2 More Towers On Brooklyn's Atlantic Ave Rejected By CB Committee

PROSPECT HEIGHTS, BROOKLYN — A years-long push for the city to come up with a zoning plan for a rapidly-developing stretch of Crown and Prospect Heights continued Thursday with the rejection of two apartment towers proposed on Atlantic Avenue.

The 870 and 1034 Atlantic Ave. buildings — the latest in a string of developments proposed for the corridor — were rejected by Community Board 8's Land Use Committee, who have long argued that city planners should create a concrete plan for the neighborhood before considering more individual projects.

The vote came after an hours-long debate about whether members should focus solely on pushing for that neighborhood-wide plan, or keep negotiating with individual developers in the meantime to maximize community benefits.

The committee ultimately resolved to include a list of desired changes to the buildings with their rejection in case those voting down the line decide not to reject the proposals outright, which has been the case with other Atlantic Avenue projects. Community boards have only an advisory role in the city's review process, known as ULURP.

"Everyone is in agreement that a neighborhood rezoning is preferable, it's just not a future we can control and predict," Land Use Chair Gib Veconi said. "We can make our preference for a neighborhood rezoning clear and still be able to provide direction to the downstream participants in ULURP if that path is for whatever reason one they don’t want to follow."

The two projects will head next to Community Board 8's general meeting, then to a hearing with the Borough President's Office, which is scheduled for Nov. 17. Both the board and the borough president's recommendations could influence the project's future, but aren't binding.

Veconi and others pointed out that the city agreeing to take their recommendation and tackle a neighborhood rezoning in this case seems unlikely, given that the community board and city planners have been in talks about such a plan for six years with little success.

Local leaders have contended that creating such a plan could constrain rampant gentrification in the neighborhood by steering development toward a northern section, known as MCROWN, to spur affordable housing and job growth. The community board has created its own framework for how to do so, but the city hasn't taken on an official rezoning plan.

The developers of the latest Atlantic Avenue proposals said City Planning has told them that tackling such a plan would be too costly under current budget restraints.

But other committee members — who advocated for rejecting the latest Atlantic Avenue buildings outright — contended newly-elected elected officials, like City Council Member-elect Crystal Hudson, could help their push for the rezoning finally see success.

"We really need to take a stand here," said Peter Krashes, who voted against including a list of building changes to the committee's rejection. "We have a new administration coming in place who have supported a neighborhood-wide rezoning in the nature of MCROWN."

The desired changes included in the committee's vote would scale back the 870 and 1034 Atlantic Ave. buildings, originally 17 stories, so that they are closer to MCROWN guidelines and offer the most affordable level under the city's Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program.

Under that version, which Veconi said developers are open to, 870 Atlantic Ave. would bring 206 units of housing, 42 of which would be affordable to those making around $43,000 a year. The building would be 15 stories and include 4,700 square feet dedicated to "light industrial" uses the community board seeks to maintain under MCROWN.

The 1034 Atlantic Ave. proposal, under the negotiated version, would include 200 residential units, 40 of which would be affordable at the $43,000 salary level, according to the plans. The building would be 15 stories at its highest point and include 5,400 square feet of the "light industrial" space.

Read More:

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• Atlantic Avenue Apartment Tower Poised For City Council Approval