APPLY FOR AFFORDABLE CONDOS ON 37TH STREET IN BROOKLYN

(original posted at

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/hpd/downloads/pdf/Owners/culver-el-project-phase-1.pdf)

Applications are now available for first-time homeowners interested in buying an affordable condo on 37th Street in Brooklyn, between 12th and 13th avenues (map).

The thirty-six newly-built condos each have either three or four bedrooms. Some units have a den, and some have a balcony.

A chart here indicates--based on the number of members in a household--the minimum and maximum allowable annual income range, the estimated prices of the units, and the estimated monthly housing expenses.

Download the application in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, Haitian, and Korean here. Or get an application in the mail by writing to SBCO c/o Culver Housing Developments, LLC, 4006 18th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11218 and including a self-addressed envelope.

Applications have to be postmarked by Tuesday, September 25, 2018, in order to be entered in the housing lottery.

Neither an application fee nor a broker's fee is being charged.

Free informational sessions about purchasing a condo will be held in Brooklyn on Tuesday, August 28th, at 7:00 p.m. at West End Gardens Community Center, 1002 44th Street, near 10th Avenue, and on Tuesday, September 11th, at 7:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Center, 411 46th Street, near 4th Avenue.

This offer marks the end of Phase 1 of the Culver Affordable Housing Project. Thirty-two more condos will be built on 37th Street, between 13th and 14th avenues, during Phase 2. In total, seventeen four-story buildings will contain a total of sixty-eight condos, one on each floor.

Condo owners are required to live in the condo they purchase, and the condo must be their primary residence.

Eligibility is based on income as well as other criteria. New York City residents get preference.

A percentage of units is set aside for people with disabilities (5% for mobility, 2% for vision/hearing), residents of Brooklyn Community Boards 7, 12, and 14 (50%), and municipal employees (5%).

More information is available at www.sbcony.org/culver.
 

The F and G subway station at Church Avenue (map) and the B35 and B16 buses are nearby.

These buildings are being constructed through the New Foundations Project of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORKSHOP FOR FIRST-TIME HOME BUYERS INTERESTED IN THE CULVER EL CONDOS (FREE)

Home Buyers Workshop

Tuesday, October 24th , 7:00 p.m.  to 9:00 p.m.

First-time home buyers are invited to attend the first in a series of free educational workshops about purchasing a condo in the Culver El Project, an affordable housing complex.

Southern Brooklyn Community Organization (a division of Agudath Israel of America Community Services, Inc.), Culver Housing Developments LLC, and HSBC Bank will present the workshop.

The workshop will be held on Tuesday, October 24th, from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Doors will open at 6:40 p.m. New York City Councilmember Brad Lander will deliver the opening remarks.
 
When Phase One of the Culver El Project is completed, thirty-six condominium units will be housed in nine four-story buildings, with one condo on each floor. These buildings are currently under construction on 37th Street, between 12th and 13th avenues, with a projected completion date of this December.

Eight more four-story buildings will be built on 37th Street, between 13th and 14th avenues, housing thirty-two more condos.

Read more questions and answers like the following ones at http://homeprogram.org/culver-housing-project:

"Q. How much do I need to earn to be eligible for these units?
A. At least one third of the units in the project must be affordable to households earning up to 80% of area median income (AMI). Additional tiers of affordability are for households earning between 80% and 110% of AMI."

"Q. Are there any preferences as to who will receive these units?
A. The project gives preference on some of the units to those with disabilities and to those currently residing in local neighboring Community Boards." 

For more information, call Southern Brooklyn Community Organization at (718) 435-1300.

Workshop location
West End Gardens Community Room
1002 44th Street
Borough Park, Brooklyn

West End Gardens is near the corner of 10th Avenue. Enter the building on 10th Avenue, between 44th and 45th streets (map).

BRAD LANDER'S STATEMENT ON THE PASSAGE OF THE CULVER EL REZONING

The City Council approved the Culver El rezoning plan yesterday. Councilmember Brad Lander posted a statement on his website and on Scribd (the text can be enlarged on Scribd). Brad's statement opens with this paragraph:

I am pleased to announce that the City Council approved the Culver El Rezoning today. By combining the strengths of the initial proposal (developed by community organizations and elected officials in 2005) with changes suggested by community members and achieved by the Council, the rezoning we passed today will create much-needed and long-term affordable homeownership, preserve commercial and manufacturing jobs, and set a path for addressing open space and school over-crowding issues in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Please click on the label "Culver Estates" below this post to read previous posts on this subject.

PUBLIC HEARING ON REZONING FOR RESIDENCES ON 12TH AND 13TH AVENUES

Public Hearing on Rezoning for Residences
on 12th and 13th Avenues

Monday, October 25th, 7:00 p.m.

Property shown on the Culver El Estates rezoning maps at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/zone/prop_sketchmaps/100345zmk_prop.pdf and http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/zone/map22c.pdf will be the subject of a public hearing at Community Board 12.

The rezoning application would permit the construction of seventeen cellar-and-four-story, four-family dwellings (sixty-eight units, the same number as the ) in what's now an M2-1 zoning district on a former railroad right of way. M2-1 zoning regulations prohibit the property from being used for residences.

The application assumes approval of the proposed rezoning and text change applications that are pending with the City Planning Commission. If the rezoning is permitted, variances will be required for not providing required rear yards and/or distance to a lot line.

Block 5295, Lot 4

3701 12th Avenue
Vacant land between 37th and 38th streets
Owned by Department of Citywide Administrative Services
50 feet by 700 feet
Party 1: South Brooklyn Railway Co., 370 Jay Street

Party 2: City of New York

Block 5300, Lot 9

13th Avenue
No building number listed
Owned by Department of Citywide Administrative Services
50 feet by 604 feet

Party 1: South Brooklyn Railway Co., 370 Jay Street

Party 2: City of New York


The hearing is open to the public.

Community Board 12

5910 13th Avenue, between 59th and 60th streets
Phone: (718) 851-0800
Fax: (718) 851-4140

CITY PLANNING COMMISSION REPORT ON CULVER EL PROJECT

The City Planning Commission held a hearing on the proposed Culver El project on July 28th and voted on it on August 25th. The Commission found the proposal "appropriate." Its reports on the various aspects of the proposal are linked to on pages 1 and 2 of "City Planning Commission Reports."

Because the project requires multiple actions and a vote on each one, a lead report was issued. This lead report describes the project and all of the requested actions and provides an extensive summary of the public review (pages 1 to 28), the City Planning Commission public hearing (page 28), the Commission's consideration (pages 29 to 34), and the Commission's resolution (pages 34 to 36). It also contains the borough president's recommendations (pages 37 to 43) and the community board's recommendations (pages 44 to 59).

The City Council's Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will hold a public hearing on the Culver El project tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. at 250 Broadway, 16th floor. The public is invited to testify for or against the project.

CULVER EL REZONING PROPOSAL: PUBLIC HEARING

Culver El Rezoning Hearing
Tuesday, September 21st, 9:30 a.m.

The City Council has scheduled a public hearing by the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on the Culver El rezoning proposal. The hearing will be held at 250 Broadway, across the street from City Hall, in the 16th Floor hearing room.

The public is allowed to testify. Testimony in front of this subcommittee is typically limited to two minutes.

If you're going to testify, show up at least ten minutes prior to the start of the hearing to sign up with the Sergeant at Arms. If you're going to write out your testimony, bring ten to fifteen copies for distribution.

Hearings don't always start on time, but you should allow yourself a few extra minutes to get through the security checkpoint.

The City Council's Calendar shows the most up-to-date list of committee hearings. Scheduled hearings are subject to change. Check the calendar on Monday, the day of the hearing, in case it's been deferred.

Click here to read previous KARMA blog posts about the Culver El rezoning.

BP'S CONCLUSIONS ON THE CULVER EL PROJECT

The Borough President issued his report on the Culver El project two days ago. He approved the plan "with modifications/conditions." He recommended that the City Planning Commission and the City Council "conditionally approve the land use action."

The City Planning Commission was scheduled to hold a public hearing about the project this morning. Hopefully, its members read the Borough President's report. The Commission has sixty days to announce its decision (until September 24th).

Excerpts from the report of the Borough President, Marty Markowitz:

"However, the borough president has concerns with a number of issues including: the provision of affordable housing on privately‐owned properties and permanency of such housing on city‐owned sites; the anticipated loss of jobs; lack of open space and streetscape greenery in the surrounding area; and, the need to accommodate parking."

"The borough president urges DCP [Department of City Planning] to incorporate the inclusionary housing regulations in the future whenever it undertakes a rezoning intended to facilitate residential development."

"The 17 sites intended for affordable housing will have shallow rear yards and side yards that are intended for parking. With four‐ and five‐bedroom units intended, it is anticipated that many children would be residing in these homes with virtually no outdoor area for recreation other than the adjacent sidewalk."

"HPD should establish easements for the benefit of the 17 residential development sites to facilitate use of the property for recreational purposes during hours that these lots are not in use for accessory parking."

"The street‐bed of 35th Street between Church and 14th Avenue presents another opportunity to increase the supply of open space."

"The borough president’s office noted the lack of street trees in the area. Sites to be redeveloped as housing or accessory parking would be required to provide street trees in accordance to the rezoning. For the adjacent West Kensington residential area to the north, it was noted that Church Avenue completely lacks such plantings despite the mix of residential buildings along this corridor. It was also noted that Story Street had tree pits with either stumps or no plantings at all. Other area residential streets lacking adequate street tree coverage include Tehama Street and Louisa Street. In that regard, in a letter dated July 22, 2010, the borough president has written to the commissioner of the DPR [Department of Parks & Recreation] calling for the agency to survey the residential area bounded by Church Avenue, 36th Street, Fort Hamilton Parkway and Dahill Road to note opportunities where trees could be planted, included where tree pits would need to be established."

THE NEED FOR GREEN SPACE AND A COMMUNITY CENTER

A Kensington resident has asked KARMA to publish this letter to our community, and we're happy to do it.

For several years, a group of neighbors has been trying to get various people in city government to pay attention to our neighborhood's need for green space and a community center. Unfortunately, we still have nothing. On the other hand, the city is in the final stages of giving a two-block-long piece of unused city-owned property--just one block west of the Kensington border--to a developer, Southern Brooklyn Community Organization. The city could have easily used this land for both green space and a community center.

The developer is going to build sixty-eight condominium apartments, some with four bedrooms and some with five, as affordable housing for large families. Those apartments will house hundreds of children. No plans were included for green space for those children, other than small front yards and smaller side yards. No recognition was given that our overcrowded neighborhood schools already have more students than seating.

In addition to the rezoning of those two blocks, major rezoning changes will be made in a nine-block area between 36th and 39th streets and 12th and 14th avenues to accommodate new apartment complexes. This could bring thousands of more children into our neighborhood schools, which are currently filled to capacity.

Green space is essential for the health and well-being of the children in our neighborhood. Instead, they are playing in the street.

City government has not carefully planned for this major increase in the population of our neighborhood. It is important that this area be developed, but it is even more important for it to be planned thoughtfully, with the future of our neighborhood in mind. We do not want our area to be an overcrowded, tenement-like neighborhood.

Please encourage our elected officials to plan more thoughtfully. While it may be too late to change politicians' minds about the Culver El project, it is not too late to let city officials know that we are disappointed that West Kensington has once again been ignored.

I hope that you will be able to attend the City Planning Commission's public hearing on the Culver El proposal this Wednesday, July 28th, at 10:00 a.m., in Spector Hall in the lobby of 22 Reade Street (near the corner of Broadway) in Manhattan.

If you cannot attend, please take a moment to voice your thoughts to Borough President Marty Markowitz, who will be holding a closed door meeting this Monday afternoon. Call him at (718) 802-3700 or e-mail him at askmarty@brooklynbp.nyc.gov. Let him that you support a community center and green space in the Dahill section of Kensington for the health and well-being of our neighborhood's children.

Dear readers, please write to us at karmabrooklyn@gmail.com to let us know if you can attend Wednesday's public hearing and if you can send an e-mail to Mr. Markowitz. Thank you.

CULVER ESTATES, STEP THREE

Public Hearing on the Culver El Proposal
Wednesday, July 28th, 10:00 a.m.

Spector Hall
in the lobby of 22 Reade Street
(near the corner of Broadway)
Manhattan

Community Board 12 has approved it, Borough President Marty Markowitz is reviewing it, and the City Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on it and then either

• approve it,
• approve it with modifications, or
• disapprove it.

YOU, THE PUBLIC,

have the right to attend the hearing to say whether you

• approve of it,
• approve of it with modifications, or
• disapprove of it.

"It" is an application submitted by the Department of City Planning to amend the zoning map by the former site of the Culver El subway, near Bergament. The detailed proposal can be seen at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/culver/index.shtml. From there, click on "Existing Context & Zoning" and "Proposed Actions."

This proposal will result in major changes in our neighborhood, as addressed here.

BRAD LANDER'S TESTIMONY ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT, SCHOOLS, AND OPEN SPACE

Borough President Marty Markowitz held a public hearing on Thursday about the rezoning proposal for land formerly used by the Culver El subway. City Councilmember Brad Lander's testimony to Markowitz about the proposed affordable housing project (to be called "Culver Estates") and related issues is posted on Brad's website.

In addition to discussing the affordable housing project, Brad goes into the broader issues of the "lack of affordable housing in the mixed-use districts" and the "loss of manufacturing through as-of-right conversions" and suggests two modifications to the Culver El rezoning proposal.

He also addresses two pressing issues in Kensington: our need for additional space for students in our public elementary schools (currently, they have more students than seats) and our lack of public open space (we especially need green space, not just paved space).

IF YOU HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT CULVER ESTATES

If you have an opinion or questions about

• the rezoning of Culver Estates,
• the city requirements that could get waived to allow it to be built,
• who will be eligible to have apartments set aside for them,
• how the lottery will be conducted,
• or any other concerns,

please attend the hearing on the second floor of Brooklyn Borough Hall at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 8th.

Brooklyn Borough Hall
209 Joralemon Street and Court Street
(718) 802-3900

Subways: Take the 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 to Borough Hall or the A, C, or F to Jay Street-Borough Hall, or the M, N, or R to Court Street.

CULVER EL REZONING IS APPROVED BY CB12

Community Board 12 voted tonight to approve the rezoning application for Culver Estates, shown in gray in the map above. Two board members voted against approving the application. Three other board members recused themselves from voting "because they have an interest" in the project.

The rezoning application includes a request for a zoning variance that would allow the seventeen four-story apartment buildings to be taller than existing residential buildings in the area. Current residences are typically one- and two-family detached or semi-detached homes of two or three stories. The area also has groups of row houses.

Another zoning variance that has been requested would exempt the project from the city's requirement for backyards.

Three parking lots with a total of forty-eight parking spaces would be built for the use of existing neighborhood community facilities.

The next step in the application review process is a hearing at Brooklyn Borough Hall on Thursday, July 8th.

For background information on this project, please read "Culver Estates: Timeline for Public Review."

MAP OF PROPOSED CULVER EL REZONING

A map showing the existing zoning of the Culver El--the future site of Culver Estates--and one showing the proposed rezoning give a visual presentation of two previous posts on this blog: Affordable Housing to Be Built on 37th Street and Culver Estates: Timeline for Public Review.

CULVER ESTATES: TIMELINE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW

The public review process (officially called the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure) has begun for Culver Estates, the affordable housing project proposed for 37th Street between 12th and 14th avenues. The steps in the six-month-long process are described on the website of the New York City Department of City Planning. They are: (1) Community Board Review, (2) Borough President Review, (3) City Planning Commission Review, (4) City Council Review, and (5) Mayoral Review.

The project is now at step 1, the Community Board Review. The public is welcome to attend all meetings of the Community Board or its committees where the building application will be discussed or acted on. The Community Board will publish notice of the time, place, and subject of the hearing in The City Record for the five days right before the hearing and on the day of the hearing. A notice will also be in the Comprehensive City Planning Calendar distributed not less than five days before the hearing.

If the Community Board doesn't act within the sixty-day time limit or if it waives its right to act, the application moves on to step 2, the Borough President Review.

It's your community. Be involved!

AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE BUILT ON 37TH STREET

a drawing of the proposed housing

The City Planning Department certified the proposed Culver Estates housing project on 37th Street between 12th and 14th avenues on Monday. A six-month public review process will now take place, after which the city must approve the plan.

Culver Estates would include seventeen buildings with four condos each, and each unit would have four or five bedrooms. The housing is intended for moderate-income families (those earning 100% of the area median income or below).

The land, last used as a right-of-way for the Culver El, a discontinued elevated railway, is owned by the city and will be sold to Southern Brooklyn Community Organization (SBCO), a not-for-profit organization that develops and provides affordable housing in Borough Park and Kensington.