Community Board 11 Public Hearing on the Metro North Rezoning Proposal

 

There were over one-hundred people in attendence or online for the Public Hearing by Bronx Community Board 11 on the proposed Upzoning around the new Morris Park and Van Nest/Parkchester Metro North stations. The Upzoning could bring as much as  7,500 new housing units, but Paul Phillips of the Department of City Planning and Ted Weinstein of the Housing and Preservation Department Bronx office said  that that number is only an estimate, and the number could be less depending on how developers build in response to the many people who were worried about the areas around the two stations being overdeveloped. 

Almost the entire rezoning will take place in CB 11, except a small area next to Parkchester in Bronx Community Board 9. City Planning wants higher density near the two stations as a building of 18 stories with 2083 units of housing is one of several high rise buildings that could have over 3,000 units of housing by the Van Nest/Parkchester station. For the Morris Park station, a town center with high rise buildings of unknown heights will be placed next to this station that will feature stores on the first level and residences on the upper floors with City Planning removing any parking restriction it will be up to the developers to build any parking. There are also two building of the height of 21 stories to be built on the Jacobi Hospital parking lot for Life Sciences. One building for Montefiore Hospital and the other for Jacobi Hospital. It is unknown how tall any other buildings will be, but residents living next to a proposed 12 story building that is next to one family homes at the back entrance to Jacobi Hopital were concerned about the height of the building where a one story building currently sits.   

City Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato was on hand to reassure the audience that she will work with City Planning and will listen to the concerns that were brought up in the public hearing when negotiations with City Planning are held.  

CB 11 held a special Leadership Committee meeting Tuesday night to come up with a resolution for its Thursday night full board meeting to give City Planning its response to the rezoning. 

The current area where the Morris Park Metro North station will be. 

The proposed new Metro Norths station and town center with buildings of unknown heights. 

Ms. Lori Peterson voiced her concerns about a proposed 12 story building right next to one family homes where she lives. 

Rich Vitacco of the East Bronx History Forum speaks about the low density of the area and what high rise building will do to the quality of life in Van Nest.

Mr. Baez, a resident of Van Nest spoke about the narrow streets of Van Nest and the floods that now occur when it rains due to the lack of the sewer system to take away the rain water. 

Mr. Ted Weinstein of HPD (right) and Mr. Paul Phillips of City Planning (left) try to assure the audience that the Metro North proposal will not adversely affect the communities, as Mr. Phillips of City Planning compared this to the Jerome Avenue rezoning.   

Councilwoman Kristy Marmorato who lives in the affected rezoning area, lets the audience know that she is with the community and will negotiate the best possible solution to get what the community wants.