FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 16, 2005
CONTACTS:
Rachaele Raynoff, Press Secretary -- (212) 720-3471
CITY PLANNING CERTIFIES ZONING PROPOSAL TO PRESERVE CHARACTER OF
BENSONHURST, BROOKLYN
February 16, 2005 – The public review process is officially underway for a proposed rezoning to protect the character of 120 blocks in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, City Planning Director Amanda M. Burden announced. The application is on its way to Brooklyn’s Community District 11, after City Planning officially "certified" the plan as complete earlier this week. The proposal would provide protections against out-of-scale construction for the predominantly low-rise neighborhood, while maintaining the ability for apartment house infill on wide east-west streets with an existing apartment house character. The proposal builds on the Bloomberg administration’s commitment to maintain the City’s primarily low density neighborhoods that are being challenged by development pressures.
"There are growing concerns about out-of-scale buildings that interrupt a continuous streetscape of low-rise houses in Bensonhurst," said Ms. Burden, "So we are proposing new zoning tailored to ensure that new development will better reflect the prevailing nature of the buildings on each block while also retaining opportunities for moderately-scaled apartment house development on Kings Highway near subway stations."
The area proposed for rezoning is in southwestern Brooklyn and is bounded by Bay Parkway and 61st Street on the north, McDonald Avenue on the east, Avenue U on the south and Stillwell Avenue on the west. The zoning proposal would:
- Reinforce the established built context and prevent out-of-character development;
- Establish a three-story height limit where low-rise housing predominates;
- Permit apartment house construction, with height limits, on major east-west thoroughfares – Kings Highway, Quentin Road and parts of Avenue P and 65th Street; and
- Eliminate the potential for community facility and mixed use buildings that are significantly larger than permitted residential structures.
The community board now has 60 days to review the proposal, after which it will go to the Borough President, the City Planning Commission and the City Council as part of the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP). For specifics of the zoning proposal or more details on the ULURP timeline, please visit the DCP website.
About City Planning
The Department of City Planning is responsible for the City's physical and socioeconomic planning, including land use and environmental review; preparation of plans and policies; and provision of technical assistance and planning information to government agencies, public officials, and community boards.
Return to the Press Release Archive
|
