Community Board 14 Ad Hoc Committee on Downtown Far Rockaway
Meeting to review EDC plans to:
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Issues -
building height
number of units -
1,300 in the urban renewal area
3,300 in the rezoned area
> count of available parking spaces? today
need wider sidewalks
require a zoned elementary school, with pre-
will the school have a playground?
parks -
no discussion on recapturing park between the library and firehouse stolen by FDNY
there should be a park and playground, with rest rooms
traffic -
widen streets
adjust traffic signal timing
bus staging
> the committee believes that Rita Stark’s estate, or a new owner, can build up to the requested density as of right -
that is NOT TRUE as area currently is not zoned for ANY residential
parking -
request 75%, expecting it to be cut down
> committee is ignoring how many cars will thus be added to the streets, further reducing available shopper parking
income levels (family of 3) -
40% of apartments market rate ($85,000+)
60% of apartments "affordable" -
20% of the affordable -
80% of the affordable -
8 stories, maximum (“in context with the neighborhood” where the tallest buildings are 4 stories, except for the RDRC building which is 6 stories)!
there should be a defined and marked evacuation route
> that does not flood
at least 40% of the apartments should be owner occupied
> didn't address proposal to permit construction in the bed of mapped streets
commercial uses to be limited to the first floor -
> this is in the belief that permitting second floor offices would result in higher buildings (since additional floors would be needed to pay for costs not understanding that commercial rents typically exceed residential rents
zoning outside of the urban renewal area should be limited to the existing context (6 stories, max)
Note: A “>” at the beginning of the line indicates webmaster comments. Otherwise, these are the conclusions of the Community Board 14 Ad Hoc Downtown Far Rockaway Committee.