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Coney Island Rezoning Plan Stymied By Council Committee
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 2, 2009
Modified Jul 2, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 2, 2009
Modified Jul 2, 2009
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During an all-day public hearing to review the city's rezoning proposal for Coney Island, the City Council seemed poised to veto the plan, which would designate part of the area as parkland to create a new 27-acre indoor-outdoor amusement district and encourage the development of towers up to 27 stories tall, expanded retail spaces, and 4,500 new housing units (800 of which would be built to be affordable units). Zoning Subcommittee Chair Tony Avella essentially recommended sending the plans back to the drawing board, which would be a victory for developer Joe Sitt, who's at a stalemate with the city over 10 acres of land he's bought up and refused to sell for city's offered price. But when pressed by council members yesterday, Economic Development Corp. President Seth Pinsky admitted that the city is prepared to do whatever it takes to obtain Sitt's property: "I'm not saying we will use eminent domain, but in fairness to your question, I'm not saying we won't." If the plan moves forward to the full council, a vote must be held by July 29th, or by July 13th, if it wishes to modify the plan and send it back to the Planning Commission.
Tagged
City Council
coney island
rezoning
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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