BROOKLYN (VINnews/Sandy Eller) – Concerned Borough Parkers are hoping that Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso will join the growing list of those expressing opposition to a requested zoning change that could bring a 93 foot high apartment building to a residential street, during a public hearing to be held next week.
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At issue is a parcel of undeveloped land, composed of several lots located on 57th Street between 12th and 13th avenues.
According to an Environmental Assessment Statement submitted by the developer, changing the zoning from R5 to R6A would allow for the construction of an eight story 79,330 square foot building that would be supplemented with a 10 foot tall bulkhead.
Currently, buildings on Borough Park’s residential streets have been restricted to a height of three stories, with taller structures located only on the neighborhood’s avenues.
Several hundred Borough Parkers turned out at a Community Board 12 meeting on April 20th to express their opposition to the zoning change. Community Board 12’s zoning committee voted unanimously against the change, with the full board voting in an advisory capacity to reject the proposal.
A grassroots group opposing the zone change is urging community members to attend the May 15th public hearing held by Reynoso at Brooklyn Borough Hall to continue demonstrating public opposition to the project, with free transportation available from Borough Park.
Resident Avrumi Klein told VIN News that the zoning proposal is similar in many ways to another submitted for a proposed Dyker Heights development. That project, which would have been located on the four lane-wide 86th Street, was withdrawn by the developer after it was soundly rejected by the local community, reported Brooklyn Eagle (bit.ly/41iJjlU).
Klein noted that a major difference between the two projects was that the Dyker Heights developer was a long-time resident of the community, while the Borough Park project is being developed by an outsider. Klein named the developer as Staten Islander John Gulino, Richmond County’s former democratic party chairman, who was named number 12 on the list of 50 most influential Staten Islanders by City & State New York in 2019.
“This developer doesn’t care about the community,” Klein told VIN News, adding that a revised proposal submitted by the developer for a shorter building is meaningless without the initial plans being withdrawn. “It is crucial for people to show up and voice their opinions. We need to show the borough president that Borough Park doesn’t want this.”
Reynoso’s support or rejection of the zone change is just the next step in the process with the final decision resting in the hands of the City Council.
What about the developers from Boro park that came into Crown Heights and put up buildings with bedrooms that dont fit two beds.
Hmmmm makes me think of places like Tom’s river Jacksonville where certain people are also trying to change certain zoning laws to better their situation.
If you want to live in a specific community and there is no more space left – there isn’t much choice than to appeal for a variance in the zoning to build more. If its a developer – like in most cases and same here, then its just someone trying to cash out on the high demand of the area taking away from the existing residents quality of life.
Pretty soon it won’t be livable in nyc
Can someone explain? When the non jewish neighbors in upcoming jewish neighborhoods in upstate or New Jersey try stopping people from expanding their homes or switching the zoning to their benefit they are called anti semites. Why are jews allowed to stop jews from expanding?
What can be done if someone on my block put up a 4 story building with 6 families without a single permit,in a R5 zoning that allows 3 stories, 3 families
Mr. Klein: what a waste of time shlepping people to those hearings.
It all depends how mush $$$ those developers contribute to the elected officials.
The have the last word and as long they stuff their banks with campaign money you are wasting your time and money…
I shudder to think about how many people will find their cars boxed in by triple-parked vehicles!
Must be someone wealthy on that block that’s driving all this nose. There’s a ton of single family homes in Boro Park that got turned into 10 unit monstrosities. Why should this one block be an exception.
What was on this property before?
Don’t remember any empty lats, although I have to say I haven’t been on that block in a long time. I did live there for the first number of years of my life.
That is literally the ugliest building I have ever seen.
I disagree! There are tons of 6 floor apartment buildings on streets and not only on Avenues. This should be embraced as a win win for Frum young new couples who don’t have where to move into, and meanwhile renting basement apartments!
If only they can move the #1 upward to have the spaces between all numbers uniformed
I support this vehemently
Is there a parking garage at least?
It is very convenient to show picture with the 3 story (+ basement) building next door, however, a quick google street view search will show that the other side of that building already has a 7 story building! Building this 8 story apartment block on probably one of the last large empty plots in Boro Park – which has to incorporate parking is probably a good thing for everyone.