QUESTION
What are some of the issues and unintended consequences of allowing non-manufacturing uses in manufacturing districts through the growth district tool?
1:34:48
·
3 min
Council Member Gutiérrez expresses concerns about the growth district tool and the flexibility it provides to allow non-manufacturing uses in manufacturing areas.
- The growth district exists in North Brooklyn in Gutiérrez's district, though not referred to by that name
- Allowing non-manufacturing uses in manufacturing districts has led to unintended consequences in that area
- Issues include rampant 311 calls from residents and industrial businesses no longer being able to load/unload due to personal cars parking
- The wording around "flexibility" in the growth district does not solve for these consequences
- Gutiérrez has significant concerns about expanding flexibility through the growth district tool
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:34:48
Because as I've expressed before, I do I have I have issues with with the growth district, and the the latitude of flexibility.
1:34:58
So can you is there a way that you can share us kind of like share with us what are some of these neighborhoods where you think the the growth district is in need.
1:35:10
This, like, flexibility of of commercial and manufacturing.
Dan Garodnick
1:35:14
I'm gonna turn to Matt.
1:35:15
But one thing that I will note is because we're not mapping any of these districts here, They become an important tool for us as we continue our conversation as it relates to intro 1012
Christopher Leon Johnson/Shaun Abreu
1:35:28
Mhmm.
Dan Garodnick
1:35:29
Which the council passed as you know, and where we have a responsibility to you to answer this very question, which is where is it appropriate for different types?
1:35:41
Where is appropriate for preservation?
1:35:43
Where would we like to see growth?
1:35:45
But I'm going to turn to Matt to answer your question more fully, but that is something that we intend as part of that local law to be able to answer to you most completely.
Sommay Jaijong
1:35:55
Thank you.
Matt Waskiewicz
1:35:57
Thank you, Dan, and thank you council member.
1:35:59
The the growth district we we view as one tool of a suite of tools that are all appropriate.
1:36:06
For looking at the future of our cities and industrial areas holistically.
1:36:10
So as as Dan noted, we we are not mapping anything in this proposal and we are not going through this proposal and saying a particular area where we think the growth is is appropriate in part because we want to make sure that that goes into a public process where we are talking with with community members, talking with council members, speaking with industrial businesses, understanding what their needs are, as well as what the future vision holistically can be for an area.
1:36:40
That said, we have ongoing planning efforts in a number of of neighborhoods today, which may benefit from the whole suite of tools and not just the growth.
1:36:49
So it's it's a continued conversation that we're looking forward to having with with communities.
1:36:54
But we think creating the tools, adding them as paintbrushes, if you will, to our our zoning toolkit is is really important.
Jennifer Gutiérrez
1:37:01
So, I mean, the the growth district very blatantly exists in in North Brooklyn and in my district.
1:37:07
And although we don't refer to it as that, it is I think where a bit of that inspiration.
1:37:12
I wanna say it came from.
1:37:15
As far as I guess the way it infringes on industrial businesses or manufacturing businesses in that area, I can tell you from being a staff member for a long time there are unintended consequences of allowing non manufacturing, in manufacturing districts.
1:37:33
And the growth district and the wording of it, which is like allowing flex ability is not solving for those consequences, whether it's rampant 311 calls from people that live in the growth district where it's manufacturing.
1:37:47
Industrial businesses that no longer have the ability to load and unload because there's so many residential folks there now that they're parking their personal cars.
1:37:56
Right?
1:37:56
And so I have a a a big issue, and there's a ton of flags for me in growing flexibility or that terminology in in the the growth area.