April 21, 2007: Vol. 30, No. 16

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April 21, 2007 / Brooklyn news / Not Just Nets / Bay Ridge–Bensonhurst

Zoning? Bensonhurst calls out, ‘Next!’

By Matthew Lysiak

The Brooklyn Paper

Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights got theirs, now Bensonhurst wants “in” on the downzoning frenzy.

“It is time for Bensonhurst to get the rezoning ball rolling,” said Bill Guarinello, the chairman of Community Board 11 at last Tuesday’s CB11 meeting.

“We are going to make this a big issue soon,” he added at the meeting, which was at the Holy Family Home on 84th Street.

The audience sighed with approval after Guarinello’s comment, though the chairman cautioned a downzoning scheme takes time to wend its way from conception to completion.

“Dyker Heights had a pretty big head start on us, but our time is coming,” said Guarinello, though he did not offer a time-frame for the downzoning push.

The goal of would-be downzoners is to curb “overdevelopment” by restricting builders from tearing down houses for taller condos. Downzone efforts are already completed or under way in Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Fort Greene and other areas where residents are seeking to protect a low-rise feel.

But opponents say that downzoning results in less housing — which is critically needed as Brooklyn grows.

CB11 District Manager Howard Feuer believes that a zoning change would maintain the character of Bensonhurst.

“If we are successful,” said Feuer. “the [area] will be a mirror image of what it is now.”

←Bay Ridge: Hurst to city: Don’t dump trash on us!

→Park Slope: The 411 on 7th from 10th to 12th

Reader Feedback

ZS says:

I hear it but i see things getting worse and worse. I don't think zoning will change the fact that houses are being torn down, houses with the character of brooklyn, two by two, to be replaced with these "i know homedepot, i know lowes, if Martha can do it so can i" boxes. Bensonhurst has become dirty and disgusting and is only getting worst, this gettoization of our neighborhoods is the product of our overpopulation of people that are not educated and seems like don't want to be educated or contribute to where they live. Having moneys that are not placed in banks, they are not satisfied with their lives and use shopping therapy to purchase properties that have been there for years/centuries and without a second thought of anything of quality, rape and destroy our character, our environment and our health and when i say our i mean Bensonhurst where i live and see that when organized crime may or may not have existed in our parts it was healthier to walk around, eat, shop, play and now our shopping avenues are where we will be purchasing a pound of hepatitis or a half a pound of bird flu.
Sincerly, very sad to see it dying.
xoxo...when i grow up i want to be an architect, a girl from brooklyn.

Oct. 21, 2007, 12:57 pm

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