On Wednesday, February 12 2025, at the recommendation of Councilmember Shahana Hanif, two key City Council committees voted to approve the rezoning of Arrow Linen in South Slope/Windsor Terrace, with an R7A zoning designation (11 stories), with 40% of units reserved as permanently affordable, and a Community Benefit Agreement to limit the height of the building to 10 stories.
Additionally, the mostly renter-occupied adjacent properties in the rezoning that are not owned by Arrow Linen had their rezoning increased to R6B. This allows them to build to six stories with anything above five to include affordable housing as well.
Many thanks to our community for the powerful pressure we brought to bear on the Councilmember and the committee members of the City Council to reach this compromise.
The full Council is expected to adhere to the tradition of Member Deference, and follow Councilmember Hanif’s recommendation with a final vote to approve, later this month.
Ongoing concerns about the rezoning as approved include the fact that Arrow now has an R7A zoning which allows eleven stories, as no relevant zoning district could be used here to limit to ten stories, and the Council’s ten story height limit is intended to be enforced by a Community Benefit Agreement (CBA). CBAs are not binding, but rather allow the manager of the CBA to sue a party that does not hold up their end of the agreement. If the owners of Arrow Linen sell their property, the purchaser is under no obligation whatsoever.
The CBA is expected to be managed by the Fifth Avenue Committee. Housing Not High-Rises is working to ensure that our community has a seat at the table as this agreement is negotiated, and representation on the promised construction
Housing Not Highrises thanks Assemblymember Robert Carroll, who represents the area in the State Assembly, and has been a consistent champion for the community. He said, “Throughout this process, I have always advocated for a nine story building because I felt that this struck the right balance between the need for affordable housing development and community concerns. I commend Housing Not High-Rises for their advocacy, which resulted in a more appropriate sized building, deeper affordability, and some protection for the adjacent small residential buildings. I remain concerned a future developer will seek to change the Community Benefits agreement and seek greater building height and additional concessions. I trust Councilmember Hanif will work to ensure the owner and developers of the Arrow Linen site will meet the terms of the Community Benefits Agreement, which is largely enforceable based on her vigilance and advocacy.”
Many thanks as well to these organizations and people who have supported and endorsed our work:
- Park Slope Civic Council
- Catholic Charities
- Movement to Protect the People (MTOPP)
- Maya Kornberg
- Voice of Gowanus
- Brooklyn Community Board 7
We have more to share about the process, but that’s for another day. We haveve completed another step in this long journey, and we will keep fighting and keep you updated as the process continues.