Activists fear high-rises could cast shadows on Botanic Garden

June 22, 2018 By Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Eagle file photo by Lore Croghan

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Crown Heights community activists are reportedly fighting to prevent the approval of several high-rise buildings that they say will cast shadows onto the nearby Brooklyn Botanic Garden and deprive plants of sunlight. Two buildings of at least 16 stories have been proposed for 40 Crown St. and 931 Carroll St., according to amNewYork.

The developer, Cornell Realty Management, needs approval from the city because the area is zoned only for buildings up to six or seven stories. Another firm, the Continuum Company, has submitted a preliminary application for a development at 960 Franklin Ave. that would rise as high as 37 stories.

A group known as The Movement to Protect the People is leading the effort against the developers, amNewYork said.

“These shadows actually go past the garden and touch Prospect Park,” said Alicia Boyd, leader of the Movement.

In addition, Elizabeth Reina-Longoria, a spokeswoman for the Botanic Garden, said, “BBG is strongly advocating to maintain the site’s current zoning – which now caps building height to six or seven stories – which was put in place, in part, to protect the garden’s conservatories from building shadows.”