'Wine Out, Apartments In' on Williamsburg Waterfront
by Ben Silverbush (
[email protected]), published online 01-17-2006
Developer Voluntarily Offers 90 Affordable Apt. Units
SOUTH WILLIAMSBURG — On Wednesday night, representatives of Rector Hylan Corporation told Community Board 1 of its plans to demolish the buildings formerly owned by the Royal Wine Company (the Kedem Winery) and replace them with two residential towers. The project site, 420-430 Kent Ave., is on the waterfront and currently includes three buildings. One is vacant, a second is occupied by the Zafir Jewish Center for Special Education, and a third is occupied by a warehouse company.
Plans call for north and south towers of 18 stories (185 feet in height) and 24 stories (245 feet), respectively. These buildings would contain 450 apartments (with two to four bedrooms each), 26,413 square feet of neighborhood stores, 225 parking spaces, and a half-acre shore public walkway.
The retail space would be located on the ground level of both of the proposed towers, facing Kent Avenue, while the parking would be provided beneath each building with separate access from the avenue.
Zafir Jewish Center could not be reached for comment by press time.
While Howard Hornstein of Cozen & O'Connor Attorneys was introducing this project to the board, he noted that 20 percent of the new housing units, 90 altogether, would be affordable, priced at 80 percent of the area's median income.
''We are developing as a private developer, and we are voluntarily [there's no mandate] providing 20 percent affordable housing,'' Hornstein said. He added that Rector Hylan is not building up to 600 units, which the rezoning would allow, and is paying to clean up the property.
Additionally, Hornstein said the developer is working with Councilman David Yassky and the Department of Housing, Preservation and Development to find a non-profit sponsor. ''Right now it's our intention to have the affordable housing on site,'' he said, ''but some non-profit sponsors may want to go offsite.''
Several Community Board 1 members weighed in on the affordable housing component, saying that they wanted to know how much the apartments would cost. They also wanted a guarantee that the affordable units would be onsite.
''We can't approve this unless we have a bedrock commitment that the affordable housing will be onsite. There are also two acres on the waterfront that should be added as additional open space,'' said one board member.
''There should be affordable units on the waterfront,'' stressed another. Both drew applause from the majority of board members present.
''I will take this to my client and HPD,'' responded Hornstein.
To get its project approved, Rector Hylan went to the City Planning Commission, which issued a conditioned negative declaration and initiated a 30-day public comment period. The corporation had come before City Planning seeking approval on rezoning the property for residential use, and getting a special permit to allow bulk modifications.
City Planning specified that the applicant must agree to prepare a hazardous materials sampling protocol, including a health safety plan that requires Department of Environmental Protection approval. Additionally, the commission said that Rector Hylan has to fund the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Kent and Division avenues, if the city Department of Transportation finds one is needed. ''With the implementation of this condition, no significant adverse traffic impacts would result from the proposed project,'' City Planning stated.
CB 1 will review the developer's proposal at its next ULURP Committee meeting, at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 435 Graham Ave. (corner of Frost Street). The board is expected to make its recommendation at its next general meeting, on Feb. 7 at the Swinging 60s Center, 211 Ainslie St.
