Nothing has changed to merit rezoning

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To the editor:

In his Feb. 21 Point of view piece, “Don’t politicize CB 8,” Charles Moerdler makes several relevant land use statements relating to the Hebrew Home development proposal of the former Passionist property with which we find ourselves in full agreement. In particular, we agree with Mr. Moerdler’s conclusion that the Hebrew Home “proposal, as currently framed, is at odds with the rezoning of much of Riverdale.” 

We also fully agree with Mr. Moerdler’s recognition that at the heart of the 197-a rezoning “ was the preservation of a local — indeed a national — natural treasure.” 

And we join with Mr. Moerdler in commending Councilman Oliver Koppell and members of Community Board 8 for their years of hard work and the extensive human and economic resources that were devoted by them to the adoption of the 197a plan. As Mr. Moerdler therefore points out, it makes perfect sense for those who were involved with the rezoning to make every effort to “maintain the hard won zoning advances and the preservation of the essential character of our neighborhood.” 

However, given the importance of maintaining the special character of Riverdale, we question the relevance to the present circumstances of Mr. Moerdler’s observation that “as time and circumstances change, efforts at locally oriented changes may have merit.” This may be true in some circumstances, but here it is not quite a decade since the 197-a Plan was approved by City Planning and nothing has changed that merits reconsideration of the plan and its emphasis on residential development. Indeed, nothing has altered one iota in the City Planning Committee’s zoning directive that the future development should be consistent with the existing zoning patterns and density. 

The one thing that has occurred is that the Hebrew Home purchased the Passionist property on the assumption that they could get a zoning change for the property. The Riverdale Community Coalition strongly submits that the 197a rezoning has served the community well and under no circumstances should there be any modification of the zoning regulations by inserting into the community an over-scaled institutional development that would serve to defeat the very purpose of the rezoning. 

JENNIFER KLEIN

Ms. Klein is writing on behalf of the Riverdale Community Coalition. 

jennifer klein, letter to the editor, community board 8, cb 8, hebrew home, charles moerdler, city planning commission, rezoning

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