In what can be described as a usual bland short meeting attended normally by a handful of people, last night's CB 7 Land Use Meeting lasted several hours before a packed room at the Community Board 7 office.
The agenda included a length;y discussion of the old Dollar Savings Bank building by the corner of the Grand Concourse and Fordham Road. The new owner wants to build a new entrance to the building which was built in three parts over a period of years in 1938. The ten story tower has only one entrance, and another entrance must be built to accommodate new tenants in the tower that was used by the bank as a headquarters in the past. New Congressman Espiallat has taken an office on the first floor of the old bank, and there are also plans for a day care center. The building is land marked, and any alterations to a land marked building must be approved by the NYC Landmarks Commission. The owner came to CB 7 for a letter of support which the committee approved.
A proposed 12 story building on Creston Avenue at the corner of West 191st Street where a current parking lot is was then discussed. The building will be built over the parking lot which is to remain on the ground floor level. There was much opposition to a 12 story building in an area where currently there are buildings no higher than six stories. 174 apartments will be built ranging from studios up to three bedroom apartments. The apartments will be half affordable half market rate priced.
The meeting ended with a discussion about the possible down zoning of the Mosholu Parkway area that has been promoted by many area residents. some wanted to know why it was not included in the recent approved contract to survey certain areas of the community board area for possible down zoning. After a gallant try by the residents to add more neighborhood area to the survey, they were told by the Land Use Chair Ms. Jean Hill that the current survey underway could not be increased since the agreement signed stated only a limited area. She added that the consultant would not add any more area to the previously agreed upon contract. Ms. Hill said that the board would have to wait until the next fiscal year to hire another consultant for another survey of the area requested that is not being done currently.
One of the frustrated community members.
