Millman Supports Carroll Gardens Rezoning Resolution

January 30, 2008

Brooklyn – Today Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman joined State Senator Martin Connor on the steps of City Hall to express support for Council Member Bill de Blasio’s newly-introduced resolution requesting that the City Planning Commission immediately begin efforts to downzone the Carroll Gardens neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Current zoning regulations do not adequately protect the neighborhood from out-of-scale development. The resolution introduced by Council Member de Blasio would speed up the City’s rezoning process. Assemblywoman Millman’s statement can be found below.

“I applaud Council Member de Blasio for introducing this downzoning resolution to the City Council,” stated Millman. “There are many reasons people choose to live in Carroll Gardens, and we must work to preserve those cherished qualities. We thank the City Planning Commission for recognizing the need to rezone this area.”

Thank you all for coming here today to make your voices heard in support of Council Member Bill de Blasio’s resolution calling upon the Department of City Planning to begin a down zoning study of Carroll Gardens immediately. Carroll Gardens has a character and charm about it that personifies Brooklyn. The cozy, peaceful and serene brownstones that line the streets make it a highly desirable neighborhood.

The resolution proposed by Council Member de Blasio is needed in Carroll Gardens to limit the rash of inappropriate development that has been plaguing neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn and our city. Rezoning will protect this wonderful community from irresponsible development and will allow for sensible community-based planning.

We further request, once the study has begun, that all projects which would be inappropriate under the new zoning be halted until the study has been completed. Too often, reckless developers have rushed to complete projects before a neighborhood was rezoned with little regard for the community or the safety and welfare of the construction workers.

The Department of City Planning has made it clear that Carroll Gardens is a priority for Downzoning. I am delighted to learn that they have heard our call. We need the city to give the Department of City Planning, the Department of Buildings and other city agencies, especially community boards, the necessary resources to prevent neighborhoods like Carroll Gardens from being irrevocably destroyed.

I am confident the city will heed the plight of the people of Carroll Gardens as they struggle to rein in out-of-context development. So let the city hear our voices loud and clear – Help us to save our neighborhood!

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