Sunset Park’s not only all about the rezoning nowadays: The neighborhood’s waterfront district has also been the subject of a long-in-the-making 197-a plan (city planning-speak for a framework meant to guide development, usually for formerly industrial nabes—197-a’s have been adopted in Red Hook, Greenpoint and Williamsburg). Last night Community Board 7 held a pre-submission public hearing about the plan, which covers the massive stretch of waterfront from 15th to 65th streets; the 197-a has been in the works since 1996 but is only now going through the formal city review process. As you’d expect from a plan more than ten years in the making, the framework covers a lot of ground (the 256-page document is available in its entirety here). Among other things, the plan seeks to spur industrial development (possibly by establishing a container facility near 65th street); improve transportation conditions generally and access to the Gowanus Expressway specifically; encourage environmentally sound business practices and the clean up brownfield sites; and, perhaps most exciting, fast track the creation of a waterfront park between 43rd and 51st streets. About 30 people showed up for the hearing, including representatives from the New York Industrial Rentention Network and the Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation. After a 45-minute presentation by Jocelyne Chait (the consultant who helped put the plan together) and questions from the audience, the 197A Committee voted unanimously to support the proposal, which means it goes in front of the entire community board at Wednesday’s meeting. If it’s approved at that level (as is expected), it will be sent on to the Department of City Planning.
Sunset Park One Step Closer to Rezoning [Brownstoner]