City Planning Commission hearing on Nov. 15 will consider proposed spot rezoning of 962 Pacific Street.

According to the New York City Planning Commission (CPC) public hearing calendar (link), the meeting Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 10 am will include a public hearing on 962 Pacific Street in Crown Heights, a spot rezoning.

Note that, at least according to a vote at a Community Board 8 meeting, 962 Pacific is expected to include more affordable housing than designated in the requested zoning text change. (That said, it's less than what the Land Use Committee requested.)

Those affordable housing promises must be locked in by an agreement--sometimes misleadingly called a Community Benefits Agreement--separate from the City Council approval process, involving local nonprofits. 

Who decides?

The CPC, unlike a Community Board or Borough President, which offer advisory opinions, has the power to approve, disapprove, or modify a project before it goes to City Council. 

Note that Council Member Crystal Hudson, whose recommendation should be dispositive, has said she opposed spot rezonings while the broader Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan (AAMUP) is pending. However, the draft guidelines for the AAMUP, at least if not modified, would not require that level of affordability.

The AAMUP covers an area just east of the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park site, from Vanderbilt Avenue to Nostrand Avenue, in blocks near Atlantic Avenue. 

About the hearing

The CPC calendar offers instructions on how to participate in person, online, or on the phone. Details on how to testify by videoconference will be posted on here one hour before meeting. To watch the meeting via livestream, go bere.

The agenda includes approval of minutes for the Nov. 1 public meeting, scheduling one project for the Nov. 29 public meeting, votes on two projects, and then public hearings on three projects, of which the third is the spot rezoning of 962 Pacific, summarized as:

Proposal to enable the development of a new nine-story mixed-use building containing ~150 residential units (~38-45 income restricted), commercial and community facility spaces

At the Oct. 16 Borough President's public hearing on 962 Pacific, as I wrote, the promises made at Community Board 8 regarding additional affordable units were not discussed. 

Perhaps that's because those must be locked in by that side agreement.

But it's bizarre that it wasn't even discussed, since that's what CB 8's support was conditioned on. But no one other than a paid representative of the developer appeared to testify.