Lefferts Place Threatened by Healthcare Developer
A company wanting to build an out-of-context low-income independent living facility for seniors on a lot at 86 Lefferts Place that runs through the block to Atlantic Avenue has residents up in arms. The company, CNR Healthcare, is trying to get the block rezoned from R6B to R7A to enable them to build the center…
A company wanting to build an out-of-context low-income independent living facility for seniors on a lot at 86 Lefferts Place that runs through the block to Atlantic Avenue has residents up in arms. The company, CNR Healthcare, is trying to get the block rezoned from R6B to R7A to enable them to build the center under Section 202 of HUD only a couple of years after the entire area was downzoned to prevent something like this happening. The juxtaposition would be particularly jarring given that the new six-story building would be plunked down between the landmarked yellow house at 70 Lefferts place and the old green house at 96 Lefferts Place. Ouch! According to residents who’ve tried to work towards some kind of compromise, the company has shown no interest in working with the community to create a more palatable alternative, opting instead to push for a rezoning. The whole thing sounds pretty darn shady to us and we hope that there will be some politicians who stand up and oppose it. In the meantime, you can express your opposition to this spot-rezoning proposal by signing this petition. GMAP P*Shark
This thread is filled with more brownstoner madness. I normally don’t bother with the rabble on this site, but when you provincial know nothings pick on grandma…
1) The R6B zoning designation, with a 2.0 FAR, should be federally illegal throughout the entire country. Nothing Practically every building that is not a house in Brooklyn is built to a density that exceeds this FAR. Such a ridiculously low density smacks in the face of progress, freedom, and sound economic policy. People were knocking down townhouses left and right 100 years ago to build larger buildings than this. Practically every fancy mansion townhouse exceeded this FAR when built, especially those humdingers on Prospect Park West.
2) The R7A zoning district by contrast has a pretty meager FAR of 4.0. We are not talking about a skyscraper here, we are talking about an 80-foot tall building maximally. How can this possibly outrage anyone with a brain? oh I know, everyone like leffertsgirl seems to think that these poor elderly people are going to be parking on her street! Get a grip.
3) The woeful ignorance of this 50-year HUD program is astounding for such pretentious busybodies who seem to profess mastery of economics and social planning. Profit is CAPPED for Section 202 developments. Why do you think they are all built by non-profit developers? I mean, my god, you can go on the nyc.gov website and see for yourself 95% of them are clearly operated by religious charitable organizations and probably 75% in Brooklyn are owned by the catholic church. Brokestone seems to think the folks at Catholic Charities are living large. What a joke. Why do they need the density? There are minimum size requirements and the programs are highly competitive, especially today when the government is maxed out paying for the 750,000 non-elderly poor people in Brooklyn living on a check from uncle sam.
I have to say, I am very grateful the collapse of our economy is continuing at a pace far worse than I ever imagined. You people are so astoundingly selfish, I can say with certainty building housing for elderly people with truly nothing is going to be the least of your troubles. You all will reap what you sow and I have no sympathy for any of you.
Anyway, good troll Brownstoner. You really riled everyone up tonight!
If the proposed CNR facility is like the one on Prospect and Classon, it’s going to be busy with all of the traffic, deliveries, etc that were described. Your concerns are certainly valid. The Classon CNR facility is in a perfect place, as it was built on a semi-commercial block, and when built, was surrounded by a very large hospital complex, which is now housing. A lot of community meetings, including CB8 meetings are held there, and it is a hive of activity. I can’t see that on Lefferts Place.
The good thing about all of this is that people are fighting for their neighborhoods, and being active participants, not passive sheep accepting whatever is tossed their way. I sincerely urge you to organize now, create an official organization, so you have a mailing address, an official voice, meet with Tish James and any other representation, and get ready for a long haul fight. Good luck.
Again, no one is concerned with the fact that they are senior citizens. That’s the best part of the equation. The issue is around opening the block up to ANYTHING being built in the future.
It is about a monstrous building parked in the middle of a quiet residential block, blocking out the light, in an already jammed block. No parking, traffic, noise. This is not about not wanting senior citizens.
Looking at the CNR facility on Classon and Prospect Place, it’s SO BUSY. With the ambulances, taxis, support staff etc. it acts more like a hospital. Why do this on a residential block? It’s insane.
Petebklyn,
CNR’s HUD financing commitment is predicated on the facility maintaining its senior affordable housing component for a minimum of three years. After three years, CNR will be free to turn the entire complex into a nursing and rehabilitation center (such as 520 Prospect Pl) or do practically anything else with the property. 130 Lefferts Place was developed as senior housing in 1971. After three years the entire building was turned into Section 8 housing. These things are not etched in stone and developers have a lot of leeway. As a result, the community needs to focus on CNR’s long term plans for the facility?
For example, which CNR program will be relocated to Lefferts Place? The Hospice Program? The HIV AIDS Program? The Alzheimer’s Program? The community needs to understand the special needs of these programs and make program specific site visits of dedicated facilities to determine program appropriateness for our residential community. Some programs require more staff (e.g., nurses, therapists, family support and social service personnel, etc.) than others and the transportation needs of both patient and staff varies greatly by program. Knowing which program will be relocated to Lefferts Place is critical in assessing the traffic and parking burdens that will be imposed by this facility.
that is still what I find confusing.
Is it a independent living for seniors are Browstoner said
-or a nursing facility as Double is calling it?
Many of us are familiar with senior independent housing bldgs in our areas don’t understand objection even if is couple stories taller than others on block.
If nursing home as others are suggesting than issues are more valid about parking, etc.
Frankly, I’d be more concerned about proposed nightclub on Atlantic.
DBD- just wanted to point out- this is not a hospital. It is an independent living facility- so yes there will be times when ambulances will be there but usually the very ill or those incapable of taking care of themselves will be in medical facilities equipped to handle their more complex care.
It’s not that I don’t sympathize- I really do. My neighborhood is desperately fighting the city on a men’s intake center in the Bedford Armory and we already are saturated with 6 times the number of social service beds (shelters, halfway houses, rehab drug centers, etc)as any other neighborhood. We are truly a dumping ground for the City and social services. Despite the Fair Share laws on the books, the city has run roughshod over us time and again. So I do understand what you’re up against. that said, in my neighborhood we’d swap in a second that intake center for this facility.
You have excellent questions and maybe its time your community spoke to a lawyer- we did, so there is a lot ongoing- but maybe you can find one to take your case pro bono and put pressure on the CB and especially on Mr. Drew.
For many of you, this is an academic exercise. “How can you be against a nursing facility with senior housing?” For those of us who live on Lefferts and love the nabe, this is REAL. This is not an academic excercise. How does this project benefit Lefferts Place? How will this impact Lefferts Place and its residents? Let’s examine:
1. Parking. Only nine (9) parking spots have been designated for the CNR site at 86 Lefferts. Yes, nine (9) parking spaces for a proposed development containing approximately 100 units. Lefferts already suffers from a scarcity of on-street parking space. Now the community is expected to welcome with open arms a massive nursing facility and housing complex which will further hinder parking on Lefferts Place? Where will all the patients, visitors, staff and residents park their cars? Lefferts Place, as a narrow two way street, already suffers a huge problem associated with double park cars which results in bottleneck traffic, increased car exhaust emissions and constant honking throughout the day and night. Where will taxis drivers park their cars? Where will ambulances park? CNR provides transportation to and from their facility. Where will the multitude of Access-A-Ride buses park on Lefferts? Will there be an oval car port in front of the building to accommodate the anticipated high volume of pick-ups and drop-offs? Will CNR request that the Dept of Transportation establish a “No Parking†zone in front of the center thereby further eliminating crucial street-side parking? CNR needs to provide honest and complete answers to the above parking issues. These issues of course will be exacerbated ten fold during the holidays as well as on patient birthdays and periods of declining health where the volume of visitors to the facility is expected increase exponentially. Where will all these visitors park? For all you devil’s advocates out there, please answer this question. How is having a CNR center on Lefferts Place, as opposed to Atlantic Avenue or Fulton Street, in the best interest of the community? 85 blocks in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill were downzoned to R6B. Why is Lefferts Place the only block being slated for rezoning by CB2?!?!
2. Traffic. Lefferts Place is a small family oriented community where the sight of children playing in the street is not uncommon. The CNR project will forever change life on Lefferts as we know it and the sight of children enjoying a mid-summer game of two hand touch football in the middle of the street will soon come to an abrupt end. Traffic on Lefferts will become a nightmare as a plethora of vehicles will descend upon our street at all hours of the day, dropping off and picking up residents, patients, visitors and staff, and dropping off deliveries of food as well as medical and office supplies. How anyone could think that a commercial enterprise of this immense size and scope is appropriate for a residential block is beyond my realm of understanding. Again, this complex belongs on Atlantic, Fulton or Myrtle. Lefferts Place? No!
3. Garbage. How will CNR ensure the proper disposal of medical supplies and waste? How often will the center require garbage removal per week and at what time would such removal occur? Will the center have a dedicated space for garbage removal? Indoor or outdoor? On the Lefferts Place side of the complex? Who on this blog would want their children playing outside in front of a hospital?
4. Deliveries. Lefferts Place is a small narrow street. How many times a day does CNR expect deliveries for food, office and medical supplies? Is there any time of day when deliveries will not be permitted (e.g., to abate traffic congestion or reduce noise and air pollution)? Where will all of these trucks park? Will the complex have a dedicated loading dock for deliveries? Where? Again, Lefferts Place is a residential street. Why does anyone on CB2 believe that turning our beloved historic street into Atlantic Avenue (R7A) is in the best interest of the community?
Folks, this is real. This is not an academic exercise. I am not against senior housing. Lefferts Place is a diverse neighborhood with a number of section eight housing buildings in the community, one of which was built as senior housing in 1971. As a mixed income community, Lefferts Place is awesome! However, I am against plopping a hospital in the middle of a small residential neighborhood against the overall preference of the community. Both newbies and long term residents are in agreement – this development is going to destroy our neighborhood.
It is not just the additional 100+ residents I am concerned about. These residents will have visitors, medical attendants, support staff, many of whom will walk, drive and park on Lefferts Place (ie, increased traffic and noise). Presumably the facility will provide services that require deliveries such as linen and meals. Those delivery trucks will be loading and unloading, double parked on my block spewing fumes and blocking traffic (ie, increased traffic and noise). Elderly people get sick often, so I expect that ambulances will be making many more visits to Lefferts Place (ie, increased traffic and noise). Realistic, yes. Hysterical, no.
Petebklyn,
The main issue is the rezoning of the block. Once it is rezoned all buildings on Lefferts Place can be knocked down with the exception of the Landmarked Yellow House and this will become one giant block of buildings that look like the hideous monstrosity on Fulton and Classon instead of an architecturally AND culturally diverse neighborhood that is Lefferts Place today. Then other residential blocks in Brooklyn can be rezoned in the same manner once the legal precedent will be set.
We already have one out of context building on our block, as mentioned, on the corner of Classon and Frankin that was created just for the same purpose, 202 housing. 3 years later it was no longer a senior housing 202 facility.
This new facility is being proposed with only 9 parking spaces as well. 9 spaces for approx 100 tenants, the super, the employees of the doctor’s offices downstairs, and any nurses or home health aides, some of who may have 24 hour care and any visitors. I think that is also a density and quality of life issue for Lefferts Place. We asked about more spaces and they said no. CNR doesn’t care about this issue and would not make any alterations because they are making too much money and that is why they want to rezone Lefferts Place.
Now with the new zoning laws CNR wants to put in place other developers can buy up the rest of Lefferts Place and build more of these large buildings. CNR can even build right on through to Atlantic Avenue.
It’s not fair to the residents of Lefferts Place to have to swallow this pill of rezoning our block. How bout we just stop making Lefferts Place the dumping ground of Clinton Hill.