Move Afoot To Downzone Carroll Gardens

By PETER KIEFER, Staff Reporter of the Sun
April 29, 2008

The Department of City Planning is seeking to downzone six streets in the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn in an effort to curb future development.

"This is a step in the right direction and a tangible step by City Planning to protect our neighborhood," the local City Council member, Bill de Blasio, said in a statement. "Now we need to get this amendment passed and keep working towards a neighborhood-wide downzoning," he said.

The proposal, which has the backing of the local community board, would amend the zoning resolution and apply "narrow" street zoning provisions for height, setback, and floor area ratio to streets that are considered "wide" under zoning rules.

The city currently includes Carroll Gardens as part of its measurements, which reach the "wide street" threshold of 75 feet. Community Board 6 held a meeting last week on the issue, at which a number of local residents said they were concerned a downzoning would end any possibility of future construction on those streets, including additions to their homes, according to the community board's office.

The streets are 1st Place, 2nd Place, 3rd Place, and 4th Place; and 2nd Street, Carroll Street, and President Street between Smith and Hoyt streets.

The president of Brooklyn, Marty Markowitz, is in favor of the amendment and plans to hold a public hearing on the matter May 7. The plan must eventually be approved by the City Council.