Man on the Street: Ready for a Rezone, Sunset Park?
With City Planning promising to fast track a study that could result in much of Sunset Park being rezoned, we hit the neighborhood to ask people whether they’d heard about the possible change and what they thought about it. Our completely unscientific survey found that while most Sunset Parkers didn’t know about the rezoning push,…
With City Planning promising to fast track a study that could result in much of Sunset Park being rezoned, we hit the neighborhood to ask people whether they’d heard about the possible change and what they thought about it. Our completely unscientific survey found that while most Sunset Parkers didn’t know about the rezoning push, a lot of them are in favor of putting caps on how high developers can build. Here’s what a few of the folks we polled had to say.
“I’ve heard something about it. Personally, I don’t like the new condos—I work in Williamsburg, and I’ve seen how they’re changing the neighborhood. I’d like Sunset Park to stay the way it is now.”
Roberto; has lived in Sunset Park all my life
“I haven’t heard about it, but I think it’s a good idea. I don’t like high buildings.”
Joanna; has lived in Sunset Park for five years.
“First time I’ve heard about it. I don’t think they should be able to build any higher, though. Sunset Park is decent and nice, but the neighborhood needs to be kept cleaner.”
Boysie; has lived in Sunset Park for 10 years
“I agree with downzoning because it’s Brooklyn. If you want high buildings, you can go to Manhattan.”
Yenny; has lived in Sunset Park for 15 years.
“I haven’t heard about it, but they need to ask a lot of questions about aesthetics and culture before they make any decisions. They need to find a balance. I like high buildings, but I also like that Brooklyn is like a village but it’s still the city. It’s not something that should be decided quickly.”
Natalia; has lived in Borough Park for three years; often visits Sunset Park
Sunset Park One Step Closer to Rezoning [Brownstoner]
Guest at 11:34 —
“Park Slope already had sufficient density when downzoning went down.”
??? How did you decide that? How did you determine that the density was “sufficient”? Why stop at 5 story buildings?
My guess is that your determination is aesthetic, and therefore not something that can be determined by those laws of supply and demand. Just like the homeowners in the South Slope who didn’t want their backyards overshadowed from all sides acted out of aesthetic concerns.
Once again, the point about housing is that it isn’t a pure commodity. People are about other things than money — as hard as it may be for you to believe.
11:13
“By your logic, Park Slope homes should have plummeted in value when that neighborhood was downzoned. Is that what’s happened?”
Not so. Park Slope already had sufficient density when the down zoning went down. There are many six story buildings in Park Slope and even more five story buildings above the limits R6B. Magnificent buildings in fact. And it is not a question of plummeting property values in any event. The density dollars are not all in the pockets of the developers, they are also in the pockets of the tenants whose rent is lowered by the increased available supply. The downzoning is really a formula for astronomical rents for very small apartments in sometimes worn, shoddy frame houses. Improving those properties under the new regs is prohibitively expensive for the small owner occupier who doesn’t have the resources or ability to manipulate the system but a piece of cake for the big developer.
“i don’t trust some of the people making these comments in support of the rezoning. i feel that some of them are actually in cahoots with developers who want to screw-up sunset park with condos”
Ah, that’s kind of the point the point. Developers are/will screw-up SSP because of the current zoning and the multitude of loop holes: community facility bonus, corner lot bonus, parking bonus, available air rights bonus…on and on.
“August 24, 2007 10:34 AM” This person is the exact time of individual who needs the education to make the best decision for their neighborhood. Seriously misinformed.
Rezoners in cahoots with developers? Perhaps on 4th Ave (on a long shot), but other than that “when pigs fly.”
Guest at 8/24 12:48 AM — The only side of the debate that you seem to hear is the one with dollar signs. I guess you cannot grasp that to many people their homes and neighborhoods are not pure commodities. They are not looking to convert their properties into dollars. They make their lives in their homes and communities and want these places to retain their character and scale.
In any case, if development continues on 4th Ave., the homes on the side streets will certainly continue to increase in value. I don’t see how South Slope home owners are big losers. Yes, they can no longer sell their home as a development site, but that doesn’t mean their home has lost value.
By your logic, Park Slope homes should have plummeted in value when that neighborhood was downzoned. Is that what’s happened?
i don’t trust some of the people making these comments in support of the rezoning. i feel that some of them are actually in cahoots with developers who want to screw-up sunset park with condos, so they pose as residents and try to convince everyone what a great idea rezoning is. comments are great but take them with a grain of salt. i guess that means mine as well. oh well.
i dont have a problem with tall buildings, but I have a problem with ugly buildings.
I guess its the nature of the “debate” on development. People are made to be afraid by a very driven process where by a few politicians and community leaders scare people into thinking the community they love is coming to an end. What happened in the “South Slope” really devalued a lot of peoples properties. Those people were not real well educated and sort of taken along for a ride. As is presently going on in Carroll Gardens (though already a much wealthier neighborhood with more “brownstone” housing stock) only one side of the “debate” is being heard. DeBlasio has latched on to the down-zoning to protect his political cred against the anti-Atlantic Yards people. But the people who own the many two-story frame houses in the South Slope really lost an enormous amount of property value in the process. Who benefitted? The owners of the property in the adjoining locations that were upzoned, thats who. Meanwhile the rubes in the neighborhood, voluntarily screwed themselves out of a million or so in property values. I don’t blame DeBlasio, he is just another guy who wants to be elected Borough Pres because he is term limited.
I like the feature too, but I in the interest of accuracy I would like to see the actual questions and how they are framed. There is a big response difference regarding down-zoning if you ask “how do you feel about all the big buildings going up around here blocking your view and ruining your parking?” or if you ask “would you like this neighborhood down-zoned so that the rents will be higher and the apartments smaller and your house worth a lot less”.
And I might add that the majority of the folks who came out time and time again to advocate for the rezoning WERE one-two family home owners, so again, I say BS to the fact “no one knew and now the home owners are screwed” comments above.
The neighborhoods were under siege. It was a war zone if you walked around the neighborhood. Mostly though, folks advocated for contextual, responsible and safe development. Pre-November 2005, none of that was going on.
Regardless of your POV about the Sunset Park rezoning study, the important thing here is to engage all levels of the community in the process.
guest at August 23, 2007 10:16 AM
BULLSHIT!
Tons of public review vai forums and work shops were done via CB7 and community groups like the South Park Slope Community Group, Concerned Citizens of Greenwood Hts., FAC, UPROSE, BP Markowitz’s office, CM deBlasio and CM Gonzalez offices.
The rezoning “story” was in the NY Times, NYDN, NY Post, ALL of the Courier Life Publications, Brooklyn Paper, NY1 and BKLYN News 12 for 2+ years.
So unless you were asleep or stoned for 3 years (May of 2003-November 2005, when the new zoning passed), you have got to be kidding me?
When did you move to the area? Post 2005? And unless you are in the teenie-tiny area that had the lowest density rezoning of R5B, what’s up with putting on a kitchen extension? If you are not, then your home must already be over built.
But you should know that as an architect, right?
Please do not misrepresent the rezoning of South Park Slope/Greenwood Hts. like VERY FEW of the shills for the developers did at the time.
As far as Sunset Park goes, greater outreach is needed! An educated resident, owner or renter, will make a better advocate (either for lower or higher density) when the public review process starts.
Thanks for doing this report Mr. B.