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| If you don't know this house on Bedford you probably don't live in the area. |
To help Maura and the block gather the money they need to fulfill their legal and applicational needs, see their GoFundMe page.
The narrative therein is republished herewith:
Neighbors and Friends--
The Fenimore Street Block Association learned late last month (Jan. 2017) that a beautiful house on the southeast corner of Bedford Avenue and Fenimore Street is being targeted for demolition. A prominent Williamsburg developer recently filed for a permit to demolish 174-176 Fenimore Street. While no plans have been filed as of yet, we suspect that he will construct an as-of-right apartment building many times the size of the existing house.
For several years now, our Block Association has been fighting to preserve our neighborhood from non-contextual development that is quickly becoming the hallmark of new construction in PLG. We are currently in the process of initiating a rezoning application to change our current R6 zoning - which allows high density development - to R2, which only allows single family homes. This is due to our research, where we discovered that houses on the south side of Fenimore Street between Bedford and Rogers--including 174-176 Fenimore--have deed restrictions that explicitly prohibit the development of apartment buildings, as the language makes clear that only single-family houses may be built - like the rest of Lefferts Manor. We discovered that this side of the street was originally part of the Lefferts Farm and should have been included in both the R2 single family zoning which begins on the north side of the street as well as the Prospect Lefferts Gardens Historic District, which covers the entirety of Lefferts Manor proper. In fact, as of this week, all 19 properties on the south side of Fenimore Street have been found eligible to be added to the National Register of Historic Places as an extension of the existing Lefferts Manor National Register Historic District.
The Fenimore Street Block Association intends to battle this developer in court with the understanding that we have a very strong legal leg to stand on. We are doing this because the courts have routinely deemed these original deed restrictions to be binding if found enforceable, which our zoning and land use expert has affirmed to be the case. However, we lack the necessary funds for a sustained legal battle. It is possible that there are other parts of PLG which also have enforceable deed restrictions as well and a victory in this case could set an important legal precedent for future court cases against developers.
If you live in the neighborhood and are sensitive to the unsightly skyscrapers being wedged into narrow lots on residential streets, and/or if you are generally a fan of a more reasonable zoning approach in the city overall, please support our effort and give what you can. We will update this page periodically to let you know how the court case is proceeding.
Many thanks,
Fenimore Street Block Association
16 comments:
Silly me for thinking that NYC was in the midst of an affordability crisis. And now people want to prevent $2 million detached houses from being torn down to make way for $800,000 condos? All of Flatbush was once built out as single-family homes. In 1916, the zoning code designated what is now prime Ditmas Park/Prospect Park South/Victorian Flatbush as "E," then known as villa zoning (what later became today's R1/R2 zones). Much of the rest got redeveloped into 5- and 6-story apartment buildings. Now, look at a map of incomes, and what do you see? The villa districts have relatively high incomes, and the denser areas have much lower incomes.
But I guess to hell with affordability when we have detached houses to protect.
I sympathize with Fennimore, but since Winthrop 2 has already seen this attack-both in the center of the block, and on the corner of Bedford avenue and Winthrop, there's no hope for us.
I hope they are successful. I wish them luck...lots of luck.
Hi Q,
We had a lot of police activities; police cars-I counted 8; and helicopters as well. A young man, who was running on Winthrop from Bedford avenue, towards the park on Winthrop was captured by the police. The park was cleared by the police and they remained on the block for a few hours. I also saw our community affairs police officers...what's the deal? Do you know?
That park needs more supervision and surveillance. I've written to these two officers; the Mayor's Office; Mathew's Office; as well as the Borough President's Office. The only response was from the community police officers. I realized that they alone cannot due this job, and that's why I was soliciting support from these officials.
I've asked for cameras and more lights...nothing. Last Halloween was hell for people on Winthrop, between Rogers and Bedford avenues...again the fact that this park does not have any surveillance, contributes to what's going on in this block. On Halloween, you had cars running up and down the street throwing eggs at each other, on people's properties, and cars. We were all calling the police...it was hell.
I am annoyed by one off efforts to save individual blocks and properties. And forgive me for not donating to their fund - I don't like the idea of wealthier blocks buying their preferred zoning when so many of us were denied by CB9.
I am annoyed by one off efforts to save individual blocks and properties. And forgive me for not donating to their fund - I don't like the idea of wealthier blocks buying their preferred zoning when so many of us were denied by CB9.
Alex - this is *not* a wealthy block. Many people on the south side of Fenimore II are on fixed incomes and have lived there for 40 years or more.
This is half of a block that discovered in the last year that they can fight the ridiculous out-of-whack R6 zoning that they have because of a pre-existing deed restriction that goes back 120+ years. 20 out of 21 property owners - including two houses of worship, which in my experience is almost unheard of - are in favor of rezoning this block to protect it. The only one that wasn't is the property in question.
The neighbors are literally putting together whatever they can to hire a lawyer who will defend those deed restrictions and stop yet another block of PLG from being destroyed by more luxury condos.
There is no question that PLG and Crown Heights - most of CB9 for that matter - has a huge problem with the existing R5, R6 and R7-1 zoning which covers most of it. It needs to be rezoned - and fast. I've mentioned this at multiple meetings with several different groups and individuals. The main problem is the current De Blasio administration who is only interested in promoting overdevelopment in as many neighborhoods as possible throughout the city. While most people may not have warm and fuzzy feelings for former Mayor Bloomberg, he was the best Mayor we've had on neighborhood contextual zonings in 50 years. BDB shut down all contextual rezonings - there hasn't been a single one since he was elected - and has been pushing a radical pro-development agenda backed by the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY).
In this case, this little half block of Fenimore Street has legal precedents due to the existing enforceable deed restrictions to sue the city if they are not rezoned accordingly.
I encourage every part of CB9 - and for that matter, the rest of the city - that wants lower density zoning than what they have today to organize, do research to see if you have active deed restrictions (which helps), and put together a rezoning application. Flood City Planning with them. If they say no, go to the press. And, use your vote wisely in the 2017 election...look at the other candidates and see which one is the person who will support protecting your neighborhood from overdevelopment!
Paul Graziano, Urban Planning/Historic Preservation Consultant
for the Fenimore Street Block Association
Paul, you assisted MTOPP. You have absolutely zero credibility in my opinion. Big picture aside, the vision that you presented for Empire was a complete joke. BDB is not the problem - you are.
How many individual block associations do you anticipate will retain you for your services, now that a wholesale, rational plan put forth by DCP is off the table due to your efforts?
Before this gets to heated, I think it's only fair to point out that it was Tom Angotti who put together the MTOPP proposal on Empire. I think Paul has been more involved with Fenimore. At one point it seemed Paul & Suki were aligned with the MTOPP perspective but then Suki got ripped a new one by Alicia, and now Paul also gets the brunt of her anger of late. It's a bit hard to keep track without a scorecard.
Tom Angotti is consistently anti-City Planning. Paul is interested in working WITH them, so long as the parameters are clear and DCP is given no latitude to play fast and loose.
Paul is also preparing to run for elected office. That's not necessarily a consideration, but worthy of note.
And yes, he does get paid for his efforts. From what I've seen so far, he is capable and knowledgeable. Everyone seems to have ulterior motives, and I have a hard time keeping them straight. At least the Fenimore Block Association is completely upfront about its objectives and the point of its fundraising effort.
Stephen is right, btw, that ONLY limiting density adds to the affordability problem. It's because of that fact that I was one of the first to propose that the City seek higher density along our avenues (Nostrand and Empire particularly) in exchange for downzoning sidestreets, where the majority of 100+ year old houses are located, and where the low-rise nature adds to the appeal of the entire neighborhood. Alas, that was not to be. Had we gone forward with the Board-backed plan, before Eric Adams stepped in and sent the Board into chaos, we wouldn't be talking about Fenimore, because it and all the other non-landmarked blocks would have been downzoned.
But very few joined the fight, and the loudest voices won.
"there IS a group of men in the area who refer to themselves, cheek in jowl, as the Lords of the Manor"
LOL Tim; I'll take your word for this, but I've lived in Lefferts Manor since 1974, been on the LMA board for 34 years, served four terms as its president and never heard anyone use that term.
Regarding density, keep in mind that urban row houses, even single-family ones like those in Lefferts Manor, are relatively high density. For example, there are 84 houses on my block.
Before this gets to heated, I think it's only fair to point out that it was Tom Angotti who put together the MTOPP proposal on Empire. I think Paul has been more involved with Fenimore. At one point it seemed Paul & Suki were aligned with the MTOPP perspective but then Suki got ripped a new one by Alicia, and now Paul also gets the brunt of her anger of late. It's a bit hard to keep track without a scorecard.
Tom Angotti is consistently anti-City Planning. Paul is interested in working WITH them, so long as the parameters are clear and DCP is given no latitude to play fast and loose.
Paul is also preparing to run for elected office. That's not necessarily a consideration, but worthy of note.
And yes, he does get paid for his efforts. From what I've seen so far, he is capable and knowledgeable. Everyone seems to have ulterior motives, and I have a hard time keeping them straight. At least the Fenimore Block Association is completely upfront about its objectives and the point of its fundraising effort.
I've never been involved with Ms. Boyd whatsoever in any capacity and have only seen the brunt of her frankly insane behavior.
As stated above, the planner who has been "working" with her is Tom Agnotti, who worked for City Planning many decades ago and is now a professor at Hunter College.
As for City Planning - I have worked *with* them (never for them) when it has been in the interest of a community or neighborhood in order to protect themselves from outrageously out of scale development - on the lines that is going on in CB9 presently. In some cases, that has meant they have done what the community wanted without compromise on the part of the community, and sometimes with compromises. However, Alex - under this administration, there are NO fair or thoughtful compromises offered by City Planning to communities across the city - only dictates for more density, affordable or not (and mostly NOT).
This is not the direction the city should be heading. It is cannibalization and replacement of existing neighborhoods, not enhancement.
And, yes - it is 100% true that I am running for City Council in northeast Queens where I live (Whitestone, Bayside, North Flushing, Douglaston, etc.) but this has zero bearing on my work with the Fenimore Street Block Association or any other civic organization that I help, for modest fee (in this case) or gratis.
No ulterior motives here as I said before - all up front: save Fenimore Street from crappy new overdevelopment, and the rest of CB9 as well, with thoughtful neighborhood-based planning and preservation.
Paul Graziano, Urban Planning/Historic Preservation Consultant
for the Fenimore Street Block Association
Whoops - sorry about the mistaken identity.
Just curious, if anyone knows: if this house had its front door facing Bedford and a Bedford Ave address, would it still be eligible for protection as part of the Fenimore block?
Just curious, if anyone knows: if this house had its front door facing Bedford and a Bedford Ave address, would it still be eligible for protection as part of the Fenimore block?
Absolutely. It doesn't matter whether it faces Fenimore or Bedford - the deed restriction describes the metes and bounds, or property boundaries, very specifically in terms of how many feet and what the dimensions of the property are. There is no question that 176 Fenimore Street AKA 1919 Bedford Avenue (the name the developer is using for his LLC and - my guess - the new address of any apartment building he would try to build there) is covered by the deed restriction based on the metes and bounds described in the document.
That being said: In the entirety of Lefferts Manor (including the south side of Fenimore Street), all front doors at the corner face the streets, not Bedford or Rogers avenues, which was clearly a design decision by the developers at the time of the creation of the neighborhood. This is in stark contrast to the east side of Rogers Avenue and both sides of Nostrand Avenue - or Flatbush Avenue, for that matter - where the buildings along the Avenue frontage face the avenue rather than the streets.
Paul Graziano, Urban Planning/Historic Preservation Consultant
for the Fenimore Street Block Association
Wealthier blocks? I am on Rutland 1.Who are these wealthy people?
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