Downzone Prospect Heights?

Those of you following the successful downzoning of South Slope may be interested in this latest electronic mail message, to Daily Heights from the office of Tish James:

Hi, I work for Council Member James. She would like to form an advisory board about downzoning Prospect Heights...

Council Member Letitia James is forming an advisory board to make recommendations on downzoning Prospect Heights. In light of all the development in the area, Tish wants to follow the example of other parts of Brooklyn who have sought to limit what developers can build. The Board would meet monthly (possibly more at certain times).
Contact Kate Suisman in her office at [email hidden] to get involved in protecting our neighborhood.

SWEET

best news I've heard all day

well, it's been a really crappy day, so that's not all that much to write home about, I guess, but that's really good.

It's too bad they can't make that ugly-ass building across Washington from me go away. bastards.

This is good news

question: why does she need an advisory board that meets monthly to just do something that needs to be done?

any reason not to go ahead and do it?

Smokin' Joe wrote: question: why does she need an advisory board that meets monthly to just do something that needs to be done.

perhaps: consensus building on the how's and why's as well as giving all her constituents the opportunity to partake in policy making = the marks of a smart and effective politician?

Downzoning in and of itself is not necessarily a good thing, and I believe people would want to look at the details and potential impact within such a proposal before screaming "hooray, no more development!"

Downzoning (like that in Park Slope) is typically done once a neighborhood has had some level of neighborhood and economic redevelopment to the point that runaway development may start to damage the good progress made. Taking a walk around PH, I see little to indicate the neighborhood has risen to a critical mass of economic redevelopment and stimulus to warrant slapping a cap on it prematurely.

I spent about 20 years working in historic preservation of buildings and neighborhoods in several states. The no-growth, 100% preservation tactic never works and often makes things worse over the long term for the area and residents that were trying to be saved.

Development in and of itself is not a bad thing, it just needs to be done in a smart way.

sterling2000 wrote: Taking a walk around PH, I see little to indicate the neighborhood has risen to a critical mass of economic redevelopment and stimulus to warrant slapping a cap on it prematurely.

Good point.

I think Latisha James is jumping on every band wagon she can find. This is not a sign of a good politician.
For those of us who have live in Prospect Heights for the past 30 years know what it's been like to have no type of services on this side of Flatbush Avenue. Now that we are seeing some signs of growth, there's been talk of downsizing? Its a joke.

lovemynabe wrote: Good point.

I think Latisha James is jumping on every band wagon she can find. This is not a sign of a good politician.
For those of us who have live in Prospect Heights for the past 30 years know what it's been like to have no type of services on this side of Flatbush Avenue. Now that we are seeing some signs of growth, there's been talk of downsizing? Its a joke.

A potential influx of high rises =/= growth of services. If anything it's a greater strain on what little there is already. An advisory board in itself isn't a bad thing. Maybe if you're so anti-downsizing, you should join.

muteflute wrote:

It's too bad they can't make that ugly-ass building across Washington from me go away. bastards.

The simple answer to this is to save and renovate the good buildings, demolish the "ugly-ass" ones and encourage redevelopment with better building stock. This is a harder thing to do if you start going the downzoning route.

lovemynabe wrote: [quote=sterling2000] Taking a walk around PH, I see little to indicate the neighborhood has risen to a critical mass of economic redevelopment and stimulus to warrant slapping a cap on it prematurely.

Good point.

I think Latisha James is jumping on every band wagon she can find. This is not a sign of a good politician.
For those of us who have live in Prospect Heights for the past 30 years know what it's been like to have no type of services on this side of Flatbush Avenue. Now that we are seeing some signs of growth, there's been talk of downsizing? Its a joke.

I have to agree 100%.

[size=18]Instead of people bashing a possibly great idea by our esteemed councilperson Tisch James, why not get off of your butts and join the group so you can make suggestions pro or con.I read this board everyday and read everyone's opinions, but when it comes to showing up at community meetings to voice their opinions and getting involved the majority of people are no where to be found.There is always the same core group of die hards. I can say that because I'm one of them.
Sorry to rant and rave but it gets very frustrating sometimes and I just wonder where the heck is everybody who cares so much about this lovely neighborhood![/size]

R Puca wrote: [size=18]There is always the same core group of die hards. I can say that because I'm one of them.
[/size]

What do you mean? Are you die hard against development in Prospect Heights.

That meeting is a sham and I wouldn't go there to dignify it

A quick search through the NYC Dept. of City Planning (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/home.html) yields a great deal of info on neighborhood zoning and regulation. Most of PH is already zoned at R6 or R6B (as is most of Park Slope, Fort Greene, Cobble Hill, Bed Stuy, etc.). The Eastern Parkway corrider is zoned in the R7's (obviously shown in the taller apartment buildings), there is some light manufacturing M zoning at the edges (i.e Atlantic Ave.) and the obvious commercial areas (i.e. Washington and Vanderbilt) are commercially zoned.

I just don't get where anyone thinks their needs to be rezoning, as PH is consistent with a great deal of Brownstone Brooklyn.

What Park Slope, Fort Greene, Cobble Hill and Bed Stuy have going for them is some landmarked sections. This is the hardcore route to go if you don't want a neighborhood to have new construction springing up that is not in the character, scale and style of existing buildings. However, the landmarking route is long, difficult and highly charged with emotion, often pitting neighbors against one another over issues of taste, property rights, economics, race, etc. -- you name it, it comes up in a landmarking discussion. Plus, a neighborhood needs to be largely "intact" (a very grey definition) in order to be considered for landmarking.

Rallying community support around a big real estate dispute is often how movements get off the ground (i.e. the demolition of Penn Station and the birth of the NYC Landmarks Commission). However, the PH downzoning task force just seems like an effort to capitalize on the stadium dispute in a somewhat fruitless direction.

Tish is a sell-out.
She changes her opinions on development more often than she changes her panties. Or wose, more often than Marty.
What happened to the one-term politicians, who had work and didn't treat their political obligations as full-time employment.
Development seems to have received a negative value since the Ratnerville eminent domain abuse. And it seems that developers, who are taking advantage of the city's limits have a bullseye placed on their backs by this liberal community.
You should all be displaced in a crowded European city as punishment. Where your bike lanes don't exist and the sidewalks are narrow and the drivers use them for parking.
But when you ask a European (Italian, Greek, Spaniard, French) about these issues, their response is simple: As long as I have my health it's okay.
Spoilt brats

I agree that for the most part there doesn't need to be any downzoing. However, there are some parts along the PH/CH border that are being rapidly converted to residential zoning and developed. What I would like to avoid is more of what's going up at 880 bergen st.



880 Bergen Street
878-888 Bergen Street/467-475 St. Mark's Avenue
14 stories 137 feet
Nick Tsapatsaris & Associates
Dev-467-475 St. Mark's Avenue LLC
Residential
120 units 111,080 Sq. Ft.
Under Construction 2004-2006

Uh.. we live in Brooklyn.

dan.h wrote: Uh.. we live in Brooklyn.

and Brooklyn is a religion.

Ben wrote: I agree that for the most part there doesn't need to be any downzoing. However, there are some parts along the PH/CH border that are being rapidly converted to residential zoning and developed. What I would like to avoid is more of what's going up at 880 bergen st.



880 Bergen Street
878-888 Bergen Street/467-475 St. Mark's Avenue
14 stories 137 feet
Nick Tsapatsaris & Associates
Dev-467-475 St. Mark's Avenue LLC
Residential
120 units 111,080 Sq. Ft.
Under Construction 2004-2006

I agree with you about the aesthetical value this bldg offers (Looks like s#$t), but it is Brooklyn and it is NYC. And the developer is looking @ the initial cost of construction. Less is more, especially when there is a need for more quality residential development (This might not be quality), and that translates to use of oversized brick. The value for the desensitized is in the use (Sq.ft.) and not how it looks

Why don't we select the best and worse new develpments in PH and hopefully the neighborhood will have more of the former.
The criteria should be as simple as: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

Anonymous wrote: Why don't we select the best and worse new develpments in PH and hopefully the neighborhood will have more of the former.
The criteria should be as simple as: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

I think we should keep Utopia exactly as is. that place is the epitome of gorgeosity and fantabulousness. I also reasonably and sincerely believe that this is my decision. no. I'm not kidding, guys. I do.
:!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!: :!:

Could this be? Is this the return of THE anonymous guest?

Hey! I know that place! Its around the corner from the jewish hospital. And it is hideous. It looks like a miniature project.

dailyheights wrote: Could this be? Is this the return of THE anonymous guest?

You're good Sherlock, but then again my vernacular is obvious

dailyheights wrote: Could this be? Is this the return of THE anonymous guest?

Oh boy, you-know-who must be sorry he's missing this!

But anyways, what a fucking monstrosity that building is! It's like 10x the size of everything around it. That's so nutty.

Candicissima wrote: [quote=dailyheights]Could this be? Is this the return of THE anonymous guest?

Oh boy, you-know-who must be sorry he's missing this!

Would that be DaveBGimp you're referring to?

Anonymous wrote: [quote=Candicissima][quote=dailyheights]Could this be? Is this the return of THE anonymous guest?

Oh boy, you-know-who must be sorry he's missing this!

Would that be DaveBGimp you're referring to?

Who me? I plead the fifth. 8)

You've got this interesting and very romantic view of the European mindset.

And, with the exception of the historic old-city quarters, the European cities I've been to are generally 10 times as bike friendly as New York.[/b]

dailyheights wrote: You've got this interesting and very romantic view of the European mindset.

And, with the exception of the historic old-city quarters, the European cities I've been to are generally 10 times as bike friendly as New York.[/b]

Have you been to Milan?, Athens?, Madrid?
Or are you more inclined to stay in the mostly english speaking nations to feel comfortable?

Anonymous wrote: [quote=dailyheights]You've got this interesting and very romantic view of the European mindset.

And, with the exception of the historic old-city quarters, the European cities I've been to are generally 10 times as bike friendly as New York.[/b]

Have you been to Milan?, Athens?, Madrid?
Or are you more inclined to stay in the mostly english speaking nations to feel comfortable?

Guest, which locales offer the best unblocked IP addresses?

alafairnadia wrote: [quote=Anonymous][quote=dailyheights]You've got this interesting and very romantic view of the European mindset.

And, with the exception of the historic old-city quarters, the European cities I've been to are generally 10 times as bike friendly as New York.[/b]

Have you been to Milan?, Athens?, Madrid?
Or are you more inclined to stay in the mostly english speaking nations to feel comfortable?

Guest, which locales offer the best unblocked IP addresses?

Is this some sort of trick question? You sound like you already know

Ben wrote: I agree that for the most part there doesn't need to be any downzoing. However, there are some parts along the PH/CH border that are being rapidly converted to residential zoning and developed. What I would like to avoid is more of what's going up at 880 bergen st.



880 Bergen Street
878-888 Bergen Street/467-475 St. Mark's Avenue
14 stories 137 feet
Nick Tsapatsaris & Associates
Dev-467-475 St. Mark's Avenue LLC
Residential
120 units 111,080 Sq. Ft.
Under Construction 2004-2006

That building is the poster child of downsizing. If it would keep more building like that from going up then sign me up.

As for the detractors, Development should be in proportion with the surrounding buildings and infrastructure, thankfully Ms. James is willing to stick up for us against developers who have no common sense and are perfectly willing to put money before the nieghborhood.