CM Santosuosso questions applicant on site selection rationale

And so to the applicant team, I just want to, I would love to speak to what is currently on the site and why it was chosen for new development.

Yeah, Councilmember, I'll start.

So when we began these conversations, it was apparent that

that the existing zoning at the site being R6 actually would permit a building with some density on the existing site without a zoning change.

So R6 permitting mixed-use floor area ratio of 4.8 would allow for a building with upwards of 300,000 square feet to be placed on the empty portion of the site.

That building, however, would probably have a majority of uses.

Community facility, office space, and would also be masked in such a way as it would not allow for open area between the buildings.

Coming in with this rezoning and with a developer who has extensive experience in affordable housing allows us to do a more thoughtful building, taking the available FAR, using it

more for residential, which is something which is most sorely needed in the area, and also to provide for an open area between the buildings, which I think amounts to greater than 18,000 to 20,000 square feet of open area.

So it kind of is a win-win for, you know, in terms of the city, an opportunity to bring more housing, an opportunity to do some thoughtful site design, and even

with all that, to allow for additional community facility and commercial space, conversations with the community board were around whether or not this could potentially be allowed for a daycare space for the community facility as well as for a food store for the commercials.

So really just an opportunity to rethink the site.

And to provide for some sorely needed uses in the area.

I would add the

Plan is for the community facility uses to be resiliency hubs for the neighborhood.

So in times of power outages, et cetera, there will be, excuse me, a place for people to go not only in the building, but in the existing building.

Great to hear.