City Report: Rezoning East New York Will Increase Safety, Jobs and Affordable Housing
As the city contemplates rezoning in East New York and elsewhere, City Planning has released a study that recommends increasing density along major thoroughfares there while keeping residential side streets as they are — not unlike the rezonings along 4th Avenue or in Crown Heights. The report bills itself as a study of how to…
As the city contemplates rezoning in East New York and elsewhere, City Planning has released a study that recommends increasing density along major thoroughfares there while keeping residential side streets as they are — not unlike the rezonings along 4th Avenue or in Crown Heights.
The report bills itself as a study of how to increase safety, jobs and affordable housing in East New York, rather than being a guide to upzoning. The report notes that “the area’s existing rowhouses and small apartment buildings, located on the residential side streets between the neighborhood’s retail corridors, have been a source of stability” for the neighborhood. The report recommends “contextual zoning” to retain and promote these buildings and to “ensure that new infill development complements the existing built residential character.”
Meanwhile, the report recommends new, mixed-income housing and mixed-use development “along key transit corridors,” especially Atlantic Avenue. Vacant, derelict and under-used sites there are ripe for development, according to the report:
Provide opportunities for thousands of new housing units as well as for jobs on vacant or underutilized sites along key transit corridors in East New York. Atlantic Avenue offers the greatest potential for higher-density, mixed-use development with several large strategic sites. New housing and neighborhood stores could also be supported by the existing transit lines along Pitkin Avenue and Fulton Street. A wide range of resources, including housing subsidies and zoning mechanisms, could ensure that this new housing would be affordable to households at a range of income levels.
The City Planning Department also wants to bring jobs and higher-density housing to Broadway Junction. It hopes to increase safety on the streets for pedestrians with better sidewalks, traffic lights and other improvements. NY YIMBY was the first to cover the report; it recommended more density than City Planning calls for.
Do you think a rezoning and more density is the key to improving the quality of life in East New York?
Image by City Planning
This plan makes me nervous and anxious at the same time. I would love for my neighborhood to meet it’s potential but this can lead to losing the community that has stuck it out. In a couple of years Woodhaven will be the next Ridgewood.
As a resident of the neighborhood it seems like they got it right for the most part. What ENY needs desperately is landmarking and historic districts. There are tons of Victorian, Woodframe and Brick row houses that will be lost in this mad frenzy to develop, look up the Schenck Farmhouse on Barbey st. between Atlantic ave. and Fulton. Most of Cypress Hills should be preserved as well as many sections of Cityline. They also seem to have left out the Cityline business district on Liberty ave. east of this map, it’s mostly low rise stores but heavily used by locals for shopping. There is also nothing for the South west end of the ENY which borders Brownsville and is probably the area in need of development most.
There is also Arlington Village and the half burned down dairy mill (Euclid ave. and Atlantic) that would accommodate huge high rise development and since Atlantic doesn’t have a ton of historic buildings it should do well with taller development, maybe not 30 stories since the rest of the neighborhood barely goes over 3 stories. Theres also huge lots sitting unused on the south end of the neighborhood near Spring Creek/Gateway mall that seems to not have been included. The area around Pennsylvania south of Bway Junction is mostly underutilized industrial so they won’t be displacing too many residents and very few historic structures worth saving, 30 story building would do well here since it’s at a huge transit hub.