Supreme court approves Sunset Park rezoning

The New York State Supreme Court appellate division issued a decision yesterday stating that the city can proceed with the 2009 rezoning of the Brooklyn neighborhood of Sunset Park, Crain’s reported.

The city rezoned a 128-block area in Sunset Park in 2009, putting 50-foot height limits on side streets, but allowing for taller residential projects on Fourth and Seventh avenues. Opponents of the changes — residences, churches and the non-profit Chinese Staff and Workers’ Association — said that the rezoning would displace the area’s low-income families, and filed in New York State Supreme Court against the city’s Planning Department, claiming that the department had not conducted environmental reviews required for zoning changes.

“We are gratified that the appellate court found that the city’s environmental review was appropriate. The city complied with all applicable laws, and took a hard look before determining that there were no significant adverse environmental impacts,” said Elizabeth Natrella, senior counsel of the Appeals Division in the city Law Department, in a statement.

The plaintiffs have not ruled out an appeal, Crain’s said. [Crain’s]