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Community board rejects bid for special zoning to allow 25 Kent project

The 480,000-square-foot commercial and industrial building planned for 25 Kent Avenue has hit a sna

Rendering of 25 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg (credit: Heritage Equity Partners) (inset: Toby Moskovits)

The 480,000-square-foot commercial and industrial building planned for 25 Kent Avenue has hit a snag.

Community Board 1 struck down a request from developers Heritage Equity Partners and Philadelphia-based Rubenstein Partners to seek a special permit to change zoning rules in part of Williamsburg’s industrial zone, DNAinfo reported. The zoning change would allow the developers to double the size of their planned building and dedicate most of the extra space to commercial use. As it stands, current zoning dictates that the extra area would need to be used for community facilities. If granted the additional commercial space, the developers would need to set aside some space in the eight-story building for light manufacturing use.

Board members expressed concern that the zoning modifications could open the floodgates for developers with less attractive proposals than that planned for 25 Kent. An attorney for the developers disagreed, telling the website that other developers would also need to seek a special permit. The board members said that more restrictions were needed to make sure that the manufacturing space was kept affordable and used as intended, the website reported.

“This is going to affect us for the rest of our lives,” said the board’s chair, Dealice Fuller.

The next public hearing on the zoning changes is set for March 21. [DNAinfo] — Kathryn Brenzel

Source: The Real Deal