Lefferts Place Threatened by Healthcare Developer
A company wanting to build an out-of-context low-income independent living facility for seniors on a lot at 86 Lefferts Place that runs through the block to Atlantic Avenue has residents up in arms. The company, CNR Healthcare, is trying to get the block rezoned from R6B to R7A to enable them to build the center…
A company wanting to build an out-of-context low-income independent living facility for seniors on a lot at 86 Lefferts Place that runs through the block to Atlantic Avenue has residents up in arms. The company, CNR Healthcare, is trying to get the block rezoned from R6B to R7A to enable them to build the center under Section 202 of HUD only a couple of years after the entire area was downzoned to prevent something like this happening. The juxtaposition would be particularly jarring given that the new six-story building would be plunked down between the landmarked yellow house at 70 Lefferts place and the old green house at 96 Lefferts Place. Ouch! According to residents who’ve tried to work towards some kind of compromise, the company has shown no interest in working with the community to create a more palatable alternative, opting instead to push for a rezoning. The whole thing sounds pretty darn shady to us and we hope that there will be some politicians who stand up and oppose it. In the meantime, you can express your opposition to this spot-rezoning proposal by signing this petition. GMAP P*Shark
About once or twice a day Brownstoner makes a comment that seems straight from DIBs’ mouth. That is, an asinine comment…
Maybe Jane Jacobs never lived in the “Ghetto” but I spent the first eighteen years of my life there, and what “Ghettos” prove is that mixed age race class etc. etc. is best for keeping a neighborhood alive and preventing the clusterf***s like Washington. I’m not active in this stuff, so I don’t know about that one; I was just commenting on this thread as someone who likes that little pocket of Clinton Hill a lot.
What I didn’t think you gave a hoot about architecture? Are you getting soft?
thank you thewackmole1!
*rob*
First off – the people on Lefferts Place that disagree with the proposed development are not a bunch of NIMBYs since we already have an affordable complex on our block – which by the way started out as affordable housing for low income seniors. Currently it is not one.
Secondly – the zoning change that they are proposing does not bring the zoning back to what it was pre-2007. It is essentially zoning a very residential and historic block to the same zoning designation as Atlantic, Fulton and Myrtle Aves!!! This does not make sense.
Lastly – Atlantic, Fulton and Myrtle were rezoned specifically to support projects like these. In fact affordable complexes are going up all over Atlantic Ave. There are still many empty lots on those streets. Why should Lefferts Place be singled out from the 85 blocks in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill that just got their streets re-zoned to R6B. It doesn’t make sense!
I was lost on the twitter comment yesterday, but I’m fluent in zoning – so for those of you who want to understand what’s really going on here: R6B allows a 2.0 FAR, max bldg hieght of 50′ after a setback at 40′. R7A allows for 4.0 FAR and a max bldg hight of 80′ after a setback at 65′. So these people are basically arguing about 30′ of bldg height versus housing for poor old people.
Yes, bxgrl, you are right to point out that in this case the objections are more about looks than use. And I don’t think it would be such a big deal to make this place look like it fits in. Can it really be that much cheaper to build some ugly box? I mean, I’ve made a lot of Ikea kitchens in my day, and people ask me to design theirs! They can’t believe they are looking at a 5K kitchen.
The possibility that an underlying cause of distress is that it also “just doesn’t look good” to have all those old people out there sunning themselves on a summer day–
I’m a very aesthetically driven person, but the fetishization of a particular aesthetic I see on this site would include the banishment of old ladies–especially poor-to-middle-income ones!
I was so sorry to see the Graham Home for Old Ladies get turned into condos. I planned on rehabbing it for me and a few of my friends; commune, not condo.
It is not immoral to oppose this structure. It’s immoral to support CNR so that they can use tax dollars to make as much of a profit as possible. There are actually vacant lots right behind this site on Atlantic, owned by the same landlord. CNR can go build any size building they want there, without changing the zoning laws. They are choosing this site because it guarantees them the most profit, hence money in the executives pockets. They should take this HUD money, and go work with the city on the hundreds of empty lots all over Brooklyn that were just re-zoned for large buildings. We dont need a 10 or 15 story building on this block. Then CNR can do what they want. This is a GOOD neighborhood. Most residents have lived here for over 30 years because they WANT to.
“NY needs housing…” !?!?
What era are you in?