SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

We received this tip over the weekend:

[Saturday] night at 2:30 a.m., a policeman from the 61st precinct decided to ticket cars at a decommissioned bus stop located at the intersection of Neptune Avenue and Shore Blvd.  The No Standing sign is no longer up and the only parking sign has been changed to reflect alternate side for that area.  There is still a bus shelter still standing – however according to Commissioner Brown of the police, there was supposed to be a suspension of ticketing at all decommissioned bus stops.  Unfortunately, one of NYC’s Finest did not get the message.

Has anyone else seen officers giving tickets at decommissioned bus stops? There are a few in the area, and it’s worth watching out for. In the meantime, we’re hoping precinct officials see this and correct the mistake.

The following op-ed is by Allan Rosen, a Manhattan Beach resident and former Director of MTA/NYC Transit Bus Planning (1981).

I got my first glimpse on Thursday of what Department of Transportation intends to do about bus stops no longer needed as a result of the MTA bus service cuts. There has been much speculation about this. Will they increase the number of free parking spaces? Will they install meters? Will they leave the potential parking spaces as “No Standing” zones? Some yuppies have even suggested that former bus stops be used solely for bicycle parking, which, of course, is ridiculous.

After watching DOT in action regarding this and other issues, I have come to the conclusion – and how do I say this politely – DOT is run by a bunch of idiots. I’ve said this before – they make the MTA appear competent by comparison. Let me explain.

Keep reading Rosen’s take on the DOT’s mishandling of bus stop eliminations.

Courtesy of the MTA

As part of the deal to reinstate student metrocards, Albany is giving a thumbs up to camera enforcement of 50 miles of bus lanes along Select Bus Service / Bus Rapid Transit routes, for which Nostrand Avenue is slated for conversion.

Dedicated bus lanes are a key component of the MTA’s SBS service, which aims to make commuting by bus speedier and efficientto increase ridership. But even advocates note that without proper enforcement to keep them clear of idling cars, bus lanes will amount to little time saved. In the MTA’s Select Bus Service FAQ, the agency says cameras monitoring the bus lanes “would automate the enforcement process by issuing violation notices to vehicles that illegally drive or park in the bus lane.” Camera enforcement requires approval from State legislators.

According to Streetsblog, “If the MTA would eat the cost of student fares, Albany would allow it to keep its bus lanes free of traffic.” With the MTA’s part of the bargain fulfilled, the State has worked the following language into a budget bill:

WITHIN THE CITY OF NEW YORK, SUCH BUS LANE PHOTO DEVICES SHALL ONLY BE OPERATED ON DESIGNATED BUS LANES THAT ARE SELECT BUS SERVICE LANES WITHIN THE BUS RAPID TRANSIT DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM AND ONLY DURING WEEKDAYS FROM 7:00 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M.

Down in our neck of the woods, this may affect the stretch of Nostrand Avenue from Emmons Avenue to Avenue X, where dedicated bus lanes are planned for a Select Bus Service route replacing the B44, according to the MTA’s website. From Avenue X to Flatbush Avenue, buses will travel in mixed traffic, before returning to dedicated lanes for the remainder of the trip.

The MTA/DOT proposal to replace the B44 has already received a thumbs down from Community Board 15, which says the elimination of parking is not worth the six minutes saved. They also found the agency to be unresponsive to their questions, despite six years of study.

Kings Highway businesses got a measure of relief from the Department of Transportation, which added an hour to the time limit of meters along the busy commercial strip.

The Kings Highway Business Improvement District championed the issue back in April, sending letters to the DOT requesting the meters be changed. They argued that shoppers need at least two hours to visit multiple stores and do their shopping. One-hour muni-meters installed six weeks ago just didn’t give enough time, and it was hurting businesses, they said.

“Our patience and persistence paid off because shopping, browsing and making multiple purchases at multiple locations cannot be accomplished in one hour,” Kings Highway Business Improvement District Executive Director Phil Nuzzo told Courier-Life.

The change to two-hour limits will take effect by the end of the summer.

Earlier today we reported about Community Board 15′s rejection of a special permit application to reduce the number of required spaces at 1501 and 1401 Sheepshead Bay Road. During the meeting, the architect flashed these artist renderings of the 1501 Sheepshead Bay Road location. The left two images are the view from Avenue Z, while the right picutre is the view from Sheepshead Bay Road.

As we’ve reported, the Avenue Z side is the entrance and exit to the garage. The buildings next door on Avenue Z (not pictured) are one story, and on Sheepshead Bay Road they’re two stories.

We’re not quite sure how true to scale the renderings are. The clearance between the subway tracks and the building is about 12 feet, according to the developer. Here’s a photo of that space now – the property is only the fenced in area:

Residents, board members and local politicians chewed out a developer’s plans to construct a nine-story, 115 foot tall building wedged between Sheepshead Bay Road and Avenue Z at this week’s meeting, amidst concerns about parking, traffic and safety.

The board voted unanimously to turn down a request for special permits to reduce the amount of parking required for two buildings by the same owner. The special permits sought to combine the parking for both buildings (1401 Sheepshead Bay Road and 1501 Sheepshead Bay Road), and reduce the number of required spaces by 40 percent.

But the height, location and car capacity of the new building, as well as the developer’s own statements to the Board of Standards and Appeals, came under attack during the Tuesday night meeting.

“When we bring up downzoning in this area, this is the kind of project we’re talking about,” said a representative for Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz.

Continue Reading »

This fence is the site of the proposed Avenue Z garage. The owner says there is more than 12 feet of space.

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz is calling for a traffic study of the streets around the nine-story office building proposed for 1501 Sheepshead Bay Road in advance of a Community Board 15 meeting voting on the plans. We first told you about the building last week, which is raising questions as they seek to reduce required parking, and the parking they do plan has some interesting quirks. In his press release, the Assemblyman offers some pretty harsh words for the developer, saying there’s no room for a building of its scale, and questions the developer’s veracity.

Here’s the release:

Assemblyman Cymbrowitz has called on the NYC Department of Transportation to conduct a comprehensive traffic study before a developer is allowed to break ground on a nine story multi-use building, at 1501 Sheepshead Bay Road, that would stretch from Sheepshead Bay Road to Avenue Z, next to the subway tracks. While the building may be built as of right under zoning rules, 178 off street parking spaces are required. The developer plans to appeal to Community Board 15, at its May 25th meeting, for a special permit that would reduce the required number of parking spaces to 101.

“There’s literally no room on Sheepshead Bay Road for this building when you consider the congestion that it will generate. This area is already clogged with three bus lines, trucks making deliveries to the stores along Sheepshead Bay Road, shoppers looking for parking spaces and livery cabs jockeying for fares. Adding hundreds of cars to this mix, plus ambulettes and livery cabs dropping off and picking up patients and this street scene will become one of perpetual gridlock,” Cymbrowitz stated.

Keep reading the press release

First floor sketch, including the queuing area. Not drawn in the sketches are the 17 car stalls planned on this floor

Before I get started, there is a statement in my last piece that needs to be clarified. I misunderstood the BSA application and believed the building at 1508 Avenue Z (a.k.a. 1501(c) Sheepshead Bay Road) to be taking up spots that included three existing retail locations, including the Learning Wheel. According to a co-owner of the property, George K., those buildings are not involved whatsoever, and the portion of the proposed 9-story structure that sits on Avenue Z will be in the fenced lot between the existing building and the train tracks. There is currently no building there, and the owners have no relationship with the building next door. I regret any confusion the mistake may have caused.

Now, regarding the parking situation, George K. suggested our report went too far in criticizing the parking garage, and that the problems we complained about are already addressed in the plans. He said that the building is designed with a queuing area for maneuvering the cars within the building. It should offer enough space to arrange cars without the valets needing to pull vehicles into the street and wait.

Providing enough space to keep all vehicles in the building was a high priority for the architect, according to George.

“We wouldn’t do it any other way,” said the co-owner. “We live in the neighborhood; we’re not looking to hurt the neighborhood.”

Above is a photo of the floor plan submitted with the application, so you can see the first floor queuing area as currently proposed.

As for the bus stop, George K. said the MTA agreed to move it a block away. We’re told this is frequently done at the property owner’s expense. We’re waiting to hear back from the Community Board and the Department of Transportation for confirmation.

Again, we apologize for any confusion that resulted from Monday’s report, and the original article has been corrected.

The site of the proposed nine story building, with 101-space parking garage facing Avenue Z

A developer has proposed a nine story building adjacent to the train tracks on Avenue Z/Sheepshead Bay Road, near East 15th Street. The oddly-shaped 6,655-square-foot lot will jam in 101 valet parking spaces on four floors that will enter and exit near a bus stop. Worse yet, the owner is asking the Community Board to allow him to use the building’s spaces for ambulatory services in another building he owns a block away.

The developer’s proposal comes in front of Community Board 15 on Tuesday, May 25, at Kingsborough Community College. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. in the faculty dining room, and residents and commuters affected by the property owner’s plan should testify at the meeting.

The proposed building is 1501(c) Sheepshead Bay Road, currently leased out to an income tax business. The lot is a through lot, extending all the way to the storefront at 1508 Avenue Z. and takes up three lots, including neighborhood businesses like The Learning Wheel and Abe’s Frame Shoppe (a Selfhelp outreach center – which services at-risk populations – vacated a storefront there just a few months ago). [CORRECTED]

On the Sheepshead Bay Road side, the owner proposes a retail establishment and lobby for upper-level offices. Meanwhile, the Avenue Z side will serve as the entrance and exit for the four-level freight-elevator garage. The floor plans submitted to the board show the garage levels packed like sardines, with 25 to 34 cars parked as many as eight deep.

Meanwhile, the garage entrance will reduce street-side parking spaces outside the building, and will sit immediately in front of the B4, B49 and B36 bus stops. [UPDATE: The property owner is now saying the bus stop will be moved. We are awaiting confirmation.]

Layout of the garage levels. This level has 34 cars because of stacked parking. The other levels have 25 cars.

Because the lot is so tightly-packed, the owner envisions attended parking, meaning cars will have to line up and wait to get into the garage. And cars buried deep in the back of the building will have to wait as valets remove nearly a dozen cars, perhaps lining them up along Avenue Z, until the tight space can be navigated.

But if its proximity to a bus stop and likelihood that a slew of cars will be forced to line up along the busy Avenue Z corridor were not bad enough, the developer is asking for leeway in how he crams cars into his building.

Keep reading to find out the owner’s plans for a nearby ambulatory center

Mid May brings us a little street surprise. Alternate side street parking is suspended on Thursday, May 13, 2010 for Solemnity of the Ascension.

Car owners can sleep in and not have to worry about getting a ticket for being on the Thursday side. Unless, of course, the car is parked near a hydrant. Sorry, no religious holiday will save you from costs of that infraction.