Commish: Fort Greene Next for Downzoning
Freebie subway reader Metro had an interesting interview with City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden this morning. The most notable nugget for us was her statement that Fort Greene will be the next neighborhood to be down-zoned. “We’re entering discussions with the community this week,” she said. Maybe the phallus won’t get built after all. Redeveloping…
Freebie subway reader Metro had an interesting interview with City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden this morning. The most notable nugget for us was her statement that Fort Greene will be the next neighborhood to be down-zoned. “We’re entering discussions with the community this week,” she said. Maybe the phallus won’t get built after all.
Redeveloping New York City [Metro]
LOL! Well said anon at January 26, 2006 10:24 PM
Well, they live in crime ridden slums now while at the same time living in crappy dwellings.
If you’re going to live in a crime ridden slum, it might as well be in a brownstone.
Wah wah give baby his brownstone if you buy a house here I’m running away and taking my ball and then you won’t get to play at all!
Good idea Anon 10.02am, then you’ll have a flight of well off people leaving brownstone Brooklyn as property values plummet and your working class can live in a crime ridden slum. Well thought out.
I think we should push for as much development as possible wherever we can get it. This will mean more housing for the city’s working class residents and lowered real estate values for all of you wealthy, square glass wearing brownstone owners. I hope they build a freaking skyscraper on 7th Avenue. And throw a few housing projects in for good measure.
Although downsizing does reduce the maximum allowable square footage that a lot may contain (it’s maximum floor area ration: FAR) the downsizing really has more to do with bringing about contextual design; that is, capping building heights, reducing setbacks, etc. This is to protect the character of the neighborhood and so that developers will not demolish a 19th century building to gain 3 floors of rental space.
I agree linus. The R6B downzoning push in FG/CH covers residential streets of brownstones and freestanding mansions, as well as few old apartment buildings. I think if you look at the map it is reasonable.
I’m all for downsizing if it is balanced with sufficient and sensible upsizing. I think what was done in Park Slope with 4th Avenue is a good example. Now, I live between 4th and 5th Avenue, so I’m in sight of the 12-story monstrosity that Boymelgreen is erecting at 4th Ave and 5th St. Would I rather not look at it? Sure. But it’s a reasonable compromise to maintain the scale of our side streets. And it would be obnoxious of someone like me, who is lucky enough to own a house, to pull up the ladder behind myself and say there’s no room at the inn. New York is a growing city and that can be a pain but it beats the alternative imho.
Down zoning from R6 to R6B will help to preserve historic district feel. To make it simple: it will prevent building set back high tower right next to historic district. Downzoning area is biger then historic dist.
http://www.historicfortgreene.org/r6b.html