Flatbush Gardener attended last week’s preliminary public hearing on the city’s plan to rezone a large section of Flatbush. City Planning is undertaking the rezoning, in the main, to preserve the low-rise housing stock that defines a great deal of the neighborhood, particularly in the non-landmarked, Victorian sub-nabes. The city’s current study area for the rezoning is, as shown in the map above, humongous, stretching from below the Parade Grounds to Brooklyn College, and bounded on the west by Coney Island Avenue and to the east by Bedford Avenue, Foster Avenue, and 32nd Street. While it’s unclear how much of this area the rezoning will actually end up affecting, Flatbush Gardener notes that City Planning seems particularly keen on waving an R4 wand over some unprotected Victorian Flatbush areas. The existing zoning in the study area is a big hodge-podge, including a few sections that allow for the construction of mid-rise buildings; the rezoning is likely to allow for taller buildings on the main commercial drags. The most controversial aspect of the pre-proposal, according to Flatbush Gardener, has to do with the zoning (R4A) the city is looking to push through in Ditmas Park West and South Midwood, which would allow for 50 percent bigger buildings in those areas than current zoning: “It’s this large increase in FAR that raises concerns for residents in these two neighborhoods, who are concerned it will open the door for expansion and enlargement of existing homes, or new development, out-of-scale with the existing homes.”
Flatbush Rezoning Will Define Future of Victorian Flatbush [Flatbush Gardener]
Flatbush Rezoning Push Not Sitting Well With Some Locals [Brownstoner]
Photos and map from Flatbush Gardener.