Zoning Changes in Comm.Bd.7 do NOT affect PWV

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E-Mail Received from Brian Cook, September 28, 2007

I thought I'd start with the shorter answer. The demapping for Con Ed is not 'revocable'. However, Con Ed would like to sell its properties to a developer to make some new money. The problem for Con Ed and the developer is that the zoning for the site only allows for manufacturing usage and a low building density.

The new developer wishes to build residential and therefore, the developer has to go through ULURP. This has given the community the ability to negotiate for things. The community board is currently attempting to get the streets remapped. However, at this point, it does not look like they will be successful in that regard. They will however get the 'pathways' that mimic the streets. These pathways would line up with the streets and go throughout the site, however, they would not be actual mapped steets. I say all this with only one disclaimer: I am not the project manager for reviewing this proposal; so I am not 100% sure whether the community will end up successful.

You are correct that CB7's new zoning is irrelevant to the Gluck-Chetrit development at Park West Village. While the community board recommended that Park West Village be included in the rezoning, city planning would not do it. A few of the reasons as I understood them to be were:

1. The Tenants Association was looking for a "Special Planned Preservation District," and while our office was supportive, DCP did not want to do it.

2. The development's foundation would likely be in the ground prior to the full ULURP (which appears to have happened)

3. A 'contextual zoning' would have required a 'street wall' along the entire street (cutting away even the two small pedestrian pathways)

4. The development wouldn't really be 'contextual' to the block. (Contextual zoning like brownstones don't really fit in with PWV's tower design as something that is 'contextual')

5. A downzoning would have been difficult since the zoning on PWV is already at one of the lowest densities in Manhattan.



Brian Cook
Senior Planner
Land Use Planning & Development Unit
Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer
Municipal Building, One Centre Street, 19th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Office: 212- 669-2224
Fax: 212- 669 7862
Bcook@manhattanbp.org