By COLlive reporter
Brooklyn Community Board 9, the local government unit of New York City encompassing Crown Heights, will be meeting on Tuesday, February 25, to discuss the rezoning of several houses in the neighborhood.
The proposal by the Crown Heights Jewish Community Council (CHJCC) aims to remove some zoning restrictions that forbid homeowners from expanding and renovating their homes.
At this time portions of Carroll, Crown, President and Union Streets are zoned R-2 or R-4. “These zoning designations do not permit any extension of current 1 and 2 family houses in those areas,” explained Eli Cohen, Executive Director of the Community Council.
He said many larger families, or families trying to accommodate aging parents, have sought to add bedrooms or expand living areas only to find that they are not permitted to do so.
Late last year, the Jewish Community Council wrote to the community board asking that the issue be examined. The Land Use Committee of CB9 held a meeting recently on the topic and recommended that the issue be sent to the full Board.
The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday 7pm at Intermediate School 61, 400 Empire Blvd. The Community Board will allow time for residents to speak about the issue before the vote.
R-4 is not mentioned in the CHJCC letter. Please tell me R-4 is being considered as part of the rezoning to R-6. R-2 is only a small area.
keep the houses small so that there remains at least a semblance of character
If a person does some research they would hope this proposal gets accepted. Then the houses can be greatly expanded like borough park out Williamsburg. However, the dynamic and beauty of the smaller home size will likely quickly be lost leading to a more urban and more dense housing redevelopment. Not withstanding, growing communities need growing housing! R6 and r7 allow for homes up to 60 get tall. For example a typical 4 floor house with a smaller set back 5 floor like you see all over borough park are examples of r6 zoning.
are you kidding? most of the blocks are R2? there are exactly 5 blocks which are R2! is this most of Crown Heights?
But there will have to be some type of voluntary oversight or we will have people building window-to-window, cutting off each other’s sunlight / privacy, etc. There are halachos regarding these issues.
Because the zoning is the only thing standing in my way. Nothing to do with money or anything
Keep goyim out of our community! Lately many Lubavitch landlords are renting to yuppies, years ago such people would have been embarrassed to show their faces in public, due to the many times the Rebbe urged to keep the community growing with Jewish residents. Please don’t let all the hard work many people dedicated over the years go to waste.