CITYWIDE REZONING PLAN WOULD
BENEFIT DEVELOPERS AND
HURT NEIGHBORHOODS –
ESPECIALLY THE VILLAGE & EAST VILLAGE

Dear friend,

The city’s recently-announced rezoning plan would be a great boon to developers, but would hurt neighborhoods by slashing zoning protections meant to keep new development in-scale with their surroundings. These are protections many communities fought years to secure, and often had to sacrifice and compromise considerably to attain.

The Village and the East Village would be among the har dest-hit by the proposed changes – in our neighborhoods, the allowable height for new developments would in some cases be increased by about 31% -- nearly one-third!

The proposed rezoning is starting the public review and approval process next week with a hearing on the scope of the environmental review that will be required.  Eventually the City’s plan will have to be voted upon by local Community Boards, the Borough President, and the City Council.  
GVSHP is spreading the word about the impact this plan would have and the need for serious changes before it is approved – read our recent op-eds about the plan in Gotham Gazette and The Villager.

But we need your help NOW to ensure that neighborhood zoning protections are not undermined and destroyed.  The result would be a permanent allowance for larg er, taller development in residential neighborhoods throughout New York City.

HOW TO HELP:

• Write to City officials who will be voting upon the plan to let them know you oppose gutting neighborhood zoning protections and lifting our hard-fought-for height limits > >
   
• Write to the Department of City Planning to call for the environmental review for the rezoning plan to be expanded to ensure height limits can be maintained and impacts upon historic resources, neighborhood character, and light and air are taken into account > >

Sincerely,

Andrew Berman
Executive Director

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