Lifting Height Limits on More of Fourth Avenue

The Post is reporting this morning that the city is "quietly circulating" a proposal to allow developers to build up to 12 stories along Fourth Avenue between 15th and 24th Streets in the South Slope. (In 2003, the city rezoned the northern end of Fourth Avenue from Warren Street to 15th Street.) The proposal also includes provisions that would simultaneously restrict the size of buildings on residential side streets in the South Slope, Windsor Terracea and Sunset Park in an apparent effort to ease residents' concerns about "out-of-scale" construction. The city estimates that the rezoning could result in about 300 units of new housing over the next 10 years.
City to Raise Roof on B'kln Housing [NY Post]

Comments

Sounds like a reasonable plan to me. Good balance. Fourth Avenue is wide, so taller buildings can be more easily accomodated. Towers plunked down in the middle of side blocks are much more problematic.

Posted by: Daniel at August 12, 2005 9:56 AM

Post article is wrong however when it says that the previous zoning change led to a rash of new development on 4th. While 2 projects are under (very slow) construction, there is relatively little development considering the market. City might try to invest in a bit of greenery to make the avenue a bit more hospitable.

Posted by: David at August 12, 2005 10:08 AM

It's taking a while, but there are now a bunch of 4th Avenue projects going on (new Scarano project on their website; the one at 4th street now above ground; new demolition happening; etc.). I suspect the avenue will look a lot different in 5 years.

And I agree that it's better to have the construction on 4th Ave than on the side streets. 4th is a mess in many places, while a lot of the side streets are nice but are already being subject to a bunch of out-of-context building.

Ron Weasley

Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2005 10:16 AM

Ever see pics of 4th Avenue before subway was built - (not the sandwich shop). Beautiful parkway look - like Eastern Pkwy.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2005 10:17 AM

This change can't happen soon enough for this community.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2005 11:09 AM

That Scarano project hasnt started, the one on 1st street hasnt moved in almost 1yr and the one at 4th street is progressing at a snails pace - I have also seen no other demolition. I suspect that in 5yrs 4th Avenue will look more or less the same except for about 4 out of place buildings which depending on when the bubble pops may or may not be struggling for tenants. I hope I'm wrong

Posted by: David at August 12, 2005 12:58 PM

Good for the side streets unless you happen to own the first house in from 4th Ave. Anyway, anyone who uses Forth Ave in the morning or the evening rush hours knows it has the potential to turn from a major highway to a parking lot in an instant. If you want to live on Fourth Ave., Its better to be living on the 12th floor. (fantastic sunsets).

Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2005 1:14 PM

Not soon enough Mr. Brownstoner! I really don't believe the affordable housing angle though.

About Fourth Avenue... You know you can get your flat fixed and pick up a McBurger at 12 p.m. I love Brooklyn.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2005 1:25 PM

whatever happened to the plan (discussed about 2 yrs ago) to refurb 4th ave into "brooklyn's park avenue" with a planting strip in the center and more generous sidewalks?

Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2005 1:35 PM

You may be right David. We will just have to wait and see. The new demolition is somewhere around 6th street or so on the 3rd Ave side -- a big metal storage structure of somekind. There is new scafolding there from one of the companies that specializes in demolition.

One of the reasons for the slow progression is that, at least according to a number of articles I have read, the Brooklyn building permit approval process has a lot of delays right now.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2005 2:45 PM

Pending development on 4th ave. was the cover story in BKLYN magazine a couple months ago - did anyone see that? There's a lot in the pipeline - Boymelgreen seems to figure prominently in the plans for the Ave.
I think it's a good thing for the housing market, a bad thing for people who will actually have to cross 4th ave. to get from their homes to shopping, the playground or anywhere else.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2005 5:40 PM

I heard from a local architect that one of the problems has been building over the subway.. very little room to dig underground. That is a particular problem because they want to build high-rises which require parking (required for more than 8 unit buildings, i think), and nobody wants them above-ground.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2005 7:21 PM

Being privy to the rezoning of the area first hand from City Planning, I can attest, that unlike the rezoning on 4th in PSlope 2 yrs back, the new up-zoning would work in a similar affordable housing component. You want to go the full height (12 stories), then you need to set aside 20% for affordable housing (what's affordable is questionable when the income bracket gets jacked by all the new development), similar to Williamsburg/Greenpoint. The housing must be on-site or no more than 1/2 mile from the new building...interesting. Being a benefactor of the downzoning part of the rezone, I am pleased, but I still cringe a bit about 4th. Hopefully it will be the balance we are all looking for...

I encourage everyone to get the low-down in person from City Planning at the first public hearing at Community Board 7 (43rd/4th Ave), Aug. 24th at 6pm for the ULURP. Listen, learn, bitch, whatever and hopefully show support. See you there!

Posted by: lostinbrooklyn at August 13, 2005 7:52 PM

300 units over 10 years? Will people ever understand that if you restrict the supply, you will never have "affordable" housing?

Posted by: JoshK at August 15, 2005 11:33 PM

We've got to build housing somewhere. Why not 4th Avenue in Park Slope? The low rise character of the side streets can be preserved with the plan for higher buildings on 4th Avenue.

Posted by: DN at August 16, 2005 11:25 AM

I think the 300 units was a misprint. 300 buildings seems more like the trend. We'll have 63 new units by next year in my 2 block radius alone! And I'm not even on 4th. No dearth of housing, in my opinion, for the near future. It's the "affordable" adjective that has me questioning...

Again, another plug, but if you are interested in this topic, PLEASE SHOW UP at the CB7 public hearing for the proposed rezoning on Aug. 24th, 6:00pm @ CB7 (43rd St/4th Ave).

Posted by: lostinbrooklyn at August 18, 2005 10:38 AM

If anyone is still following this thread, there was a hearing regarding this zoning this past Thursday with Borough Pres. Markowitz at Borough Hall. Community members still largely in support of the "downzoning" the DOP drew up, although lots of concerns about developments already in the pipes on and nr. 4th and 5th avenues getting pushed through to beat new zoning despite lots of safety concerns. If anyone has information or wants to know more about these developments, feel free to email me at bruce_Wallace@hotmail.com

Posted by: bruce at September 24, 2005 3:02 PM

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August 12, 2005

Lifting Height Limits on More of Fourth Avenue

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