Sign Permit Application. As of the 2020 United States Census, the neighborhood's population is 151,308.. Dozens of protesters showed up to criticize the land-use application filed by FWRA, a consortium of real estate firms behind the project. The oil was pumped out to boats on the creek, and the small woodlands thriving here today grow out of the remnants of these enormous tanks. “When the Dutch came, this was a paradise with fantastic biodiversity, even though people had lived here for 10,000 years. If completed, 29 acres of polluted land will be transformed into a cluster of commercial and residential towers by FWRA LLC, a consortium of developers that includes F&T Group, United Construction and Development Group Inc., and Young Nian Group. Choe, however, remains unconvinced. Willow Bank, on the shoreline of the Flushing Creek, circa 1910. City Council subcommittee approves Flushing waterfront rezoning after reaching deal with labor unions Carlotta Mohamed 12/10/2020 Record rains kill … In December 2020, the New York City Council voted to approve the Special Flushing Waterfront District, a rezoning that will allow a $2 billion development project to … Gothamist is a website about New York City news, arts and events, and food, brought to you by New York Public Radio. The proposed Special Flushing Waterfront District is a planned rezoning to usher … Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, bordered by Greenpoint to the north; Bedford–Stuyvesant to the south; Bushwick and East Williamsburg to the east; and the East River to the west. And at this point, we have this return of what seems like nice, lush green, could be a park, but underneath it has this history of pollution.”. Flushing residents and advocates showed up in virtual droves Nov. 9 to voice their opposition or support for the proposed Special Flushing Waterfront District, a controversial 29-acre rezoning … As they strolled single-file down a narrow dirt path, they passed by an unoccupied campsite surrounded by Tibetan prayer flags and entered into a unique post-industrial landscape—filled with trees, grasses and mosses. John Choe leads a rally against a proposed Flushing waterfront rezoning project, Nov. 17, 2020. The City Council approved plans to rezone the Special Flushing Waterfront District in Queens at its Thursday meeting, one day after a subcommittee voted unanimously to … Subdivision Application Forms and Guidelines; Development Variance Permits; Board of Variance Applications; Agricultural Land Reserve Applications; Urban Forestry; What's Building in my Neighbourhood. The City Planning Commission voted 11-to-two in favor of a zoning change that would make way for a 13-tower, mixed-use development that includes office space, hotel buildings and 1,725 apartments. Flushing can create high-quality public space on Main Street, truly public space on the waterfront, and across the neighborhood when the city listens to residents’ needs. Cody Herrmann, a local artist and member of Guardians of Flushing Bay. From Manhattan and Brooklyn to Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, Urbanize NYC is there to provide you with the latest architecture, urban planning, and real estate development news. Richard Siu, F&T Group: Our proposed plan for the unoccupied area that makes up the Special Waterfront District would add 1,725 homes to Downtown Flushing, including affordable housing. The Hazardous Materials section of the assessment does not mention any of these pollutants; it defers instead to an outdated document filed in 1998 as part of a separate rezoning proposal. In 2008, the NY State Department of Transportation helped restore 2.5 acres of this endangered wetlands, hand planting 90,000 saltmarsh cordgrasses in an attempt to mitigate damages from a nearby highway construction project. Comment below or Send us a Tip. Today, beyond a trash-strewn field next to a U-Haul storage facility, two acres of wild-growing woodlands are thriving on the post-industrial banks of the creek. But even New York City’s most toxic landscapes have their own hidden biodiversity. It was for a coalition of local community leaders, including representatives from the Guardians of Flushing Bay, the Flushing Anti-Displacement Alliance, and the Queens College Department of Urban Studies. By Carlotta Mohamed. It would also bring thousands of new residents to a flood zone that will be seriously impacted by sea-level rise. In support of Mayor de Blasio’s Housing New York Plan, the Department of City Planning (DCP) proposes a new neighborhood planning study for a 10-block area located in the western portion of Downtown Flushing in Community District 7 in Queens. The SFWD would allow the rezoning of one of four waterfront development sites (Site 4) and facilitate the construction of a 3.4-million-square-foot, 9-building (13-tower), mixed-use development. As the group picked their way through the woodlands and down to the edge of the creek, Atha called out the tree species growing around them—while also pointing out the poison ivy that we were standing in. Along with omitting the Flushing Terminal site, the EAS skips over the detail that the district is home to a federally listed hazardous waste site, located at 39-08 Janet Place. “So, you still have the ability for these plants and animals to exist here, even though it's highly degraded.”. Andrew Yang may be leading early polls in the New York City mayor’s race, but he has nonetheless faced skepticism from many left-leaning voters and trails most of … The City Council approved plans to rezone the Special Flushing Waterfront District in Queens at its Thursday meeting, Crain’s New York Business reported. Flushing Creek is one of the most polluted bodies of water in Queens, home to a century of oil spills and raw sewage. Community Sues New York City Council Over Flushing Rezoning - Flushing-Murray Hill, NY - Lawsuit Alleges Violation of Environmental Laws when City … Surrounded by willow trees, their single enormous mansion overlooked the creek’s natural shoreline, from atop a gentle hillside. The City Council passed the rezoning without an Environmental Impact Statement—typically a required step in the city’s planning process. Brad Vogel, another member of Voice of Gowanus, said the group had joined an alliance with other groups in neighbourhoods like Flushing, Inwood and Sunset Park that have fought rezoning … The Official Community Plan is the overarching plan for Nanaimo for the next 25 years that provides direction for growth and change in the community. Waterfront Revitalization; Forms, Applications, & Permits. “Can you bluff your way through climate change?” asked Herrmann, who has created numerous artworks on the waters of the Flushing Creek. The 39-5 vote came one day after a subcommittee voted unanimously to approve it following multiple delays. The creek’s ecological history dates back more than 10,000 years, to the end of the last ice age. In December 2020, the New York City Council voted to approve the Special Flushing Waterfront District, a rezoning that will allow a $2 billion development project to construct 13 towers along the Flushing Creek. Salt marsh on the Willets Point shoreline. Image: FWRA LLC. The coalition ended its walk there, surrounded by stalks of cordgrass and patches of marsh elder—gazing out onto the water. “You still have the dynamics of a natural salt marsh community because you have the freshwater coming from the land and the saltwater there,” Atha said. The waterfront access the development would bring earned the praise of Koo at the hearing. The envisioned Special Flushing Waterfront District would encompass 29 acres on land bordering Flushing Creek, an area city planning officials describe as “neglected, consisting of … I continue to stand by the community and against predatory developers that just want to add more zeros to their profits. Last June, several community groups sued the Department of City Planning and the City Planning Commission to halt the rezoning, claiming that the lack of an Environmental Impact Statement was unlawful. Posted on November 19, 2020. arrow The City Planning Commission will host a virtual meeting on the Special Flushing Waterfront District project (SFWD) on Wednesday at 10 a.m. Today I voted NO to the Flushing Waterfront Rezoning. The Willow Bank mansion was demolished in 1926, as the Flushing waterfront became increasingly industrialized. The City Planning Commission (CPC) on Wednesday, Nov. 4, voted in favor of approving the highly controversial Special Flushing Waterfront District (SFWD) proposal that will … In December 2020, the New York City Council voted to approve the Special Flushing Waterfront District, a rezoning that will allow a $2 billion development project to … And how can the community benefit from this project if it has not been told what is at risk? “It’s so rare in New York City to find a space that is just allowed to grow,” said Rebecca Pryor, the Program Coordinator for the Guardians of Flushing Bay and Riverkeeper. The opponents of the rezoning also draw strength from an emboldened progressive strain in local politics. 3 months ago. 3 min read [ad_1] By Rachel Vick. Forms, Applications, & Permits. Protect Flushing is a group of youth activists fighting against the Flushing Waterfront Rezoning. Christine Chung/THE CITY A contentious Flushing waterfront project is upending the usual City Council politics around approvals — and dividing candidates running to replace Councilmember Peter Koo, a fan of the hotel and apartment development. By Jarrett Murphy; Special Projects. The Flushing Creek is one of the most contaminated bodies of water in Queens. A much larger salt marsh habitat is located in Willets Point, directly across from the Special Flushing Waterfront District. The nature walk led by Daniel Atha wasn’t for tourists. This past February, these groups, including the Chhaya Community Development Corporation, MinKwon Center for Community Action and Greater Flushing Chamber of Commerce, amended their lawsuit to include the New York City Council. The public review process of the contentious Flushing waterfront rezoning project will resume Wednesday after it was postponed several months due to the pandemic. In December 2019, the developers of the Special Flushing Waterfront District filed an Environmental Assessment Statement providing an initial look at how their project would impact the environment. Community Board Approves Rezoning Plan for Flushing Waterfront By Spectrum News Staff Queens PUBLISHED 10:16 AM ET Feb. 11, 2020 PUBLISHED 10:16 AM EST Feb. 11, 2020 “When you have a bulkhead on one side, the waves will be intensified, and it will destroy the salt marsh on the other side because it will increase the erosion potential.”. A wild post-industrial woodlands grows on the banks of the Flushing Creek in 2016. All our breaking news, straight to your inbox. The city's waterfront is home to vulnerability, inequality and opportunity for the next mayor to deal with, advocates tell WBAI's Max & Murphy Show. The City Council on Thursday voted 39 to 5 in favor of an application to rezone a piece of the Flushing Creek waterfront for residential use, virtually ensuring that the … Flatiron Building to receive a head-to-toe renovation, The now emptied out historic building is looking to attract new tenants in a depressed office market, REVEALED: New-York Historical Society plans expansion of Upper West Side museum, Robert A.M. 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