Patch on Fenimore
Again at the CB9 General Board Meeting, the misinformers were out to squash a simple, reasoned and well-researched request by a group of your neighbors to protect the integrity of their block, which was inadvertently left off the Historic District demarcations. As their consultant Paul Graziano says, the whole neighborhood is in desperate need of a rezoning. Essentially, per DCP, this means downzoning inner blocks and allowing for the construction of taller, but not TOO tall, buildings along the avenues that would necessarily include affordable housing units due to the passage of the Mandatory Inclusionary Housing law passed this year by the City Council.
Such a reasonable compromise stinks of foul play, say the genius protesters, who so far have managed to keep you or anyone else from voicing their opinion through a fair evaluation in concert with the Planning department. On Fenimore, however, reason prevailed, and modest majority was in favor of co-applying to the City. Is there a fear that the City might change the rules mid-process? Of course not. The application pertains to that block only, and if they ever get around to it (very busy don't you know), I see no reason why a block with deed restrictions shouldn't get downzoned. We should all be so lucky.
Ho hum. A few apples have spoiled the whole barrel, and it's just a matter of time before the wrecking balls come to YOUR block. And Empire? It'll continue to be the gorgeous boulevard of dreams that it is. So many tourists from other neighborhoods come to fast-food hop, from one drive-thru to the next. Perhaps we could convince the City to create a drive-thru Vomitorium, in the neo-classical style? That way you could keep banging burgers all night long without taking a break for digestion.
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| The South Side of Fenimore Wants Our Help To Downzone and Prevent Teardowns |
3 comments:
FYI, some longtime homeowners want to just cash out big so they WANT to be able to sell to developers. I had a woman with a house in the Manor tell me that, a nearly lifelong Caribbean resident, and I just smiled and nodded but was thinking, whahhht, do you know anything how this works?? But for her it's her retirement fund and for her family.
Most small-time developers/flippers actually pay less than owner-occupants. They spread all kinds of lies about the taxes and fees involved in a legitimate sale and then offer to buy for about 1/2 of the market price - although the contract (the amount on which taxes are paid) is often for even less than that, with a fat envelope passed under the table.
They could wind up with more money going with a conventional sale.
I guess Graziano is pro-DCP when he's paid to be.
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