The fight for sunlight at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is reaching a boiling point.
Opponents and supporters of the plan to build a 14-story tower across the street from the Botanic Garden packed the City Planning Commission hearing room in Lower Manhattan Wednesday.
What You Need To Know
- In May, Continuum Company applied to build a mostly luxury rental tower at 970 Franklin Ave. in Brooklyn
- The site is currently zoned for up to seven stories, but the developer is seeking a rezoning which would allow for up to 14 stories and bulkheads
- Horticulture experts say the tower would cast shadows on Brooklyn Botanic Garden greenhouses filled with rare, exotic plants
There were more than three hours of testimony from the real estate developer behind the project, Continuum Company, along with Botanic Garden leadership, union members and Brooklyn residents.
"My question is, 'Why are we here? Why is this still happening? Why are we still entertaining these applications? Why aren't they being stopped from the beginning?'" Brooklyn resident and community activist Alicia Boyd said.
In May, Continuum Company applied to build a mostly luxury rental tower at 970 Franklin Ave., between Sullivan Place and Montgomery Street.
Horticulture experts say the tower would cast shadows on greenhouses filled with rare, exotic plants.
"Less growth every year, worse health, gradually dying out, the plant collection simplifying and all the opportunities for people to see a diverse collection of plants at any time of the year is going to dwindle," Rowan Blake, the vice president of horticulture at the Botanic Garden, said.
The site is currently zoned for up to seven stories, but the developer is seeking a rezoning which would allow for up to 14 stories and bulkheads, which are box-like structures that cover stairwells and provide roof access.
Amid growing backlash, Continuum recently filed an amendment to its application, which would lower the building to 85 feet with sloped bulkheads.
"With respect to the [Botanic] Garden, we need to look particularly at, are these shadows from the building going to affect the way these plants can grow? And the answer to that is no," David Rosenberg, counsel for Continuum Company, said.
Opponents of the plan say they hope that the Planning Commission will uphold an amendment to the district's 1991 rezoning. This protected the Botanic Garden's access to continuous and unobstructed sunlight.
"They're really downplaying the existential damage that would be done to a world-renowned collection of plants from all over the world. There's only one Brooklyn Botanic Garden. There are millions of development sites across New York City," Adrian Benepe, president of the Botanic Garden, said. "We hope, at some point, developers will stop trying to up-zone this site."
The City Planning Commission will vote on the proposal within the next two months.
If the commission approves the plan, it will go to the City Council for a hearing and a final vote.
