A New Approach To Landmarking Victorian Flatbush

The Caton Park Homeowner’s Association writes to discuss their experiences attempting to get more of Victorian Flatbush landmarked, shared equally by Beverley Square East, Beverley Square West, Caton Park, Ditmas Park West, West Midwood, and South Midwood, and why landmarking is so important.

When Victorian Flatbush was down zoned in 2009, there was a collective sigh of relief. This rezoning imposed caps on building projects while respecting the community’s existing population density. It also renewed optimism about additional protections.

In 2010, Fiske Terrace and Midwood Park were granted historic designation. This extended the Victorian Flatbush Historic Districts to 5 communities. The non-landmarked neighborhoods rejoiced at this. These communities had filed separately for LPC historic designation and each hoped for designation.

Then, momentum slowed. In 2010 Beverly Square West’s and Ditmas Park West’s applications were held in abeyance.

In a March 2010 Courier Life’s Brooklyn News article discussing LPC’s consideration of these applications, Mary Beth Betts, LPC’s Director of Research, revealed to Robert Furman, Brooklyn Preservation Council Foundation, that it “…has been determined that these areas may merit designation, they are not considered priorities at this time.”

This news was disappointing, but not a defeat. A new approach was needed.

As a Historic Districts Council 2012 “6 to Celebrate” program winner, and under the sponsorship of the Flatbush Development Corporation, a new Request for Evaluation was submitted for designation of Victorian Flatbush, as a district.

The goal is to have this district calendared, researched, and designated. There has been a trend toward designating or extending larger districts: Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant are examples.

Historic designation for the balance of Victorian Flatbush is long overdue if this fragile neighborhood is to survive into the next century.