The fate of a contentious housing development in Brooklyn’s Windsor Terrace neighborhood now rests with the City Council after months of protest and debate.
The Council subcommittee on zoning and franchises kicked off its review process this week for an application from Arrow Linen Supply, an industrial laundry company, to create two 13-story residential buildings on its property in the popular parkside enclave. The plan was moved forward by the City Planning Commission last month and is likely to continue to face significant opposition at the community level.
Though a quarter of the proposed units would be income-restricted, droves of residents have packed town halls and neighborhood forums in recent months to push for more affordable units and make the buildings smaller. Most of the surrounding area is made up of townhouses and low-rise apartment buildings.
“I must be clear: This is the legal minimum, not the solution our community deserves,” Councilmember Shahana Hanif, whose district includes the planned development, said of the proposed share of affordable units. She added that “25% affordable housing is simply not enough.”
The hearing comes barely a month after the Council passed a series of zoning reforms in a renegotiated version of Mayor Eric Adams' signature City of Yes housing plan, which promises to build as many as 80,000 new homes over 15 years amid a dire housing crisis in New York City.
The local community board supported City of Yes but decisively rejected Arrow Linen's proposal in September. Community board approval is largely symbolic but serves as a strong indicator of community sentiment.
Some City of Yes critics said the plan would do little to help tackle the city’s worsening affordability crisis, and would be more of a boon for developers rather than local communities.
Windsor Terrace residents echoed those concerns on Thursday. Representatives for Arrow Linen told Hanif that they could potentially consider deeper affordability levels. The most affordable apartments in the proposal are currently reserved for families earning 40% of the area median income — or about $62,000 annually for a family of four.
Some supporters said that although the proposal is imperfect, it's a step in the right direction for a city that desperately needs more affordable homes.
“The Arrow Linen rezoning plan provides an opportunity to support a significant amount of affordable homes in a neighborhood that has seen little affordable development in years,” Samiya Rubaiya, a youth advocate who grew up in nearby Kensington, testified on Thursday. “We must be clear: either we support affordable housing or we don't."
