LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN DEADLINE:  ** WEDNESDAY JANUARY 19 **
Drop off Att: Sheila Lewandowski mailbox at 5-49 49th Avenue.

Re: Opposition to 'Decoupling' O'Connor Associates Market Rate Tower from the Previously Proposed CUNY Graduate Faculty Housing
[ Link to Letter Template Below ]

Dear Friend,

WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW! The New York City Board of Standards (BSA) has set a deadline (TUESDAY JANUARY 25, 2011 NOTE: earlier deadline above) for submissions and comments from the community regarding O'Connor Associates' (OCA) application to modify the variances they were granted in September 2008.

In 2008 OCA was issued nine variances that allowed a 12 story tower - twice the zoned bulk and height - on one portion of their property . OCA gained support by promising a CUNY Graduate and Faculty Housing on the adjoining portion of their property.The two projects were coupled together so that there was a Community Benefit traded for the extra height and bulk of the market rate tower.  A maximum density of 474 Graduate and Faculty residents were projected. We were presented with the idea of a mature and stable population. CUNY is no longer part of this project. But OCA nonetheless wants to build its market rate tower without having a Community benefit in place. OCA is asking the BSA to decouple the two development sites.

Additionally OCA has responded to a Request for Proposals to build a dormitory for 600 undergrads. While they have no commitment to date, many of us feel strongly that an undergard dormitory of 600 students would be a detriment not a benefit.

Our Community Board Land Use Committee uninamously opposes OCA's motion and the full Community  Board (CB2) voted overwhelmingly to oppose OCA's motion. But the decision rests firmly in the hands of the BSA.

We are urging community residents and business owners to demand that the BSA follow the original intent of everything that was presented and negotiated with the community. We must insist that the Graduate and Faculty Housing be coupled with the market rate tower and that other uses - such as a higher density undergraduate dormitory - will negatively impact the character of the neighborhood and quality of life and this is unacceptable.

Please tell the BSA in your own words or feel free to use the Letter template below.  Please drop off your letter by WEDNESDAY JANUARY 19 Att: Sheila Lewandowski  mailbox at 5-49 49th Avenue so that we can assure the BSA receives them on time.

Please be sure to include your name and address at the end of your letter.l.

Five Top Reasons to Oppose OCA's Application to Amend

1. The community's acceptance and support for OCA's desire to build a larger scale market rate tower than zoning would allow was based on it being coupled with the CUNY Graduate and Faculty Housing.
2. The promised community benefit does not exist. The community has no guarantee that after the developer builds the market rate tower there will ever be a community benefit as promised on the adjoining site.
3. The variance granted continually references  Graduate and Faculty Housing. Every letter of previous support by local represntatives refernced the Graduate and Faculty Housing.
4. The Developer's proposal to build a higher density undergraduate dormitory is contrary to what was sold to the community and it would alter the character and quiet nature of the neighborhood.
5. A higher density undergraduate dormitory is a vastly different population than what was presented in the original Environmental Assesment Statement. The developer should not have the benefit afforded by this represntation among others when the conditions either do not exist or have significantly changed.


Here is the Letter Template:     [ WORD DOC ]  [ TXT FILE ]

Thank you for your support. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.


Sincerely,
Kenny Greenberg
Member of CB2 Land Use Committee

Please note that the views expressed above are my own and do not necessarily represent or speak directly for the Community Board or Land Use Committee.