MTOPP's Official Statements
Rezoning Plan for CB9
1. Hunter College is conducting a Study of Empire Blvd, with B&W Sterling Block Ass., Sullivan-Ludlam-Stoddard Neighborhood Ass, Equality For Flatbush, 320 Sterling Tenant Ass., MTOPP and New Directions in Healing Inc, thus Empire Blvd, from Flatbush Ave to Rogers and Flatbush Ave. from Lefferts to Empire Blvd, the C8-2 zones should not be in Community Board 9 study parameters!
2. Washington Ave and Franklin Ave should not be in the study parameters because they already have height limits!
3. All of the *major corridors, should not be in the study, because it is a known fact that development along transit corridors leads to rapid gentrification, and displacement of poor and moderate income families, according to "HUD" and other sources.
4. All other streets should contain exact detailed zoning categories that are desired by the community, i.e. R6 turns into a R6B.
5. Vulnerable R71 categories that are on transit corridors that want height limits should have very specific zoning categories and other specific conditions.
*New York, Bedford, Rogers, Nostrand, Flatbush, Ocean, Washington and Franklin Avenues.
Jewish Community
Official statement concerning a flyer that states that the parameters of the study don’t include the Jewish Community!
A rezoning map was presented to the Executive Board on Tuesday, Jan 17, 2015, by Pearl Miles. It contained a clear division of the Jewish and Black community, with New York Ave as the dividing line. The area west of the line comprised of the Black side of CB9 and was being called to be studied and the area east was the Jewish side was not going to be studied.
In light of the fact that these parameters were not created in an open meeting format, nor was the community involved in its creation and had no knowledge as to who formulated it, the question that was being posed was why was the Jewish community excluded from these parameters, especially in light of the fact that City Planning had just stated it planned on up zoning the major transit corridors in our community to 10 to 12 stories. Thus clearly the areas that would be a part of this study would be venerable to City Planning’s plans and the ones not would be safe!
If posing this questions makes MTOPP a racist then I wonder what you will call the person(s) who created the map’s parameters? According to Rabbi Eli Chohen at a ULURP meeting on Feb 4, 2015, these parameters were created by City Planning because it wanted to develop along the transit corridors. He also stated that these lines should be withdrawn, because the Jewish community also wants to be rezoned.
As an organization that represents the community, it is imperative that any concerns that can have racially motivated issues attached to them, needs to be addressed in the open. That will ensure that negative tensions and feelings don’t escalate, fester and sore. Not addressing the concerns of any group is counter productive.
Once Rabbi Eli Chohen made his statement, members of MTOPP clapped and felt that the issue had been addressed and now we know who did it. It was not the Jewish community but City Planning creating a divide and conquer situation, to try to pit us against each other.
MTOPP will continue to be diligent, observant and speak for the people. We will state our concerns in the open, to ensure that our voices are heard and our concerns addressed.