Unhappy Neighbors Over Sunset Park Rezoning

Rodrigo Camarena looks sad at this donut shop. Despite the refusal of some neighbors and activists, the area councilor, Carlos Menchaca, gave his support for the rezoning of this space and the construction of a luxury apartment building.

“They are making the area more expensive and this project is only going to make the area even more expensive and lead to more expulsions of migrant worker families,” predicts Camarena, who is a pre-candidate for Sunset Park councilor.

Camarena also participated in different protests here, including one last weekend. The candidate for the Council assures that there are better options than the one decided by Menchaca to alleviate the housing crisis in the area.

“Create a public land bank, give the same community members of this area the power to build their own affordable homes 100% with the support of the state and with the support of the city,” Camarena details.

And it is that after having received the approval of the President of the county and also the approval of the city, the real estate project awaits the voting process of the Council, where it could be approved after the support of the area councilor

For his part, Councilor Carlos Menchaca comments: “This rezoning is a victory for responsible and community-driven development. This contract ensures that the neighborhood will get 33 affordable permanent apartments.”

The building’s owners reached an agreement with the Fifth Avenue Committee, a nonprofit organization, to manage the 34 affordable housing apartments.

Assemblywoman Marcela Mitaynes, who worked for this organization, does not support the project: “That is the benefit for them. They see it as a benefit of 17 apartments. They will have control of the 34, I think for a long time the options of the community are between something bad and something worse. “

The land is for commercial use and is awaiting the voting process in the Council, where the vote of the area councilor usually determines its future. It will have 140 apartments, 34 affordable and 17 for people from the neighborhood.

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