City Agrees to Study Crown Heights Downzoning Proposal

Last night Community Board 8 discussed the possibility of rezoning the Crow Hill section of Crown Heights, particularly the area between the Prospect Heights Historic District to the west and the Crown Heights North Historic district to the east. The Department of City Planning released a proposed study area with boundaries extending east from Grand Avenue to Nostrand Avenue and south from Bergen Street to Eastern Parkway. The area is currently designated R7-1, C4-3, and R6; the rezoning would basically be a uniform, contextual downzoning. The rezoning was first requested in 2007, and community board members expressed an urge “try to do whatever we can to move it forward” now that the city is on board. A section of the neighborhood in question, however, is the sizable manufacturing zone from Bergen Street north to Atlantic Avenue, and Grand Avenue roughly to Nostrand Avenue. (Check out a map of the M-1 zone after the jump.) The DCP does not have the funds or resources to conduct an environmental study there and suggested that property owners fund the study themselves. According to board members, Council Member Tish James has pushed for rezoning this area and turning the old manufacturing buildings into affordable housing. Board members said both affordable housing and increasing public space are big priorities if the area gets rezoned. They suggested lobbying, raising money from officials, and encouraging community outreach to conduct the study of the M-1 zone with state money. For now, though, the board is still trying to figure out its vision for the entire rezoning. They plan to continue the discussion at next month’s Housing Committee meeting, which is held the first Thursday of the month, 6:30pm at 727 Classon Avenue.

The area of rezoning in question is labeled on the map as M1-1.