Councilman David G. Greenfield spoke out against a request for a reduction in required parking spaces at a new office and retail building soon coming to Coney Island Avenue and Avenue L. The proposed mega development at 1504 Coney Island Avenue will bring over 160,000 square feet of new development to the intersection. The plans include a 49,332 square foot department store, 23,737 square feet of additional retail space, 3,413 of office space, 56,569 square feet of health care facilities 28,314. Zoning regulations for this site would require a minimum of 346 parking spaces due to the large size of the project. However, the developer has asked the Board of Standards and Appeals to provide only 272 parking spaces. That would mean 74 less parking spaces for the neighborhood.
This project is across the street from the popular Pomegranate Supermarket. Local residents know this intersection is already the most traffic-congested intersection in all of Midwood. Every parking space available is essential, and in an effort to prevent an exacerbation of current problems Councilman Greenfield is pushing back against the applicant’s request to provide less parking for the new facility which is sure to bring more traffic to Coney Island Ave.
“I frequently drive by Avenue L & Coney Island Avenue and am stuck among double and triple-parked cars. It’s really ridiculous that anyone would suggest that the lack of parking is not a problem in this neighborhood. That is why I am fighting to make sure the community gets the required amount of parking for this new mega development,” said Councilman David G. Greenfield.
On Tuesday a representative from Councilman Greenfield’s office testified in opposition to the requested parking reduction at the BSA and cited the frequent nuisances local residents already face, such as driveways blocked by parked cars, as examples of why any development in the area must provide sufficient parking for its patrons.
Community Board 12 District Manager Barry Spitzer also testified before the BSA in opposition to the project. The zoning committee of Community Board 12 and the full community board also voted down this plan.
“I have no doubt that a failure to provide the necessary parking spaces along this stretch of Coney Island Avenue will generate hardship for the residents of Midwood,” said Barry Spitzer, District Manager of Community Board 12.
The current proposed development at 1504 Coney Island Avenue can be built as of right, which means there is no community approval process for what sort of building or offices may go up on the site. The community does have a role in approving special requests made of the city by the developer for relief of zoning requirements, such as a reduction in parking requirements. The Board of Standards and Appeals, which consists of a Chair and several Commissioners, is charged with reviewing these requests and the public has the opportunity to give testimony before the board. Councilman Greenfield will continue to advocate that the Board of Standards and Appeals to reject the developer’s request to reduce parking in this neighborhood.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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10 Responses
what department store is going there?
Wish, Greenfield, had done in regards to the Building on Quentin Rd. It has only 49 parking spots in that building. Parking already is a problem in the area, and the building is not fully occupied. Parking is used up by the nursing school students, and patients visiting the Doctors that have moved and. Yeshiva and public schools, and shoppers on Kingshighway. Poor planning on the cities part.
I live back to back with the project. Councilman Greenfield is misrepresenting the facts. The building is being built with 272 parking spaces as of right. The developer wanted permission to be able to rent out some of the space for medical facilities without having to provide an additional 70 spots. The building is being built regardless with 272 spots which is more than anyone in the neighborhood has. By comparison pomegranate has 29 spots. All they are asking is to be able to use some of the space for medical offices without additional spots to the 272 spots. If the developer wont be able to, he may be forced to bring in elements which are not conducive to the neighborhood. As much as we appreciate Mr. Greenfield’s concern for us we feel that he will only be hurting us not helping . As a resident of the area I would much rather they use the space for doctors offices than other elements which may be bad for our community.
factscba #3: Please be more specific about what you fear in what you vaguely and incomprehensibly describe as “elements which are not conducive to the neighborhood”. What exactly are you afraid will be there? Abortion clinics? An immigration holding cell? A homeless shelter? Monsters in big green hats?
Holy cow ! What a mess . The area is already impossible to maneuver.
zalman #4: No Zalman, no monster in big green hats and i don’t have specifics. you can use your imagination. You know the neighborhood as good as I do. would you rather have Doctors offices there or Dave and Busters?
Reading what I read thus far, something very smelly and rotten about this proposed mega development. Honesty and integrity…….ha!
Sorry some how Greenberg and spritzer sound a lot more convincing then you the area is already over used with no parking the developer doesn’t care only interested in his own pocket
Pomegranate might have 29 spots, but those spots are not used by professionals (or pomegranate employees)who park there all day. Patrons come and go all day (which creates a separate nuisance trying to navigate the intersection coming down Ave L) so spots are always opening up. Plus, there is a lot of foot traffic that uses pomegranate, in fact I would say at least 50% (but that is a guesstimate). what percentage of patrons of thie medical offices will come by foot? how many will drive? how many will utilize Access a Ride type services that will further create congestion by double parking while they drop off, pick up or just wait for their customers? Whatever the spin, the developer does not want to provide the number of spots required and wants a variance. Why should he get a variance because he wants to rent out spots? he is not opening a commercial parking garage. If #3 so desires all the additional vehicular traffic, perhaps he would like to provide his driveway for the patrons of the building, maybe even rent out his driveway to those medical professionals and look for street parking like everyone else.
Who said making the life of developers miserable will help anyone? This “MEGA” development will have to work very hard to bring extra 272 cars to the area to a single time. most likely some of these “only” 272 spaces will serve the neighborhood