The proposed rezoning plan for Brighton Beach “would substantially reduce development potential” in the bungalow district, according to Borough President Marty Markowitz.
The beep made that assertion in his five−page recommendation to the Department of City Planning.
Markowitz approved the city’s rezoning proposal with the condition that the City Planning Commission and City Council “modify the proposed zoning with regard to the bungalow area…to identify an appropriate zoning proposal that can satisfy both public policy concerns while preserving the development potential of certain lots.”
Markowitz’s decision came on the heels of his public hearing on the plan, during which nine of the 11 public speakers criticized the rezoning proposal.
Many argued that the proposed plan would severely limit development in the bungalow district, thereby lowering property values – and the amount of money residents could make for the sale of their homes.
A copy of City Councilmember Mike Nelson’s proposed rezoning plan (dated May 6) calls for R6B zoning in the bungalow district with a 35−foot height limit on interior lots and a 40−foot height limit on exterior lots on mapped streets.
Nelson is also now calling for R6QH zoning that would grant a “development bonus” of a 55−foot height limit for buildings that combine interior and exterior lots and front on a mapped street. According to an aide to Nelson, this would fulfill the city’s goal of eliminating narrow lanes, which fire trucks are unable to navigate.
City Planning has proposed R4A or R5D zoning with a three−story height limit for the bungalow district. City officials have argued that the full R6B zoning allowing for buildings up to five stories tall would create “little towers” lacking access to air and light.
