The next CB 7 meeting will be on Wednesday, May 20th at 6:30 PM.
This should be an exciting one due to the vote regarding re-zoning in Sunset Park. Demonstrators (mainly against the re-zoning) have promised to be outside. I've heard mixed responses from various people who attended the public meetings about the re-zoning. SPAN and other organizations are saying that most Sunset Park residents are AGAINST the re-zoning, while individuals who attended have said that it was most evenly split, although those against were more vocal and organized. What do you think about the proposed re-zoning?
This week's meeting will be held at 4201 4th Avenue, but you enter the building on 43rd Street. If you've never been, it can be very informative regarding what's going on around Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace. If you're coming from work, or if you just can't make it until after 7 PM, no worries. You can sneak in a little late and no one will blink an eye.
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11 comments:
I still need to research more about this, but I'd be interested in hearing what the "pro" people have to say since, like you said, the "con" groups are more vocal and organized. Or at least have someone tell me why it would be so bad to have more upscale restaurants and stores here.
Long term tenants are expeiencing various forms of harassment already. To allow an upzoning of 4th and 7th avenues would create more hostile living conditions for the tenants who remain. The upscale would allow for displacement of longterm latino families in this community. Then wold come secondary displacement. Our Bodegas would now service the white folks comming in. Some may close due to white people having no need to buy avacados or goya products. Does that make it a little clear? Also take into consideration that the current zoning has no height restrictions and the new zoning plan would put height limits into place. But you must inform yourself to make an educated decision as to whether you agree or oppose the plan.
Substitute your "white folks" for any other ethnic or racial group and it doesn't sound so benign, does it? Power to the people (but just my kind of people), indeed.
What about the housing that would be SAVED due to the down-zoning in every other area? From what I witnessed, it sounds like a few people are trying to protect their own interests by using the "affordable housing" chant to get people out.
No point in getting into other points since those opposed don't listen and just call people racists anyway.
Why don't you link to the NYC DCP website and actually READ the proposed zoning changes? Reading the facts might upset some lazy thought processes?
When this effort to re-zone the bulk of Sunset Park took off it was the direct result of developers falling on this area because Bay Ridge, Park Slope and Greenwood Heights had done their re-zoning and left the rest of us vulnerable. Scores of residents gathered 3,000 petition signatures to get the Community Board to ask for action. Not e-mail virtual crap but real in-your-face door-to-door recruitment of support. Everyone saw the truth of our effort jumped on board. Council Member Sara Gonzalez (and, I believe, Speaker Christine Quinn) got the Mayor and Amanda Burden to pay attention. Things started popping in our direction. Quiet returned to our peaceful village while bureaucrats went about their paperwork.
Then one in our midst, David Galarza, decided that this good work would not deliver him the Council seat held by Sara Gonzalez and actively worked to scuttle the re-zoning. Since we had the community with us, David, now an outsider who resides in Windsor Terrace, turned to others, including the Chinese Staff & Workers Association. They were already active in trying to scuttle the re-zoning of Manhattan's Chinatown which wasn't making them popular among the New York Chinese population. They're a road show. Real street theater there. David even set up his election HQ next to them. I'm not making this up, folks!
Now we are into the irrational fear factors phase: race-war, class-war, and you name it.
BTW David Galarza gave a ripping campaign speech at the Community Board's Public Hearing on Wednesday and 24 hours later emotionally bowed out of the Council race at the endorsement meeting of Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats in, where else, Park Slope. You can't make this up!
The CB held a 2nd Public Hearing on Saturday; no David, no CS&WA.
So much for commitment to the community.
One speaker on Saturday struck me with his simple logic: say no to zoning restrictions now and when the market recovers our neighborhood will be torn apart. No long-term tenants, no immigrants, no poor, no middle-class. Think about it.
So please come by this Wednesday eve to see the Community Board complete their good work by recommending the re-zoning of the remainder of the Community District.
I'm a little confused. I thought the rezoning was to maintain the row house character of the neighborhood by keeping buildings at a certain height and aligned at the sidewalk rather than recessed. My understanding is that a lot of people from Chinatown are converting two family homes into four or even five family homes and putting a strain on our neighborhood's infrastructure.
My understanding is that the large buildings are being built by recent immigrants who have bought and sold much of the local property in the recent past. I understand that the population explosion is NOT white or putting in "upscale" restaurants, but businesses that serve the immigrant community.
I support the rezoning because aside of being unsightly, these new buildings hold more families than the neighborhood can support with its current resources.
So when did this rezoning start being about blocking yuppie businesses? I didn't read that or infer that anywhere. If you can post a link of the article that says that, I'd like to read it.
It is really distressing that some of our neighbors prioritize personal vendettas against certain individuals above what will benefit our community.
The current proposed plan as it is has too many flaws. I think they need to go back to the drawing board. I am not against new development but let's face it, the rents will be too high for most of the working people in this neighborhood. That is why the City planning commission must attach Non-Harassment and Non-Demolition provisions onto this plan. The inclusionary zoning is just not going to happen if it is voluntary. The income requirements for the "affordable" units must be adjusted to reflect the true incomes in Sunset Park.
Folks, this is our GOVERNMENT and these are our so-called REPRESENTATIVES. Yet, the City Planning Commissioner, basically appointed. The Community Board....appointed. I can only hope they really are listening and thinking about the results of the decisions and choices they are making. Because we, the regular people in this community, are not very empowered in this process.
I was at the hearings, both on Wednesday and Saturday. I don't think the comments were divided. Wed night was 99% against, Sat was 90% against.
BTW, My name is Amina Ali and I work with the Sunset Park Alliance of Neighbors. I invite anyone who is less than happy with this plan to join us Wed. May 20th at a pre-vote rally at 6 PM at 43 St. and 4th Ave.
SPAN, which David Galarza takes credit for founding, has made a point of spreading lots of misformation about the re zoning including saying that the working class will be forced out because the rezoning will bring luxury hi rises. How a 8 story building is a hi rise is beyond me. In addition one of SPAN's member and officer admitted to circulating a flyer that states "Sunset Park community in danger of gentrification" and then thinly veils what is clearly an attempt to make the rezoning a race and class war.
Finally at the first hearing most of the people who spoke against the rezoning do not live in Sunset Park.
SPAN did not put out any flier that does not have SPANs name. Most of the community board lives outside Sunset Park and they are VOTING on this!! Stop spreading lies. Who are these people who spoke, do you know where they live? Where is your proof?
What does it matter how high the building is if the rents are out of reach?
At least you are admitting that most of the people who spoke were against it. Now if you could just tell the truth about everything else.
Not sure how rezoning will affect Sunset Park? perform an internet search on the subject and on how rezoning has affected other communities.
I'm Javy and I'm also in SPAN. People who support this rezoning are unsurprisingly politicians connected to Bloomberg and/or his administrations-the billionaire mayor is their boss- or they are in the business of making money from real estate property-they are developers or property owners who directly benefit from being allowed to build higher and get more or charge more rent.
The city and their parrots say 'that Sunset Park has no protection in regards to how high buildings can be.'
Contrary to what you might hear from the little birds of government and capital (both of which are nakedly illegitimate in these times) Sunset Park has an FAR, which according to the city's online glossary "is the principal bulk regulation controlling the size of buildings." If this does not limit the height of buildings then obviously it's due to a lack of enforcement, not a lack of "protection" on paper. Here is the link to the online glossary:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/zone/glossary.shtml
If you want Sunset Park to be inaccessible to the long time residents/tenants/workers who have been there, then you would support this current plan of rezoning.
If you're on the Community Board, however, the community you represent has spoken and you will show due diligence and vote with the community, not against it.
Good morning,
I responded to several posters who personally attacked me in this blog. In the spirit of fairness, I hope you will post my 2 part response. Thank you.
David Galarza
See a post for Wednesday, May 20th for the response from Galarza.
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