amandaburden01.jpgCity Planning chief Amanda Burden (right) showed up at Polytechnic University last Wednesday night introduce some long-awaited details about the re-zoning of Clinton Hill and Fort Greene. Similar in concept to what happened in Park Slope, the plan is to down-zone the interior blocks while allowing developers to build bigger buildings on the three most commercial avenues in the area — Myrtle, Fulton and the northern side of Atlantic. The upshot: Developers who own property in the down-zoned areas have until sometime near the end of this year (depending on the speed of the approval process) to get their plans approved and foundations in the ground. In the meantime, prices should be rising for prime locations on the aforementioned avenues. The new R7/R7A zoning there will let developers build a 3.45 FAR as of right and up to 4.5 FAR by using inclusionary zoning. (All this means is that to get the bonus FAR, the developer must build affordable housing somewhere in CB2, not in the development itself.) One developer we talked to was a little disappointed in the 3.45 number, saying that he had expected it to be closer to 4; nonetheless, he said, it should still be a good shot of adrenaline for building on the avenues.


What's Your Take? Leave a Comment

  1. Robert – Good point, well taken.

    I would recomend you get the word out about this thread, and make other threads and venues available soon. You should start one on the CB2 website (as well as update it – not offense, but it does a poor job of connecting the community and seems a little pretensious; there isnt even a calendar of events). I have a feeling the ULURP will fly through in record time, and the communtiy will have little chance to make an impression. On CB2, DCP, and all ULURP parties.

  2. I request that people (e.g.: anon 8:17 at 8:16 pm, Anonymous 8:33 am) not make statements about the position of Community Board 2 until it has taken a position as part of its ULURP review of the still-uncertified application.

    I am, however, interested in reading people’s opinions of the proposed rezoning, if this thread can have a shelf-life of greater than 48 hours.

    Robert Perris, District Manager
    Community Board 2

  3. The difference isn’t quite as huge as some people are stating. The as-of-right FAR in an R6 district on a “wide street”, that is, one of 75 feet or wider, is actually 3.0, not 2.43. With the as-of-right FAR on Myrtle & Fulton under the proposed inclusionary R7A being 3.45, it’s not that huge of a jump. And as people have stated, the 4.6 FAR is only reached if a developer agrees to do 20% affordable units. The FGA, CB2, and others are not opposed to this change, as it was deemed necessary to offset the loss of FAR on the residential streets.