Stop and Shop?


New York City Council
Rita Joseph, Member
Representing District 40
930 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11226
Call 718-287-8762
Web: https://council.nyc.gov/district-40/

Facilitate a discussion with the New York City Planning and HPD, EDA, and so on regarding development activity in the area (such as new housing, redevelopment of the Sears location in relationship to the Lowe’s Theater complex, and anything else concerned residents would like to know about the impact (positive and negative) of new development.

U.S. Congress
Yvette D. Clarke
Representing District 9
123 Linden Boulevard, 4th Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11226
Call 718-287-1142
Web: Brooklyn Office

Advise on obtaining State and Federal support for eliminating food deserts and help understand the owner’s position regarding long-term development plans for the property, if any. Federal intervention and resource processes take time and leverage. The community and other stakeholders might as well explore ASAP.

Stop & Shop Plans to End its Lease December 31, 2022 (Reviews)
(Other News) 1009 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226

Primarily concentrated in the northeastern United States, Stop & Shop has a positive reputation. [It’s a] massive supermarket with a relatively decent selection of products and reasonable prices compared to Prospect Heights. The meat department isn’t deficient, and the deli area is large and staffed by accommodating people who will go out of their way to help you. Source

The following data is public information on the ownership and land use of the property. Persons interested in conducting research on properties in this area are sought. The vacant land resource offered in this location is a highly prized commodity.

window sign

What if the new market isn’t an improvement?

New stores should be told one truth. The community may be low and moderate-income, but 60% to 70% of their market will be found in just 30% of households. Know that selling to them is fair to everyone. That is why we shop there or do we?

OwnerFLATBUSH DELAWARE HO
Land UseCommercial & Office Buildings
Lot Area107,142 sq ft [? 1 hectare, ha]
Lot Frontage292.08 ft
Lot Depth224.75 ft
Year Built1995
Years Altered1998, 2020
Building Class Store BuildingsOne-Story Retail Building (K1)
 
Number of Buildings1
Number of Floors1
Gross Floor Area141,599 sq ft
Total # of Units4
Building InfoBISWEB
Property RecordsView ACRIS
Housing InfoView HPD’s Building, Registration & Violation Records

Use the links above for additional detail regarding the representatives of this property, its owners, banks, and creditors linked to the area. Interested researchers, please have a look around. For example, the BISWEB and ACRIS data includes multiple page records of business transactions.

The market area for this location is extensive. A thorough look and the economic power held by the community is based on fair food prices and investment in the community’s future. The responsibility of all property owners is to see well beyond their bottom line. This community’s retail district depends on continuously maintaining and producing affordable housing along with a viable, hardworking, well-organized business association.

Block:5126 Lot:1
Police Precinct:
70
Owner:
FLATBUSH DELAWARE HO
Address:
1007FLATBUSH AVENUE, BROOKLYN 11226
Lot Area:
107142 sf
Lot Frontage:
292.08′Lot Depth:224.75
Year Built:1995
Number of Buildings:
1
Number of Floors:
1
Gross Floor Area:
141,599 sf (estimated)
Residential Units:
0 Total # of Units: 3
Land Use:
Commercial and Office Buildings
Zoning:
C4-2
Commercial Overlay:
Zoning Map #:
22C

Source: http://maps.nyc.gov/doitt/nycitymap


Interested participants seeking a detailed understanding of the development issues posed by this site are encouraged to leave a reply for coordination with other researchers on this issue.


Triangulation is a common practice in large market areas. The strategy of franchise corporations such as Stop and Shop is to place three in an area, manage the inventory among them, measure profitability and dump the least of them.

Using multiple sources of data or multiple approaches to analyzing information is a means designed to enhance profitability. There are twelve Stop& Stop locations on the map (right). Three are in Brooklyn.

  1. What is the history of openings and closings across the New York Metro Region?
  2. Is there a history of backing away from market areas experiencing stress?
  3. What role does the property tax on this multi-million dollar property play in negotiations?
  4. What government actions are possible to eliminate the disruption anticipated?

The following map is from the Department of City Planning (DCP) Population FactFinder.  It details the 8.8 million New Yorkers counted in the 2020 Census.

A typical market area for a grocery store can range outward and stay within a half-mile radius. Thereafter the data is altered by overlapping competition and other factors. The full range of households attracted to this location is best determined by a survey of customers, the nearest intersection of residence, a shot at getting income in a range, and the average amount spent monthly for comparison with 2020 Census data – specifically household median incomes.


Primary Market Area by CT                                                                             

10 Tracts | Brooklyn: 790.01, 792.02, 510.01, 790.02, 792.01, 794, 512, 510.02, 514, 516.02          

Garden Walls

The garden walls of Albemarle Terrace represent many additions since they were constructed. The following illustrates some of the designs inherited or constructed by individual households.

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Revokable Consent: is described (here). It is a pdf. Review for application.

This is a flawless wall solution.

AKNA’s IT History

Background

In 1996, the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) deregulated telecom services in NY, promising that increased competition would bring down prices for cable, internet, and phone service and improve service, including bringing high-speed internet to all New Yorkers. Instead,  20 years later, New Yorkers are paying too much and getting too little while a digital divide based on access to information grows, and good-paying jobs are lost. The PSC has started a proceeding to evaluate the state of telecommunications in New York State by issuing a report by its staff  (the report is called Staff Assessment and can be accessed here).  They have set up public hearings throughout New York State in July and August 2015  (See Update in Oct 2015 here)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=rXm6mAd8pPc%3Fversion%3D3%26rel%3D1%26showsearch%3D0%26showinfo%3D1%26iv_load_policy%3D1%26fs%3D1%26hl%3Den-US%26autohide%3D2%26wmode%3Dtransparent

The New York City hearing Wednesday 15 July 2015 (See AKNA Testimony)

Common Cause/NY urged anyone concerned with the state of telecommunications (internet, cable, and phone) to testify.  A robust turn-out by public and tech community members will get the PSC smart to the real state of telecommunications in New York.  If Verizon lies to us, why not to the PSC?

Goal: reliable, affordable high speed internet, cable and telephone service

Following is some of the experience at the AKNA

In early 1972, the telecom schematic for the south side of Albemarle Terrace was drawn as part of a general order to document telephone installations.  This is followed by three orders #21710 (1976), #96727 (1982), #27483 (1994), and a final notation to the schematic made in 2001 that looks like the phrase expressed by the term “SNAFU.”  

In the Fall of 2001, Verison installed a splice in a good shaft on the gable wall of 2126 Albemarle Terrace was installed.  It seals telecom lines for the south side of the terrace (buildings in the photo above on the right).  There are no further revisions made to the Tabular Record for Account Code 32C, Tax District 500 P for C.O. Area Brooklyn 050 Division. This is the last recorded project. The result of the reconstruction of “Ragga Muffin,” a retail clothing store on Flatbush Avenue, led to the removal of phone lines on their roof to the roof of the adjacent Kentucky Fried Chicken.

In the Spring of 2011, Cablevision (Optimum) was rolling out 75 Ohm drop cable to the two terrace blocks and sent a representative door to door to pre-sign up customers. They were offering to buy out any Direct TV subscribers who had contracts.

They started, but some of the neighbors (mistakenly) asked them to stop because Cablevision was cutting into the sidewalks and patching them with asphalt. Some homeowners were concerned that they would then be open to Landmark violations because of the damage to the sidewalk and/or responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing the damaged sidewalk sections.

Note: the NYC Landmarks Commission would be concerned, but their jurisdiction is limited to the facades of buildings on the Terraces.  Violations to the facades of the district would be the subject of a lien on the property by the City of New York on the property that would have to be cleared before a sale.  As for all the rest (gardens, and so on), our care and sensitivity are expected.

Eventually, Cablevision repaired the sidewalks with cement, but Cablevision stopped the fiber rollout.  A tragic circumstance of blaming the victims and lack of public leadership in basic enforcement of franchise agreement. Nick and Raina (of Kenmore) called Cablevision several times, trying to get them back.  Getting past the customer service reps is impossible, and they have no idea and cannot help.

In the Fall of 2013, AKNA conducted a survey to use the information to lobby for assistance.  The lesson learned here was to have the lobbying strategy in place before taking the survey.  See the survey data here.

In the Fall of 2015, two Optimum technicians put a ladder up the gable wall of 2126 with a huge spool of 75-ohm drop cable to serve their commercial clients.  And in the Spring of 2015, a series of Verizon technicians entered the south side of Albemarle Terrace (even numbers) to repair landlines.  The story on the north side of the block is long and needs to be told.  I put a brief video presentation for AKNA here to describe our deplorable telecom conditions.

In the Summer of 2015 residents of the south side of Albemarle Terrace managed to get the attention of a Verizon Engineer who after considerable analysis presented a plan for moving forward for the south side and for all of the Terraces with one caveat — the permission of residents to move forward.

The “right of way” process was completed for the FTTP (fiber to the premises (image here) and the details of it are here.

As the Summer of 2016 began to fold over the hope of a Spring installation suggested on the “right of way” documents we signed, a draft was a letter written.  The intent is to send it to everyone our small band of patient believers could influence.  The first draft read as follows:

We are 390 people in 140 households that have bent over backward to get Cable Vision, Time-Warner or Verizon to provide us with service. We recently completed a project led by Lourdes, Engineering (NJ) in contract with Verizon Engineering with all of the forms required of us to assure the provision of service.  Like Cable Vision and Time-Warner, Verizon remains unavailable for comment or the courtesy of a response due to ‘contractual issues’, and franchise agreements all seen by us as the haze of the telecom wars, union/corporate misdirection coupled with the ineptitude of public agencies and political representatives.

I hope you have staff on this or committees put to the task but first find out who is buying their lunch as nothing is happening, information is not flowing and in a democracy, only one group of people pay the price of failed leadership in the brave new world of too big to fail.

In closing, we remind you of Margaret Mead and her point about not doubting the ability of a small group of people to change the world, as it is the only way it ever has changed.  We, therefore, leave you with this one thought that we are just 140 households, and given our history of patience, we are now very interested in creating change.  Look us up.

Sincerely yours,
The Residents.

Winter 2016

Then as winter settled in we received this note:

Dear resident,
The local deployment team has indicated that construction is underway.
Barring any unforeseen delays, service will be available in January 2017.
You will receive confirmation when you can place an order for service.

Representatives from the local deployment team met with Mr. Rex Curry,
the owner of 2126 Albemarle Terrace, and went over different design plans.
He indicated that he will be in contact with all of his neighbors and will
relay information to the association. You might want to check with him for
more specific information.

Thank you and best regards,

Will Freshwater
Verizon FiOS TV | Sr. Consultant, Contract Management
Video Franchise Management Team
One Verizon Way, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
wi****************@ve*****.com

Rex Curry did meet with some of the guys from Lourds, but not about schedules or sharing update information.  But, as you all know we are beg for forgiveness kind of group. The first rule of management Will be, information weakens as it moves toward the top, while decisions remain best when made closest to the source of the relevant information.

The Hopeful Prologue

Well, who knew it would take so long to get service? Our work ranges from being super polite and meeting some really nice people from V to conducting work with enraged groups of researchers trying to find out what is going on.  We may never know what worked or didn’t work, but we can always ask for forgiveness.

P.S. if you care to respond, please do so through the website so that all our residents can participate. Anyone wishing to add something about the “existing condition” of your phone, satellite, or internet service, please do so in the  COMMENTS section below.

A summary of the communication and data services currently in use by house number would also help us assess needs and/or compare costs. This data was )compiled. Those willing to share ISP provider data (DSL modem, satellite, and so on) and the monthly cost say so, and IT team will follow up directly.  It will be used to update the first AKNA Survey

Albemarle-Kenmore Terrace

The Albemarle-Kenmore Terrace Historic District was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on July 11, 1978. The designation was due to the work of the Albemarle-Kenmore Neighbors Association (AKNA). A brief history of this effort will be found (here).

If you have an interest in the preservation of the buildings that comprise this district please subscribe. If you are a participant in the ongoing debate on the role of the NYC Landmarks Commission as a conservation partner in the city’s land-use development you are welcome to subscribe. The members of the AKNA will consider participation in support of your interests.


Chapter 74 of the New York City Charter (here) empowers the eleven-member commission to designate a landmark, landmark site, interior landmark, scenic landmark, or historic district. The membership of such commission shall include at least three architects, one historian qualified in the field, one city planner or landscape architect, and one realtor. The membership shall include at least one resident of each of the five boroughs.

Rainfall Flooding

“Hurricane Ida devastatingly impacted our area, the urgency to understand this kind of threat and determine the risk it poses became abundantly clear.”

RPA

Use the link below to see a full version of this map and the article. A strategy to protect the community from the likelihood of more intense rainfall is available now. Question the integrity of the E21 Street catch basins due to recent construction. (E21 Post) This is a reasonable first step. Would you explore Portal 311 (here) on this issue?


Source: RPA Measuring Flood Risk in New York City Housing and Basements

About 180,000 small residential buildings in NYC are vulnerable to rainfall flooding – 168,000 have basements, 123,000 below grade. In addition, the community is susceptible to “nuisance flooding,” however, the city’s data is incorrect regarding the “below grade” data.

Issue: The community has been made more vulnerable due to concrete and other material dumped into the catch basins at Kenmore and Albemarle. As the map suggests nuisance and deep flooding surround the historic structures of the community, along with new multi-story construction. An investigation may be needed. Mitigation may be essential. However, AKNA, the school, and whatever the new Church-Bedford site will yield ad “development” would likely be at the lower end of a very long list of remediation actions under the heading of flooding resiliency for this city. Assurances are needed with all new construction.

A 311 Portal is available to call out this problem. A good first step has been to question the data. Note the new build (existing and proposed) is not on the map, and second, call out trouble with the catch basins on the East 21st. Street and wherever you see a problem. I have observed three dumping acts that could have compromised catch basins along E21 Street. They were, 1) during the construction of the new building on E. 21st. 2) during construction on Albemarle Terrace and 3) during sidewalk repairs along with the Dutch Reform Church. Only the new E21 construction was reported.

Take a Moment to Examine the Big Picture

Focus on Priorities

Historic AKNA

The Montagues & The Chobans

I was a director of a community service department at Pratt Institute when I first came to Albemarle Terrace in the early and late 1970s. My students and I were conducting land use and building condition surveys for the Flatbush Development Corporation. At that time, there wasn’t a block in Flatbush that did not carry the burden of a vacant or abandoned building. The survey helped to prioritize the energy of a community-based nonprofit development corporation in its preservation efforts.

I also knew the area in our work for Irving Choban to produce an architectural details record of Flatbush Town Hall (Synder). As a lawyer and historian, he was tenacious in saving this High Victorian structure (more here), getting it on the National Register to prevent demolition in the late 60s. It became New York City Landmark in 1966. He was a tenacious man. He lived on Kenmore Terrace. He is why we live in a historic district.

In 1998, I brought my wife to see Albemarle Terrace and meet with Richard and Dorothy Montague. They raised their two boys and decided to move to upstate New York and sell their home on Albemarle Terrace. I knew Richard as a writer for the New York Post. The day Rupert Murdoch took it over, he and Roberta Gratz, author of “The Living City,” left the Post to its dust and grime. Along with Roberta, Richard’s greatest joy in writing is to chronicle moments directly in front of all of us. He wrote the following article about our little part of New York as an editorial for Newsday. I hope you enjoy it, and it is a beautiful bit of writing.  It describes what it was like in 1978 when they learned they had succeeded in sustaining a part of Brooklyn’s history through its architecture. 


Two Short Blocks of a Great City’s Past

Richard Montague (1931-2018) Newsday Sunday, July 23, 1978

Like any place else, New York’s essential characteristics are rooted in times past.”

Nathan Silver, Lost New York

A little after 8 o’clock on a recent Wednesday evening, a Brooklyn lawyer named Irving Choban and his wife, Rosalind, had an open house for their neighbors.

The house is an attractive two-story brick structure on a dead-end street in northern Flatbush.  It is older than either of the Chobans; it is 59.  Along with 30 other similar buildings close by, it has been designated the day before by New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission as a part of a new “Albemarle-Kenmore Terraces Historic District.”

So, for the next couple of hours, in the Chobans’ comfortable living room at 2118 Kenmore Terrace as full of cheerful people, all members of the terraces’ block association, celebrating their official recognition.

That was a landmark for everybody too.  Represented by Choban, who is the official historian of Flatbush, and Donna Sanft of Albemarle Terrace, the association began asking its first hopeful questions about how to go about obtaining “landmark status” five years ago this fall.

The new Albemarle-Kenmore historic district is one of the smallest in New York.  There were 31 others Brooklyn Heights, for instance), plus 526 individual landmarks, 13 interior landmarks, including Radio City Music Hall, and five scenic ones, of which Central Park is the best known.  The commission has sought out, examined, and designated them all in only 13 years.

Sometimes the choices are easy, undisputed, and without commercial implications.  Other times, as demonstrated by years of litigation in the Grand Central Terminal case just decided – in favor of preservation –by the U.S. Supreme court, there could be intense, expensive contention.  In either case, the values involved are always appreciably more than financial.

The new Brooklyn landmark is “historic” because, as a commission survey puts it, the terraces built between 1916 and 1920 are “part of the general history of Flatbush.” They exhibit well cared for examples of the “neo-Federal” style;  include designs that developed from the English Garden City movement (adapted to Forest Hills Gardens in Queens in 1903); and were among the earliest row houses to have garages, setting a style that is now standard in many parts of New York.

But there are other features to be appraised; the languorous sway of the tree branches in the vagrant winds of idle summer afternoons; the cascades of red and yellow leaves and bouncing acorns from the oaks under the blazing blue sky of fall; the door wreaths, lights and family carolers at Christmastime, and the small back yards in spring, with their moist flowerbeds, budding shrubs and secret corners hiding moss and violets.

In his book of photographs and thoughts on “Lost New York,” the vanished buildings were torn down over the years, architect Nathan Silver quotes Lewis Mumford: “in the city time becomes visible.”  Silver thinks, “Architecture provides the only measurable way to discover the past in the urban environment.”

Discovering the past doesn’t interest everybody. Landmark designation is not automatic preservation of either monuments or neighborhoods. Some have subsided into decay.  Others have been daubed with graffiti, chipped, and hacked at, even hauled to scrap metal dealers.  Those that have escaped that kind of abuse are not always decently cared for.  There has not been a surplus of money for maintenance in recent years.

Nevertheless, the landmarks everywhere in the city serve honorable, dignified, and particularly today, invaluable purposes.  They are as different as possible from the fast-food architectural style common in much of New York construction.  They were created and built with care, imagination, and civilized intelligence.  They are sentinels of a kind, guarding tasteful traditions that are sometimes neglected as the landmarks themselves.  They have the artistic durability to reward admiration and care, no matter how long it has been deferred. 

Consequently, they are essential to New York’s recovery and restoration as belated fiscal reforms, a revival of industry, accessible jobs, and schools worth of the name.  It is inevitable that other monuments and buildings will join “Lost New York.”  The vitality of the living city depends a great deal on how many more are found, appreciated, and saved.


A pdf of The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designation of the Albemarle-Kenmore Terrace Historic District on July 11, 1978. A copy is available (here). The photo is dated 1917.

If you would like to participate in the ongoing preservation efforts please subscribe (here).

My Neighborhood

Introduction

Everyone’s neighborhood is the representation of national issues. The issues reported here describe how it affects me personally, my family, and my neighbors. Those issues can be explored and arranged in the carousels below. The benefits of content management systems used by websites and weblogs such as this one are “tags and categories,” In this case, the content is organized under the parent heading “My Neighborhood.” Sub-categories can then be assigned, such as Internet, politics and plans, and several others that examine issues that reflect my experience, that of my family, friends, and neighbors.

I live in a tiny place on a closed street with just twenty-two, three-story, brick buildings completed before 1920. The New York City Landmarks Commission accepted the residents’ application for designation as a historic district in 1978 (more here).

All of the following are arguments, so before exploring “the neighborhood” The Report recommends reading the basics first (here)

RLC


Local to Global Politics

The political structure of dense urban areas reveals the sense of position. It is similar to what a person knows as proprioception. Similar to a person, a political body can be professedly unknowing and still have the capacity to produce decisions and consensus. In effect, accepting faithful democratic leadership allows large populations to take steps up a metaphorical ladder without examining each rung.

Democratic leadership can call people to heroic efforts built on little more than intuitive knowingness of a good purpose. Don’t get this wrong, it can also lead people to bitterness and cynicism. Today, the problems of urban life require a deeper understanding of the ways political science links to the environmental sciences involved in running a city and making its neighborhoods capable of enduring and defeating stress.

The evidence that human beings can change their physiology by thought and intention is growing (here). Moreover, the way we care for ourselves is similar to the practice of managing and building cities. Medical research calls it an interoceptive focus. Urban anthropology calls it Anthropocene. These terms help encourage greater environmental intent in deciding how and where humans re-build the earth from the material of its crust and the goodwill that is natural to our souls.

The “activism” link below will take you to a page (image left) and an opportunity to conduct research and report on issues of importance to you, your community, and our common future in this unique part of the world.

Below, you will find descriptions of our political body as geographically associated with districts of representation. Following that a set of post/article carousels that sketch out ideas that interact with law, politics, and science from the “neighborhood up.” Please participate and enjoy.

Activism

Stop and Shop?
New York City CouncilRita Joseph, MemberRepresenting District 40930 Flatbush AvenueBrooklyn, NY 11226 …
CD Choice
Examine Choices On June 26, 2018, the residents of the Ninth Congressional …
Club Democrats
Take a look at all of the "political clubs" in Brooklyn.  Rarely …
Connect the Council
City Council The relationship between the city, the state, and the national …
Connect Senate
Connect Senate Members & CD9 NYS-63 Senators The relationship of constituents to …
Connect Assembly
Assembly Members NYS-151 Assembly MembersYou know where you live.  Use the map …
Connect Community Districts
Seven Community Districts share the geography, interests, needs, and concerns of the Ninth …
Connect School Districts
There are three school districts that share a portion of the Ninth …

My Neighborhoods (new to old and old to new)

Stop and Shop?
New York City CouncilRita Joseph, MemberRepresenting District 40930 Flatbush AvenueBrooklyn, NY 11226 Call 718-287-8762Web: https://council.nyc.gov/district-40/ Facilitate a discussion with …
AKNA’s IT History
Background In 1996, the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) deregulated telecom services in NY, promising that increased competition …
Activism
We must, indeed, all hang together or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately. AND You don't make …
No Limits Preservation
Review the designation reports and a citywide map of all city landmarks (here). Report PDF (here) On September …
Albemarle-Kenmore Terrace
The Albemarle-Kenmore Terrace Historic District was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission on July 11, …
Historic AKNA
The Montagues & The Chobans I was a director of a community service department at Pratt Institute when …
CD Choice
Examine Choices On June 26, 2018, the residents of the Ninth Congressional District had an opportunity to test …
Caduceus Erroneous?
Caduceus Erroneous? Geopolitical challenges such as a pandemic or the multiple impacts of climate change instruct humanity's genius …
New Building on 21st
The map (left) is clipped from the NYC zoning maps 16d and 22c to show the location of …
A Better Deal
The total estimated annual payroll for seven Congressional Districts with significant employment in health care and social assistance …
Wireline 2017
It was a busy April morning in 2017 when three clean Verizon Cable trucks rolled onto the Terraces …
VZ Engineering (Com-Hydra)
Verizon Engineering is likely to be the only Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (ILEC) that decides not to upgrade …
#WAITING4FIOS
Corporate Verizon In 2008, Verizon promised New York City people that it would wire all corners of the …
AKNA Broadband
Letters to Verizon and our political representatives were mailed 7.17.2015 The image above represents our first set of …
DoITT Report Summary
Corporate Verizon The findings of the report are as follows: Verizon is not in compliance with its agreement …
Investigations
The videos posted below were taken just for fun… But, then again, they are a record of the existing …
Throttled?
Will The V-Shoe Drop? An excellent Wikipedia summary of Bandwidth throttling describes the intentional slowing of Internet service by …
Columbia’s Manhattanville
Regulatory Taking and Columbia University Columbia Manhattanville (Rendering RPBW/SOM) Over the last …
INWOOD: Just another zoning change…or is it?
The Re-Zoning Sherman Creek and Inwood The rezoning of the Sherman Creek …
Earthdays
Metro = Megacity/Megacorp + OBDCEarthday, urban land use, and management in the …
The Urban Challenge
Best summary of the global urban challenge is by Bruce Katz "and …
Form-Base Miami
Density is a central factor in creating the experience of urban intensity, …
Seven Years to Develop 22 Acres with 22 Left
The New York State Supreme Court in Brooklyn on Monday, March 1, …
Waterfront 2020
The details on a Reach by Reach basis are well worth some …
Planet of Cities
This history of human settlements is a story of continuous growth and …
One Bryant Park
In thoughtful research reporting, the requirement, to sum up, should become a …
Zoning GHG
New York City's newest set of proposed zoning changes will re-write rules to …
AIA for Mayor
The American Institute of Architect's New York Chapter (AIANY) released a mayoral …
Doomed to be Tiny
The Art Students League and The Resistance As the proposal stands now, …
Town Prospector
The New York City Master Plan – published in 1968, presented the …
Limited Expansiveness
Sirius, 2006, by Lita Albuquerque, photo by Jean de Pomereu (Domus) From …
Networks
Human cognitive mapping abilities are well documented. The addition of GPS devices …
The Unlimited Inside
Unrestrained Outside & Unlimited Insides. How does density save the wilderness, support …
Representatives
Invite representatives to be aware of your IT issues and concerns. A letter …
Broadband Map
A click on the map above (or HERE) will take you to …
AKNA Tech
Platforms like Mindmixer, ShareAbouts, ChangeByUs, ioby, and others offer new ways to define …
Throttled?
Will The V-Shoe Drop? An excellent Wikipedia summary of Bandwidth throttling describes the …

Urban Politics (new to old and old to new)

Methods
"We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity; more than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and …
Extinction
Extinction "The purpose of this section is unified by one-word 'extinction.' It is a daily event all over the earth. It is a difficult word to absorb as a part …
Reasons
The Charter Revision of 1977 created community planning boards in NYC when the decentralization of authority was a popular idea. It aligned with social change forces seeking civil rights and social justice, …
The Fairness Doctrine
What are additional efforts needed to curb the American Super Power to make fools of ourselves? I came across Tech Against Terrorism that might be useful. It is an international …

Representatives
Invite representatives to be aware of your IT issues and concerns. A letter for comment on how to get their help (a …
Furious Yet, Effective
The growth of corporations in energy production, manufacturing, and finance will continue to produce great wealth and pain, cover-ups and obfuscations. …
Privacy Politics
So what, if a few people get stopped and if they refuse to respond to a lawful order to give …
Revolution
Clip of the Chicago Seven. Raised fists had value at the 1968 Democratic National Convention Tom Hayden died in October …


Getting Internet (new to old and old to new)

The first issue was recognizing that getting access to high-speed internet was going to be difficult. But, it was vital for my kid and essential for me to work that became extremely important in 2020.

Caduceus Erroneous?
Caduceus Erroneous? Geopolitical challenges such as a pandemic or the multiple impacts of climate change instruct humanity's genius to bring about systemic change …
Privacy
So what, if a few people get stopped and if they refuse to respond to a lawful order to give up the data …
Survey Visit
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District Mapping (new to old and old to new)

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New Building on 21st

The map (left) is clipped from the NYC zoning maps 16d and 22c to show the location of the Terraces R5B district concerning the Quality Housing Apartment Building in the R7A District on the west side of East 21st Street. Zoning (Exhibit Record (I, II, III, etc.) CRFN No. 2017000, 2017001)

222 East 21st Street or 571 Ocean Avenue: In a brief look at the past work of this developer and architect, there are concerns regarding the use of materials and the lack of detailing, and the possibility that a brick façade and other contextual elements will be poorly done. If you are interested in doing some homework representing AKNA, use the Contact link.

Two reasons for compiling the following information for review so far:

  1. Do whatever AKNA can do to assure the developer and architect will produce a development that meets or exceeds Quality Housing Standards. (see below)
  2. Establish a relationship with city agencies (HPD, DoB, EPA), local organizations (FDC, CD14, CAMBA), and the City Council to encourage this result.  Why? The quality of the 21st facade is important.

Questions that need answers:

  1. Who at HPD, DoB, will be conducting reviews and inspections?
  2. Will it be 80/20 Inclusionary Housing?  The plan is for 115 Units.
  3. What is the history and reputation of the Developer and the Architect?

More detail is available below. Articles on the project  “The Real Deal”

The New Apartment Building

The reported nine-story, 115-unit mixed-use building image is misleading. Nevertheless, new housing construction will begin soon on East 21st Street through-lot between Church Avenue and Albemarle Road. Search YIMBY news for the story (here).

The project could encompass 102,800 square feet and rise 80 feet in height. The proposed community facility space provides a floor area bonus, and its 58-car parking garage meets the 50% minimum. According to filed permits (building information system), The Real Deal notes that the project’s average apartment size of 712 square feet is indicative of rentals. The reported project height of nine stores exceeds limits defined by the R7A and may be presented this way to produce the appearance of a give back to community objections. (See R7A description below)

Nevertheless, the project could add about 300 new neighbors to the area and add density. The density issue triggers the attention of watchdog allies from the Flatbush Tenant Coalition, CAMBA, and other housing advocates regarding the enforcement of housing quality standards and rental housing affordability. Worthy of digging into the final deal sometime in early 2022 after the building tops off.

According to property records, the developer Bentley Zhao bought the property (through an LLC) in March for $11.5 million. The same developer also filed plans for a nine-story condominium building in Sheepshead Bay earlier this year.

The site (picture above) is cited as a safety hazard. It contains the skeleton of an abandoned construction project. Complaints and violations date ten years and include rusted and leaning steel beams and structurally unsound fencing. According to Property Shark, active violations include working without permits and other construction violations. The site is also described as a hazardous waste generator or transporter with a site address of 571 Ocean Avenue, which would be the address and suggests the hazardous materials issue is not resolved.  Contact Walter Hang of Toxics Targeting.  A particular concern would be asbestos made airborne in site preparation.

Established in 1987, the Quality Housing Program intends to maintain the architectural character of New York City neighborhoods. The program rules concern height, bulk, lot coverage, street line, and more. Quality Housing is mandatory in contextual R6-R10 districts but only optional in non-contextual R6-R10 districts.

The city is constantly upgrading its “zoning manual” but the facts are the same in the table above. The contextual Quality Housing regulations are mandatory in this R7A district. Typically, they produce high lot coverage, seven- and eight-story apartment building, and a blending in with existing buildings in established neighborhoods. R7A districts are mapped along Prospect Park South and Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn, Jackson Heights in Queens, Harlem, and the avenues in the East Village in Manhattan. (The Richard Mier building at Prospect Park?) The floor area ratio (FAR) in R7A districts is 4.0. Above a base height of 40 to 65 feet, the building must set back to a depth of 10 feet on a wide street and 15 feet on a narrow street before rising to a maximum height of 80 feet. To preserve the traditional streetscape, the street wall of a new building can be no closer to the street line than any building within 150 feet on the same block but need not be farther than 15 feet. Buildings must have interior amenities for the residents under the Quality Housing Program. Off-street parking is not allowed in front of a building. Parking is required for 50% of all dwelling units.

Corridor Floor Area Deduction

Quality Housing grants two corridor deductions from the total floor area. Section 28-14 allows a 50% deduction of corridor floor area if there is a 20 square foot window in the corridor. Section 28-31 allows a 50% deduction if the dwelling units served by the corridor are less than the allowance in the section’s table. For instance, 50% of the corridor’s floor area is deductible if a corridor serves ten units or less, offering some design flexibility trade-offs.

Recreational Floor Area Deduction

Quality Housing mandates the inclusion of recreational space as a percentage of residential floor area. For instance, R6 and R7 districts must include 3.3% of the residential floor area as a recreational area. Section 28-21 states that no more than the required amount of recreational space in the table shall be excluded from the floor area definition. Recreational areas can include space like gymnasiums, a popular building asset exempt from the floor area.

For more, see Decoder Story (here)

Other Sources (some may have been moved into digital dust ):(

http://bklyner.com/nine-story-apartment-tower-rise-flatbush-stalled-construction-site/ http://www.decodernyc.com/why-opt-in-to-quality-housing/
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/planning/zoning/districts-tools/r7.page

The architect’s website shows some of the projects first hand and the GC that worked the buildings

SHIMING TAM
S M TAM ARCHITECT, PLLC
5816 FORT HAMILTON PARKWAY M1
BROOKLYN NY 11219 S M TAM ARCHITECT, PLLC
SH**********@AO*.COM
Business Phone: 718-765-1122Business Fax:     718-765-0813

$43M Sheepshead Bay Condo

Bentley Zhao developed building

Zhao’s New Empire Real Estate Development also operates an EB-5 regional center.  
By Will Parker | March 30, 2017, 8:30 AM
Bentley Zhao and rendering for 2128 Ocean Avenue

Zhao filed an offering plan for a 56-unit condominium at 2128 Ocean Avenue in Sheepshead Bay, an application with the New York State Attorney General’s office shows. Zhao is shooting for a $43 million sellout of the 73,000 square-foot effort after buying the lot from Yu Xi-Liu last June for $3.9 million. The previous owners demolished a one-story garage at the site, but Zhao is yet to file new building permits.

Bentley Zhao’s New Empire

New Empire is based in Sunset Park, where Zhao also operates the New Empire EB-5 Regional Center from the company’s 3rd Avenue headquarters. The investment center’s website shows that the EB-5 portion of 2128 Ocean Avenue’s capital stack is fully funded. Details on the website reveal that unit sizes at the project will average 890 square feet and range from studios to three bedrooms. In addition to EB-5 money, New Empire obtained an $18.5 million loan from Banco Popular North America in September.

Zhao’s ambitions and current portfolio go beyond South Brooklyn, however. New Empire plans a 49-story condo tower at 131 East 47th Street in Manhattan, a 122-unit project. Demolition of 19th-century rowhouses at the site commenced last spring. SLCE Architects is designing the new building, at least partly funded with EB-5. Gary Barnett’s Extell Development sold the site to Zhao for $81 million in 2015.

New Empire is also raising EB-5 funds for a 105-unit condo in Prospect Park South, dubbed “Ocean Tower,” for a condo at 269 4th Avenue in Park Slope and a boutique, seven-unit build at 409 West 45th Street in Hell’s Kitchen.

If you have any questions, please review these Frequently Asked Questions, the Glossary, or call the 311 Citizen Service Center by dialing 311 or (212) NEW YORK outside of New York City.

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AKNA Mail

We began this project in June 2015 following a visit from Chris Wasserman, Verizon Engineer.  He agreed to answer any question.  We sent four in July 26, 2015.  He responded August 12, 2015.

From: Wasserman, Christopher
Sent: Wed August 12, 2015, 11:51 AM
To: Rex Curry
Subject: Albemarle Questions

  1. What will the installation cost anything?  No
  2. Will the new line set up be as it is across the street?
    I don’t know how it is set up across the street.
  3. Do you want hard copies (email summaries) of correspondence with PSC, CWA, and V?
    I need to know which option everyone likes.
  4. Can I get any encouragement?  I have 12 households signed up.
    No–sorry

See correspondence with Verizon Headquarters and Political Representatives here.

We sent the following reply.

Thank you, it is good to have a person to talk to about our future.

The conditions of the copper lines will continue to deteriorate on the Northside of the Terrace. We made a brief video that answers question #2 in detail. We will be glad to schedule a site visit at any time for the north side of the Terrace.

On question #3, we can accept all three in the following order of preference for the south side of the Terrace.

  1. Along our common roofline is conduit suitable for copper and fiber
  2. Along with our community-owned easement below grade, suitable for copper and fiber
  3. Along a fully refurbished line that is currently in use (but failing) through our cellars that is suitable for copper and fiber

As the “through building” lines have deteriorated, the current preference for the north side is:

  1. In conduit suitable for copper and fiber across the roofline
  2. In conduit suitable for copper and fiber across the easement and below grade

Finally, we are working on the issue with people on Kenmore and the north side of Albemarle Terrace.  We will have everyone on the north side signed up by the end of the month.

AKNA Broadband

Letters to Verizon and our political representatives were mailed 7.17.2015

The image above represents our first set of formal letters to Verizon officials and AKNA political representatives. We shall see if a response occurs and report them in future “my neighborhood” posts.

If nothing else, this website will be a record of our experience as a small historic district in Brooklyn attempting to join the 21st century.

The correspondence went to Verizon’s engineering staff, the heads of franchise operations at the DoITT and Verizon’s Franchise Director.   The letters expressed our interest in the development of a relationship that would lead to affordable high-speed internet services over existing copper lines or fiber.

We requested a follow-up from their offices regarding the engineers survey of the Terraces  June 24, 2015 to accomplish

  1. reliable, non-crackling and buzzing voice lines, and second,
  2. data lines that would not repeatedly fail or throttle down to one or two megabits per second.

Not too much to ask really.

On the South side of the Terraces we agreed to three methods for review and final selection (signature page above).  These were

  1. along our common roof line in conduit suitable for copper and fiber
  2. along our community owned easement suitable for copper and fiber or
  3. along a fully refurbished line that is currently in use (but failing) through our cellars that is suitable for copper and fiber

We requested personal advocacy regarding the ‘ lack of service” from our political representatives Congresswoman Clark and Councilmember (permanent incumbent) Eugene Mathews (termed out 2021). In addition, we helped in getting an appropriate response for service from Verizon (or Cablevision).  We also asked for the participation of the technology officer in their respective offices by monitoring our progress as of July 2015. They did nothing.

AKNA Tech

Platforms like Mindmixer, ShareAbouts, ChangeByUs, ioby, and others offer new ways to define and solve problems shared by a neighborhood.

Ideas become productive (move toward implementation) because these platforms support resource gathering aimed at a problem that people share