Inwood Spot Upzoning Application Rejected By Community

INWOOD, NY — A land use application to rezone several building lots on an Inwood block was rejected by Community Board 12's land use committee and by members of the public attending a Thursday night meeting.

Nine members of Community Board 12's land use committee unanimously approved a resolution to oppose the rezoning application that would have upzoned five buildings on Seaman Avenue between West 204th Street and Payson Avenue.

Community board members also held a public vote, counting 116 people opposed to the application with none vouching for it.

Mike Saab, the owner of 112-114 Seaman Avenue, filed an application with the city to upzone his two properties — as well as neighboring 110 and 116 Seaman Avenue — to R7D zoning. The upzoning would allow Saab to develop a nine-story building with nine apartments offered at below-market rates under the city Mandatory Inclusionary Housing law, a lawyer representing Saab said at Thursday night's meeting.

The lawyer explained that Saab was not interested in constructing the largest allowable building under R7D zoning law and would enter a pact with the city to cap the 112-114 Seaman Avenue lot at nine stories tall.

Despite the added MIH housing, neighborhood activists said that the upzoning would set a dangerous precedent for development in Inwood and would threaten the rent-regulated tenants of nearby 110 and 116 Seaman Avenue by allowing the buildings' landlords more buildable square footage.

"This is unacceptable," said Graham Ciraulo of the Northern Manhattan is Not For Sale coalition. "I am working with the tenants of 110 and 116 Seaman — there are 116 rent-regulated apartments in those buildings. That is real affordable housing."

Ciraulo added that the zoning application presented the Inwood community with an "uncomfortable" situation because Saab's CTown Supermarket is a well-liked local business.

Several tenants of both 110 and 116 Seaman Avenue also spoke out against the zoning application because the proposed building would block windows running on the sides of both buildings, taking light and fresh air away from the tenants.

As of right Saab would be able to build a six-story building with more than 20 market rate apartments, a lawyer representing Saab said Thursday night.

The full community board will vote on the resolution to reject the zoning change during a July 18 meeting, Community Board 12 Chair Shah Ally said Thursday.

Photo by Google Maps street view