REQUEST SUPPORT FOR BOERUM HILL REZONING BOERUM HILL

REQUEST SUPPORT FOR BOERUM HILL REZONING BOERUM HILL ASSOCIATION PRESENTATION TO COMMUNITY BOARD 2 October 21, 2009

Boerum Hill Rezoning Proposal PROPOSED REZONING u Rezone the 19 “orphaned” blocks of Boerum Hill now zoned R 6 to R 6 B in order to enforce contextual development throughout the entire neighborhood v Blocks to be rezoned are bounded by § Pacific Street on the North § Court Street on the West § 4 th Avenue on the East § Wyckoff Street on the South u Rezone Smith Street (Warren Street to Atlantic Avenue) now zoned C 1 -3 to C 2– 4

Boerum Hill Rezoning Proposal REZONING RATIONALE u Proposed blocks for rezoning will complete the preservation zoning of all Downtown Brooklyn brownstone neighborhoods—from Brooklyn Heights/ Dumbo to Cobble Hill, from Ft. Greene/Clinton Hill to South Park Slope, and Carroll Gardens v Boerum Hill is also vulnerable to as-of-right construction inconsistent with its low-rise brownstone row house character v Proposed blocks for rezoning need contextual zoning protection as well u Rezoning request should be viewed as an extension of the new zoning standards to be adopted and applied to Carroll Gardens (our Southern border neighbor); Boerum Hill’s neighborhood characteristics are nearly identical, but distinctive: v Boerum Hill is predominately a mix of 3 - and 4 -story Greek Revival and Italianate style brownstone rows—built between the 1840’s-1870’s initially as a suburb for well-to-do Wall Street bankers who commuted to work by ferry— v Has several landmarked blocks listed on the National Register including § Pacific Street: Southside mid-block from Hoyt to Bond; and North and Southside block from Bond to Nevins § Dean Street: North and Southside blocks from Hoyt to Nevins § Bergen Street: North and Southside block from Hoyt to Bond § Wyckoff Street: Nothside block from Hoyt to Bond

Boerum Hill Rezoning Proposal REZONING RATIONALE (cont’d) v Proposed boundary increase to the Boerum Hill Historic District has recently received a favorably review by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation as acceptable to proceed with National Register nomination, including § Pacific Street: North and Southside mid-block from Hoyt to Bond § Hoyt Street: East and Westside block from Pacific to Bergen § Dean Street: Most of Southside block from Smith to Hoyt; and most of Southside block from Nevins to 3 rd Avenue § Bergen Street: Most of North and Southside block from Smith to Hoyt; and from Bond to Nevins § Wyckoff Street: Portions of Northside and Southside of block from Smith to Hoyt; and from Bond to Nevins u As a rezoning extension of the Carroll Gardens designations we believe an expedited neighborhood zoning review would be appropriate and reasonable u We do not request, want or need an upzoning offset in connection with the proposal since larger scale residential development is provided for along Atlantic and 4 th Avenues

Boerum Hill Rezoning Proposal SUMMARY u Request Community Board 2’s support for the rezoning which we believe is non- controversial and should be seen as a zoning cleanup matter since the proposed 19 blocks to be rezoned are the only unprotected blocks among all of the downtown brownstone neighborhoods. State Street, the northern boundary of Boerum Hill, already enjoys R 6 B protection. The proposed rezoning will simply extend to the other Boerum Hill residents the contextual zoning protections already afforded all others u With board support we believe the City Planning Department would look favorably on the request u With Carroll Gardens’ rezoning imminent, Boerum Hill would like its formal review request added to the department’s pipeline and initiated as quickly as possible u THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT