Timing of city’s rezonings still up in the air

The City Planning Commission’s Carl Weisbrod told City Council members today that he expects his department to certify a rezoning application for Brooklyn’s East New York in the spring, but he remains uncertain about timing for the 14 other neighborhoods that may undergo rezoning.

At a City Hall budget meeting, Weisbrod said, “I do anticipate we will be entering the formal [land use] process this spring” for East New York. But about the other 14 neighborhoods, only half of which have been identified so far, he was less clear. “And on others, I think we are not 100 percent certain yet what the specific target dates are,” he said.

Once launched, the land use review process for East New York could take all year, according to Capital New York.

Mayor Bill de Blasio has touted plans to rezone the neighborhoods to allow taller buildings and require affordable housing in all new developments. In February, his administration said the rezoning of East New York could spur 7,000 new units by 2030. However, he has butted heads with some City Council members who do not want to see residential development in designated industrial areas.

Asked by Council member David Greenfield about the cause of the hold-up and whether it will affect the mayor’s affordable housing goals, Weisbrod said he hoped it would not. “We would like to move these, obviously, as expeditiously as possible. But there is a balance here between moving expeditiously on the one hand, and engaging communities on the other hand. And I believe we are striking that appropriate balance.” [Capital NY] — Tess Hofmann