CM Santosuosso questions parking reduction special permit
Santosuosso asks about the logic of reducing parking spaces. Lobel explains the reduction from 167 to 143 spaces (24 spaces lost), noting the environmental review found no significant impacts, bus and subway service are available, and parking studies showed low utilization. The negative declaration covered parking and traffic.
I know in some of our discussions, and I think it was raised at the community board level, that there is a reduction of parking that would occur as a result of this.
I believe that's one of the special permit uses, if I'm not mistaken.
Can you explain what the logic is there and why you feel it's okay to reduce the parking?
The number of parking spaces?
Sure.
So the parking that's currently at the site is 167 spaces, and both pursuant to our environmental review, as well as through
the caretaking of the site, it was determined that 167 spaces were not actually utilized at the site.
In fact, oftentimes it would just be a handful of spaces that were used.
The actual reduction pursuant to the special permit goes from 167 to 143.
So we lose 24 spaces in this area and on the site.
And given the location of the site, the opportunity for bus and subway service in the area of the site, as well as from our own parking studies and ones that were submitted to city planning, it became apparent that
As opposed to using that site for our parking spaces, it would be far better to use it in terms of the physical plant of the building.
And we do note that the Environmental Review Division did give this application a negative declaration, meaning that there were no foreseen impacts, including of parking and traffic impacts proposed for this site.
So the reduction in parking here would really allow for the project to move forward, and the parking does not seem to be that severely needed.