As the debate over the city's proposal to revitalize Atlantic Avenue begins to take shape, many Crown Heights and Prospect Heights residents say they need more time and much more information about the plan to provide meaningful input.
At a recent Environment, Sanitation and Transportation committee meeting at Community Board 8, many residents and board members agreed they did not have enough information on the Atlantic Avenue Mixed-Use Plan (AAMUP) to be able to make any recommendations and asked for the city for more information.
Residents questioned the transparency of the city's plan, and what suggestions would actually be considered in the final rezoning.
“There are three plans being circulated, and no one seems to have all the information, yet the community board is being asked to vote on it,” said Lynda Balsama, a Prospect Heights resident and member of the activist group United Neighbors of Prospect and Crown Heights.
The proposal calls to rezone Atlantic Avenue from Vanderbilt to Nostrand Avenue, outlining several major changes to the streetscape and what types of building can be built around CB8 and nearby districts. This includes mixed-use developments, affordable housing, waiving off-street parking requirements and increased open spaces.
Peter Anekwe, a lifelong Crown Heights resident, said the city’s proposal shows a deliberate effort to make it harder for people to drive around the city.
“Now, they've made it so developers are not required to provide parking,” said Anekwe, referring to Mayor Eric Adams’ efforts to waive off-street parking requirements in new construction as part of the “City of Yes” housing plan.
Anekwe said people in his neighborhood often park with several feet of space between them and another vehicle, limiting the amount of available space to park on the block.
“You can’t find parking anywhere,” said Anekwe. “I told my block association president, we have to now put out notices and make people conscientious of how they park.”
A large portion of the meeting on Tuesday was about two proposed bike boulevards on Bergen and Dean Streets. The envisioned bike boulevards are outlined in a 2023 report about the Atlantic Avenue rezoning, commissioned by the New York City Economic Development Corporation on behalf of City Council Member Crystal Hudson.
However, when committee chair Robert Witherwax gave a presentation at the meeting titled “Certification Presentation to the NYC City Planning Commission,” bike boulevards were not part of the proposal being voted on.
“Nowhere on that list did I see mention of a bike boulevard,” said Witherwax. “I would like whatever we come out of here tonight to say, if it ain’t on this spreadsheet, we’re preemptively not supporting it.”
In an email to Hudson's office, a spokesperson said they could not provide comment on the matter by the time of publication.
Conversations about street use are often fraught, said Alan Mooiman, a resident of Prospect Heights.
“Typically people advocate for their own interests, but I try to be mindful of what’s best for the community at large, considering air pollution, noise pollution, street safety and vibrancy,” he said.
There are several meetings about the Atlantic Avenue rezoning occurring in the coming weeks. There will be a follow-up meeting by the Environment, Sanitation and Transportation committee on Zoom on Dec. 3. Then the Housing and Land Use Committee will meet on Dec. 5. The general board meeting will happen on Dec. 12 at 6:30pm at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum.
