520 W 41st Street

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520 West 41stStreeDRAFT SCOPE OF WORKfor anENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

CEQR No. 14DCP192M

Lead Agency:NYC Department of City Planning

Prepared by:Philip Habib Associates

June 27, 2014

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1

520West41stStreet

DRAFTSCOPEOFWORKFOR

ANENVIRONMENTALIMPACTSTATEMENT

CEQRNO.14DCP192M

June27,2014

A. INTRODUCTION

Thisscopeofworkoutlinesthetechnicalareastobeanalyzed inthepreparationofanEnvironmental

ImpactStatement (EIS) for the520West41stStreetdevelopment.SilversteinDevelopmentCorp. (the

applicant) is requesting a zoning text amendment to facilitate a proposal to redevelop an

approximately2acre

site

in

Manhattan

Community

District

4.

The

site

is

generally

bounded

by

Eleventh

Avenuetothewest,West41stStreettothenorth,CardinalStepinacPlace(LincolnTunnelApproach)to

theeast,andWest40thStreettothesouth(seeFigure1),andcomprisesBlock1069,Lot1(theproject

site).Theproposedactionwouldfacilitatethedevelopmentofanapproximately1,100foottallmixed

useresidentialandcommercialbuildingontheprojectsite,withuptoapproximately1,400residential

units, approximately 300,000 gross square feet (gsf) of retail, and approximately 175,000 gsf of

commercial space that would be occupied by up to 175 corporate apartments (Use Group 5) (the

proposed project), for a total of approximately 1.7 million gsf of development. In addition, the

proposedprojectmayincludea200spaceaccessoryparkinggaragelocatedbelowgradeandacovered

publiclyaccessibleopenspace,orplaza,alongWest41stStreet.

This

document

provides

a

description

of

the

proposed

project,

and

includes

task

categories

for

all

technicalareastobeanalyzedintheEIS.

B. REQUIREDAPPROVALSANDREVIEWPROCEDURES

TheapplicantisrequestingazoningtextamendmenttocreateanewsubareawithintheSpecialHudson

YardsDistrict(SHYD)thatwouldallowmoreoftheoverallpermittedfloorareaontheprojectsitetobe

allocated to residential use (froma maximum residentialFloorArea Ratio (FAR)of6 FAR ascurrently

permittedto12FAR),withnoincreaseinthemaximumtotalFARof20permittedbycurrentzoning.The

proposed new subarea (Subarea A6 of the LargeScale Plan Subdistrict A), as shown Figure 2, would

encompass the project site only, due to the sites unique characteristics (discussed below). All other

sitesin

the

SHYD,

including

the

office

development

sites

to

the

south,

would

be

unaffected

and

would

remainsubjecttoexistingzoningregulations.TheproposedzoningtextamendmentwouldaffectZoning

ResolutionSection9321:FloorAreaRegulations intheLargeScalePlanSubdistrictA.Theapplicant

also intends to seek in the future (prior to obtaining building permits) two CPC Chairpersons

certifications,onepursuanttoZRSection9331toincreasetheFARpermittedontheprojectsitefroma

basicmaximumFARof10to17throughacontributiontotheDistrictImprovementBonusandasecond

pursuant to ZR 9382 to allow up to 200 accessory parking spaces on the site. The CPC Chairperson

certificationsareministerialinnatureandnotsubjecttoCEQR.Theproposedzoningtextamendmentis

adiscretionaryactionsubjecttoCEQRreview.

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520 West 41st Street

11

AV

10

AV

W

41

ST

W

40

ST

W42ST

W

39

ST

W43ST

W

38ST

ST

CARDINAL

STE

PINAC

PL

LINCOLNTNLAP

L

TUNNELINCOLN

711

710

1071

1070

1069

1089

1088

685

680

1072

737709

1090

0 100 200 300 400

Feet

JAVITS

CENTER

NYCT/MTA

MICHAELJ.QUILL

BUSDEPOT

SILVER

TOWERS

THE

VICTORY

STS. CYRIL

& METHODUS

& ST. RAPHAELS

CATHOLIC

CHURCH

FEDEX

FEDEX

CON

EDISON

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520 West 41st Street Figur

Appendix A to Special Hudson Yards District: Ma

Existing Subdistricts and Subareas and Proposed New Subarea

LEGEND

EXISTING

PROPOSED

A

Project Site

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520West41stStreet DraftScopeofWorkforanEIS

2

CityEnvironmentalQualityReview(CEQR)andScoping

TheproposedprojectrequiresenvironmentalreviewpursuanttoCEQRprocedures.AnEnvironmental

AssessmentStatement (EAS)wascompletedonJune27,2014.TheNewYorkCityDepartmentofCity

Planning(NYCDCP),actingasleadagencyonbehalfoftheCityPlanningCommission(CPC),determined

that

the

proposed

project

may

potentially

result

in

significant

adverse

environmental

impacts,

thus

requiringthatanEISbeprepared.

TheCEQRscopingprocess is intended to focus theEISon those issuesthataremostpertinent tothe

proposedproject.Theprocessalsoallowsotheragenciesandthepublicavoiceinframingthescopeof

the EIS. This scoping document sets forth the analyses and methodologies which will be utilized to

preparetheEIS.Duringtheperiodforscoping,thoseinterestedinreviewingtheDraftScopemaydoso

and give their comments to the lead agency. The public, interested agencies, Manhattan Community

Board4,andelectedofficialsareinvitedtocommentontheDraftScope,eitherinwritingororally,ata

public scoping session to be held on Thursday July 31, 2014 at 10:00 AM at the New York City

Department of City Planning, Spector Hall, 22 Reade Street, New York, New York, 10007. Comments

received during the public scoping session, and written comments received up to 10 days after the

session(until

5:00

P.M.

on

August

11,

2014),

will

be

considered

and

incorporated

as

appropriate

into

a

finalscopeofwork.TheleadagencywilloverseepreparationofaFinalScopeofWork,whichwillrevise

the extent or methodologies of the studies, as appropriate, in response to comments made during

scoping.ThedraftEIS(DEIS)willbepreparedinaccordancewiththeFinalScopeofWorkforanEIS.

Once the lead agency is satisfied that the DEIS is complete, the document will be made available for

publicreviewandcomment. It isanticipatedthattheDEISwillaccompanythe landuseapplicationfor

thezoningtextamendment.PublicationoftheDEISandissuanceoftheNoticeofCompletionsignalthe

start of the public review period. During this time the public may review and comment on the DEIS,

either in writing and/or at a public hearing that is convened for the purpose of receiving such

comments.ApublichearingwillbeheldontheDEIStoaffordall interestedpartiestheopportunityto

submit

oral

and

written

comments.

The

record

will

remain

open

for

10

days

after

the

public

hearing

to

allow additional written comments on the DEIS. At the close of the public review period, a Final EIS

(FEIS)willbepreparedthatwillincorporateallsubstantivecommentsmadeontheDEIS,alongwithany

revisionstothetechnicalanalysisnecessarytorespondtothosecomments.TheFEISwillthenbeused

bythedecisionmakerstoevaluateproject impactsandproposedmitigationmeasuresbeforedeciding

whethertoapprove,modifyordisapprovetherequesteddiscretionaryactions.

C. DESCRIPTIONOFPROPOSEDPROJECT

BackgroundSpecialHudsonYardsDistrict

In January 2005, the City Council approved a set of actions to facilitate the transformation of an

underutilized area on the far west sideof Manhattan into a densemixeduse district to be known as

HudsonYardsthatwouldbeaccessedbyanextensionoftheNo.7subwayline.Theplanrezonedlow

densitymanufacturingdistrictstohighdensitycommercialandresidentialdistricts.Itestablishedanew

specialzoningdistrictwithdetaileduseandbulkcontrolstoaccommodatelargeClassAofficebuildings

along an Lshaped corridor running west from Pennsylvania Station and then north on the blocks

betweenTenthandEleventhAvenues.TheremainderoftheHudsonYardsarealocatedfurtherfromthe

extension of the No. 7 subway line was rezoned to facilitate predominantly residential highdensity

development.TheHudsonYardsplanwasmodified in2008andagain in2009toaddressanumberof

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3

issuesthatwereraisedduringtheinitialimplementationoftheplan.In2010,theplanwasmodifiedfor

athirdtimetoeliminatetherequirementforoffstreetparkingandtosignificantlylimittheamountof

newparkingthatcanbeprovidedinthearea.Thisuniqueparkingregulationwascraftedasaresponse

totheStipulationandOrderofSettlementinHellsKitchenNeighborhoodAssociationv.Bloomberg.1

The final generic environmental impact statement for the No. 7 Subway extension and Hudson Yards

rezoningand

development

prepared

in

2004

(the

HY

FGEIS)

assessed

environmental

conditions

in

the

Hudson Yards area with the extension of the No. 7 subway line and the proposed Hudson Yards

rezoning.AtthetimetheHYFGEISwasprepared,itwasassumedthatthethenproposedextensionof

theNo.7subway line into theareawould include twonewsubwaystations:an IntermediateStation

beneathWest41stStreetandTenthAvenueandaTerminalStationbetweenWest34thStreet/West33rd

Street and Eleventh Avenue. The HY FGEIS projected a likely 30year (i.e., 2035) time frame for the

developmentgeneratedbythesubwaylineextensionandrezoning,butstatedthatitwoulduse2025as

theanalysisyear forpurposesof the technicalanalysis ofenvironmental impacts,as a conservative

measure.TheHYFGEISanalyzedtensofmillionsofgrosssquarefeetofnewcommercialdevelopmentin

the area and thousands of new residential units at dozens of redevelopment locations that were

identified as likely to be redeveloped as a result of the subway line extension and rezoning. The HY

FGEISidentified

520

West

41st

Street

(the

project

site)

as

one

of

these

projected

re

development

sites;

it

is labeled as Projected Development Site 46 in HY FGEIS Appendix A.2b. This appendix, which sets

forth RWCDS Summary Tables, assumed that the Hudson Yards rezoning could result in the

constructionofalargeofficebuildingatthesite,comprisingapproximately1.7millionsfofofficefloor

areaand25,000sfofretailfloorarea.

ItisapparentfromthetextoftheHYFGEISthatthisreasonableworstcasedevelopmentscenariofor

520West41stStreetwasbaseduponitsproximitytothethenplannedIntermediateStationfortheNo.

7subway lineat41stStreetandTenthAvenue.SeeHYFGEIS,p.23 (Newofficedevelopmentwould

alsobe locatedwithinexistingcommercialneighborhoods,wheretherearebothexistingandplanned

publictransportation infrastructure,andsufficiently largedevelopmentsites.Theseareas includesites

near

the

planned

location

of

a

new

intermediate

subway

station

for

the

No.

7

Subway

Extension

at

Tenth Avenue and West 41st Street.). After publication of the HY FGEIS, the plan to build the

IntermediateStationwasputonholdbytheMetropolitanTransportationAuthority (MTA) indefinitely

duetolackoffunding.

TheSpecialHudsonYardsDistrictmandatesavarietyofuse,bulk,andurbandesigncontrolsapplicable

tosixsubdistricts(theapplicantsprojectsiteislocatedwithinSubareaA5ofLargeScalePlanSubdistrict

A).Incertainzoningdistricts,themaximumfloorarearatiosoftheunderlyingdistrictsmaybeincreased

througha District Improvement Bonusmechanism (alone or in tandem with the Inclusionary Housing

designatedareasprogram) thatwouldsupport financingofspecificcapital improvements in thearea.

TransfersoffloorareafromtheEasternRailYardsarealsopermittedfortheprojectsiteundercertain

conditions. Mandated improvements include retail use on major corridors, street wall continuity,

pedestrian

circulation

space,

plantings,

subway

entrance

easements,

and

screened

or

belowgrade

parking.Asreferencedabove,thedistrictalsohasuniqueoffstreetparkingregulationsasaresultofthe

StipulationandOrderofSettlement inHellsKitchenNeighborhoodAssociationv.Bloomberg,withthe

exceptionofSubdistrictF, inwhichtheprovisionsofArticle I,Chapter3oftheNYCZoningResolution

apply(ComprehensiveOffStreetParkingandLoadingRegulationsintheManhattanCore).Theparking

regulationslimitthetotalamountofparkingthatcanbeconstructedinthedistrictasitisdeveloped.

1StipulationandOrderofSettlementinHellsKitchenNeighborhoodAssociation,etal.v.Bloomberg,etal.,Case

1:05cv04806SHS(U.S.D.C.S.D.N.Y.).

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4

ExistingConditions

ProjectSite

TheprojectsiteconsistsofBlock1069,Lot1,whichiscontrolledbytheapplicant.Thesiteisboundedby

Eleventh

Avenue

to

the

west,

West

41

st

Street

to

the

north,

Cardinal

Stepinac

Place

(Lincoln

Tunnel

Approach)totheeast,andWest40thStreettothesouth(seeFigure1).Theprojectsitehasalotareaof

approximately 91,856 sf, and is currently occupied by a one to threestory commercial building that

formerlyaccommodatedanautodealership,butiscurrentlyvacant.Theexistingbuildinghasafootprint

ofapproximately62,212sf,anestimated162,300sfofbuiltfloorarea,andthesitehasabuiltFARof

approximately1.77.Theremainderoftheprojectsite isapavedparking lot.Theprojectsitehasbeen

accepted into the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Brownfield

Cleanup Program (BCP), and all cleanup and remedial activities on the site are expected to be

completed,withorwithouttheproposedaction,asearlyas2015andwellbefore2020.

The project site that would be affected by the proposed zoning text amendment is located on the

northwesternedge of the established HudsonYards SpecialDistrict,within SubareaA5ofLargeScale

PlanSubdistrict

A

(see

Figure

2above).

The

project

site

is

located

in

aC6

4district

within

the

Special

HudsonYardsDistrict,whichallows10.0FARasofrightandupto20.0FARviatheDistrictImprovement

Bonus(8.0FAR)andtransferofdevelopmentrights(TDRs)fromtheEasternRailYards(2.0FAR).

SurroundingAreaandContext

Theareawithinaradiusofapproximately400feetoftheprojectsiteaccommodatesavarietyof land

uses, including residential, commercial, mixeduse, industrial/manufacturing, transportation/utility,

public facilities and institutions, parking facilities, and vacant land. Much of the area in the northern

portionof the400foot radius hasbeen redeveloped with tall, new residentialbuildingswith ground

floor retail (refer to aerial photo in Figure 3). Examples include the twin 60story Silver Towers

(approximately

653

feet

tall)

to

the

northwest

of

the

project

site,

located

on

Eleventh

Avenue

between

West 41st and West 42nd Streets, and the Victory, a 45story (approximately 462 feet tall) residential

building northeast of the project site, located on the corner of Tenth Avenue and West 41st Street.

Additionally,anapproximately60storyresidential tower is intheprocessofbeingconstructedtothe

east of the project site on Tenth Avenue between West 40th and West 41st Streets and another

approximately 60story residential tower is being constructed to the northwest of the project site on

Eleventh Avenue and West 42nd Street. The only known open space resource within an approximate

400footradiusoftheprojectsiteisRiverPlacePlaza,aquarteracrefacilitythatisprivatelycontrolled

and maintained but is open to the public, which is located along West 41st and west 42nd streets

betweenEleventhAvenueandtheWestSideHighway.Thatopenspace includesadogrun,childrens

playarea,afountain,tables,chairs,openlawns,andtrees.

In

addition

to

the

Victory,

the

eastern

portion

of

the

block

immediately

north

of

the

project

site

accommodateslowrisemixeduseandcommercialbuildingsaswellasthefourstoryNYPDManhattan

SouthTaskForcebuilding.Thewesternportionoftheblockincludestransportation/utilitybuildingsand

parkingfacilities,similartothemakeupofblockswestandsouthoftheprojectsite, includingaFedEx

ShipCenterandaccessoryparking lots,andaConEdisonelectricalsubstation facility. Immediately to

theeastoftheConEdisonfacilityisthe101roomOUTNYChotel,afourstoryurbanresortwithaspa,

restaurant,andnightclub,whichwascompletedin2012.TotheeastoftheprojectsiteacrossCardinal

StepinacPlace (LincolnTunnelApproach) istheSaintsCyril&MethodiusandSaintRaphaelsCroatian

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Aerial view looking northwest

West41stStreet

West40thStreet

Eleve

nth

Ave

nue

West42ndStreet

Tenth

AvenueC

ardinalS

tepina

cPl

ace

West39thStreet

Project Site

Silver Towers

Saints Cyril&

Raphaels Cr

Michael J. Quill Bus Depot Con Edison Transfer Station

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5

CatholicChurch,whichiseligiblefordesignationasaNewYorkCityLandmark(NYCL)andlistingonthe

State/NationalRegisterofHistoricPlaces(S/NR)2andtheNikolaTavelicCroatianCenter.

Immediatelysouthoftheprojectsite,acrossWest40thStreet,aretheLincolnTunnelapproachramps.

Ventsforthetunnelare located inthesouthernandsouthwesternsectionsofthe400footradius.To

thewest of theprojectsite is the MTA/NYCT Michael J.Quill BusDepotand to thesouthwest of the

projectsite

is

the

Javits

Center,

which

extends

from

West

34th

to

West

40th

Streets

between

Eleventh

AvenueandtheWestSideHighway,andaccessoryparking lots.Theblock immediatelytothesouthof

theLincolnTunnelentrance/exitaccommodatesparkingfacilitiesandlowriseindustrial/manufacturing

buildings, includingaVerizonparkinglot,generalautomotiverepairshops,andaDHL/GothamStorage

building.

PurposeandNeedforProposedAction

Theproposedactionwouldapplyonlytotheprojectsiteduetoitsuniquelocationandsiteconditions.

AllothersitesintheSHYD,includingtheofficedevelopmentsitestothesouth,closertothenew7line

subwaystation,wouldbeunaffectedandwouldremainsubjecttoexistingzoningregulations.

TheproposedzoningtextamendmentwouldincreasetheresidentialFARpermittedontheprojectsite

from6to12FAR. Itwouldalsopermitresidentialusetobedevelopedontheprojectsitewithoutthe

requirementcontainedinZR9321,thatthenonresidentialfloorareaoftheprojectsitemustbe14FAR

prior to the development of any residential floor area.3 However, the overall permitted FAR would

remainunchangedat20FAR,andtheallowableuseswouldalsoremainunchanged.Theretailusesthat

would be a key element of the proposed project are permitted by current zoning. The corporate

apartments are alsopermitted bycurrentzoning. As discussed below, the applicant believes that the

proposedzoningtextchangesto facilitatetheresidentialdevelopmentatthesiteareappropriateand

necessary, as the project site has unique qualities and characteristics that make it more suitable for

residential development while at the same time unsuitable for large scale office development as was

originallycontemplated

under

the

HY

FGEIS.

The project site is uniquely situated directly northof the outbound Lincoln Tunnel approaches and is

thereforephysicallycutofffromtherestofthefutureHudsonYardscommercialcorridortothesouth.

ThesephysicalbarriersbetweentheprojectsiteandtherestoftheHudsonYardsdistricttothesouth

makeitmorenaturallyanextensionoftheClintonresidentialareatothenorthandtheWest42ndStreet

residentialcorridorratherthanthefuturecommercialareatothesouth(refertoFigure3).

Theapplicantbelievesthattheproposedincreaseinresidentialuseontheprojectsitefrom6FARto12

FAR isappropriatebecause much of thesurroundingareaalready allows high density residential use.

Residentialuseat12FARispermittedonportionsof16blocksthroughoutHudsonYards,includingthe

sitedirectlytotheeastoftheprojectsiteonTenthAvenuebetweenWest40thandWest41stStreets,

where an approximately 60story residential tower is being constructed. Similarly, the blocks to thenorth of the development site within the West 42nd Street residential corridor allow residential

developmentataFARof12,andasdiscussedabove inSurroundingAreaandContext,several large

2 Source:No.7SubwayExtensionHudsonYardsRezoningandDevelopmentProgramFGEIS,2005;Table91.

3 PursuanttoZR93122,however,residentialusemaybepermittedonazoninglotwithalotareainexcessof

69,000sfthatdoesnotcontainaminimumof14FARofcommercialuseuponcertificationthataplanhasbeen

submittedwhereby,amongotherthings,oneormoreregularlyshapedportionsofthezoninglotwithaminimum

areaof50,000sfisreservedforfuturedevelopmentofcommercialfloorarea.

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6

residentialbuildingshaverecentlybeenbuiltorareunderconstruction inthisarea (refertoFigure3)

furthersubstantiatingtheviabilityofthisresidentialneighborhood.

Theproposedprojectwouldincludeuptoapproximately1,400newresidentialunits,introducinganew

residential population that is intended to help carry the vibrancy and character of the Clinton

neighborhoodandWest42ndStreetresidentialcorridorsouth intothisadjoiningareaofHudsonYards.

Additionally,the

proposed

project

would

include

asignificant

amount

of

destination

retail,

potentially

drawingmorepeopletothearea.Newresidentsandshoppersonthedevelopmentsitecouldprovide

thecriticalmassnecessarytomaketheareaamorevibrantNewYorkCityneighborhood.

The assumed office development on this site that was studied in the HY FGEIS was predicated on a

TenthAvenue/West41stStreetstationfortheNo.7subwaylineextension,whichwouldhaveplacedan

entranceeitherdirectlyontheprojectsiteorjustacrossthestreet.Convenientaccesstothesubwayisa

keycomponentofattractingofficetenantsanddevelopersofofficebuildings.However in2007,after

theenactmentoftheHudsonYardsrezoning,theplantoconstructtheTenthAvenue/West41stStreet

subwaystationwasplacedonholdbytheMTAduetoalackoffunding.Whilesomeeffortshavebeen

made since then to secure the necessary funding for the subway station, these efforts have not

succeeded.At

this

time

there

is

no

projected

source

for

the

roughly

$1

billion

needed

to

complete

the

station.ThepossibilitythattheTenthAvenue/West41stStreetstationwouldbebuiltinthenearfuture

appearstobeunlikely.

The applicant also believes the development site is less attractive for office development due to the

presenceofeasements forboth theNo.7subwayextensionandAmtrakdirectlybeneath theproject

site(refertoFigure4).Theeasementscrossinthecenterofthesite,makingitextremelydifficult(ifnot

impossible) to locate a commercial building core for a large floorplate office building on the site, as

commercial buildings require substantially more vertical circulation than residential buildings due to

theirhigherpopulationdensities. Additionally, the twoeasementspreclude thedevelopment of large

amounts of belowgrade space, which typically provide the mechanical and backofhouse services

criticaltosupportlargeofficebuildings.

Furthermore,theapplicantbelievestheprojectsiteissignificantlylessattractiveforofficedevelopment

thanother largesites intheHudsonYardsareadueto its locationdirectlyadjacenttotheentranceto

theLincolnTunnel.TheTunnelapproachseparatesthesitefromtherestoftheHudsonYardsareato

thesouth,andthesurroundingtrafficmakesthesitelessattractivetopotentialofficetenants.

Consequently,theapplicantbelievestherewillbelittleifanydemandforofficespaceontheprojectsite

and furthermore, that it is also very unlikely that the project site would be fully developed in the

absence of a zoning text amendment. Without the zoning text change, the project site would likely

remain underutilized for many years to come, neither contributing to the Hudson Yards District

ImprovementFundortheCity'staxbasenormitigatingthephysicalbarrierbetweentheHudsonYards

districtto

the

south

and

the

Clinton

neighborhood

to

the

north.

Indeed,

a2011

report

by

Cushman

&

WakefieldcommissionedbytheCitypresumesthattheprojectsitewillnotbedevelopedbefore2041,

whichisthelastyearcontemplatedbythereport.4 Incontrast,theproposedactionwouldresultinthe

site's development in 2017 and occupancy in 2020, bringing needed revenue into the District

ImprovementFund,newCitytaxrevenues,andprovidingtemporaryandpermanentjobs.

4HudsonYardsDemandandDevelopmentReport,Cushman&Wakefield,Inc.;August2011;commissioneddirectly

bytheCityaspartoftheHudsonYardsInfrastructureCorporation(HYIC)bondoffering.

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E

Courtesy of Silverstein Properties

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7

DescriptionofTheProposedProject

The applicant is proposing a mixeduse residential and commercial building on the project site. The

proposed project would consist of an approximately 1,100foot tall building with 1.14 million gsf of

residential space and 475,000 gsf of commercial space (refer to Table 1 below). The proposed

development

would

comply

with

existing

bulk

regulations

applicable

to

the

project

site

and

no

bulk

waiversarebeingsought.Thereareavarietyofbuildingformsthatwouldcomplywiththeapplicable

bulk regulations; thus, the building shown in Figures 5 through 8 is provided for illustrative purposes

only. The proposed building would have a base of five floors covering most of the lot, and an

approximately 100story tower located in the easternmost third of the lot (see Figures 5 and 6). As

showninFigure5,thebuildingwouldincludeapproximately300,000gsfofretailspaceonthefirstfive

floors.Althoughthespecificretailmixhasnotyetbeendetermined,theretailcomponentisanticipated

toconsistofpredominantlydestinationretailuses.

Theretailbasewouldbetoppedwitheightfloors(approximately175,000gsf)ofcorporateapartment

space(UseGroup5),whichwouldincludeupto175corporateapartments.5Theremainderofthetower

wouldaccommodateupto1,400dwellingunits(DUs).Althoughsomeoftheseunitsmaybeaffordable

(i.e.,

low

to

moderateincome

units),

the

specific

unit

mix

has

not

been

determined

at

this

time.

Additionally, the proposed project may include a 200space underground accessory parking garage

(approximately38,000gsf),andanapproximately10,000sfcoveredpubliclyaccessibleopenspace,or

plaza,alongWest41stStreet.Figure7showsanillustrativerenderingoftheproposedproject.

TABLE1

ProposedDevelopmentProgram

As

shown

in

the

preliminary

site

plan

in

Figure

8,

the

residential

tower

entrance

and

interior

lobby

would be located in the easternmost portion of the lot fronting West 41st Street. Entrances to the

groundlevel retail spaces would be located along West 41st Street as well as Eleventh Avenue. The

plaza, if provided, may be located midblock on West 41st Street and is anticipated to accommodate

passive uses, typical of comparable urban plazas (seating, plantings, etc.). Trees would be planted

around the building on the sidewalks of West 41st Street, Cardinal Stepinac Place (Lincoln Tunnel

Approach),West40thStreet,andEleventhAvenue,perzoningrequirements.Boththeentrancetothe

belowgrade parking garage, if built, and the loading dock would be located midblock on West 40th

Street.

AsresidentialusesonthissitearelimitedtoanFARof6,theproposedprojectwouldonlyoccurinthe

future

with

the

proposed

action,

where

permitted

residential

FAR

would

be

increased

to

12.

5Theapplicantanticipatesthatapproximately75%ofthe175,000gsfwouldbeeffectivelyavailableforthe175

plannedcorporateapartmentunits,resultinginanaveragesizeof750usablesfperunit.Duetotheextendedstay

natureoftheseunits,theywouldbelargerthantraditionalhotelroomsandincludeamixofstudio,1and2

bedrooms.Theother25%ofthe175,000gsfofspacewouldbeallocatedtothelobby,reception,elevators,

hallways,mechanicalequipment,managersoffice,storageandbackofhousespace.

LotSize

(SF)

GSFAbove

Grade

GSFBelow

Grade

TotalGSF

(IncludingParking)

Commercial

GSF

Residential

GSF

#ofResidential

Units

#ofAccessory

ParkingSpaces

Accessory

ParkingGSF

Building

Height(ft)

91,856 1,615,000 70,000 1,685,000 475,000 1,140,000 upto1,400 200 38,000 1,100

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FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY

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Proposed De

+140

+1100

+100

LACE

INACP

L

EPI

CARDINALST

HA

V

V

ENUE

TH

11T

+140

+100

+40

TH

AVE

NU

T

U

11T

1

T

T 41ST STREET

NORTH ELEVATION - 41ST STREET SOUTH ELEVATION - 40TH STREET

Courtesy of Silverstein Properties FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY

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Street view from southwest looking northeast


520 West 41st Street Figur

Proposed Development - Illustrative Renderin

Future residential buildingat 500 West 41st Street

(currently underconstruction by others)

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W 40TH STREET

11TH AVENUE

W 41ST STREET

13'-0"

5'-0"

192'-6"

12'-0"

12'-6"

11'-6"

12'-0"

5'-0"10'-0" 125'-0" 12'-0" 175'-0" 12'-0" 112'-0"

436'-7"

84'-0"

70'-0"

10'-4"

5 '- 0" 1 0' -0 " 125'-0" 12'-0" 80'-0" 70'-3" 36'-9" 95'-0"

50'-0"

12'-0"

7'-0"

13'-0"

5'-0"

30'-0"25'-0"

8'-0"

10'-0"

55'-0"

43'-6"

451'-0"

36'-0"

218'-4"

RetailCore

Lobby Access

Parking

PUBLIC PLAZA

Service Corridor

BicycleStorage

Parking

DOWN

Ramp

Residential and Corporate BO

Reception

Retail Retail

Retail

RetailLoading Dock

Residential Lob


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8

D. ANALYSISFRAMEWORKFORENVIRONMENTALREVIEW

BuildYear

The project site has been accepted into NYSDECs Brownfield Cleanup Program, and all cleanup and

remedialactivities

are

expected

to

be

completed,

with

or

without

the

proposed

action,

as

early

as

2015

and well before 2020. As part of the BCP, the existing building on the project site will need to be

demolishedtoallowforexcavationandcleanuponthesite;thedemolition,excavationandcleanupwill

proceedunderNYSDECsdirectionundertheBCPwithorwithouttheproposedaction.Asthiscleanupis

ongoing,andisbeingcarriedoutirrespectiveoftherequestedapprovals,theprojectsiteisexpectedto

befullyremediated,vacant,andreadyforredevelopment.

Designanddevelopmentfortheproposedprojectwouldoccurinonephaseandcommenceassoonas

allnecessaryapprovalsaregranted.AccountingforNYCDCPPreApplicationandPreCertificationreview

time, and public review under Section 200 of the City Charter (approximately seven months),

constructionoftheproposedprojectisanticipatedtostartinearly2017.Constructionwouldoccurover

an

approximately

three

year

period,

beginning

in

2017,

with

all

components

complete

and

fully

operationalbytheyear2020.Astheproposedprojectwouldbeoperationalin2020,itsenvironmental

setting isnot the currentenvironment,but the futureenvironment.Therefore, the technicalanalyses

and consideration of alternatives assess current conditions and forecast these conditions to the

expectedBuildYearof2020forthepurposesofdeterminingpotentialimpacts.Accordingly,theRWCDS

willusea2020BuildYearforanalysispurposes.

ReasonableWorstCaseDevelopmentScenario(RWCDS)

Inorder toassess thepossibleeffects oftheproposedproject,a reasonableworstcase development

scenario (RWCDS) was established for both the future without the proposed action (NoAction or

NoBuild)

and

the

future

with

the

proposed

action

(With

Action

or

Build)

for

an

analysis

year,

or

Build

year,of2020.TheincrementaldifferencebetweentheNoActionandWithActionconditionswillserve

asthebasisofthe impactcategoryanalyses.Theproposedprojectdiscussedabovewillbeanalyzed in

theEISastheRWCDSfortheBuildyearof2020.

The applicant expects to record a restrictive declaration against the project site requiring that the

proposedprojectsdevelopmentprogrambewithinthescopeoftheRWCDSanalyzedintheEIS.

TheFutureWithouttheProposedProject(NoActionCondition)

Theprojectsiteiscurrentlyoccupiedbyavacantbuildingthatwasformerlyusedasanautodealership.

However,asdiscussedabove,aspartoftheongoingremediationactivitiesassociatedwiththeBCP,the

existing

building

on

the

project

site

will

need

to

be

demolished

to

allow

for

excavation

and

cleanup

activitiesontheprojectsite,whichareexpectedtobecompleted,withorwithouttheproposedaction,

asearlyas2015andwellbefore2020.Asthiscleanupisongoing,andisbeingcarriedoutirrespectiveof

the requested approvals, the project site is expected to be fully remediated, vacant, and ready for

redevelopment.

In the absence of the proposed action (NoAction), the proposed zoning text amendment would not

occur,andtheresidentialFARontheprojectsitewouldbelimitedto6.0.Althoughthesiteiszonedfor

amaximumFARof20,withupto20permittedcommercialFAR,asdiscussedinthePurposeandNeed

for Proposed Action section above, there is no current or perceived future demand for commercial

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9

officedevelopmentontheprojectsite.Inaddition,givenitsdistancefrompublictransit,theprojectsite

isalsonot idealforastandaloneretaildevelopment,astherewouldnotbesufficientcriticalmasson

thealreadyconstrainedprojectsitetopromotethenecessaryfoottrafficthatwouldmakealargescale

standaloneretaildevelopmenteconomicallyviable.

Assuch,althoughacommercialdevelopmentwithupto20FARwouldbeallowedasofrightintheNo

Action,the

RWCDS

conservatively

assumes

that

such

adevelopment

would

not

occur

by

the

analysis

year of 2020. Instead, for RWCDS purposes, it is anticipated that in the future without the proposed

actionanewonestoryautodealershipwouldbedevelopedontheprojectsite.Suchause(automobile

showrooms with no repair services or preparation for delivery (Use Group 9)) is allowed asofright

pursuanttocurrentzoning,andwouldentailminimal investmentin infrastructureandconstruction.In

addition, there has been interest in such a use on this site. Therefore, the RWCDS assumes that the

project site would accommodate a singlestory, approximately 83,000 gsf auto showroom building

(approximately0.9FAR)intheNoActioncondition.ThebuildingwouldbebuiltouttoWest41stStreet,

Eleventh Avenue, and West 40th Street, with a main entrance midblock on West 41st Street. Existing

curbcutsonWest41stStreetwouldprovidevehicularaccesstothesite.

TheFuture

with

the

Proposed

Project

(With

Action

Condition)

By2020underWithActionconditions,therequestedzoningtextamendmenttoallowmorepermitted

residentialfloorareawouldbegranted,anditisexpectedthattheapplicantwouldhavedemolishedthe

existing building on the project site, the required NYSDEC BCP site remediation would be completed,

andtheproposedapproximately100storymixeduseresidentialandcommercialtowerontheproject

sitewouldbeconstructedandoccupied.AsdetailedintheabovesectionDescriptionoftheProposed

Project and shown in Table 1 above, the WithAction condition would result in the construction of

approximately 1.14 million gsf of residential space and 475,000 gsf of commercial space (including

300,000 gsf of retail and up to 175 corporate apartments). The proposed project may also include a

200spaceundergroundparkinggarageandanapproximately10,000sfcoveredpubliclyaccessibleopen

space,

or

plaza,

along

West

41

st

Street.

Itshouldbenotedthat inthe futurewiththeproposedaction, theproposedprojectwouldmaximize

theresidentialFARof12.0resultingfromtheproposedaction.TheWithActionconditionalsoassumes

commercialFARwouldnotexceed5FARasthisdensitymaximizesthereasonablesizeoftheretailand

corporate apartmentcomponents. Commercial office space, asoutlined previously, is not likely tobe

developedonthesite.Addingothercommercialusessuchasahotel,inasecondtowerabovetheretail

podium,wouldseverely impacttheviabilityoftheverticalretailspacebecauseasecondtowerwould

requireaseparateentrance lobby,elevatorcoreandverticalcirculationthatwouldbreakuptheretail

floorplatesmakingthemvirtuallyunusable.Thesuccessfulintegrationandplacementofasecondtower

isalsogreatly impacted by the unique below grade easements for the Amtrak rail spurand the No.7

subwaytunnelsthataffectlocationofthetowercoreandstructuralelements.

Theapplicantintendstoincorporatea200accessoryparkingspacesintotheproposedprojectthrough

theapplicationoftheexistingparkingregulationsapplicabletotheSpecialHudsonYardsDistrict.

PossibleEffectsoftheProposedAction

Based on the RWCDS for NoAction and WithAction conditions identified above, the net incremental

change indevelopmentthatwouldoccurasaresultoftheproposedaction is identified inTable2.As

showninTable2,underWithActionconditions,inthe2020BuildYeartheproposedactionwouldresult

in a net incremental increaseofapproximately1.6million gsf, includingan increase of approximately

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10

392,000gsfofcommercialspace,approximately1.14milliongsfofresidentialspace,andanincreaseof

approximately38,000 gsfofparking. However, if theproposedparkingspaces for the projectarenot

availableundertheSpecialHudsonYardsDistrictparkingregulationsinthefuture,theapplicantwould

utilizethe38,000gsfthatwouldhavebeenoccupiedbybelowgradeparkingforcommercialretailuse

instead.This noparking garage scenario wouldbeanalyzed asan alternative in the EIS (see Task 20:

Alternatives).

Table2alsoprovidesacomparisonofthenumberofresidentsandworkersontheprojectsiteunder

NoActionand WithAction conditions.Asshown in the table, the proposedactionunderWithAction

conditionswouldresultinanetincreaseofuptoapproximately2,310residents,935employeesandup

to350occupantsofcorporateapartmentsontheprojectsiteascomparedtoNoActionconditions.

TABLE2 ComparisonofNoActionandWithActionConditions

Use NoActionCondition WithActionCondition Increment

Residential 0 1,140,000gsf(upto1,400DUs) 1,140,000gsf(upto1,400DUs)

CommercialUses

AutoShowroom 83,000gsf 0 83,000gsf

Retail

0

300,000

gsf

300,000

gsf

CorporateApartments 0 175,000gsf(upto175units) 175,000gsf(upto175units)

TotalCommercialSF 83,000gsf 475,000gsf 392,000gsf

AccessoryParking 0 200spaces(38,000gsf) 200spaces(38,000gsf)

TOTALGSF(including

belowgradespaces)83,000gsf 1,685,000gsf 1,602,000gsf

Population/Employment* NoActionCondition WithActionCondition Increment

Residents 0 upto2,310residents upto2,310residents

Workers 83workers 1,018workers 935workers

CorporateApts.Occupants 0 upto350occupantsofcorporate

apts.

upto350occupants(corporate

apts.)

*CalculationsforresidentsarebasedontheManhattanCommunityDistrict4ratioof1.65residentsperoccupiedunit(Source:Demographic

Profile, NYCDCP; 2010 Census). Number of workers estimated based on an assumption of 1 employee per 1,000 sf of auto showroom; 3

employeesper1,000sfofretail;1employeeper3corporateapartments(assumedtobeequivalenttohotelrooms),1workerper25DUs;and

1employeeper50parkingspaces.Estimateofcorporateapartmentoccupantsisbasedonanassumptionofanaverageof2.0occupantsper

corporateunit.

Asnotedabove,although theapplicantanticipates thatsomeof proposedup to1,400dwellingunits

may be affordable (i.e., low to moderateincome units), the specific unit mix has not yet been

determined at this time. For environmental analysis purposes, the RWCDS analyzed in the EIS will

assumethat20%oftheproposedprojectstotalresidentialfloorarea,orapproximately280units,could

beaffordable.

E. PROPOSEDSCOPEOFWORKFORTHEEIS

Because theproposedprojectwouldaffectvariousareasofenvironmentalconcernandwas found to

have the potential for significant adverse impacts, pursuant to the EAS and Positive Declaration, an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for the proposed action that will analyze all

technicalareasofconcern.

The EIS will be prepared in conformance with all applicable laws and regulations, including SEQRA

(Article 8 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law) and its implementing regulations

foundat6NYCRRPart617,NewYorkCityExecutiveOrderNo.91of1977,asamended,andtheRulesof

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11

ProcedureforCEQR,foundatTitle62,Chapter5oftheRulesoftheCityofNewYork.TheEISwillfollow

theguidanceofthe2014CEQRTechnicalManual,andwillcontain:

Adescriptionoftheproposedprojectanditsenvironmentalsetting; Astatementoftheenvironmentalimpactsoftheproposedproject,includingitsshortandlongterm

effectsandtypicalassociatedenvironmentaleffects;

An identification of any adverse environmental effects that cannot be avoided if the proposedprojectisimplemented;

Adiscussionofreasonablealternativestotheproposedproject; Anidentificationofirreversibleandirretrievablecommitmentsofresourcesthatwouldbeinvolved

intheproposedprojectshoulditbeimplemented;and

A description of mitigation measures proposed to eliminate or minimize any significant adverseenvironmentalimpacts.

BasedonthepreliminaryscreeningassessmentsoutlinedintheCEQRTechnicalManualanddetailedin

the EAS document, the following environmental areas would not require detailed analysis in the EIS:

natural resources and energy. The specific areas to be included in the EIS, as well as their respective

tasks,are

described

below.

TASK1. PROJECTDESCRIPTION

ThefirstchapteroftheEISintroducesthereadertotheproposedprojectandsetsthecontextinwhich

to assess impacts. The chapter contains a description of the proposed project: its location; the

background and/or history of the project; a statement of the purpose and need; key planning

considerations thathaveshapedthecurrentproposal;adetaileddescriptionof theproposedproject;

and discussion of the approvals required, procedures to be followed, and the role of the EIS in the

process.

TASK2. LANDUSE,ZONING,ANDPUBLICPOLICY

Thischapterwillanalyzethepotential impactsoftheproposedprojecton landuse,zoning,andpublic

policy. The proposed action consists of a zoning text amendment that would modify the regulations

affecting a site within the Special Hudson Yards District. However, as the project site is not located

withintheboundariesoftheCitysCoastalZone,noassessmentoftheproposedprojectsconsistency

withtheCitysWaterfrontRevitalizationProgram(WRP) iswarranted.The landuse,zoningandpublic

policyanalysiswillbeconsistentwith themethodologiespresented in theCEQRTechnicalManual. In

completingthefollowingsubtasks,thelandusestudyareawillconsistoftheprojectsite,wheretheland

use impacts will be straightforward and direct (reflecting the proposed project), and the neighboring

areaswhereindirect

impacts

may

be

felt.

For

the

purpose

of

environmental

analysis,

the

study

area

will

extendapproximatelymilefromtheboundariesoftheprojectsite,asillustratedinFigure9.Subtasks

willincludethefollowing:

Provideabriefdevelopmenthistoryoftheprojectsiteandsurroundingstudyarea. Provideadescriptionandmapofexistinglandusesinthestudyarea. Describepredominantlandusepatternsinthestudyarea,includingrecentdevelopmenttrends.

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11AV

W39ST

W41ST

W42ST

W37STW36ST

W34ST W35STW33ST

JOEDIM

AGGIO

HY

LINCOLN

TUNNEL

Legend

Project Site

Quarter-Mile

Radius

Land

Use

One

&

Two

Family

Buildings

Multi-Family

Walkup

Buildings

Multi-Family

Elevator

Buildings

Mixed Commercial/Residential Buildings

Commercial/Office Buildings

Industrial/Manufacturing

Transportation/Utility

Public Facilities & Institutions

Open Space

Parking Facilities

Vacant Land

All Others or No Data

0 200 400 600 800Feet

HUDSON

RIVER

JAVITS

CENTER

Multi-Family with Ground Floor Retail*

*

* *

*

*

*

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12

Provide a zoning map and discuss existing zoning and recent zoning actions in the study area,including the Special Hudson Yards District, the Special Clinton District and the Manhattan Core

parkingtextamendment.

Describe any public policies that apply to the project site and the study area, including specificdevelopment projects and plans for public improvements. Public policies that apply to the study

areainclude

PlaNYC.

Prepare a list of future development projects in the study area that would be expected to beconstructed by the 2020 analysis year and may influence future land use trends in the future

withouttheproposedaction.Also,identifypendingzoningactions(includingthoseassociatedwith

the identified NoBuild projects) or other public policy actions that couldaffect land use patterns

andtrendsinthestudyareaastheyrelatetotheproposedproject.Basedontheseplannedprojects

andinitiatives,assessfutureconditionsinthelanduseandzoningstudyareainthefuturewithout

theproposedaction(NoActioncondition).

Describe proposed zoning text changes, and the potential land use changes resulting from theproposedproject.

Assess the potential impacts of the proposed action and resultant development on land use andlandusetrends,zoning,andpublicpolicy.Discusstheproposedactionspotentialeffectsrelatedtoissues of compatibility with surrounding land use, the consistency with zoning and other public

policies,andtheeffectoftheproposedactiononongoingdevelopmenttrendsandconditionsinthe

studyarea.

TASK3. SOCIOECONOMICCONDITIONS

The socioeconomic character of an area includes its population, housing, and economic activity.

Socioeconomicchangesmayoccurwhenaprojectdirectlyorindirectlychangesanyoftheseelements.

AlthoughsocioeconomicchangesmaynotresultinimpactsunderCEQR,theyaredisclosediftheywould

affectland

use

patterns,

low

income

populations,

the

availability

of

goods

and

services,

or

economic

investment in a way that changes the socioeconomic character of the area. According to the CEQR

Technical Manual, the five principal issues of concern with respect to socioeconomic conditions are

whether a proposed action would result in significant adverse impacts due to: (1) direct residential

displacement; (2) direct business displacement; (3) indirect residential displacement; (4) indirect

businessdisplacement;and(5)adverseeffectsonspecificindustries.Asdiscussedbelow,theproposed

project warrants an assessment of socioeconomic conditions with respect to indirect residential

displacement,andindirectbusinessdisplacement.

According to theCEQRTechnicalManual,direct displacement of fewer than 500 residents would not

typically be expected to alter the socioeconomic characteristics of a neighborhood. As there are no

residential

uses

currently

on

the

project

site,

the

proposed

project

would

not

directly

displace

anyexistingresidents,andtherefore,theproposedprojectwouldnotresult insignificantadverse impacts

due todirectresidentialdisplacement.Similarly,according to theCEQRTechnicalManual, ifaproject

would directly displace more than 100 employees, a preliminary assessment of direct business

displacement is appropriate. As the structure on the project site is currently vacant, the proposed

projectwouldnotdirectlydisplaceanybusinessesoremployees,andthereforeanassessmentofdirect

businessdisplacementwouldnotbewarrantedfortheproposedproject.

In addition, the CEQR Technical Manual indicates that an assessment is appropriate if a project is

expectedtoaffectconditionswithinaspecific industry.Thiscouldaffectsocioeconomicconditions ifa

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13

substantialnumberofworkersorresidentsdependonthegoodsorservicesprovidedbytheaffected

businesses, or if the project would result in the loss or substantial diminishment of a particularly

important product or service within the city. As noted above, the structure on the project site is

currently vacant, and therefore the proposed project would not directly displace any businesses or

employees.Moreover,theproposedactionissitespecific,anddoesnotincludeanycitywideregulatory

change that would adversely affect the economic and operational conditions of certain types of

businessesorprocesses.Therefore,theproposedactionwouldnotresult insignificantadverseeffects

onspecificindustries,andnofurtherassessmentiswarranted.

InconformancewiththeCEQRTechnicalManualguidelines,theassessmentofthetworemainingareas

of concern will begin with a preliminary assessment to determine whether a detailed analysis is

necessary. Detailed analyses will be conducted for those areas in which the preliminary assessment

cannot definitively rule out the potential for significant adverse impacts. The detailed assessments

would be framed in the context of existing conditions and evaluations of the future NoAction and

WithActionconditions in2020, includinganypopulationandemploymentchangesanticipatedtotake

placebytheanalysisyearfortheproposedaction.

IndirectResidentialDisplacement

The indirectresidentialdisplacementanalysiswillusethemostrecentavailableU.S.Censusdata,New

YorkCityDepartmentofFinancesRealPropertyAssessmentData(RPAD)database,aswellascurrent

realestatemarketdata,topresentdemographicandresidentialmarkettrendsandconditionsforthe

milestudyarea.PursuanttoCEQRTechnicalManualguidelines,thisstudyareawouldbeincreasedtoa

mile radius if the preliminary analysis reveals that the increase in population resulting from the

proposedprojectwouldexceed5percentinthemilestudyareacomparedtotheexpectedNoAction

population. The presentation of study area characteristics will include population, housing value and

rent,estimatesof thenumberofhousingunitsnotsubject to rentprotection,andmedianhousehold

income. Following CEQR Technical Manual guidelines, the preliminary assessment will perform the

followingstep

by

step

evaluation:

Step 1: Determine if the proposed project would add substantial new population with differentincomeascomparedwiththeincomeofthestudyareapopulation.Iftheexpectedaverageincomes

ofthenewpopulationwouldbesimilar totheaverage incomesofthestudyareapopulations,no

furtheranalysisisnecessary.Iftheexpectedaverageincomesofthenewpopulationwouldexceed

theaverageincomesofthestudyareapopulations,thenStep2oftheanalysiswillbeconducted.

Step2:Determine iftheproposedprojectpopulation is largeenough toaffect realestatemarketconditionsinthestudyarea.Ifthepopulationincreaseisgreaterthan5percentinthestudyareaas

awhole,thenStep3willbeconducted.Ifthepopulationincreaseisgreaterthan10percentinthe

studyareasasawhole,thenadetailedanalysisisrequired.

Step3:Considerwhetherthestudyareahasalreadyexperiencedareadilyobservabletrendtowardincreasingrentsandthe likelyeffectoftheactiononsuchtrends.Thisevaluationwillconsiderthe

following:

a. If the vast majority of the study area has already experienced a readily observable trendtoward increasing rents and new market development, further analysis is not necessary.

However, if such trends could be considered inconsistent and not sustained, a detailed

analysismaybewarranted.

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14

b. Ifnosuchtrendexistseitherwithinornearthestudyarea,theactioncouldbeexpectedtohave a stabilizing effect on the housing market within the study area by allowing limited

newhousingopportunitiesandinvestment,andnofurtheranalysisisnecessary.

c. Ifthosetrendsdoexistneartoorwithinsmallerportionsofthestudyarea,theactioncouldhavethepotentialtoaccelerateanexistingtrend. Inthiscircumstance,adetailedanalysis

willbe

conducted.

Ifthepreliminaryassessmentfindsthattheproposedprojectwouldintroduceatrendoracceleratean

existing trend of changing socioeconomic conditions that may have the potential to displace a

residential population and substantially change the socioeconomic character of the neighborhood, a

detailed analysis will be conducted. The detailed analysis would utilize more indepth demographic

analysis and field surveys to characterize existing conditions of residents and housing, identify

populations at risk of displacement, assess current and future socioeconomic trends that may affect

thesepopulations,andexaminetheeffectsoftheproposedactiononprevailingsocioeconomictrends

and,thus,impactsontheidentifiedpopulationatrisk.

IndirectBusinessDisplacement

The indirect business displacement analysis is to determine whether the proposed project may

introducetrendsthatmakeitdifficultforthosebusinessesthatprovideproductsorservicesessentialto

the localeconomy,or thosesubject to regulationsorpubliclyadoptedplanstopreserve,enhance,or

otherwise protect them, to remain in the area. The purpose of the preliminary assessment is to

determine whether a proposed action has potential to introduce such a trend. The proposed project

would introduce over 200,000 square feet of new commercial uses to the area, which is the CEQR

threshold for substantial new development warranting a preliminary assessment.Moreover, as the

proposedprojectwouldincludearetailcomponentinexcessof200,000squarefeetonasinglesite,and

theproposedretailusesmaynotprimarilyservethelocalpopulation,anassessmentofindirectbusiness

displacementduetomarketsaturationisappropriate.

Theanalysiswilldescribeandcharacterizeconditionsandtrendsinemploymentandbusinesseswithin

thestudyareausingthemostrecentavailabledatafrompublicandprivatesourcessuchasNewYork

State Department of Labor and/or the U.S. Census Bureau, and ESRI, as well as field surveys and

discussions with local real estate brokers as necessary. This information will be used in a preliminary

assessmenttoconsider:

Whethertheproposedprojectwouldintroduceenoughofaneweconomicactivitytoalterexistingeconomicpatterns;

Whether the proposed project would add to the concentration of a particular sector of the localeconomyenoughtoalteroraccelerateexistingeconomicpatterns;

Whether the proposed project would directly displace uses of any type that directly supportbusinesses intheareaorbringpeopletotheareathat formacustomerbase for localbusinesses;

and

Whether the proposed project would directly or indirectly displace residents, workers, or visitorswhoformthecustomerbaseofexistingbusinessesinthearea.

If the preliminary assessment finds that the proposed project could introduce trends that make it

difficultforbusinessesthatareessentialtothelocaleconomytoremaininthearea,adetailedanalysis

will be conducted. The detailed analysis would follow the CEQR Technical Manual guidelines to

determinewhethertheproposedprojectwould increasepropertyvaluesandthus increaserentsfora

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15

potentially vulnerable category of businesses and whether relocation opportunities exist for those

businesses.

PotentialIndirectBusinessDisplacementduetoRetailMarketSaturation

Asdescribed in theCEQRTechnicalManual,occasionally,developmentactivitymaycreate retail uses

thatdraw

substantial

sales

from

existing

businesses.

While

these

economic

pressures

do

not

necessarily

generate environmental concerns, they become an environmental concern when they have the

potential to result in increased and prolonged vacancy leading to disinvestment. Such a change may

affect the land use patterns and economic viability of the neighborhood. According to the CEQR

TechnicalManual,projectsresulting in lessthan200,000squarefeetofretailonasingledevelopment

site,orlessthan200,000squarefeetofregionalservingretailonmultiplesiteslocatedacrossaproject

area,wouldnottypicallyresult insocioeconomic impacts.Forprojectsexceedingthesethresholds,an

assessmentoftheindirectbusinessdisplacementduetomarketsaturationisappropriate.

As the proposed project may introduce retail in excess of the 200,000squarefoot threshold, a

preliminary assessment of indirect business displacement due to retail market saturation will be

undertaken.Thepurposeofthepreliminaryanalysis istodeterminewhethertheprojectmaycapture

the retail sales in a particular category of goods to the extent that the market for such goods would

become saturated as a result, potentially leading to vacancies and disinvestment on neighborhood

commercial streets. If the preliminary assessment cannot definitively rule out the potential forsignificant adverse impacts, then a detailed analysis would be conducted in accordance with CEQR

TechnicalManualmethodologies.

TASK4. COMMUNITYFACILITIES

Theproposedactionwouldnotdisplaceanyexistingcommunityfacilitiesorservices,norwoulditaffect

the physical operations of or access to and from any police or fire stations. As such, the proposed

projectwould

not

result

in

any

direct

effects

on

community

facilities.

The demand for community facilities and services is directly related to the type and size of the new

populationgeneratedbydevelopmentresultingfromtheproposedaction.Theproposedprojectwould

addup toapproximately 1,400new residential units to the area.Although the proposed project may

include an affordable housing component, the specific unit mix has not yet been determined at this

time.Therefore, forenvironmentalanalysispurposes, theRWCDS forWithActionconditionsassumes

that 20% of the proposed projects total residential floor area, or approximately 280 units, could be

affordable.

If an action introduces less than 50 elementary and middle school age children, or 150 high school

students,

an

assessment

of

school

facilities

is

not

required.

As

disclosed

in

the

EAS,

the

proposed

project

would result in an increase of approximately 224 new elementary and middle school students, and

approximately84highschoolstudentsinthearea,therebyexceedingtheCEQRscreeningthresholdfor

elementaryandmiddleschoolsonly.For libraries,theCEQRscreeningthreshold isthe introductionof

901 residential units in Manhattan, which would represent a 5 percent increase in dwelling units per

branch.Astheproposedprojectwouldresultintheadditionofuptoapproximately1,400dwellingunits

tothestudyarea,itexceedstheCEQRscreeningthreshold.Forchildcare,theCEQRscreeningthreshold

inManhattan istheintroductionof170ormoreaffordablehousingunits,whichwouldgenerate20or

moreeligiblechildrenunderagesix.Asnotedabove,although thespecificunitmixhasnotyetbeen

determinedatthistime,theRWCDSassumesthat20%oftheproposedprojectstotalresidentialfloor

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area, or approximately 280 units, could be affordable, which would exceed the CEQR screening

threshold for analysis of publicly funded child care centers. Therefore, the proposed project would

trigger analyses of potential impacts on public elementary and middle schools, libraries, and publicly

fundedchildcarecenters.Noanalysisofpublichighschoolsiswarranted.

AccordingtotheCEQRTechnicalManual,adetailedanalysisofpoliceandfireprotectionservicesand

healthcare

facilities

is

required

if

aproposed

action

would

(a)

introduce

asizeable

new

neighborhood

whereonehasnotpreviouslyexisted,or(b)woulddisplaceoralterahospitalorpublichealthclinic,fire

protection services facility, or police station. As the proposed action would not result in any of the

above,nosignificantadverseimpactswouldbeexpectedtooccur,andadetailedanalysisofpolice/fire

servicesandhealthcarefacilitiesisnotwarranted.

PublicSchools

AccordingtotheCEQRTechnicalManual,theprimarystudyareafortheanalysisofelementaryandintermediateschoolsshouldbetheschooldistrictssubdistrictinwhichtheprojectislocated.The

project site is located within subdistrict 3 of Community School District 2. This subdistrict will

constitutethestudyarea.

Identifyand locatethepublicelementaryand intermediateschoolsservingthestudyareadefinedabove.Existingcapacity,enrollment,andutilizationdataforallpublicelementaryandintermediate

schoolswithinsubdistrict3ofCommunitySchoolDistrict2willbeprovidedforthecurrentormost

recentschoolyear,notinganyspecificshortagesofschoolcapacity.

Identifyconditionsthatwouldexistinthefuturewithouttheproposedaction(NoActioncondition),taking into consideration projected changes in future enrollment, including those associated with

other developments in the vicinity of the project site, and plans to alter school capacity either

throughadministrativeactionson thepartof theNewYorkCityDepartment ofEducationorasa

resultoftheconstructionofnewschoolspace.PlannednewcapacityprojectsfromtheDOEsFive

Year

Capital

Plan

will

not

be

included

in

the

quantitative

analysis

unless

the

projects

havecommencedsitepreparationand/orconstruction.Theymay,however,be included inaqualitative

discussion.

Analyze futureconditionswiththeproposedaction,addingstudents likelytobegeneratedbytheproposed project to the projections for the future NoAction condition. Project impacts will be

assessed based on the difference between the future WithAction projections and the future

NoActionprojections(attheschoolsubdistrict levelforelementaryand intermediateschools)for

enrollment,capacityandutilizationin2020.

Determinewhethertheproposedprojectwouldresult inasignificantadverse impact.Asignificantadverse impact may result, warranting consideration of mitigation, if the proposed project would

result in: (1) a collective utilization rate of the elementary and/or intermediate schools in the

subdistrict

study

area

that

is

equal

to

or

greater

than

100

percent

in

the

With

Action

condition;

and

(2)anincreaseoffivepercentormoreinthecollectiveutilizationratebetweentheNoActionand

WithActionconditions.

If significant adverse impacts are identified, mitigation measures to avoid or reduce potentialsignificantimpactswillbeidentified.

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Libraries

Identifythelocalpubliclibrarybranch(es)servingtheareawithinapproximatelythreequartersofamile from the project site, which is the distance that one might be expected to travel for such

services.Showtheidentifiedlocalpubliclibrarybranch(es)withinamileradiusonamap.

Describeexistinglibrarieswithinthestudyareaandtheirinformationservices,anduserpopulation.Informationregardingservicesprovidedbybranch(es)withinthestudyareawillincludecirculation,

holdings,levelofutilization,andotherrelevantexistingconditions.Detailsonlibraryoperationswill

be based on publicly available information and/or consultation with library officials. If applicable,

holdingsperresidentmaybeestimatedtoprovideaquantitativegaugeofavailableresourcesinthe

applicablebranchlibrariesinordertoformabaselinefortheanalysis.

For NoAction conditions, projections of population change in the area and information on anyplannedchangesinlibraryservicesorfacilitieswillbedescribedandtheeffectsofthesechangeson

libraryserviceswillbeassessed.Usingtheinformationgatheredfortheexistingconditions,holdings

perresidentintheNoActionconditionwillbeestimated.

Determinetheeffectsoftheadditionofthepopulationresultingfromtheproposedprojectonthestudy

area

libraries

ability

to

provide

information

services

to

their

users.

Holdings

per

resident

in

theWithActionconditionwillbeestimatedandcomparedtotheNoActionholdingsestimate.

Determinewhethertheproposedprojectwouldresultinasignificantadverseimpact.Accordingtothe CEQR Technical Manual, if the proposed project would increase the mile study area

populationbyfivepercentormoreoverNoActionlevels,anditisdetermined,inconsultationwith

theappropriatelibraryagency,thatthisincreasewouldimpairthedeliveryoflibraryservicesinthe

studyarea,asignificantimpactmayoccur,warrantingconsiderationofmitigation.

ChildCareCenters

Identify existing publicly funded child care facilities (including Head Start facilities) withinapproximately1.5milesoftheprojectsite.Describeeachfacilityintermsofitslocation,numberofslots (capacity), and enrollment (utilization). Information will be based on publicly available

information and/or consultation with the Administration for Childrens Services Division of Child

CareandHeadstart(CCHS).

For NoAction conditions, information will be obtained on any changes planned for child careprograms or facilities in the area, including closing or expansion of existing facilities and

establishmentofnewfacilities.Anyexpected increase inthepopulationofchildrenunder6within

theeligibilityincomelimitationswillbediscussedaspotentialadditionaldemand;andthepotential

effect of any population increases on demand for child care services in the study area will be

assessed.Theavailablecapacityorresultingdeficiencyinslotsandtheutilizationrateforthestudy

areawill

be

calculated

for

the

No

Action

condition.

ThepotentialeffectsoftheadditionaleligiblechildrenresultingfromtheRWCDSfortheproposedaction will be assessed by comparing the estimated demand over capacity to the demand over

capacityestimatedintheNoActioncondition.

Determinewhethertheproposedprojectwouldresultinasignificantadverseimpact.AccordingtotheCEQRTechnicalManual, a significant adverse impact may result, warranting consideration of

mitigation, iftheproposedprojectwouldresult inbothofthe following: (a)acollectiveutilization

rateofthegroupchildcare/HeadStartcentersinthestudyareathatisgreaterthan100percentin

theWithActioncondition;and (b)an increaseof fivepercentormore in thecollectiveutilization

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rateofthechildcare/HeadStartcentersinthestudyareabetweentheNoActionandWithAction

conditions.

If significant adverse impacts are identified, mitigation measures to avoid or reduce potentialsignificantimpactswillbeidentified.

TASK5. OPENSPACE

Under the CEQR Technical Manual, the threshold for an open space assessment applicable to the

proposedaction ismorethan200residentsand500employeesbecausetheprojectsite isnotlocated

within an underserved or wellserved area as defined in the CEQR TechnicalManual. The proposed

project,asdisclosedintheEAS,wouldgeneratemorethan200residentsand500employees;therefore,

bothresidentialandnonresidentialopenspaceassessmentswouldbewarrantedandwillbeprovided

intheEIS.

Theopenspaceanalysiswillconsiderbothpassiveandactiveopenspaceresources.Passiveopenspace

ratios will be assessed within a nonresidential (mile radius) study area and a residential (mile

radius)study

area.

Active

open

space

ratios

will

be

assessed

for

the

mile

residential

study

area

only.

AsrecommendedintheCEQRTechnicalManual,bothstudyareaswouldcompriseallcensustractsthat

have 50 percent of their area located within a mile radius and a mile radius of the project site,

respectively.TheopenspaceanalysisintheEISwillincludethefollowingsubtasks.

Determinecharacteristicsofthetwoopenspaceusergroups:residentsandworkers/daytimeusers.To determine the number of residents in the study areas, 2010 census data will be compiled for

census tracts comprising the nonresidential and residential open space study areas. Because the

studyareasincludeaworkforceanddaytimepopulationthatmayalsouseopenspaces,thenumber

of employees and daytime workers in the study areas will also be calculated, based on reverse

journeytoworkcensusdata.

Inventory existing active and passive open spaces within the two open space study areas. Thecondition andusage of existing facilities willbe described basedon the inventory and field visits.

Acreage of these facilities will be determined and total study area acreage calculated. The

percentageofactiveandpassiveopenspacewillalsobecalculated.Amapshowingthelocationsof

openspaceskeyedtotheinventorywillbeprovided.

Basedontheinventoryoffacilitiesandstudyareapopulations,openspaceratioswillbecalculatedfortheresidentialanddaytimepopulations,andcomparedtoCityguidelinestoassessadequacy.As

per the CEQR Technical Manual, open space ratios are expressed as the amount of open space

acreageper1,000userpopulation,andwillbecalculatedforactiveandpassiveopenspace,aswell

asfortheaggregateopenspace.

Assess expected changes in future levels of open space supply and demand in the 2020 analysisyear, based on other planned development projects within the open space study areas. Any new

openspaceorrecreationalfacilitiesthatareanticipatedtobeoperationalbytheanalysisyearwill

also be accounted for. Open space ratios will be calculated for future NoAction conditions and

comparedwithexistingratiostodeterminechangesinfuturelevelsofadequacy.

Assess the effects on open space supply and demand resulting from increased residential andworker populations added by the proposed project. All new publiclyaccessible open spaces that

maybeplannedaspartoftheproposedprojectwouldalsobetakenintoaccount.Theassessment

oftheproposedprojectsimpactswillbebasedonacomparisonofopenspaceratiosforthefuture

NoActionversusfutureWithActionconditions.Inadditiontothequantitativeanalysis,qualitative

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analysis will be performed to determine if the changes resulting from the proposed project

constituteasubstantialchange(positiveornegative)oranadverseeffecttoopenspaceconditions.

The qualitative analysis will assess whether or not the study area is sufficiently served by open

spaces,giventhetype(activevs.passive),capacity,condition,anddistributionofopenspace,and

theprofileofthestudyareapopulation.Anyaccessoryopenspacestobeprovidedaspartofthe

proposedprojectwouldbeincludedinthequalitativeassessment.

If the results of the impact analysis identify a potential for a significant adverse impact, discusspotentialmitigationmeasures.

TASK6. SHADOWS

Thischapterwillexaminetheproposedprojectspotentialforsignificantandadverseshadowsimpacts

pursuant toCEQRTechnicalManual criteria. Generally, thepotential for shadows impacts exists if an

action would result in new structures or additions to buildings resulting in structures over 50 feet in

height that could cast shadows on important natural features, publicly accessible open space, or on

historicfeaturesthataredependentonsunlight.Theproposedprojectwouldconsistofasinglebuilding

thatwould

have

amaximum

height

of

approximately

1,100

feet,

and

would

be

located

to

the

west

of

Saint Raphaels Croatian Catholic Church, a building that contains sunlight sensitive features, and in

vicinityofothersunlightsensitiveresources(e.g.,RiverPlacePlazatothenorthwestoftheprojectsite,

andportionsofHudsonRiverParkfurthertothewest).Therefore,apreliminaryassessmentofshadows

iswarrantedandwillbeprovidedintheEIS.Thepreliminaryassessmentwillincludethefollowingtasks:

Develop a base map illustrating the project site in relation to publicly accessible open spaces,historicresourceswithsunlightdependentfeatures,andnaturalfeaturesinthearea.

Perform a screening assessment to ascertain which seasons and times of day shadows from theproposedprojectcouldreachanysunlightsensitiveresources.

If

the

possibility

of

new

shadows

reaching

sunlightsensitive

resources

cannot

be

eliminated

in

the

preliminaryassessment,theEISwillincludeadetailedanalysis.Thiswillincludethefollowingtasks:

Develop a threedimensional computer model of the elements of the base map developed in thepreliminaryassessment.

DevelopthreedimensionalrepresentationsoftheNoActionshadowconditionsintheareaasoftheBuildYear.

Develop a threedimensional representation of shadow conditions in the area with the proposedprojectasoftheBuildYear.

Determinetheextentanddurationofincrementalshadowsthatwouldbecastonsunlightsensitiveresources

as

aresult

of

the

proposed

project

on

four

representative

days

of

the

year.

Document the analysis with graphics comparing shadows resulting from the NoAction conditionwith shadows resulting from the proposed project, with incremental shadows highlighted in a

contrastingcolor.

Includeasummarytablelistingtheentryandexittimesandtotaldurationofincrementalshadowsoneachapplicablerepresentativedayforeachaffectedsunsensitiveresource.

Assessthesignificanceofanyshadowsimpactsonsunlightsensitiveresources(includingtheSaintsCyril&MethodiusandSaintRaphaelsCroatianCatholicChurch,anyotherhistoric resources,and

existing or planned parks). If potential significant adverse impacts are identified, the amount of

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remaining sunlight on those sensitive resources as well as the types of vegetation and or

recreationalactivitiesinvolvedwillbeconsideredinreachingimpactconclusions.

If any significant adverse shadow impacts are identified, identify and assess potential mitigationstrategies.

TASK7. HISTORICANDCULTURALRESOURCES

Historic and cultural resources are defined as districts, buildings, structures, sites, and objects of

historical, aesthetic, cultural, and archaeological importance. An assessment of architectural and

archaeologicalresourcesisusuallyneededforprojectsthatarelocatedadjacenttohistoricorlandmark

structures, within historic districts, and for developments that require inground disturbance, unless

such disturbance occurs in an area that has already been excavated. According to CEQR Technical

Manualguidelines,impactsonhistoricresourcesareconsideredonthosesitesaffectedbytheproposed

actionandintheareasurroundingidentifieddevelopmentsites.

ArchaeologicalResources

Although there would be subsurface disturbance on the project site, the New York City Landmarks

Preservation Commission (LPC) had previously determined that the project site is not sensitive for

archaeologicalresources6.LPCwillbeconsultedtoconfirmthispriordetermination.IfLPCconfirmsthat

the site is not sensitive for archaeological resources, then no further archaeological analysis will be

required. IfLPCdeterminesthatallorpartofthesitemaybesensitiveforarchaeologicalresources,a

Phase1AArchaeologicalDocumentaryStudyoftheaffectedareaswillbeprepared,inaccordancewith

CEQRTechnicalManualguidelines,and the conclusionsof thePhase1A wouldbe summarized in the

DEIS.

ArchitecturalResources

Whiletherearenodesignatedarchitecturalresourcesontheprojectsite,SaintsCyril&Methodiusand

SaintRaphaelsCroatianCatholicChurch,whichwaspreviouslydeterminedtobeeligiblefordesignation

asaNYCLandlistingontheS/NR,islocatednearby,anditispossiblethattheremaybeotherpotential

architecturalresourceswithinthestudyarea.ConsistentwiththeCEQRTechnicalManual,thehistoric

andculturalresourcesassessmentwillincludethefollowingtasks:

Selectthestudyareaforarchitecturalresources.Thisscopeofworkassumesthatthestudyareaforarchitecturalresourceswillbeapproximately400feetbeyondtheprojectsiteboundaries.

Submit the proposed project to LPC for their review and determination regarding architecturalresources,

and

request

a

preliminary

determination

of

designated

and/or

eligible

architecturalresourceswithinthestudyarea.

Mapandbrieflydescribedesignatedarchitecturalresources inthestudyarea.ConsistentwiththeguidanceoftheCEQRTechnicalManual,designatedarchitecturalresources include:NewYorkCity

Landmarks, Interior Landmarks, Scenic Landmarks, New York City Historic Districts; resources

calendaredforconsiderationasoneoftheabovebyLPC;resourceslistedonorformallydetermined

6LPCletterdatedOctober24,2003issuedinassociationwithNo.7SubwayExtension HudsonYardsRezoningand

DevelopmentProgramFinalGenericEnvironmentalImpactStatement(2004).

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eligibleforinclusionontheStateand/orNationalRegistersofHistoricPlaces,orcontainedwithina

districtlistedonorformallydeterminedeligibleforlistingontheRegisters;resourcesrecommended

bytheNewYorkStateBoardforlistingontheRegisters;andNationalHistoricLandmarks.

Assessthepotentialsignificantadverseimpactsoftheproposedprojectonarchitecturalresources,including visual and contextual changes as well as any direct physical impacts, on any designated

andpotential

architectural

resources.

Potential

effects

will

be

evaluated

through

acomparison

of

theNoActionconditionandthefuturewiththeproposedaction.

Ifapplicable,developmeasures toavoid,minimize,ormitigateanysignificantadverse impactsonhistoricandculturalresources,inconsultationwithLPC.

ThisscopeofworkassumestherewillbenostateorfederalactionsthatrequirereviewbytheNewYorkStateOfficeofParks,RecreationandHistoricPreservation(OPRHP).

TASK8. URBANDESIGNANDVISUALRESOURCES

TheCEQRTechnicalManual indicates that there is no need to conduct an urban design analysis if a

proposed

project

would

be

constructed

within

existing

zoning

envelopes,

and

would

not

result

in

physical changes beyond the bulk and form permitted asofright. The proposed project would not

resultinanincreaseinbuiltfloorareabeyondwhatwouldbeallowedasofright,norwoulditpermit

themodificationofyard,height,andsetbackrequirements.However,giventhescaleoftheproposed

project and the streetscape improvements that would be made to the pedestrian environment in

conjunction with the development, an assessment of urban design would be provided in the EIS. As

describedbelow,thestudyarea forthistaskwillbeconsistentwiththestudyarea fortheanalysisof

landuse,zoningandpublicpolicy.

Anareasvisual resourcesare itsuniqueor importantpublicviewcorridors,vistas,ornaturalorbuilt

features. For CEQR analysis purposes, this includes only views from public and publicly accessible

locations

and

does

not

include

private

residences

or

places

of

business.

Visual

resources

could

include

views of the waterfront, public parks, landmark structures and districts, or natural resources. The

projectsiteis locatedacrossthestreetfromtheSaintsCyril&MethodiusandSaintRaphaelsCroatian

Catholic Church, a building that is eligible for designation as a NYCL and listing on the S/NR,which is

consideredavisualresourceperCEQRguidelines.AsstatedintheEAS,apedestrianwindassessmentis

notwarrantedfortheproposedaction.

Therefore,anassessmentofurbandesignandvisualresourceswillbepresentedintheEIS,asdescribed

inthefollowingsubtasks:

Basedonfieldvisits,describetheprojectsiteandtheurbandesignandvisualresourcesofthesurroundingarea,usingtextandphotographsasappropriate.Thestudyareaforthepreliminary

assessmentof

urban

design

and

visual

resources

will

be

consistent

with

the

study

area

for

the

analysisoflanduse,zoningandpublicpolicy.Adescriptionofvisualresourcesinthestudyarea

andviewcorridors,ifany,willalsobeprovided.

Incoordinationwiththe landusetask,describethechangesexpected intheurbandesignandvisualcharacterof thestudyareadue toplanneddevelopmentprojects in the futurewithout

theproposedproject(NoActioncondition).

Describethepotentialchangesthatcouldoccurintheurbandesigncharacterofthestudyareaasaresultof theproposedproject (WithActioncondition).Photographsand/orothergraphic

materialwillbeutilized,whereapplicable,toassessthepotentialeffectsonurbandesignand

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visualresources, includingviewsof/toresourcesofvisualorhistoricsignificance(includingthe

Saints Cyril & Methodius and Saint Raphael's Croatian Catholic Church, any other historic

resources,andexistingorplannedparks).

TASK9. HAZARDOUSMATERIALS

Theprojectsitewasmappedwithan(E)designationforhazardousmaterialsaspartoftheNo.7Subway

Line Extension and Hudson Yards Rezoning FGEIS. The FGEIS indicated that the lot was historically

occupied by auto sales and service and other commercial developments, and there is potential for

petroleumcontaminationonthesite.Inaddition,theprojectsitehasbeenacceptedintotheNYSDECs

Brownfield Cleanup Program, and all cleanup and remedial activities on the site are expected to be

completed, with or without the proposed action, as early as 2015 and well before 2020. The BCP

contains investigationandcleanuprequirements,ensuringthatcleanupsprotectpublichealthandthe

environment. When NYSDEC certifies that these requirements have been met, the property can be

reusedorredevelopedfortheintendeduse.

Asthe

project

site

has

adocumented

history

of

hazardous

materials

conditions,

the

EIS

will

include

an

assessmentofhazardousmaterials.ThischapteroftheEISwillsummarizethepriorhazardousmaterials

studies conducted for the project site, and consider the potential for significant adverse impacts to

occur as a result of the proposed project. Conditions at the project site (resulting from previous and

existing uses of the site and the surrounding areas) have been studied extensively in prior studies,

including a July 1996 Subsurface Investigation Report, September 2007 Subsurface (Phase II)

Investigation Report, March 2011 Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA), and March 2012

SupplementalPhaseIIEnvironmentalSiteInvestigationReport.

As the proposed project would require excavation on the project site, the assessment in the EIS will

include adetailed description of measures (consistentwith the NYSDEC requirements under the BCP)

thatwouldbetakentoensurethatthepotentialforanyimpactswouldbeavoided.Themeasureswould

alsobesubjecttoreviewandapprovalbytheNewYorkCityDepartmentofEnvironmentalProtection(NYCDEP)reviewandapprovalpertheCEQRTechnicalManual.

TASK10. WATERANDSEWERINFRASTRUCTURE

The CEQR Technical Manual outlines thresholds for analysis of a projects water demand and its

generation of wastewater and stormwater. As discussed in detail in the EAS, although the proposed

projectwouldnotgenerateexceptionallylargedemandforwater(e.g.,morethan1milliongallonsper

day),theprojectsite is located inaRegulatedLowP

Documents

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