Flood-prone Neighborhoods Off-Limits for Building in Staten Island

Some neighborhoods won’t ever be rebuilt after the flooding of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. A state-sponsored buyout program bought and demolished more than 200 homes in the Staten Island neighborhoods of Oakwood, Ocean Breeze and Graham Beach.

A new zoning proposal would permanently curb new residential construction in those communities. Planning officials hope to “limit residential development in areas highly vulnerable to flooding and other natural hazards, while ensuring preservation of ecologically sensitive areas,” according to reporting in Curbed.

At the same time, developers in other parts of the city, like Williamsburg and Long Island City, are lining the waterfront with new high-rise developments.

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