The proposed rezoning of 175 blocks in Greenpoint and East Williamsburg, which is aimed at protecting the rowhouse character of the neighborhoods, will soon undergo a public review process.

The rezoning, which was requested by local officials and members of Community Board 1, will put strict height limits and restrict the size and shape of new developments throughout the North Brooklyn neighborhoods, which have been overwhelmed by large, out-of-scale projects, while at the same time establish appropriate havens for large-scale developments that include affordable housing near transportation hubs.

The new rezoning is the second part of the Department of City Planning’s (DCP) overall vision for North Brooklyn, which began with the 2005 rezoning that upzoned large sections of the western portions of the neighborhood.

The 175-block rezoning includes the majority of Greenpoint, bounded on the east by the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, on the west by McCarren Park and Franklin Avenue, and a portion of Williamsburg bounded on the south by Scholes Street and Grand Street, on the west by Union Avenue, and on the east by Kingsland.

Much of the area that is included in the rezoning is currently zoned R6, a mixed, medium density designation that determines building heights based on the sky exposure plane that can allow for taller, out-of-character buildings. The proposed rezoning would set much of the neighborhoods at R6A or R6B, creating firm height limits for new buildings in the area.

The R6A zoning, which is concentrated around smaller commercial districts like Graham Avenue, Manhattan Avenue (which is currently a C4-3 large commercial district), and Grand Street, allows for a maximum building height of 70 feet (6 to 7 stories), while the R6B zoning, proposed for the more strictly residential blocks in the study, would be limited to a maximum of 50 feet (4 to 5 stories).

The proposed rezoning would also designate portions of Metropolitan Avenue, Manhattan Avenue, McGuinness Boulevard, and Bushwick Avenue as R7A, which would allow maximum building heights of 80 feet and a much larger floor area ratio than allowed under the existing R6.

The zoning proposal would also create a C2-4 commercial overlay on Manhattan Avenue, Union Avenue, Nassau Avenue, Driggs Avenue, Graham Avenue, and Metropolitan Avenue, providing more allowable floor area for the growing retail businesses in the area.

In some cases, like Manhattan Avenue and Grand Street, these overlays will allow for the continued retail use of certain blocks that are being changed to a residential designation from a commercial one.

“Working closely with the community and Council Members Diana Reyna and David Yassky, DCP has crafted a rezoning proposal to protect the unique low-scale row house character of Greenpoint and Williamsburg and create opportunities for new affordable housing,” said City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden. “This initiative will ensure that out-of-scale development will no longer threaten the unique character of these extraordinary and beautiful neighborhoods.

The public review process, which is part of the City’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), began on March 4. The first part of the process will require Community Board 1 to hold a hearing on the issue and use that information to vote on a recommendation regarding the proposal. Their decision, which must be made within 60 days after the start of the ULURP, will be followed by public hearings and recommendations within the offices of the Borough President, City Planning Commission, and finally the City Council.

When the Greenpoint and East Williamsburg proposal was first presented to the community in November, it was generally well received by elected officials, CB1, and the general public. The affordable housing elements of the proposal have proven to be extremely controversial, with neighborhood housing advocates arguing that it does not provide enough incentive for developers to provide sufficient low-income units to meet the needs of the neighborhood.

At the same time, residents of the areas surrounding the areas that would be upzoned in order to create the affordable housing have expressed their frustration at the buckling of the area’s infrastructure under the rapidly increasing population, and fear the influx of even more residents. These issues and others will be debated heavily at the as-yet unscheduled CB1 hearing.