City Council Member Mark-Viverito Initiates Rezoning of JHL Property on 106th Street

PRESS RELEASE

 

THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
CITY HALL
NEW YORK, NY 10007
(212) 788-7116

COUNCIL MEMBER MARK-VIVERITO INITIATES THE RE-ZONING OF
JEWISH HOME LIFECARE’S PROPERTY AT WEST 106TH STREET

Borough President Stringer, Assembly Member O’Donnell and State Senator Perkins join Mark-Viverito in announcing a plan to immediately file for the re-zoning of JHL’s property at West 106th Street to R8A/ R8B.
Monday, October 6, 2009 (New York, NY) -- New York City Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito, with the support of Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, Assembly Member Danny O’Donnell and State Senator Bill Perkins, announces plans to immediately initiate the re-zoning of Jewish Home Lifecare’s (JHL) property at West 106th Street from R7-2 to R8A/ R8B.

In 2006 the Department of City Planning entered into a rezoning process for the Upper West Side from West 97th Street to West 110th Street. The rezoning of these areas from R7-2 to R8A/R8B was done in partnership with the community in an effort to prevent future non-contextual development, create opportunities for affordable housing, and preserve the historic assets of the neighborhood. JHL’s property was included in this rezoning plan that was approved by the City Planning Commission. However, prior to review by the City Council, JHL claimed that future development plans would be overly constrained under the contextual rezoning and requested that the original zoning for its property (R7-2) remain in place. After JHL agreed to a number of non-zoning bulk controls to shape the future development, their 106th Street site was carved out of the rezoning plan.

On August 12th, 2009 JHL announced a proposal to enter into a land-swap agreement with the residential/commercial development company, the Chetrit Group. The proposal would trade the Chetrit Group’s parcel of land on West 100th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues within Park West Village for JHL’s property on West 106th Street.

“In light of JHL’s plan to enter into a land-swap agreement with the Chetrit Group, nothing short of an immediate down-zoning of this parcel to R8A/R8B is necessary. Rezoning this parcel would protect the neighborhood from the future development of out-of-context high-rise structures, and honors the original intent of the negotiations leading up to the rezoning,” said Council Member Mark-Viverito.

Borough President Scott Stringer said, “The Upper West Side community fought too long and too hard for zoning protections for us to stand by and allow Jewish Home Lifecare to exploit the carve-out they have been given. The zoning exclusion was appropriate when JHL was to be the direct beneficiary, but this is no longer the case. Now that the situation has changed we must act quickly to ensure that those living on West 106th Street will have the same protection against non-contextual development as their neighbors. That is why I support Council Member Mark-Viverito in her plans to immediately initiate the rezoning of JHL’s land at West 106th Street from R7-2 to R8A/R8B.”

State Senator Bill Perkins said "We want to insure that the community’s interests are protected and down zoning the 'carve out' is an important step towards accomplishing that.”

Assembly Member Danny O’Donnell stated “It is crucial that, as elected representatives, we take a proactive stand to protect those whose quality of life will be most impacted by development at the West 106th Street site. I unequivocally stand with Council Member Mark-Viverito as she files an application to remove the zoning exemption granted by the City Council in 2009. It is the right course of action.”