Senator Montgomery submits comments to the NYC Board of Standards and Appeals regarding application for zoning variance for 32 Lexington Avenue

Senator Montgomery submits comments to the NYC  Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) regarding an application for a zoning variance for 32 Lexington Avenue.  In her letter, the Senator expresses the following concerns:

[In 2007] Fort Greene/Clinton Hill was re-zoned in an effort to protect and preserve the predominantly brownstone character of the neighborhood’s residential core. I join the members of Community Board 2, Community Board 3, and residents in raising concerns about the scope of this proposal.

The variances being requested completely contradict the spirit and mission of the 2007 contextual re-zoning. Under the current zoning, R6B, buildings cannot exceed 50 feet in height. According to the Department of Buildings filing, the school building is planned to be 75 feet making it 25 feet higher than the required limit.  Furthermore approving a development that is planned to be nearly two and a half times as large as permitted under the as-of-right zoning would truly not be a “community benefit”. 

[BSA's approval] would set a terrible precedent that developers can essentially side step zoning laws and construct buildings that contradict the neighborhoods character and neglect community interests.

To read Senator Montgomery's entire letter, download the attachment.

To learn more about the community's concerns about the project, visit:

https://patch.com/new-york/fortgreene/residents-demand-city-reject-clinton-hill-charter-school

https://www.brownstoner.com/development/brooklyn-development-clinton-hill-school-32-lexington-avenue-pacc/

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20170511/clinton-hill/unity-prep-clinton-hill-15-quincy-street

https://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/40/12/dtg-unity-prep-charter-school-pratt-2017-03-24-bk.html