The critics of the rezoning gained one victory in all this process. The Chrystie Street alternative is dead. Remember CB3 proposed that the greatest height and bulk be placed on Chrystie Street -- up to 150 feet (reduced to 145' by DCP)?
It wasn't until ethnic Chinese showed up en masse, calling the plan racist, that this alternative, which placed the greatest density of development right in Chinatown, disappeared. It disappeared so completely and so silently that board members spoke in favor of the "11 points" without even realizing that one of those points -- the one about Chrystie Street -- wasn't there anymore. It disappeared because the community appeared and expressed its opposition to overdevelopment and gentrification, and it disappeared silently because, in the light of day, it looked too much like racism.
But where did the Chrystie Street actually alternative come from? According to the Task Force chair, it was suggested by the Rebuild Chinatown Initiative -- an ethnic Chinese development group that purports to represent the Chinese community and will no doubt be called to participate in CB3's rezoning of Chinatown.
Now you know why I am worried about the future.
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2 comments:
is there someone that we can view the current proposals?
Will Chrustie and Pitt St still receive the 7.2 FAR zoning?
The proposal can be viewed in its entirety on the DCP website:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/evles/index.shtml
Chrystie and Pitt will be zoned at 7.2 with affordable housing, 6.0 for commercial, 6.5 for community facility and 5.4 residential without affordable housing.
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