INTRODUCTION
The Department of City Planning proposes to change
the zoning in an eight-block area, known as Bridge
Plaza, near Downtown Brooklyn in Community District
2. The proposed rezoning, from a light manufacturing
district (M1-1) to medium-density districts permitting
residential and commercial uses, responds to the
community's wish to preserve the neighborhood's
residential character and to provide for limited
commercial and residential development.
Bridge Plaza has been predominantly residential
dating back to the 1800's when it housed workers
from the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Most of the existing
residential buildings were constructed in the
late 1800's and early 1900's along Concord and
Duffield Streets. When the Manhattan Bridge was
constructed in 1903, the neighborhood was bisected
by Flatbush Avenue Extension. Today, land uses
in the area are a mixture of three- and four-story
residential buildings, mixed use buildings, commercial
and auto-related uses and community facilities.
The proposed zoning change from M1-1 to R6B, C4-3
and C6-2 would more accurately reflect these uses.
Bridge Plaza is situated between access points
to the Manhattan Bridge and the Brooklyn-Queens
Expressway (BQE). The area to be rezoned is bounded
by Jay Street to the west, Nassau Street to the
north, Tillary Street to the south and Prince
Street to the east. The rezoning area is adjacent
to several medium-density residential developments,
community facilities and open spaces. Residential
uses include the NYCHA Farragut and Ingersoll
Houses (zoned R6) to the north and southeast and
Concord Village (zoned R7-1) to the west. A community
center, Public School 287 and several strips of
city-owned open space beneath the BQE are to the
east. A fire house, police station, police training
academy, two residential loft conversions and
an automobile salesroom are on the south side
of Tillary Street and east of Flatbush Avenue
Extension. The area south of Bridge Plaza and
west of Flatbush Avenue Extension contains McLaughlin
Park, George Westinghouse High School, New York
City Technical College and building 11 of Metrotech
Center which contains the Emergency Response System
offices. (See context map and photos)
PUBLIC REVIEW
PROCESS
The Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP)
application for the proposed zoning changes
(C020263
ZMK) was certified as complete by the Department
of City Planning on March 17, 2003. Brooklyn's
Community Board 2 held a public hearing on the
proposal on April 30, 2003 and the Brooklyn
Borough
President held a public hearing on May 21, 2003.
Both Community Board 2 and the Brooklyn Borough
President have issued recommendations for approval
of the proposed zoning map changes. The City
Planning
Commission held a public hearing on the proposal
on June 18, 2003 and on July 23, 2003, voted
unanimously
to approve the application ( read
the CPC Report).
The zoning map changes were adopted by the City
Council on August 19,
2003.
Contact the Brooklyn Office at (718) 780-8280
for more information.
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