A Cautionary Tale: Results of CB8's Resolution to City Planning

The well-organized, fully functional community board for Brooklyn's District 8, working in concert with former Borough President Marty Markowitz, made several requests for "corrective action" to their zoning status. According to a document distributed by MTOPP at the last meeting of CB9, not a single one of CB8's specific requests or Markowitz's "recommendations" was granted.

NOT ONE.

What was asked for? Mandatory affordable housing for any buildings taller than 60 feet (NO); New affordable units to be built on site or within CB8 (NO); A 50% preference for CB8 residents applying for affordable units in the district (NO); Affordable housing income requirements to reflect the median income of CD8 residents (NO).

As for Marty's recommendations: Noting that upzoning had not enticed developers to build any affordable housing, he asked that increased heights and floor area rations be limited to developments that provide permanent affordable housing (DENIED); That R6A zoning on residential streets allowing for excessive heights be rezoned to R6B to preserve the character of the neighborhood (DENIED); No upzoning in areas where 3-4 story buildings on small lots predominate (DENIED); Creation of a Special Enhanced Commercial District on Franklin Avenue to insure that the new development, potentially as much as 50% of the area, preserved the retail corridor (DENIED).

So if you think that the Department of City Planning and their overseers in Big Real Estate care one fig for what the residents of any neigborhood have to say about their future, or if members of CB9 think anything postive can come of a resolution to City Planning, no matter how carefully worded, they are mistaken unto delusional. The only hope we have of defeating BRE plans to turn this neighborhood into a luxury tax haven is by denying CP permission to study us at all. For our collective good, Empire Boulevard needs to be removed from the parameters!