By Stephen Witt
Are independent community residents being locked out of plans to rezone Fort Greene and Clinton Hill? The question begs answering after this reporter was kicked out of a meeting between City Council member Letitia James and several neighborhood and non-profit organizations concerning changes to the proposed rezoning plan. The general public will have their say once the rezoning plan is in the ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure) stage, said Fort Greene Association (FGA) spokesperson Paul Palazzo. The plan, as put forward on the Fort Greene Association web site, calls for most of the Fort Greene and Clinton Hill neighborhoods to move from its current R6 to R6B zoning. The proposed zoning puts height and setback restrictions so that they are in context with the neighborhood and adjoining buildings. The boundaries of this request are roughly from St. Felix Street to Classon Avenue and from Park Avenue to Fulton Street with knockouts for existing manufacturing and commercial districts. The FGA also wants contextual zoning with a slightly higher density for the commercial hubs along Myrtle and Fulton streets. However, sources say differences between the Department of City Planning (DCP) and FGA remain over an inclusionary provision. The provision would allow for developers to build 20 percent affordable housing in exchange for a 33 percent density bonus. Sources say that while DCP is in agreement with the provision in the brownstone areas, they are worried that the inclusionary zoning along Myrtle Avenue and Fulton Street may deter potential developers from coming into the neighborhood. DCP Spokesperson Rachaele Raynoff said the department is committed to working with the community board to rezone Fort Greene and Clinton Hill. However, the community board’s input in the plan has been negligible, at best. Both the FGA and the Clinton Hill Society requested Community Board 2’s support for their rezoning goals at CB 2 Land Use Committee meetings in 2003. Subsequently, the CB 2 Executive Committee, on December 22, 2003, voted unanimously to support the request. On April 26, 2004, CB 2 Chair Shirley McRae wrote Amanda Burden, director of DCP, requesting the study be conducted, “…in the area indicated on the enclosed map, which was submitted to the board by the Fort Greene Association and the Clinton Hill Society.” To this date, the rezoning plan was never discussed at a full CB 2 meeting. CB 2 District Manager Robert Perris said the DCP has continually updated the community board on the status of their rezoning work, and looks forward to seeing their recommendations once the agency has finalized them. However, Perris said the board expects to see the plan before it goes to the ULURP process. “The Department of City Planning has told us they will present their findings to the Land Use Committee before they certify their application,” said Perris, adding the plan is not there yet.
