A developer who has been critical of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and threatened to destroy some of the garden's rare plants says he has been forced to scale back his plans and is backing away from them.
The city's Planning Commission on Monday approved plans for a proposed high-rise apartment building, but only for a 10-story, 355-unit version, rather than the 14-story, 475-unit version the developer had hoped for.
“As we told the committee, these changes will have a significant impact on our ability to deliver on our promises to the community, including the creation of much-needed affordable housing and hundreds of good-paying union jobs,” David Rosenberg, an attorney for developer Continuum, said in a statement late Monday.
“Today’s vote makes it financially unviable.
“Good-faith projects that cannot be funded will not be built. We are currently evaluating our path forward, but will be withdrawing our application,” Rosenberg added.
The committee had requested a change in the height of the project at 962-970 Franklin St. to limit what the gardens and local officials feared would be shadowing the famous gardens and negatively impacting tropical orchids, tropical desert plants and South African bulbous plants.
The plan for the building's façade was also altered, with the building now angled to minimise shadows.
Additionally, Continuum has committed to funding additional lighting and structural upgrades to the Botanical Gardens and nearby Jackie Robinson Playground, but officials said those facilities would also be affected by the new shadows.
“With today's action, we are charting a path that balances the need for new housing with the important protection of treasured community spaces,” city Planning Director Dan Garodnick said in a statement after the commission's vote Monday.
But Rosenberg told The Post that the developer remains financially uneasy about scaling back the project and knows he will continue to face pressure from the Garden to scale back the plans further when the proposal goes to the City Council for final approval.
“Despite all our efforts, the gardens are asking for further cuts,” Rosenberg said.
“I lost 120 units. [in the commission’s approval]”The Gardens are now seeking the removal of an additional 36 units, making this project even more unviable,” Rosenberg said.
“It's all for three minutes of extra sunlight,” he said, referring to the estimated additional sunlight that would fall on the yard because of the proposed changes.
Rosenberg said even as it stands, the reduction in the number of market-rate apartments the plan would create would not be enough to make up for the cost of affordable apartments.
“The affordable housing that's needed, the cost of the land, the mitigation that's needed … you can't offset the costs,” Rosenberg said.
DCP said it has yet to receive a formal withdrawal notice from Continuum and will send the company's approved application to the city council for review and final approval.
“We intend to withdraw unless something changes,” the developer said.
The Post reached out to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
