While
FCR consulted with the MTA, the Nets, and the Brooklyn
Borough President’s Office long before the plan for
the Vanderbilt Yards was created, few other stakeholders
were consulted before the plan was finalized. The negotiation
between the MTA and FCR that resulted in FCR’s control
of the site opened the way for a partnership between
ESDC and the developer that sidestepped the city’s land
use review process (ULURP). Instead of a transparent
and accountable participatory process, a Community Benefits
Agreement (CBA) was brokered before the general project
plan was approved by the state. The signatories to the
CBA, which describes how the developer will address
neighborhood concerns about jobs and affordable housing,
did not have an opportunity to shape the plan, only
to share in the administration of some of the benefits.
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As
a result, the FCR plan reflects public need and vision
to a limited degree and at a cost that far outweighs
the benefits. Since the FCR plan did not go through
the city’s ULURP process, local stakeholders, elected
officials, and the city’s planning authorities had no
leverage to reshape the project. If the project moves
forward as conceived, it does so at the expense of the
surrounding community— whose voices could have been
instrumental in planning a better project. If only Phase
I of the project moves forward, it does so without the
benefit of any democratically-determined watchdog entity
with the authority to enforce both the CBA and the mitigations
referred to in the Final Environmental Impact Statement.
If the project does not move forward as planned, it
provides a unique opportunity for the public to partner
with the city, the state, and private developers to
plan for a visionary new development. |
| The
UNITY plan proposes the following design and development
process for redevelopment of the Vanderbilt Yards.
First and foremost, the MTA must abrogate its agreement
with Forest City Ratner and reissue a request for qualifications
based on the process outlined below.
Create Urban Design Principles
The New York City Planning Commission should hold a
series of hearings to solicit community input and to
set the foundation for the development of Urban Design
Principles for the Vanderbilt Yards and environs in
concert with the principles outlined in PlaNYC 2030.
Study Arena Locations
The Mayor, the Chairman of the ESDC, the Borough President,
and City Council should issue an RFP for a planning
consultant to undertake a study to locate a suitable
site for a basketball arena to be built in Brooklyn.
Approve Arena Site
The Borough President, working with the City Planning
Commission and ESDC, would select a site for the arena
based on the recommendations of the planning consultant.
Once selected, the site would be subject to the city’s
land use review processes.
Create New and Improved Community Benefits Agreement
The City and State should adopt as policy the inclusionary
housing, job set-asides and training components of the
current CBA, but improved in accordance with the UNITY
plan; assure that they truly meet community definitions
of low and moderate income; and develop a mechanism
to assure that anyone selected as a developer would
adhere to those principles.
Create a Community Oversight Committee
The Mayor, the Chairman of the ESDC, the Borough President
and the local council members should establish a community
oversight committee [COC] comprising representatives
of all of the affected community boards, the Council
of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, Brooklyn Speaks, Develop
Don’t Destroy Brooklyn, and the community signatories
of the Community Benefits Agreement.
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Approve
Urban Design Principles
Within 45 days of the close of public hearings by the
community boards, the Borough President, City Planning
Commission, and the ESDC, in concert with the COC, should
approve Urban Design Principles for Vanderbilt Yards,
based on Unity 2007 and public input.
Amend ATURA, Create Special Zoning District
The Department of City Planning should initiate amendments
to the Atlantic Terminal Urban Renewal Plan and create
a Special Zoning District for the Yards to facilitate
a zoning program for four to six distinct development
parcels on the site. The exact number would be based
on the final site plan and distribution of developable
FAR.
Divide the Site for Development
Based on the Urban Design Principles and the Special
Zoning District the MTA should issue an RFQ/RFP to select
4-6 development teams comprising planners, architects,
builders and investors to develop a minimum of four
and a maximum of six development parcels that in their
entirety would comprise the MTA site running from Flatbush
Avenue to Vanderbilt Avenue. The division of the site
into 4 to 6 parcels will add diversity and interest
to the design and will enable the development to be
completed in a shorter time frame than is now anticipated.
Launch a Public Design Competition
The COC would work with professional groups and area
schools to host a public design competition to select
the winning teams for each of the parcels.The selected
teams would have three months to work with the COC on
refining and submitting their financing, design and
development proposals to the City Planning Commission
and ESDC for joint hearings and final adoption.
Transform the COC to a Trust
Upon final adoption and prior to groundbreaking, the
COC will be reconstituted as a local authority, similar
to the Hudson River Trust Authority, to monitor the
implementation of design guidelines and community benefits. |
