Concerned About Overdevelopment, CB 15 Votes Unanimously Against Mayor’s Zoning Plan

Citing concerns that overdevelopment could rub out the character of their neighborhoods, members of Community Board 15 on Tuesday voted unanimously to reject the Mayor’s zoning proposals for Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen, and Manhattan Beach.

Several of the board members acknowledged the importance of the zoning plan’s core goal, to create more affordable housing, but hosed the proposals for favoring the interests of developers over the needs of the community.

“The mayor went first to the real estate board, then he went to the developers and then he told City Planning what he wanted them to say,” said Manhattan Beach Community Group President Judy Baron. “This district and all of new york city needs to restart if we are going to see the needs of people realized and not the needs of developers.”

There’s been a groundswell of opposition in neighborhoods where the mayor’s plan, called Zoning for Quality and Affordability, has been introduced. Community boards throughout the five boroughs have voiced strong opposition to the proposals.

In District 15, which includes Sheepshead Bay, Gerritsen, and Manhattan Beach, the zoning changes would allow developers to build one or two stories higher in certain medium to high density areas if they include affordable units for low-income residents and seniors. Parking requirements in some areas would also be eliminated for new affordable housing units under the new plan.

This is the second time the community board has voted down the zoning proposal. Now, the board’s recommendation that the plan be scrapped will be presented to the City Planning Commission, which will weigh the input of community boards, borough presidents, and borough boards, along with public testimony, before sending its own version of the plan to the City Council for a vote.

Community Board 15 also unanimously rejected the mayor’s Mandatory Inclusionary Housing plan, which requires a certain percentage of new housing to be affordable. That plan is not currently being introduced in Sheepshead Bay, though that could change in the future.

The board also voted on several other key issues Tuesday night. They accepted a proposal, by 29 to 3, with 6 abstentions, to shorten the hours at the Manhattan Beach dog run. The board also threw its support behind a new food truck to open outside Kingsborough Community College.