Should Crown Heights' Manufacturing Zone Be Rezoned for Residential?
As rents surge in Crown Heights, pressure is mounting on Community Board 8 to rezone again to permit housing in the industrial-only area there, if we read between the lines of a story by WNYC correctly. The story quotes one area business owner and one community board member who support the idea of permitting residential…
As rents surge in Crown Heights, pressure is mounting on Community Board 8 to rezone again to permit housing in the industrial-only area there, if we read between the lines of a story by WNYC correctly. The story quotes one area business owner and one community board member who support the idea of permitting residential housing on top of factories. (It also quotes the city’s head of housing and economic development, Alicia Glen, as favoring the plan, but the quote sounds like she was speaking about rezoning the city’s protected industrial zones in general, not Crown Heights in particular.)
The neighborhood was rezoned only a year ago, and CB 8 has in the past strongly opposed residential development in the manufacturing area, saying it would accelerate gentrification. Above, an eight-story mixed-use (commercial and residential, not manufacturing) building is coming to the site of an old brewery on the corner of Dean and Franklin.
But we would not be surprised if developers and the Mayor are eyeing this spot in Crown Heights for a rezoning to permit more new residential development. Do you think there should be apartments on top of factories in Crown Heights?
There Are Still Places in New York Where You Can’t Build Highrises [WNYC]
There are many artists and small manufacturers that need this type of zoning. We’ve seen similar situations in Dumbo and the Navy Yard. Lofts that were formally occupied by carpenters, artists etc turned into high end condos. The previous tenants thrown out of their spaces desperately trying to find a new space that they can afford. Affordable studios like affordable housing is becoming a sparse commodity. Maybe we should protect it.
Like so many other pushes for re-zoning this clearly smacks of speculator investors that have already lined up their inventory pushing for the change.
That said, there is clearly a need for re-zoning because M-1 is too restrictive for todays commercial needs. But that end of the neighborhood; with access to Atlantic Ave for road traffic and also the LIRR & A/C subway etc. also makes it a valuable commercial zone for employment. There are also better areas for residential. Atlantic Ave is obviously going to need to be a bigger high way sooner or later and to put residential that close to highways is not healthy. I know it is done all the time here, because you do not have a National Health system, it does not matter if people have respiratory problems etc. But it is not healthy to house people next to highways.