Public Outreach Meetings: January 25, 2007 | April 19, 2007 | May 31, 2007 | July 30, 2007
Land Use Analysis - January 2007
The initial step of the Department's analysis examined the existing manufacturing zoning districts surrounding the canal within Brooklyn Community District 6. This area is bounded generally by Bond Street to the west, Butler Street to the north, 3rd and 4th Avenues to the east, and Hamilton Avenue to the south. Existing zoning districts in this area include M1, M2, and M3 manufacturing districts.
To the east and west of this area are the primarily residential neighborhoods of Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, respectively. The commercial corridors of 4th Avenue and Smith Street run along or near the boundaries of the area. At the northern edge of the area are the New York City Housing Authority's Wyckoff Gardens and Gowanus Houses developments. To the south, beyond the southern boundary of Community District 6, is the Hamilton Avenue Bridge and the Gowanus Expressway, and industrial areas flanking the Gowanus Creek.
In order to identify areas where future housing or mixed use might be appropriate, as well as areas to be maintained for continued industrial and commercial use, the Department analyzed existing land use and recent trends within the manufacturing districts surrounding the Gowanus Canal. Based on this analysis, the area was divided into five subareas (A through E), within which different land use patterns exist.
The proposed land use framework, introduced at the January 25th, 2007 public meeting, identifies portions of the study area within which new residential or mixed use may be appropriate, as well as areas proposed to be maintained primarily for continued industrial and commercial activity. These recommendations also take into consideration the relationship between these areas and the adjacent neighborhoods, which are home to thriving residential communities and active retail corridors including 4th Avenue and Smith Street.
Public Place
View of Public Place Site |
Located at Smith Street and 5th Street is a largely vacant City-owned parcel which is designated Public Place. Formerly the site of a coal gasification facility, this site requires substantial environmental remediation. Keyspan, as successor to the former owner of the site, has entered into a voluntary cleanup agreement with the NYS DEC, which in January released a proposed remedy for achieving the cleanup of the site. This site, the only major piece of City-owned land in this area, offers a unique opportunity to pursue redevelopment options that address directly land use concerns such as affordable housing and public open space. HPD is currently leading an effort to coordinate redevelopment planning with the environmental remediation of this site.
Overview | Land Use Framework | Draft Zoning Proposal | Public Outreach
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