Committee Says Yes To Gowanus Rezoning, With Dozens Of Conditions

BROOKLYN, NY — Two Brooklyn community boards considering the controversial Gowanus Rezoning took different approaches this week to telling the city where they think the plan falls short.

The rezoning plan — which started the review process this month after a lengthy court battle — was overwhelmingly shot down on Wednesday by Community Board 2, whose district includes just four of the 80 blocks that would be rezoned under the plan.

But on the Landmarks/Land Use Committee from Community Board 6, the board whose district includes the rest of the 80 blocks, a different tactic prevailed. The committee voted Thursday to approve the rezoning with more than three dozen conditions.

Board members, like some on Community Board 2, contended the conditioned approval would go further in keeping the demands in the minds of lawmakers as the rezoning moves up in the review process.

"We're asking our elected officials, we're asking City Planning, to take our conditions and put them into effect — Our elected officials can do that through the City Council," CB6 Committee Member Jerry Armer said. "...City Planning went just so far, and we're making it better. It's now up to us to make sure the Borough President and our two council representatives support us in our action."

The Community Board 6 committee vote — which passed with eight in favor, four against and two abstaining — followed a three-hour discussion that added several more conditions to an 11-page list written up before the meeting. The vote will face the full board next week.

Among the original conditions are three demands made by the Gowanus Neighborhood Coalition for Justice, including a request to fully fund public housing repairs that both City Council Members Brad Lander and Stephen Levin have said their votes will hinge on.

Those added Thursday include demands for investments in senior services, a study of cycling in the neighborhood, a priority for public housing residents in newly-built affordable apartments and proposing a legal mechanism so infrastructure upgrades are timed with new development.

Only a few proposals were shot down by committee members, including a suggestion to eliminate parking requirements in new buildings and a request to ease rules to facilitate an expansion at the Old Can Factory.

As on Community Board 2, some CB6 committee members argued that a disapproval would send a stronger message to elected officials about the need for the changes.

Committee Member Glenn Kelly tried and failed before the final vote to pass a motion that would disapprove the rezoning, with the conditions still tacked on.

"The only leverage we have…is our vote here," said Kelly, who was among those involved in the lawsuit against the proposal. "It makes no sense to me for us to surrender the leverage and trust that our elected officials who’ve been promoting this rezoning, who are leaving office in a few months, will be able to make good on it."

After facing Community Board 6's full board next week, the Gowanus Rezoning proposal will head to the Borough President's Office and the City Planning Commission before heading to City Council.

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