland and public waterfront access associated with new residential development on the waterfront would provide recreational opportunities for both residents and workers. It should be noted that the RWCDS for the proposed action does not project the introduction of additional community facilities into the primary study area (for more detailed analysis, please refer to Chapter 4, “Community Facilities”).

As a whole, the new land uses that would result in the future with the proposed action are foreseen as a continuation of current land use trends in a manner sensitive to the surrounding land uses. New residential uses anticipated under the proposed action would replace underutilized uses and the proposed action would provide an orderly, planned framework for the continuation of existing trends which likely would otherwise proceed in an ad-hoc unplanned manner in the future without the proposed action via the residential conversions of non-residential buildings, mostly through BSA applications. This framework would also provide opportunities for industrial uses in mixed-use districts, while providing appropriate land use guidelines, zoning controls, and necessary environmental safeguards. In addition, the proposed action would dramatically improve public access to the waterfront, and the waterfront park included in the proposal would serve as an important recreational amenity to the area.

As noted above, new development induced by the proposed action would be identical under both Scenarios A and B, with the exception of development on projected Site 211. As noted above, under Scenario B, a smaller park would be provided on Site 211, which would have land area of approximately 15.9 acres. Therefore, the proposed action’s effects on land use in the primary study area would be essentially the same for the two Scenarios.

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The Waterfront Area

The proposed action would result in dramatic improvements to the waterfront portion of the primary study area. Instead of the existing vacant, underutilized, and dilapidated former industrial sites, which hinder public access to the waterfront, the proposed action would facilitate the development of a vibrant and active mixed-use waterfront, with significantly greater public access. The proposed action provides a comprehensive plan for the entire waterfront, in the form of a Waterfront Access Plan or WAP (discussed in greater detail in the “Zoning” section below). In addition to providing public access to the waterfront, the proposed action would also facilitate housing development, at a moderate density, with a variety of housing types, as well as the extension of existing retail corridors to the waterfront and the creation of opportunities for new neighborhood retail corridors along the west side of Commercial Street, West Street, and Kent Avenue.

The combination of proposed zoning district changes and special regulations applicable in the WAP area would: (a) encourage development that reconnects the waterfront to the upland neighborhood, rather than separate them; (b) locate low-rise buildings at the neighborhood’s edge, thereby creating a smooth transition in building scale and form from upland neighborhoods to waterfront blocks; (c) locate taller buildings away from the low-rise buildings and narrow streets of upland neighborhoods, and toward the water, where they can frame new open spaces; and (d) create a pedestrian-friendly streetscape, by encouraging waterfront development to relate to public streets and public access areas, rather than turn its back on them.

As discussed in the “Zoning” section below, elements required under the proposed WAP would include a continuous shore public walkway that traces the water’s edge from the end of Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint to the end of North 3rd Street in Williamsburg, and pedestrian public access to piers in accordance with the requirements of waterfront zoning. In addition, required supplemental access areas would be strategically located to enlarge other waterfront open spaces, and upland connections would provide publicly accessible walkways connecting to upland streets. The WAP would also provide visual corridors, which require unobstructed views to the water, both in conjunction with upland connections, and at locations where upland connections cannot be mandated, in order to extend views from the street grid to the water at every possible location.

In addition to providing new public access areas along the waterfront, the proposed action would also add a substantial new open space, in the form of a mapped park in the Bushwick Inlet area. Under Scenario A, the proposed 27.8-acre park would extend along the waterfront from North 9th Street to the northern edge of the Bushwick Inlet, whereas under Scenario B the proposed park would be smaller in size at 15.9 acres, extending only from North 9th to North 12 th Streets. The proposed park, which would be directly adjacent to East River State Park to the south, is expected to provide both active and passive recreation spaces to the community. Although plans for the proposed park are still conceptual at this time, given its strategic waterfront location, it could include some recreational boating facilities for small craft (e.g., kayaks, canoes). The proposed park could also accommodate venues for Olympic events such as beach volleyball and aquatics, as part of New York City’s bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

The Upland Area

In upland areas, the use of contextual zoning districts in both residential and mixed-use areas would ensure that the scale and bulk of new buildings is sensitive to and consistent with existing developments in both Greenpoint and Williamsburg. As discussed in the “Zoning” section below, contextual zoning regulates the height and bulk of new buildings, their setback from the street line, and their width along

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the street frontage, in order to maintain existing neighborhood characteristics or building scale. Therefore, the proposed action would protect the character of the existing neighborhoods that form the core of the upland area. The primary study area’s character would be further protected by the use of Special Mixed Use Districts (described in the “Zoning” section below) in the upland area, which permit mixed-use buildings, and would provide opportunities for the legalization of converted loft buildings in Greenpoint- Williamsburg.

The proposed action would also create new commercial overlays within the proposed action area, which would serve the new residential uses introduced by the proposed zoning, and formally recognize and enhance the existing street-level retail activity that has developed along upland thoroughfares in Greenpoint and Williamsburg.

Greenpoint The Greenpoint portion of the primary study area is anticipated to continue its transition from its mixture of industrial land uses, vacant land and structures, and non-conforming residential use to an active mixed- use neighborhood, with new residential and commercial uses occupying currently vacant and underutilized land among existing residential and industrial uses.

The blocks just west of Franklin Street between Eagle and Java Streets would remain predominantly residential, with new four- to five-story residential buildings rising on the few vacant and underutilized lots between existing houses and apartment buildings. The maximum streetwall height of 40 feet for new buildings would ensure that new buildings in these areas fit the surrounding context. Green Street would develop with a mix of residential and commercial uses, with new residential buildings and ground floor local retail extending west from Manhattan Avenue to the water’s edge. Franklin Street would continue as a residential corridor with ground floor retail. The blocks between Franklin and West Streets and between Dupont and Box Streets would become increasingly mixed in use, with some underutilized loft buildings converting to residential use, and new five- to six-story residential buildings filling vacant and underutilized land between industrial and residential buildings.

West Street would accommodate ground-floor retail uses on both the waterfront and upland sides of the street, addressing the needs of area residents, and adding activity at street level. Greenpoint Avenue would also become a corridor accommodating local retail uses, connecting the Manhattan Avenue retail corridor to the waterfront, leading up to the WNYC Transmitter Park. New buildings permitted along the east side of West Street would be limited to 60 feet in height at the streetwall, and 70 feet in total height, heights similar to those of existing loft buildings in this corridor, and matching the maximum heights of permitted buildings on the opposite side of West Street.

The RWCDS does not specifically project any new community facilities within the proposed action area. However, community facilities, the locations of which are generally correlated with residential areas, may be expected to increase in number and also diversify in location, as the area becomes increasingly residential.

Williamsburg The Williamsburg portion of the primary study area would experience a substantial increase in the availability of land zoned for residential and mixed residential and light industrial uses, especially in the Northside area. In the core of the Northside residential neighborhood, on the blocks surrounding Bedford Avenue where residential development is currently permitted as-of-right, residential buildings of four to five stories would be developed on parcels of vacant and underutilized land, continuing a trend toward new housing that is already underway today. However, unlike the existing zoning, under which building

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permits have recently been filed for several taller buildings on sites in the proposed action area, the proposed zoning changes would limit new buildings in these areas to 40 feet in height at the streetwall and 50 feet overall, preventing the construction of tall buildings out of scale with their surroundings. Commercial overlay districts would accommodate the retail activity of Bedford Avenue, reinforcing this important local commercial strip. New development at the corner of Bedford Avenue and North 12th Street would bring activity to a long vacant site at the edge of McCarren Park.

Areas of Williamsburg currently characterized by a mix of residential and industrial uses, including the blocks to the south and west of the Bedford Avenue residential core, between Berry Street and Kent Avenue, and the blocks on either side of Union Avenue and east of the BQE, would experience new residential development on vacant and underutilized land amidst existing residential and industrial uses. These new buildings would be permitted to rise no higher than 60 feet at the streetwall, a height characteristic of loft buildings throughout the area.

On the blocks between Berry Street and Kent Avenue, between North 3rd Street and North 9 th Street, where numerous loft buildings have already been converted to residential use, the continued conversion of loft buildings to residential or mixed use is expected. In addition, new housing and local retail would be developed in buildings that fit in with the loft buildings that characterize much of this area. New buildings permitted along the east side of Kent Avenue would be limited to 60 feet in height at the streetwall, and 70 feet in total height, heights similar to those of existing loft buildings in this corridor, and matching the maximum heights of permitted buildings on the opposite side of Kent Avenue.

North 6th Street would continue its emergence as a local commercial strip, adding new retail uses such as restaurants and shops, along with new housing development. Currently vacant or underutilized buildings in the area near Union Avenue would experience the development of new, six- to seven-story residential buildings. Commercial overlays along Grand Street would recognize the local retail along this street, making possible a more continuous retail frontage. In the Southside area of Williamsburg, residential zoning would be applied in areas primarily occupied by residential and community facility uses, while mixed use districts would accommodate both new residential uses and commercial and light industrial uses. On the approximately five blocks just north of the Williamsburg Bridge, converted loft buildings and new residential buildings would be interspersed with a variety of existing industrial and residential buildings of varied heights. New housing would coexist with existing industrial, commercial, and residential uses on the blocks east of the BQE and south of Metropolitan Avenue.

Secondary Study Area

The proposed action is not anticipated to adversely impact land use in the secondary study area. Both the increase in areas zoned for commercial, residential, and mixed use and the mapping of the proposed park, and the ensuing development resulting from the aforementioned increase is anticipated to serve as a great amenity to those who live and work within the secondary study area.

Greenpoint

The development of residential land uses in the proposed action area, west of Manhattan Avenue, would complement the residential uses that currently exist to the east. It is anticipated that commercial land use would be invigorated by the increasing demand for goods and services stemming from residential growth. Existing commercial thoroughfares, such as Manhattan and Greenpoint Avenues, currently have patches of continuous storefronts, discontinuous at times, and in the future with the proposed action, these areas are anticipated to retain and reinforce their commercial character.

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Williamsburg

The portions of Williamsburg that constitute the southeast portion of the secondary study area would benefit from the additional amenities and growth that would develop as a result of the proposed action. However, it is not anticipated that these areas wouldexperience substantial additional development, given that this area, east of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), is already residential in character. The industrial area abutting the southwestern portion of the primary study area would continue to accommodate industrial uses, and would interface with adjacent mixed-use neighborhoods that would contain both light industrial and residential uses in the transition to more residential areas upland.

D. ZONING

Existing Conditions

Primary Study Area

The existing zoning in Greenpoint-Williamsburg reflects historic land use. As shown in the map provided in Figure 2-8a, blocks nearest the waterfront within the primary study area are zoned M3-1, a district that accommodates heavy industrial use, with a maximum allowable floor area ratio (FAR) of 2.0. Adjoining M1-1 and M1-2 zones, permitting light manufacturing and industrial uses, form a buffer between the waterfront M3 zone and the traditional upland residential core. M1-1 districts permit a maximum allowable FAR of 1.0, whereas M1-2 districts have maximum allowable FAR of 2.0. The M1 and M3 manufacturing designations permit industrial and some commercial uses, but they do not permit new residential uses.

As shown in Figure 2-8a, other existing zoning designations in the primary study area consist of C8-1, C8-2, the Special Northside Mixed Use District (M1-2/R6, M1-1/R6, R6/M1-2, R6/M1-1), and the Special Franklin Street Mixed-Use District. C8 districts permit automotive and other commercial uses, but not residential use. These districts are typically mapped along major traffic arteries where concentrations of automotive uses have developed. Typical uses include automobile showrooms, automotive service facilities and warehouses. C8-1 districts have a maximum allowable FAR of 1.0, whereas C8-2 districts have a maximum allowable FAR of 2.0.

Although areas to the east and south of the primary study area permit residential use (R6, R7 and C4-3 zoning districts), new residences within the 184-block primary study area itself are either not permitted at all, or are permitted in a limited way only. Within the primary study area, only small portions of Grand Street, Havemeyer Street, and Greenpoint Avenue are currently zoned R6, allowing new residences as-of- right.

The Special Northside Mixed Use District (N), created in 1976, has two mixed-use components: primarily residential R(M) areas, and primarily industrial M(R) areas. In R(M) areas, new residential uses are allowed, and specified industrial uses are allowed by special permit. In M(R) areas, light industrial uses are allowed as-of-right, and most residential development is allowed only by special permit. Only a handful of special permit applications have been filed since the district was created. Nevertheless, residential use has spread and, in areas designated for primarily industrial use, industrial activity has

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declined sharply. The maximum FAR for residential use in the Special Northside Mixed-Use District is 2.43; the Quality Housing option is not available in this district.

The Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District (FR) is essentially a residential district that permits a limited number of industrial uses by special permit. Since 1975, nearly all industrial use has left and, in the past two years, three new residential buildings have been constructed in the district. Within the Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District, new residential uses are allowed under R6 regulations, with a maximum FAR of 2.43. The Quality Housing option is not available in this district.

Table 2-4 provides a summary of zoning regulations for each of the existing zoning districts within the proposed action area, including FAR, allowable use groups, streetwall height, and height and setback regulations.

Secondary Study Area

As illustrated in Figure 2-8b, zoning classifications within the secondary study area consist predominantly of residential districts to the east and south, with manufacturing zoning along the Newtown Creek and east of McGuinness Boulevard. Zoning classifications within the secondary study area include R6, R7X, R7-1, R7-2, R7-3, C4-3, C8-2, M1-1, M1-2, M3-1, as well as C1-3 and C2-3 commercial overlays along some streets.

R6 is a medium density residential district, with typical developments ranging between three and twelve stories. Parking is required for 70% of dwelling units. R6 districts allow a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.78 to 2.43 for residential uses, and 4.8 for community facility uses.

R7 is a medium density apartment house district. Residential floor area ratios in R7-1 districts range from an FAR of 0.87 to 3.44, and community facilities have an allowable FAR of 4.8. R7-2 districts also permit a residential FAR of 0.87 to 3.44, and an FAR of 6.5 for community facilities. Parking is required for 60% of new dwelling units in R7-1 districts and for 50% of new units in R7-2 districts.

R7X districts are contextual districts that are similar to R7 districts but feature a greater lot coverage and a required maximum front wall setback of 8 feet on wide streets or 15 feet on narrow streets. R7X districts allow a maximum FAR of 5.0 and require the Quality Housing Program, a program established in 1984 by the New York City Department of City Planning that encourages the development of multi- family residential buildings with enhancements for safety, security, and contextual sensitivity; interior enhancements such as laundry and waste disposal facilities; and the provision of on-site recreation space. Parking is required for 50% of new dwelling units in R7X districts.

C4-3 zoning is characterized by medium-sized commercial areas located outside of central business districts. These areas feature continuous retail frontages and do not permit uses that interrupt the continuity of retail facades, such as home maintenance and repair services (Use Group 7). C4-3 districts permit a maximum FAR of 3.4 for commercial uses, 2.43 for residential uses, and 4.8 for community facility uses.

C8-2 districts contain automobile showrooms, heavy commercial services such as automotive service facilities, and warehouses. Generally found on major traffic arteries where automotive uses have developed, C8-2 districts provide a transition between other commercial uses and manufacturing uses. Performance standards are in place for Use Group 11A, which includes such uses as printing, ceramic, music instrument, or jewelry manufacturing; and Use Group 16, which includes such uses as animal

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TABLE 2-4 Existing Zoning Districts and Regulations in the Primary Study Area

STREETWALL HEIGHT & DISTRICT MAXIMUM FAR USE GROUPS HEIGHT SETBACK N - R6(M1-1) R: 2.43 1-4, 5-9, 11, 16(1) , R/CF: Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height CF: 4.8 17(1) M/C: Max. 30' or 2 stories & setback and sky M/C: 1.0 [ZR 22-00, 97-111] [ZR 23-632, 24-522, 43-43, exposure plane [ZR 23-142, 24-11, 43-12] 43-44] [ZR 23-632, 24-522, 43- 43, 43-44] N - R6(M1-2) R: 2.43 1-4, 5-9, 11, 16(1) , R/CF: Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height CF: 4.8 17(1) M/C: Max. 60' or 4 stories & setback and sky M/C: 2.0 [ZR 22-00, 97-111] [ZR 23-633, 24-522, 43-43, exposure plane [ZR 43-12, 23-142, 24-11] 43-44] [ZR 23-632, 24-522, 43- 43, 43-44] N - M1-1(R6) R: 2.43 1-4, 5-14, 16, 17 R/CF: Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height CF: 2.4 [ZR 22-00, 97-111] M/C: Max. 30' or 4 stories & setback and sky M/C: 1.0 [ZR 23-633, 24-522, 43-43, exposure plane [ZR 43-12, 23-142, 24-11] 43-44] [ZR 23-633, 24-522, 43- 43, 43-44] N - M1-2(R6) R: 2.43 1-4, 5-14, 16, 17 R/CF: Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height CF: 4.8 [ZR 22-00, 97-111] M/C: Max. 60' or 6 stories & setback and sky M/C: 2.0 [ZR 23-633, 24-522, 43-43, exposure plane [ZR 43-12, 23-142, 24-11] 43-44] [ZR 23-633, 24-522, 43- 43, 43-44] FR - R6(M1-1) R: 2.43 1-4, 5-9, 11, 17(2) R/CF: Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height CF: 4.8 [ZR 22-00, 108-10] M/C: Max. 30' or 2 stories & setback and sky M/C: 1.0 [ZR 23-633, 24-522, 43-43, exposure plane [ZR 23-142, 43-12, 24-11] 43-44] [ZR 23-633, 24-522, 43- 43, 43-44] M1-1 M: 1.0 4-14, 16-17 CF: Max. 35' or 3 stories regular or alternate height C: 1.0 [ZR 42-00] M/C: Max. 30' or 2 stories & setback and sky CF: 2.4 [ZR 43-43, 43-44] exposure plane [ZR 43-12] [ZR 43-43, 43-44] M1-2 M: 2.0 4-14, 16-17 Max. 60' or 4 stories regular or alternate height C: 2.0 [ZR 42-00] [ZR 43-43, 43-44] & setback and sky CF: 4.8 exposure plane [ZR 43-12] [ZR 43-43, 43-44] M3-1 M: 2.0 6-14, 16-18 Max. 60' or 4 stories regular or alternate height C: 2.0 [ZR 42-00] [ZR 43-43, 43-44] & setback and sky [ZR 43-12] exposure plane [ZR 43-43, 43-44] C8-1 C: 1.0 4-14, 16 Max. 30' or 2 stories regular or alternate height CF: 2.4 [ZR 32-00] [ZR 33-432, 33-442] & setback and sky [ZR 33-122, 123] exposure plane [ZR 33-432, 33-442] C8-2 C: 2.0 4-14, 16 Max. 60' or 4 stories regular or alternate height CF: 4.8 [ZR 32-00] [ZR 33-432, 33-442] & setback and sky [ZR 33-122, 123] exposure plane [ZR 33-432, 33-442] R6 R: 2.43 (Quality Housing: 1-4 R/CF: Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height 2.2 on narrow street, 3.0 [ZR 22-00] R (Quality Housing): Min. & setback and sky on wide street) 30', Max. 45' on narrow exposure plane; CF: 4.8 street; Min. 40', Max. 60' on Quality Housing: 55' max. [ZR 23-142, 23-145, 24- wide street on narrow street, 70' max. 11] [ZR 23-632, 23-633, 24- on wide street 522] [ZR 23-632, 23-633, 24- 522]

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TABLE 2-4 (continued) Existing Zoning Districts and Regulations in the Primary Study Area STREETWALL HEIGHT & DISTRICT MAXIMUM FAR USE GROUPS HEIGHT SETBACK R6/C1-3 R: 2.43 (Quality Housing: 1-6 R/CF: Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height 2.2 on narrow street, 3.0 [ZR 22-00, 32-00] R (Quality Housing): Min. & setback and sky on wide street) 30', Max. 45' on narrow exposure plane; C: 2.0 street; Min. 40', Max. 60' on Quality Housing: 55' max. CF: 4.8 wide street on narrow street, 70' max. [ZR 23-142, 23-145, 24- C: Max. 60' or 4 stories on wide street 11, 33-121] [ZR 23-632, 23-633, 24-522, [ZR 23-632, 23-633, 24- 33-431] 522] Definition of Terms/Abbreviations: Zoning District Abbreviations: FR - Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District, N - Special Northside Mixed Use District Use Type Abbreviations: C - commercial; CF - community facility; M - manufacturing; R - residential. Zoning Resolution Reference: [ZR XX-XX], where XX-XX is the pertinent section of the NYC Zoning Resolution. Sky exposure plane - an imaginary inclined plane beginning above the street line at a height set forth in the district regulations and which rises over a zoning lot at a ratio of vertical distance to horizontal distance set forth in the district regulations, which a building may not penetrate. (1) In the R(M) portion of the Special Northside Mixed Use District, selected U.G. 16 and 17 uses are included in Use Group M, as described in ZR 97-111. (2) In the Special Franklin Street Use District, selected U.G. 17 uses included in Use Group M are permitted by special permit, as described in ZR 97-111. hospitals, glass shops, carpentry shops, automotive repair facilities, public transit yards, and packing/ crating establishments.

M1-1 and M1-2 districts generally contain light manufacturing and industrial uses such as warehouses and trade shops, and often form buffers between heavier manufacturing zones and residential areas. M1-1 districts permit a maximum allowable FAR of 1.0, whereas M1-2 districts have a maximum allowable FAR of 2.0. M3-1 is a heavy manufacturing district that has a maximum allowable FAR of 2.0. These districts generally contain uses that generate noise, traffic, and/or pollutants, such as foundries or incinerators, and are generally found along the waterfront. Performance standards exist for M1 and M3 districts. The M1 and M3 manufacturing designations permit industrial and some commercial uses but do not permit new residential uses.

C1-3 and C2-3 commercial overlay districts can be found mapped on many of the retail streets in the residential portions of the secondary study area. Generally found on commercial strips in residential districts, these overlays are intended to accommodate businesses that serve the needs of the local population, such as grocery stores, restaurants, and beauty parlors, banks, drug stores and stationery stores. Residential uses included under C1-3 and C2-3 overlays fall under the regulations governing the underlying residential district. Areas demarcated by these overlays have a maximum FAR of 2.0 for commercial use and 4.8 for community facilities.

The Future Without the Proposed Action (No-Action)

In the future without the proposed action, both the primary and the secondary study areas would maintain their existing zoning. The waterfront would remain zoned for heavy industrial use. Portions of the primary study area where substantial development is allowed as-of-right would not be subject to height limits. Ongoing trends in land use are expected to continue within the existing zoning framework; with continued

2-24 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

as-of-right development of residential, commercial, community facility, and light industrial use in addition to requests for variances and site-specific rezonings. Currently, 8 of the projected RWCDS No- Action development sites have BSA variance applications that have been granted. It is anticipated that, in the future without the proposed action, requests for BSA zoning variances would increase in response to the growing demand for residential use.

The Future With the Proposed Action (With-Action)

Based on the land use framework developed for the primary study area, as discussed in the “Land Use” section above, upland areas that are occupied primarily by residential and community facility uses would be rezoned as residential districts. Proposed residential districts would be mapped along Franklin Street, in the heart of Northside on blocks surrounding Bedford Avenue, to the east of McCarren Park, and near Grand Street. Special Mixed use districts are proposed for areas where residential buildings built prior to the 1961 zoning exist among industrial buildings as well as fully or partially converted loft buildings. Contextual zoning would be employed in most of the residential and mixed-use districts to ensure that new development on the upland portion of the neighborhood interfaces appropriately with the existing low-rise character of the area. Contextual zoning regulates height, placement and scale of new buildings so that they fit the character of the neighborhoods in which they are located. Moderate- and higher-density contextual districts, identified by a letter suffix A, B or X (e.g., R6A, R8X or C4-6A), encourage the lower, bulkier, closer-to-the-sidewalk apartment buildings, at different densities, that define the streetscape in many of the city's neighborhoods. The Quality Housing Program is mandatory in moderate- and higher-density contextual districts.

Non-contextual residential districts, which allow either contextual-style development under the optional Quality Housing program or a more flexible building configuration under height factor zoning, are proposed for blocks near tall structures such as bridges and elevated highways and on blocks with irregularly shaped lots. The proposal would map light industrial districts in the area between McCarren Park and Kent Avenue/Franklin Street, and along Newtown Creek just west of the Pulaski Bridge. On the waterfront, R6 and R8 districts with commercial overlays on the waterfront side of West Street, Kent Avenue, Commercial Street, and a portion of Franklin Street are proposed. Commercial overlays are also proposed along Grand Street, Bedford Avenue, North 6th Street, Green Street, and Greenpoint Avenue. Each of these components is discussed below.

With the proposed zoning map amendments, detailed in Chapter 1, “ Project Description,” the upland areas within the primary study area would be rezoned to: R6, R6A, R6B, M1-2/R6, M1-2/R6A, M1- 2/R6B, M1-2/R7A, R6/C1-4, R6A/C1-4, R6B/C1-4, R6/C2-4, R6A/C2-4, and R6B/C2-4. On the waterfront, R6 (2.43 FAR) and R8 (6.02 FAR) districts are proposed, yielding an average of 4.3 FAR on waterfront parcels. C2-4 commercial overlays are also proposed for portions of waterfront sites. Zoning text changes would establish special bulk rules for this waterfront area, in order to produce new waterfront development with a compelling skyline, a sensitive transition to the adjoining neighborhoods, and a pedestrian-friendly streetscape. 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 R6, R6B, R6A, R6A/C1-4, R6B/C1-4, M1-2/R6, M1-2/R6A, M1-2/R6B, M1-2/R7A; and R6B, C2-4/R6B, R6A, and M1-2/R6A districts, respectively. In addition, the proposal would rezone an area between McCarren Park and Kent Avenue/Franklin Street, as well as two blocks between Manhattan Avenue and the Pulaski Bridge, from M3-1 to M1-2.

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Figure 2-9 illustrates the proposed zoning designations, and each of the proposed zoning districts is discussed below. Table 2-5 provides a summary of the changes proposed to zoning districts in the primary study area, and Table 2-6 provides a summary of pertinent regulations for proposed zoning districts.

As shown in Figure 2-9, the proposed zoning districts include three contextual districts, namely R6A, R6B, and R7A. Contextual zoning regulates the height and bulk of new buildings, their setback from the street line, and their width along the street frontage, in order to maintain existing neighborhood characteristics or building scale. Table 2-7 below summarizes the regulations of the proposed contextual residential zoning districts, and Figure 2-10 provides graphical depictions of contextual residential building types.

R6A districts are contextual zoning districts that permit a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 3.0, a maximum building height of 70 feet, and a maximum streetwall base height of 60 feet. Typical buildings are five to seven stories. R6A districts are proposed in areas with a five- to six-story context (e.g., near Berry and North 11th Streets, Wythe and North 3 rd Streets, and along West Street) and adjoining underbuilt areas, as well as along major streets such as Union Avenue, and near McCarren Park. The Quality Housing

Program is mandatory in R6A districts.7 Figure 2-10 provides graphical depictions of an R6A-type building. R6B districts are also contextual zoning districts that permit a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 2.0, a maximum building height of 50 feet, and a maximum streetwall base height of 40 feet. Typical buildings are three to five stories. Buildings are required to line up with the streetwall of neighboring buildings, curb cuts are prohibited on small lots, and the Quality Housing program is mandatory. R6B districts are proposed in areas characterized by three- to four-story residential buildings (e.g., portions of Bedford Avenue, Berry Street, Oak Street and Calyer Street) and to adjoining underbuilt areas. Figure 2-10 provides graphical depictions of an R6B-type building.

R7A districts are contextual zoning districts that permit a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 4.0, a maximum building height of 80 feet, and a maximum streetwall base height of 65 feet. Typical buildings are six to eight stories. This district is proposed for an area in Williamsburg where Bedford Avenue meets McCarren Park, and where a vacant site offers significant potential for new housing development. The Quality Housing Program is mandatory in R7A districts. Figure 2-10 provides graphical depictions of an R7A-type building.

R6 districts allow a maximum FAR of 2.43 (without the Quality Housing option), or a maximum of 2.2 FAR on a narrow street and 3.0 FAR on a wide street (under the Quality Housing option). Under Quality Housing, height limits are similar to those for R6B districts (on narrow streets) and R6A districts (on wide streets). Without Quality Housing, height is regulated by the sky exposure plane, which relates building height to distance from the street and can produce buildings of various heights, up to 14 stories tall on large lots. R6 districts are proposed where height limits would be inappropriate, including areas

7 Quality Housing Program: The Quality Housing Program was established in 1987 as a zoning text amendment to provide an optional set of contextual bulk regulations for residential development in non- contextual moderate- and higher-density (R6-R10) districts. The bulk regulations (e.g., height and setback, floor area, lot coverage) mirror those of the contextual districts to promote building forms in keeping with specific neighborhood characteristics. The program also sets certain quality standards for building safety, landscaping, recreation space and other amenities. (NYC Department of City Planning)

2-26 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 2-9 Proposed Zoning

Source: NYC Department of City Planning (July 2004)

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

TABLE 2-5 Summary of Proposed Zoning Changes

Existing Zoning District Proposed Zoning District M3-1 M1-2 M1-2/R6 M1-2/R6A M1-2/R6B R6 C2-4/R6 R8 C2-4/R8 M1-2 R6B M1-2/R6A M1-2/R6B M1-2/R6 M1-1 R6 R6B R6A C2-4/R6A M1-2/R6A M1-2/R6B M1-2/R6 FR R6B C2-4/R6B R6A M1-2/R6A N - M1-2(R6) M1-2/R7A M1-2/R6A M1-2/R6B M1-2/R6 R6 N - M1-1(R6) M1-2/R6A M1-2/R6 N - R6(M1-2) R6 R6A R6B C1-4/R6A C1-4/R6B M1-2/R6A M1-2/R6B N - R6(M1-1) R6B M1-2/R6 M1-2/R6A M1-2/R6B C8-1 M1-2/R6 C8-2 C1-4/R6 C2-4/R6 R6 C2-4/R6 C1-4/R6 C1-3/R6 C1-4/R6 FR - Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District N - Special Northside Mixed Use District

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TABLE 2-6 Proposed Zoning Districts and Regulations USE STREETWALL HEIGHT & DISTRICT MAXIMUM FAR GROUPS HEIGHT SETBACK(1) UPLAND AREAS R6 R: 2.43 (Quality Housing: 2.2 on 1-4 Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height & narrow street, 3.0 on wide street) [ZR 22-00] R (Quality Housing): Min. 30', setback and sky exposure CF: 4.8 Max. 45' on narrow street; Min. plane; [ZR 23-142, 23-145, 24-11] 40', Max. 60' on wide street Quality Housing: 55' max. on [ZR 23-632, 23-633, 24-522] narrow street, 70' max. on wide street [ZR 23-633, 123-662] R6/C1-4 R: 2.43 (Quality Housing: 2.2 on 1-6 R/CF: Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height & narrow street, 3.0 on wide street) [ZR 22-00, 32- R (Quality Housing): Min. 30', setback and sky exposure C: 2.0 00] Max. 45' on narrowstreet; Min. plane; CF: 4.8 40', Max. 60' on wide street Quality Housing: 55' max. on [ZR 23-142, 24-11, 33-121] C: Max. 60' or 4 stories narrow street, 70' max. on [ZR 23-632, 23-633, 24-522, wide street 33-431] [ZR 23-633, 123-662] R6/C2-4 R: 2.43 (Quality Housing: 2.2 on 1-4, 5-9, 14 R/CF: Max. 60' or 6 stories regular or alternate height & narrow street, 3.0 on wide street) [ZR 22-00, 32- R (Quality Housing): Min. 30', setback and sky exposure C: 2.0 00] Max. 45' on narrow street; Min. plane; CF: 4.8 40', Max. 60' on wide street Quality Housing: 55' max. on [ZR 23-145, 24-11, 33-121] C: Max. 60' or 4 stories narrow street, 70' max. on [ZR 23-632, 23-633, 24-522, wide street 33-431] [ZR 23-633, 123-662] R6B R: 2.0 1-4 Min. of 30' Max. of 50' CF: 2.0 [ZR 22-00] Max. of 40' contextual envelope [ZR 23-145, 24-11] [ZR 23-633] [ZR 23-633] R6B/C1-4 R: 2.0 1-6 Min. of 30' Max. of 50' C: 2.0 [ZR 22-00, 32- Max. of 40' contextual envelope CF: 2.0 00] [ZR 23-633, 35-25] [ZR 23-633, 35-25] [ZR 23-145, 24-11, 33-121] R6B/C2-4 R: 2.0 1-4, 5-9, 14 Min. of 30' Max. of 50' C: 2.0 [ZR 22-00, 32- Max. of 40' contextual envelope CF: 2.0 00] [ZR 23-633, 35-25] [ZR 23-633, 35-25] [ZR 23-145, 24-11, 33-121] R6A R: 3.0 1-4 Min. of 40' Max. of 70' CF: 3.0 [ZR 22-00] Max. of 60' contextual envelope [ZR 23-145, 24-11] [ZR 23-633] [ZR 23-633] R6A/C1-4 R: 3.0 1-6 Min. of 40' Max. of 70' C: 2.0 [ZR 22-00, 32- Max. of 60' contextual envelope CF: 3.0 00] [ZR 23-633, 35-25] [ZR 23-633, 35-25] [ZR 23-145, 24-11, 33-121] R6A/C2-4 R: 3.0 1-4, 5-9, 14 Min. of 40' Max. of 70' C: 2.0 [ZR 22-00, 32- Max. of 60' contextual envelope CF: 3.0 00] [ZR 23-633, 35-25] [ZR 23-633, 35-25] [ZR 23-145, 24-11, 33-121] M1-2 M: 2.0 4-14,16-17 Max. 60' or 4 stories regular or alternate height & C: 2.0 [ZR 42-00] [ZR: 43-43, 43-44] setback and sky exposure CF: 4.8 plane [ZR 43-12] M1-2/R6 R: 2.2 on narrow street, 3.0 on 1-4, 5-14, 16- Max. of 60' Max. of 110'; wide street 17(2) R (Quality Housing): Min. 30', Quality Housing: 55' max. on M/C: 2.0 [ZR 123-20] Max. 45'on narrow street; Min. narrow street, 70' max. on wide CF: 4.8 40', Max. 60' on wide street street [ZR 123-60, 23-142, 23-145, 24- [ZR 23-633, 123-662] [ZR 23-633, 123-662] 11, 43-12]

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TABLE 2-6 (continued) Proposed Zoning Districts and Regulations USE STREETWALL HEIGHT & DISTRICT MAXIMUM FAR GROUPS HEIGHT SETBACK(1) M1-2/R6B R: 2.0 1-4, 5-14, 16- Min. of 30' Max. of 50' M/C: 2.0 17(2) Max. of 40' [ZR 123-662] CF: 2.0 [ZR 123-20] [ZR 123-662] [ZR 123-60, 23-145, 24-11, 43-12] M1-2/R6A R: 3.0 1-4, 5-14, 16- Min. of 40' Max. of 70' M/C: 2.0 17(2) Max. of 60' [ZR 123-662] CF: 3.0 [ZR 123-20] [ZR: 123-662] [ZR 123-60, 23-145, 24-11, 43-12] M1-2/R7A R: 4.0 1-4, 5-14, 16- Min. of 40' Max. of 80' M/C: 2.0 17(2) Max. of 65' [ZR 123-662] CF: 4.0 [ZR 123-20] [ZR 123-662] [ZR 123-60, 23-145, 24-11, 43-12] WATERFRONT AREA (3) R6 R: 2.43* 1-4, 6, 9(4) Max. of 65' Max. of 65' within 100' of (waterfront) CF: 4.8 [ZR 22-00, 62- [ZR 62-30, proposed zoning upland street, 150' elsewhere [ZR 62-32, 24-11] 20, proposed text] [ZR 62-30, proposed zoning zoning text] text] R6/C2-4 R: 2.43* 1-4, 5-9, 14 Max. of 65' Max. of 65' within 100' of (waterfront) C: 2.0 [ZR 22-00, 32- [ZR 62-30, proposed zoning upland street, 150' elsewhere CF: 4.8 00, 62-20, text] [ZR 62-30, proposed zoning [ZR 62-32, 24-11, 33-121] proposed zoning text] text] R8 R: 6.02* 1-4, 6, 9(4) Max. of 70' Max. of 250', 350' (waterfront) CF: 6.5 [ZR 22-00, 62- [ZR 62-30, proposed zoning (for sites with multiple towers, [ZR 62-32, 24-11] 20, proposed text] up to half can rise to a height zoning text] of 350') [ZR 62-30, proposed zoning text] R8/C2-4 R: 6.02* 1-4, 5-9, 14 Max. of 70' Max. of 250', 350' (waterfront) C: 2.0 [ZR 22-00, 32- [ZR 62-30, proposed zoning (for sites with multiple CF: 6.5 00, 62-20, text] towers, up to half can rise to a [ZR 62-32, 24-11, 33-121] proposed zoning height of 350') text] [ZR 62-30, proposed zoning text] Definition of Terms/Abbreviations: Zoning District Abbreviations: FR - Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District, N - Special Northside Mixed Use District Use Type Abbreviations: C - commercial; CF - community facility; M - manufacturing; R - residential. Zoning Resolution Reference: [ZR XX-XX], where XX-XX is the pertinent section of the NYC Zoning Resolution. (1) Sky exposure plane - an imaginary inclined plane beginning above the street line at a height set forth in the district regulations and which rises over a zoning lot at a ratio of vertical distance to horizontal distance set forth in the district regulations, which a building may not penetrate; Contextual envelope - term used to describe mandatory streetwall, setback, and maximum building heights requirements in certain zoning districts as an alternative to sky exposure plane or tower regulations to maintain the continuity of existing streetwall and a harmonious relationship with existing buildings in the area. (2) In Special Mixed Use Districts, breweries limited to 10,000 sf, a U.G. 18 use, are also permitted. (3) The proposed action includes special bulk and use regulations applicable within the proposed WAP. Under the proposed changes, buildings must set back above a maximum base height of 65 feet in R6 districts and 70 feet in R8 districts. Buildings exceeding 110 feet in R6 districts, or 210 or 310 feet in R8 districts, would be required to set back at 110, 210, or 310 feet as applicable, such that the building floor plate above this height is no more than 85 percent of the building floor plate below this height. For sites with multiple towers in R8 districts, up to half those towers could rise to a maximum height of 350 feet subject to floor plate and setback regulations. (4) Proposed zoning text would allow U.G. 6 and 9 waterfront enhancing uses limited to 10,000 sf per establishment and no more than 2% of floor area on the parcel. Docks for water taxis and docking or mooring facilities for non-commercial pleasure boats would also be allowed. * R6 and R8 districts are mapped in combination on waterfront sites with an average residential FAR of approximately 4.3 across the site.

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TABLE 2-7 Summary of Contextual Residential Zoning Districts Residential Maximum FAR Max. Base Max. Total Quality District Height Height Housing

R6B 2.0 40' 50' Mandatory

R6A 3.0 60' 70' Mandatory

R7A 4.0 65' 80' Mandatory

Source: NYC Zoning Resolution, New York City Planning Commission characterized by tall buildings or a mix of heights, as well as sites where the district’s more flexible regulations are needed for site planning -- on irregularly shaped sites, and near large structures such as bridges or elevated highways. Examples of locations where R6 districts are proposed are near the Williamsburg and Pulaski Bridges and the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.

Special Mixed Use Districts (MX)

The Special Mixed Use District is a special zoning district that is currently mapped in several locations throughout the city, including Dumbo and Red Hook in Brooklyn, Port Morris in the Bronx, and Hunter’s Point in Queens. It combines a light industrial (M1) district with a residential district, and permits a mix of selected light industrial, commercial, residential, and community facility uses under the applicable regulations. The MX district permits mixed-use buildings, and includes an expanded definition of “home occupations,” permitting a broader variety of live-work accommodations than is allowed in standard zoning districts. MX districts would provide opportunities for the legalization of converted loft buildings. In Greenpoint-Williamsburg, MX districts, which combine an M1-2 district with R6,R6B, R6A, and R7A districts, are proposed for mixed-use areas identified in the land use framework (see Figure 2-6).

Zoning Map Changes

The following provides a summary of the proposed changes to existing zoning designations (also refer to Table 2-5). For specific changes with regard to FAR, allowable use groups, streetwall height, building height, and setback, please refer to Tables 2-4 (for existing districts) and 2-6 (for proposed districts).

M3-1 to Special Mixed Use District (M1-2/R6, M1-2/R6A, M1-2/R6B)

Specified areas currently zoned M3-1, within one or two blocks of the waterfront in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, are proposed for mixed-use designations in order to accommodate a mix of light industrial and residential uses. Development within these Mixed Use Districts would be subject to the regulations of Section 123 of the Zoning Resolution, "Special Mixed Use Districts."

M3-1 to R6 and R8 Districts with C2-4 Commercial Overlay (Waterfront)

Several waterfront blocks in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, currently zoned M3-1, are proposed for rezoning to R6 and R8 districts (see Figure 2-9). The R6 and R8 districts would produce parcels with an average proposed density of 4.3 FAR. The proposed action also includes a Waterfront Access Plan (WAP) and waterfront zoning text changes modifying waterfront zoning regulations within the area governed by this WAP, which are discussed in the “Proposed Zoning Text Amendments” section below.

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A C2-4 commercial overlay would allow local retail use on the upland street, and along Green Street, Greenpoint Avenue, and North 6th Street. Additional regulations would allow selected commercial uses on other portions of the site fronting public access areas.

M3-1 to M1-2

Several non-waterfront blocks roughly between Kent Avenue/Franklin Street and McCarren Park and areas north of Box Street in Greenpoint, which are currently zoned M3-1 for heavy industrial use, are proposed for M1-2 districts. The proposed districts would accommodate light industrial uses and commercial use, and would require enclosure of industrial uses.

M1-2 and M1-1 to Special Mixed Use District (M1-2/R6, M1-2/R6A, M1-2/R6B)

Specified areas currently zoned M1-2 and M1-1, within one block of the waterfront in Greenpoint and adjoining the current Northside Special District, are proposed for mixed-use designations in order to accommodate a mix of light industrial and residential uses. The M1-2 district component would allow industrial or commercial use. The R6B, R6A, and R6 district components are proposed to suit the built context of particular areas. Development within these Mixed Use Districts would be subject to the regulations of Section 123 of the Zoning Resolution, "Special Mixed Use Districts."

C8-1 to Special Mixed Use District (M1-2/R6)

Portions of blocks near the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway which are currently zoned C8 are proposed for a mixed-use designation in order to accommodate a mix of light industrial and residential uses. The M1-2 district component would allow industrial or commercial use. Development within these Mixed Use Districts would be subject to the regulations of Section 123 of the Zoning Resolution, "Special Mixed Use Districts."

C8-2 to R6/C1-4 and R6/C2-4

As shown in Figures 2-8 and 2-9, portions of the Grand Street corridor that are currently zoned C8-2 are proposed for R6 districts, with commercial overlays of C1-4 and C2-4 permitting a range of local retail uses.

R6 and R6/C1-3 to R6/C1-4 and R6/C2-4

As shown in Figures 2-8 and 2-9, portions of the Greenpoint Avenue corridor in Greenpoint that are currently zoned R6 are proposed for R6/C2-4, and portions of the Grand Street corridor and portions of two blocks on the west side of Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg that are currently zoned R6 and R6/C1- 3 are proposed for R6/C1-4 districts. The commercial overlays of C1-4 and C2-4 would permit a range of local retail uses.

Special Northside Mixed Use District to Special Mixed Use District (M1-2/R6, M1-2/R6A, M1- 2/R6B, and M1-2/R7A)

The Special Northside Mixed Use District would be eliminated in the future with the proposed action, and portions with primarily manufacturing designations – M1-1(R6), M1-2(R6) – which currently allow light manufacturing use and some small residential developments as-of-right are proposed to be replaced with Special Mixed Use Districts (M1-2/R6B, M1-2/R6A, M1-2/R7A, M1-2/R6). The M1-2 district

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component would allow industrial or commercial use. The R6B, R6A, R7A, and R6 districts are proposed to suit the built context of particular areas. Development within these Mixed Use Districts would be subject to the regulations of Section 123 of the Zoning Resolution, "Special Mixed Use Districts."

Portions of the Special Northside Mixed-use District with primarily residential designations – R6(M1-1), R6(M1-2) – which currently allow new residential use as-of-right, are proposed to be replaced with Special Mixed Use Districts (M1-2/R6B, M1-2/R6A, M1-2/R6). The M1-2 district component would allow industrial or commercial use. The R6B, R6A, and R6 districts are proposed to suit the built context of particular areas. Development within these Mixed Use Districts would be subject to the regulations of Section 123 of the Zoning Resolution, "Special Mixed Use Districts."

Special Northside Mixed-use District to R6, R6A, R6B, R6B/C1-4, and R6A/C1-4

Portions of the Special Northside Mixed-use District with primarily residential designations – R6(M1-1), R6(M1-2) – which currently allow new residential use as-of-right, are proposed to be replaced with R6B, R6A, and R6 districts. A C1-4 commercial overlay is proposed along the west side of Bedford Avenue extending from North 4th Street to North 10 th Street and along the east side of Bedford Avenue from North 5th to North 8 th Streets.

One block of the Special Northside Mixed Use District with a primarily manufacturing designation – M1- 2(R6) – which currently allows light manufacturing use and some small residential developments as-of- right, is proposed to be replaced with an R6 district.

M1-1 to R6, R6A, R6B, and R6A/C2-4

Areas currently zoned M1-1 south of North 1st Street and west of Berry Street in Williamsburg, and west of Franklin Street in Greenpoint, are proposed for R6B, R6A, and R6 residential designations. The C2-4 overlay would permit a range of local retail uses.

M1-2 to R6B

A portion of one block currently zoned M1-2 north of North 9th Street and west of Berry Street in Williamsburg is proposed for an R6B residential designation.

Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District to R6B, R6B/C2-4, R6A and M1-2/R6A

The Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District, which allows new residential use as-of-right, would be eliminated in the future with the proposed action, and is proposed to be replaced with R6B and R6A residential districts. A C2-4 commercial overlay is proposed on both the north and south sides of Green Street west of Franklin Street within the area proposed for R6B zoning. A small segment of the Special Franklin Street Mixed Use District would be rezoned to an M1-2/R6A Mixed Use District.

Proposed Zoning Text Amendments

Greenpoint-Williamsburg Waterfront Access Plan (WAP)

A Waterfront Access Plan (WAP) tailors the public access requirements of waterfront zoning to the specific conditions of a particular location on the waterfront. The proposed action includes the creation of a WAP for the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront between Manhattan Avenue and North 3rd Street,

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in order to provide a coordinated network of waterfront open spaces. As per section 62-80 of the Zoning Resolution, this WAP would modify the general public access requirements of waterfront zoning within this area, identifying locations and parameters for the configuration of required shore public walkways, upland connections, supplemental public access areas, and visual corridors. The WAP does not increase the total public access requirement on a given parcel.

The Greenpoint-Williamsburg WAP, which becomes part of the zoning text, is being proposed in order to establish a coordinated framework for public access to the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront in advance of development. The Greenpoint-Williamsburg WAP takes advantage of this opportunity to enlarge existing waterfront park spaces and to mandate connections to the neighborhood at important locations.

Together with existing waterfront parks and proposed new parkland, the Greenpoint-Williamsburg WAP would provide a mechanism for coordinated, site-by-site development of an interconnected public open space network. Elements required under the proposed WAP include:

! A continuous shore public walkway. The WAP envisions a continuous shore public walkway running from the end of Manhattan Avenue in Greenpoint to the end of North 3rd Street in Williamsburg. Subject to design standards, this path would generally trace the water’s edge, linking the open spaces along the East River.

! Public access to piers. Pedestrian public access would be required on all piers, in accordance with the requirements of waterfront zoning.

! Supplemental access areas. Where sites generate supplemental access requirements, the WAP applies them strategically to enlarge other waterfront open spaces. Supplemental access is mapped adjacent to parks (e.g., the former WNYC transmitter site), alongside shore public walkways, and at other locations where they provide important connections. Where supplemental access requirements widen the shore public walkway, features could include tot lots, landscaped sitting areas, or access points to the water.

! Upland connections. Public streets provide pedestrian access to the shore public walkway at certain locations. In locations where access is not available via public street, the WAP requires upland connections to provide publicly accessible walkways connecting to upland streets. For instance, an upland connection is mandated at Green Street, creating an important east-west connection between a commercial corridor and a pier that would not be required without the WAP.

! Visual corridors. Visual corridors, which require unobstructed views to the water, can be located within mapped streets or on private property. The WAP proposes visual corridors both in conjunction with upland connections (e.g., at Green Street), and at locations where upland connections cannot be mandated (e.g., at Oak Street), in order to extend views from the street grid to the water at every possible location.

Together, this combination of parks and publicly accessible open spaces would create an open space network comprising up to approximately 49 acres above water along the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront.

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Special Regulations Applicable in WAP Area

As discussed in Chapter 1, "Project Description," the proposal includes special bulk and use regulations applicable within the waterfront area between Manhattan Avenue and North 3rd Street which is governed by the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Waterfront Access Plan. These regulations would:

! Establish height and setback regulations to ensure that buildings at the upland end of waterfront blocks meet the neighborhood at a characteristic scale, and to allow taller buildings with a variety of heights closer to the water. Buildings within 100 feet of the first upland street would be limited to 65 feet in height. Buildings in other portions of R6 districts would be subject to a maximum base height of 65 feet, with a height of 85 feet permitted after a setback, and a maximum height of 150 feet subject to floor plate and setback regulations. Buildings in R8 districts 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. For sites with multiple towers in R8 districts, up to half those towers could rise to a maximum height of 350 feet subject to floor plate and setback regulations.

! Modify tower floor plate regulations to facilitate site plans containing fewer towers, while ensuring that towers do not exceed a maximum length or width. Towers in R8 districts would be permitted floor plates of up to 11,000 square feet (compared to 7,000 sf for zoning lots less than 1.5 acres or 8,100 sf for larger lots under standard waterfront zoning regulations). Towers in R6 districts would be subject to the existing floor plate maximum of 8,100 sf. No dimension of the rectangle in which a tower floor plate is inscribed may exceed 170 feet.

! Modify building setback regulations. Under the proposed changes, buildings must set back above a maximum base height of 65 feet in R6 districts and 70 feet in R8 districts. Buildings exceeding 110 feet in R6 districts, or 210 or 310 feet in R8 districts, would be required to set back at 110, 210, or 310 feet as applicable, such that the building floor plate above this height is no more than 85 percent of the building floor plate below this height.

! Permit small retail uses, limited to 10,000 square feet per establishment, at other locations on waterfront blocks, in order to activate streets and public access areas. Docks for water taxis (with capacity limited to 99 passengers) would be a permitted use on the waterfront throughout the WAP area.

! Allow floor area, as well as public access requirements, to be distributed without regard to district boundaries or mapped streets, within parcels as established within the WAP.

! Establish streetscape regulations, including requirements for streetwall development along Commercial Street, West Street, Franklin Street, and Kent Avenue, restrictions on the ground- floor street frontage of parking structures, and street tree planting requirements.

! Establish a process to allow the phased development of required public access elements on large sites undergoing phased development, subject to CPC certification.

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Assessment

Primary Study Area

The proposed action would change zoning designations within the proposed action area in a manner that would both correspond with existing land use and be responsive to documented land use trends over recent years, and would not result in significant adverse impacts related to zoning.

The proposed action would rezone a substantial amount of land currently designated for M3-1 heavy manufacturing uses at the waterfront in order to accommodate residential land use, thereby allowing the redevelopment of underutilized land and increasing the supply of residential units in the proposed action area. The proposed action would also create M1-2 light manufacturing zones, which would allow only high-performing industries along the border of the new development. These zones would accommodate the thriving light industry in these areas.

In areas where existing land use is predominantly residential, the proposed action would create residential zoning districts to protect and promote the character of the neighborhood. The proposed action would create new commercial overlays within the proposed action area, which would serve the new residential uses introduced by the proposed zoning along the Greenpoint and Williamsburg waterfront and in upland areas. These commercial overlays also formally recognize and enhance the existing street-level retail activity that has developed along upland thoroughfares in the Northside and Southside areas. Mixed use zones would reflect the existing mix of land uses within the neighborhood and continue to permit a variety of uses in the future. Both residential and mixed use zoning districts would allow the legalization of converted loft buildings, in accordance with zoning and the building code.

The proposed action would facilitate the redevelopment of the waterfront for housing, local commercial use, and public open space along the waterfront. On waterfront blocks, a combination of R6 and R8 districts and zoning text changes would require development to provide a transition from the scale of the adjoining upland neighborhood to areas closer to the shoreline, where taller buildings could be located. In upland areas, the use of contextual zoning districts in both residential and mixed-use areas would ensure that the scale and bulk of new buildings is sensitive to and consistent with existing developments.

The effects of the proposed action would be the same under both Scenario A and Scenario B, except that under Scenario B, which assumes that a power plant would be developed in the No-Action and would remain in the future with the proposed action, the site of the power plant (the current Bayside Fuel site) would not be mapped as park, and would therefore retain its existing M3-1 zoning. This would result in a somewhat irregular zoning map under Scenario B.

Secondary Study Area

The proposed action creates zoning that is compatible with those districts that surround the primary study area. The proposed action would not alter zoning designations within the ½-mile secondary study area. Those portions of Greenpoint, Southside, Northside, and East Williamsburg adjacent to the proposed action area would continue with their existing zoning designations and the proposed action would complement existing land use trends in the secondary study area. As such, the proposed action would have no direct impact upon zoning in the secondary study area.

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E. PUBLIC POLICY

Existing Conditions

Public policies applicable to the proposed action include the NYC Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP); the “Plan for the Brooklyn Waterfront” by the NYC Department of City Planning; the Greenpoint 197a Plan; the Williamsburg Waterfront 197-a Plan; the Bedford-North 3rd , Williamsburg I, Williamsburg II, Maujer Street, and Southside Urban Renewal Areas (URAs); the Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), the New York State Empire Zones, and the East Williamsburg In-Place Industrial Park (IPIP) located in the secondary study area. These are discussed below.

Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP) / Coastal Zone Management

The federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972, established to support and protect the nation’s coastal areas, set forth standard policies for the review of proposed projects along coastlines. As part of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Program, New York State has adopted a state Coastal Zone Management Program, designed to achieve a balance between economic development and preservation that will promote waterfront revitalization and water-dependent uses; protect fish, wildlife, open space, scenic areas, public access to the shoreline, and farmland. The program is also designed to minimize adverse changes to ecological systems, erosion, and flood hazards.

The state program contains provisions for local governments to develop their own local waterfront revitalization programs. New York City has adopted such a program (New York City Waterfront Revitalization Program, New York City Department of City Planning, revised 1999). The Local WRP establishes the City’s Coastal Zone, and includes policies that address the waterfront’s economic development, environmental preservation, and public use of the waterfront, while minimizing the conflicts among those objectives.

As the waterfront portions of the area affected by the proposed action fall within the City’s designated coastal zone, the proposed action must be assessed for its consistency with the policies of the City’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP). A detailed assessment is provided in Chapter 12 of the EIS.

The Plan for the Brooklyn Waterfront

The Plan for the Brooklyn Waterfront is a part of the 1992 New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan, which presents detailed studies of the City’s waterfront area. The Plan, specialized for the borough of Brooklyn, takes into account the value of the waterfront both as a natural resource and as a viable place for a wide array of land uses. The Plan also examines the local conditions and aspirations unique to each stretch of waterfront as well as Citywide waterfront issues and industry trends. The four general goals of the Plan are to protect and enhance the natural waterfront, comprising beaches, wetlands, wildlife habitats, sensitive ecosystems and the water itself; reestablish the public’s connection to the public waterfront, including parks, esplanades, piers, street ends, vistas, and waterways that offer public open spaces and waterfront views; facilitate water-dependent uses and accommodate the working waterfront through the provision of enough manufacturing-zoned land; and promote new uses on the redeveloping waterfront, where land uses have recently changed or where vacant and underutilized properties suggest potential for beneficial change.

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The portion of this plan relevant to the proposed action addresses the Brooklyn waterfront on the East River, which is part of the “Reach 14 - East River/Upper Bay” portion of the plan.

Recommendations for waterfront open space use and views include ensuring waterfront views from the Newtown Barge Park, which is currently separated from the waterfront by an industrial lot; the development of the former WNYC transmitter site for public open space; the rehabilitation of the Noble Street Pier for public access, recreation, and open space; the rehabilitation of Grand Street Park, the only area on the Williamsburg waterfront available for public waterfront access; and the improvement of street end access on Division Street in the Southside area.

Development-specific recommendations include the rezoning of the waterfront portions of the former Greenpoint Terminal Market site from M3 to medium-density residential, with 15% of the site devoted to public access; and the rezoning of parcels to the north and south of this area from M3 to M1 to create buffer zones. The plan also recommends the rezoning of the waterfront blocks between North 6th and North 8th Streets for medium-density residential use, and the creation of M1 zoning on the portions of the site to the north and south in order to buffer the residential blocks from heavy industry, with public access only required for non-industrial developments.

The plan also offers one site-specific recommendation for the Greenpoint Lumber Exchange, which is to support residential redevelopment of the site if the lumberyard were to cease operations, given the broad river views and the residential uses nearby. Otherwise, the plan recommends that the activity of the lumberyard should be supported.

Greenpoint and Williamsburg Waterfront 197-a Plans

Section 197-a of the New York City Charter grants community boards and other entities the power to sponsor plans for the “development, growth, and improvement” of their communities. Pursuant to the power given to them by the City Charter, the Greenpoint and Williamsburg communities prepared and issued 197-a Plans, which were both adopted in January 2002 by the New York City Council.

As two adjacent communities that share both a border and a continuous waterfront, they recommend several common strategies for future development, including (but not limited to) the use of vacant waterfront parcels to develop open space as well as housing and mixed-use buildings similar in scale to that of adjacent neighborhoods; the maintenance of public streets as visual corridors to the waterfront; and promoting appropriate light industrial and commercial use within mixed-use areas and light industrial areas that are adjacent to residential areas. Specific features of each community’s 197-a Plan are described below.

Greenpoint 197-a Plan8

The Greenpoint 197-a Plan is the result of over a decade of effort by residents, community organizations, business leaders, and Community Board 1 to create a blueprint for future development in Greenpoint, to facilitate quality of life improvements in the community and to maximize Greenpoint’s potential. The guiding principles of this 197-a Plan are to establish zoning districts that would foster market rate

8 Greenpoint 197-a Plan- As modified and adopted by the City Planning Commission and the City Council; Community Board 1 - Borough of Brooklyn; The Department of City Planning, City of New York; 2002; pp. 5-22.

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housing, affordable housing, and commercial redevelopment; maintain public access to the waterfront; and to look for opportunities to rezone the waterfront in order to create opportunities for new housing, commercial activity, and businesses that are clean or abide by high performance standards.

With regard to land use and zoning, the Greenpoint 197-a Plan calls for the study of rezoning M3 districts along the East River waterfront, and adjoining M1 districts, for residential use, mixed use, and light industrial use. The plan also calls for the undertaking of 197-c zoning actions concurrent with 197-a review. Section 197-c of the New York City Charter outlines Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) guidelines, to which all zoning actions are subject.

In addition to its objective of revitalizing the waterfront by the development of waterfront parcels and the creation of waterfront green recreational spaces, the Greenpoint 197-a Plan recommends the restoration of visual and physical corridors to the waterfront, the creation of waterfront promenades, and the establishment of waterfront access plans (WAPs) where necessary. In addition, provisions for smaller water-related recreational uses such as kayak/small water craft use are encouraged.

Housing recommendations proposed by the plan call for an increase in the housing supply with new market-rate and affordable units, and requiring waterfront development to comply with all public access requirements. Recommendations to foster economic development, as described in the Greenpoint 197-a Plan, include the promotion of neighborhood-scale retail developments, and clean and compatible businesses.

Williamsburg Waterfront 197-a Plan9

The Williamsburg Waterfront 197-a Plan is the result of many years of public participation and dialogue. The plan provides recommendations for the redevelopment of the Williamsburg waterfront and also puts forth goals to improve environmental, economic, housing, transportation, historic preservation, and community services.

The zoning and land use recommendations of this 197-a Plan bring attention to the large industrial parcels along the waterfront that are vacant or underutilized, limiting the accessibility of the waterfront. On the waterfront, the plan sees an opportunity for development that supports a mix of uses, including housing, open space, and recreation for the Williamsburg population. The plan recommends that neighborhood- scale retail development be encouraged to serve the needs of the local community. The plan recommends the study of M1 and M3 districts and rezoning for residential or mixed use in areas where it is appropriate. The plan also recommends that new development in the neighborhood relate to the physical character of the surrounding buildings.

Open space and waterfront access recommendations noted in the plan include both general area-wide improvements and site-specific recommendations. The 197-a Plan recommends the creation of a promenade to connect existing and proposed open spaces along the waterfront. In addition, the plan recommends that all public streets be opened in order to provide physical access to the waterfront and that visual corridors to the waterfront be maintained in all new development. Site specific recommendations

9 Williamsburg 197-a Plan - As modified and adopted by the City Planning Commission and the City Council; Community Board 1- Borough of Brooklyn; The Department of City Planning, City of New York; 2002; pp. 11-22.

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include requests for new or additional public open space at the Brooklyn Eastern District Terminal and at Bushwick Inlet.

Housing recommendations in the 197-a Plan focus on strategies to provide affordable housing, to encourage affordable housing in new developments through incentives and available public programs, and to include affordable housing geared towards seniors. The plan encourages DCP to study the rezoning of manufacturing districts, and to facilitate legalization of converted loft buildings where appropriate.

Urban Renewal Areas (URAs)

Urban renewal is the legal authority granted to municipalities to redevelop entire neighborhoods through planned and coordinated actions, provided by Section 504 of Article 15 (“Urban Renewal Law”) of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York. Currently, there are 150 URAs in New York City, which are planned and administered by the NYC Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development (HPD), the agency designated to carry out the provisions of Urban Renewal Law pursuant to Section 502(5) of the Urban Renewal Law and Section 1802(6)(e) of the City Charter. Urban renewal plans designate urban renewal areas (URAs), areas in which HPD can undertake various actions, including: development of residential, commercial, or industrial land use, condemnation for property acquisition, property sales for redevelopment, and relocation of residents and businesses. HPD coordinates urban renewal plans with approvals from Community Boards, Borough Presidents, the City Planning Commission (CPC), the City Council, and the Mayor.10 Each plan lasts 40 years from its date of issuance and can also provide specific guidelines for involved parties, such as developers, for demolition, relocation, and parking provision. Urban design elements, such as signage and roof enclosures, are also regulated in these plans in order to maintain a uniform look and feel to the designated areas.

Urban renewal areas are generally established in blighted areas to re-create them into areas more suited to residential use. The planning document for each URA sets forth those goals that legitimize its development, such as: the removal of structurally substandard and/or unsanitary buildings, negative environmental conditions, impediments to land redevelopment, and inefficient street size and organization. In addition, URA plans generally aim to provide low- and moderate- income housing units in new and converted structures, locally-accessible retail commercial areas, sufficient off-street parking, community facilities, and increased local employment through the retention of structurally sound non- residential buildings.

Five urban renewal areas currently exist within the land use study area: Williamsburg I, Williamsburg II, Southside, Maujer Street, and Bedford-North 3rd . The Bedford-North 3 rd URA is the only URA in the primary study area. Figure 2-11 illustrates the locations of these five URAs, and each is described briefly below.

Williamsburg I URA

The Williamsburg I URA, established in 1967 and last amended in 1981, is roughly bounded by Division Street to the north, Bedford Avenue to the northeast, Williamsburg Street North to the southeast, and Wythe Avenue to the west and southwest. The construction of multi-block residential structures in this

10 NYC Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development (HPD) Neighborhood-Wide Redevelopment (Urban Renewal), http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/hpd/html/for-developers/urban-renewal.html

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Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

URA converted the original 19 blocks selected for this area into 13 blocks, which are home to residential, community facility, light industrial, and open space use.11

Williamsburg II URA

The Williamsburg II URA, established in 1984 with last minor changes filed in 1989, is bounded by South 8th Street to the north, Roebling Street to the east, Division Street to the south, and Wythe Avenue to the west, just north of the Williamsburg I URA. This URA encompasses all or portions of 11 blocks and its plan allows only residential and open space use.12

Southside URA

The Southside URA, established in 1991, encompasses all or portions of 12 blocks in the Southside area of Williamsburg, roughly bounded by South 1st Street to the north, Hewes Street to the east, Broadway to the south, and Keap Street to the northwest. Permitted land uses include residential and open space use.13

Maujer Street URA

The Maujer Street URA, established in 1999, encompasses the two blocks bounded by Grand Street to the north, Lorimer Street to the east, Ten Eyck Street to the south, and Union Avenue to the west. This plan reserved several parcels on these two blocks for residential use and specified that the remaining land use would be developed in accordance with the NYC Zoning Resolution.14

Bedford-North 3rd URA

The Bedford-North 3rd URA, established in 1969 and last amended in 1985, encompasses the three blocks bounded by North 5th Street to the north, Bedford Avenue to the east, Metropolitan Avenue to the south, and Berry Street to the west, and the triangular block bounded by Metropolitan Avenue, Bedford Avenue, and North 3rd Street. Permitted land uses in this URA include industrial uses, as per the provisions of the NYC Zoning Resolution; residential use; and public open space.15

11 “Williamsburg I Urban Renewal Area - Ninth Amended Urban Renewal Plan”, NYC Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development; December 1999.

12 “Williamsburg II Urban Renewal Area - Second Minor Change July 1989", NYC Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development; July 1989.

13“Southside Urban Renewal Area Urban Renewal Plan”, NYC Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development; March 1991.

14 “Maujer Street Urban Renewal Area Urban Renewal Plan”, NYC Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development; April 1999.

15 “Bedford Avenue-North 3rd Street Urban Renewal Project- Third Amended Urban Renewal Plan”; NYC Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development - Office of Development; October 1985.

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Business Improvement Districts and New York State Empire Zones

Two Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), the Grand Street BID and the Graham Avenue BID, exist within the secondary study area, and one Empire Zone (EZ) called the North Brooklyn/Brooklyn Navy Yard EZ, exists within both the primary and secondary study areas. For a depiction of their locations, please refer to Figure 2-12.

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) deliver supplemental services, such as sanitation, maintenance, public safety, visitor services, marketing and promotional programs, capital improvements, and beautification in a designated area. Local BID administration and BID services are funded by a special assessment paid by property owners located within the district and interface with the NYC Department of Small Business Services (DSBS), the agency which assists with the formation and management of BIDs throughout New York City. For eligibility, areas in the City can apply through a local sponsor and must be approved by the local community board, the NYC City Planning Commission (CPC), the City Council, and the Mayor.16 BIDs are generally found at major commercial or tourism hubs that have great need for the aforementioned supplemental services, such as Times Square in Manhattan, or smaller commercial thoroughfares such as Columbus Avenue in Manhattan or Church Avenue in Brooklyn.

The Grand Street BID and the Graham Avenue BID (also known as the Woodhull Community BID) exist in the east and southeast portions of the secondary study area. The Grand Street BID includes both frontages of Grand Street as it extends east from Union Avenue to Bushwick Avenue, for an approximately 1-mile stretch. The Grand Street BID, one of the first BIDs in New York City, was formed in 1985 through sponsorship by the St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation and Development Corporation, and takes an active role with such tasks as local beautification projects, marketing, and recruiting tenants for vacant storefronts.17 The Graham Avenue BID includes Graham Avenue from Broadway to Boerum Street, and also includes stores on Moore, Cook and Debevoise Streets and part of Flushing Avenue and Broadway from Flushing Avenue to Manhattan Avenue. The Graham Avenue BID takes an active role in the economic development of the areas within its jurisdiction, and promotes activities such as seasonal farmers’ markets to draw shoppers to the area.

The New York State Empire Zones (EZs) are business districts that offer financial incentives, such as wage, sales, investment and real property tax credits, and discounted rates on utilities, to businesses that project net new investment or job growth in the designated EZs across New York State. As of March 2004, there were 10 Empire Zones in New York City, including two in the Bronx, two in Queens, two in Staten Island, one in Manhattan, and three in Brooklyn.18 Empire Zones are generally designated in areas that have excesses of vacant land suitable for commercial use or lower-income urban neighborhoods that could benefit from the revitalization of new businesses and jobs.

The North Brooklyn/Brooklyn Navy Yard EZ covers several areas. This EZ includes two large areas, one in East Williamsburg that extends from Meeker Avenue to the north to the vicinity of Flushing Avenue

16 New York City Department of Small Business Services - BIDs website, http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/html/bid.html

17 “Grand Street Improvement District Annual Report 2001/2002"; Grand Street BID (2003); accessible at http://www.grandstbklyn.com/2003annual.pdf

18 New York City Department of Small Business Services - EZ website, http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/html/ez.html

2-41 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Figure 2-12 Business Improvement Districts and NYS Empire Zones

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C U O V

Legend: Feet 0 1,000 2,000 3,000 4,000 Business Improvement Districts ´ North Brooklyn/Brooklyn Navy Yard Empire Zone East Williamsburg In-Place Industrial Park Proposed Action Area Land Use Secondary Study Area (1/2-Mile Radius) Greenpoint-Williamsburg Rezoning EIS Chapter 2: Land Use, Zoning, & Public Policy

to the south, and the Brooklyn Navy Yard to the west, south of the Williamsburg Bridge. This EZ also includes several commercial and industrial thoroughfares in East Williamsburg, Southside, and Greenpoint, and also includes the area at the northernmost terminus of Manhattan Avenue, which is the only portion of this EZ that falls within the primary study area. The Brooklyn Navy Yard portion is administered by the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporation, which actively recruits businesses to lease space in the 3.8 million square feet of space that lie within the 40 buildings spread out along the 300-acre Brooklyn Navy Yard. The Greenpoint and Williamsburg portions of the EZ are coordinated by the East Williamsburg Valley Industrial Development Corporation (EWVIDCO), which serves industrial businesses located in Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bushwick. It offers general business development assistance, real estate, financing, and export assistance, industrial waste assessments, ombudsman services, and a pre-employment job training and placement service. EWVIDCO manages the East Williamsburg In-Place Industrial Park, listed separately, and the North Brooklyn/Brooklyn Navy Yard Empire Zone. EWVIDCO offers a revolving loan fund to minority and women-owned small businesses.

East Williamsburg In-Place Industrial Park (EWIPIP)

As shown in Figure 2-12, the East Williamsburg In-Place Industrial Park (EWIPIP) is located to the east of the proposed action area, occupying the region along Newtown Creek and Maspeth Creek, between approximately Meeker and Flushing Avenues. The EWIPIP is one of eight In-Place Industrial Parks in New York City. The IPIP program is a unique economic development partnership between government, businesses and eight local development corporations (LDCs). IPIPs are designed to strengthen the city's established industrial neighborhoods by making them very attractive locations for businesses.

Local Development Corporations are responsible for the day-to-day management of the industrial parks, acting as a liaison between communities and New York City ensuring that business people have the necessary information to operate effectively in New York City. The New York City Department of Small Business Services (DSBS) provides LDCs with the vital technical and financial support they need to succeed. DSBS also acts as a planner and coordinator for the IPIPs, channeling the city's resources into the parks, and reaching out to help industrial and high-tech businesses remain and grow in New York City.

The EWIPIP is an active industrial park consisting of approximately 650 acres covering 150 city blocks, and encompassing hundreds of existing privately owned parcels of land and buildings in a range of sizes. A varied mix of manufacturing and industrial companies exists in the Park, including food processing, building and construction materials, metal finishing and fabrication, home furnishings, distribution and warehousing, printing, wood-related manufacturing, and garment production. Analysis by DCP during the development of the proposed zoning changes revealed stable and high levels of industrial employment in the EWIPIP, with manufacturing employment accounting for more than half of over 8,200 industrial jobs in the EWIPIP in 2002.

The EWIPIP is managed by the East Williamsburg Valley Industrial Development Corporation (EWVIDCO), a local development corporation that provides comprehensive business services and helps local firms tap into public incentive programs. The services provided include: business expansion assistance, waste management and reduction program, export assistance, financial assistance, and employment and training.

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The EWIPIP is also a part of the North Brooklyn/Brooklyn Navy Yard Empire Zone, producing hiring and investment tax credits and utility discount opportunities for businesses that move to or expand in the Park.

The Future Without the Proposed Action (No-Action)

There are no anticipated public policy actions which would have a significant effect on conditions in the primary or secondary study areas in the future without the proposed action.

Given that future development in the future without the proposed action would remain within as-of-right zoning guidelines, it is anticipated that the waterfront would remain inaccessible to the public, given that the permitted uses in these areas only encompass manufacturing use.

Many of the objectives of the 197-a plans of both the Greenpoint and Williamsburg communities would not likely be upheld in the future without the proposed action. Two of the most prominent goals of the two communities, opening up the waterfront to public access, and the promotion of new housing, including affordable housing, and mixed-use development, would be left up to those individual entities in control of these parcels to undertake. These efforts would be site-specific, and not coordinated on an area-wide level, as they would be under the proposed action. Loft conversions in manufacturing zones would not be able to legalize under zoning. The future without the proposed action does not include new mapped parkland on the waterfront.

Lastly, in the future without the proposed action, there is no public policy action that is anticipated to affect the aforementioned urban renewal areas, Empire Zones, or IPIP, located within the project’s secondary study area.

Assessment

The changes resulting in the future with the proposed action are not anticipated to create significant adverse impacts to public policy. In fact, the proposed action would be in line with those public policies set forth to govern the development of the primary and secondary study areas as follows:

Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP)

Consistent with the aims of the City’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program, the proposed action would encourage the redevelopment of suitable waterfront parcels for residential and commercial use and public open space through the rezoning of the Greenpoint-Williamsburg waterfront roughly between Manhattan Avenue and North 3rd Street. In addition, as recommended by the WRP, the proposed action provides support for working waterfront uses at appropriate waterfront sites, particularly in the Significant Maritime Industrial Area along Newtown Creek.

In addition, the maintenance of physical, visual, and recreational access to the waterfront is encouraged in the WRP. The residential uses that would replace the existing industrial/manufacturing uses, deteriorating vacant structures, and vacant lots at the waterfront would create new public access to the

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waterfront. Moreover, the mapping of new parkland would create substantial new opportunities for public access and recreation on the waterfront. The maintenance of existing visual corridors, and the creation of new ones, would preserve and enhance public views of the waterfront and Manhattan. It should be noted that Scenario A, which includes a larger park, would better support Policy 8 of the WRP, which encourages the provision of both physical and visual public access to the waterfront, than would Scenario B.

The consistency of the proposed action with the WRP is discussed in greater detail in Chapter 12, “Waterfront Revitalization Program.”

Plan for the Brooklyn Waterfront

The proposed action would contribute to the realization of several goals described in the Plan for the Brooklyn Waterfront, part of the 1992 New York City Comprehensive Waterfront Plan. The rezoning of waterfront blocks would achieve the reuse of vacant and underutilized land along the East River waterfront. The park mapping and Waterfront Access Plan would achieve new public access along the waterfront and connect these new spaces to existing park spaces on the waterfront, including the WNYC Transmitter site and Newtown Barge Park. The WAP mandates visual corridors and upland connections, preserving views to the waterfront and providing regular public access to waterfront open spaces.

Greenpoint and Williamsburg 197-a Plans

The proposed action supports numerous recommendations of the adopted Greenpoint and Williamsburg Waterfront 197-a Plans. The action is consistent with, and implements, principal goals and objectives of these plans, as well as many of the detailed recommendations that remain relevant and applicable to the proposed action.

Both the Greenpoint andWilliamsburgWaterfront197-a Plansrecommend the studyand rezoning, where appropriate, of existing M1 and M3 zones, particularly along the East River waterfront, to create opportunities for new residential development and conversions, supporting commercial uses and retention of compatible industry. The proposed residential and mixed-use districts would enable converted loft buildings to legalize under zoning. The proposed mixed-use zoning districts both reflect the existing mix of uses within the neighborhood, and provide future opportunities for a vibrant mix of light industrial, commercial, and residential use, with restrictions on noxious or hazardous uses. Proposed commercial overlays create opportunities for local retail development and recognize existing retail corridors such as Manhattan Avenue and Bedford Avenue, as well as emerging commercial corridors such as North 6th Street. The maintenance of industrial zoning in areas containing concentrations of industrial activity allows for the continuation of productive economic activity.

Both plans call for expanded public access to the waterfront and development over time of connected promenades and open spaces at the water’s edge. The new waterfront park to be mapped with this action and the Waterfront Access Plan would create public parkland on the former Eastern District Terminal site and at Bushwick Inlet, and provide new recreational and public access opportunities for neighborhood residents. The rezoning of waterfront blocks and creation of the WAP sets a blueprint for a continuous waterfront walkway linking parks and public access areas along the waterfront, and maximizes both physical and visual access between the waterfront and the neighborhood. The blueprint would be realized in part by the proposed zoning designations along the waterfront which would require that new development provide links in a continuous chain of public access areas. By allowing water taxi service

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along the waterfront, the WAP also encourages water-based transportation to supplement the range of transportation options in the area.

Consistent with the objectives of both plans to allow for a mix of income levels in new residential development, proposed residential and mixed-use zoning districts would create new opportunities for both market-rate and affordable housing development where no such opportunities exist today. The zoning rules for the upland and the waterfront areas would allow a range of building types that accommodate a variety of affordable housing models.

Both plans propose study of medium-density contextual zoning districts to maintain the existing scale and character of areas to be rezoned for residential use. In upland residential and mixed-use areas, proposed residential designations would limit the height and density of new buildings in keeping with the scale of the surrounding neighborhood. The proposed zoning designations along the waterfront are not contextual districts because of the numerous challenges associated with new waterfront development, including bulkhead repairs, open space improvements, environmental remediation, and the provision of above- ground parking (which would occupy an appreciable portion of a contextual building envelope). Instead, the proposed action includes height limits and streetwall requirements to achieve contextual-style development on the portions of waterfront blocks that interface with the neighborhood, ensuring that waterfront developments would relate to the scale of the adjoining neighborhood, while allowing additional flexibility for taller buildings at a greater distance from the existing low-rise neighborhood. The proposed action would also allow the provision of additional waterfront open space beyond the minimum requirement without a reduction in the amount of housing on site.

Urban Renewal Areas

The five Urban Renewal Areas (URAs) identified within the primary and secondary study areas would not be adversely impacted by the proposed action.

The Bedford-North 3rd URA is the only URA directly affected by the proposed action, as shown in Figure 2-11, “Urban Renewal Areas”. The northernmost block (Block 2343) would be rezoned from Northside R6(M1-2) to R6B, and Block 2351 directly to the south would be rezoned from M1-2 to MX M1-2/R6B, which would accommodate both light industrial use and residential use. Properties restricted as to use under the Urban Renewal Plan would still be required to comply with the provisions of the URP. The two southernmost blocks of the URA (Blocks 2359 and 2360) would remain with their current R6 designation. The provisions of the proposed action would be in accordance with the goals of the Bedford-North 3rd Urban Renewal Area, which was established in 1969 to rectify the blighting of the area and to redevelop vacant lots, and placed a priority on residential space and local commercial amenities.

The remaining four URAs, located in the secondary study area, would not be directly affected by the proposed action.

Business Improvement Districts and New York State Empire Zones

The portions of the North Brooklyn/Brooklyn Navy Yard Empire Zone (EZ) that fall within the proposed action area include an area at the northern end of Manhattan Avenue, portions of blocks between Kent and Wythe Avenues south of Grand Street, and a few block frontages along Havemeyer Street south of Metropolitan Avenue. Most of the portion of the EZ at the northern end of Manhattan would be rezoned to M1-2 from M3-1, while a small part along the waterfront would be rezoned to R6. The small area of

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the EZ between Kent and Wythe Avenues would be rezoned to M1-2/R6, which would permit specified light industrial uses as-of-right. Along Havemeyer Street, a few block fronts would be rezoned to M1- 2/R6 and to R6/C1-4. The proposed action would support the initiatives of those portions of the EZ by maintaining space appropriately zoned for the operation and retention of light industry and commercial activity.

The two Business Improvement Districts, the Grand Avenue BID and the Graham Avenue BID, and the remainder of the North Brooklyn/Brooklyn Navy Yard Empire Zone, which are located within the secondary study area, would not be directly affected by the proposed action.

East Williamsburg In-Place Industrial Park

Likewise, the East Williamsburg IPIP would not be directly affected by the proposed action. Manufacturing zones would be maintained in the IPIP, thereby ensuring the continuation of industrial uses and employment in this active industrial area within the secondary study area.

F. CONCLUSIONS

In the future with proposed action, there are no significant adverse impacts anticipated for land use, zoning, or public policy in the primary or secondary study areas. The proposed action would provide a framework that would accommodate existing trends by facilitating the expansion of residential and local commercial land use and addressing continuing demand for light industrial and mixed-use areas. The proposed zoning would create a framework that is both responsive to the uses present in the proposed action area and compatible with the surrounding zoning designations in the surrounding areas. Lastly, the proposed action directly addresses the land use, development, and waterfront revitalization goals that are set forth by the public policies that govern the proposed action area.

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