- Whitestone Rezoning and Whitestone Locator Map. Used with permission of the New York City Department of City Planning. All rights reserved
Council approves new lower density and contextual zoning to preserve the existing neighborhood scale. On December 21, 2005, the City Council approved the Planning Department’s rezoning plan for 311 blocks located in the Whitestone, Beechhurst and Robinwood neighborhoods of Queens. The rezoned area is bounded by the Whitestone Expressway to the west, the Clearview Expressway and Little Neck Bay to the east, 25th and 26th Avenues to the south and the East River to the north.
The rezoning, like other recent down-zonings in Queens, was proposed to address overdevelopment and out-of-character construction, retain the area’s low density character, and prevent commercial uses from encroaching onto residential streets. The approved action replaced existing R3-1, R3-2 and R2 zoning districts with four districts (R1-2, R2A, R3X and R3A) that will generally limit future development to mostly one-family detached homes in R1-2 and R2A districts and some two-family detached homes in R3X and R3A districts. The new districts specifically limit lot coverage, perimeter wall heights, garage size, attic heights, and building heights to eliminate the means available in an R2 zoning district to double the permitted floor area.
The commercial rezoning included replacement of some C1-2 and C2-2 districts with C1-3 districts, decreasing overlays from 150 feet to 100 feet, to prevent commercial intrusion into residentially developed side streets.
ULURP Process: The Planning Commission, as lead agency, issued a negative declaration on August 22, 2005. Queens Community Board 7 approved by a vote of 34 to 3 on September 26, 2005. On October 31, 2005, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall approved the application subject to the condition that the Planning Department reevaluate and refine the proposed R1-2 areas to assure that the new zoning would not create too many noncompliant lots or hardships for property owners in those areas.
ULURP Process: The Planning Commission, as lead agency, issued a negative declaration on August 22, 2005. Queens Community Board 7 approved by a vote of 34 to 3 on September 26, 2005. On October 31, 2005, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall approved the application subject to the condition that the Planning Department reevaluate and refine the proposed R1-2 areas to assure that the new zoning would not create too many noncompliant lots or hardships for property owners in those areas.
Council: Whitestone Rezoning (December 21, 2005); CPC: Whitestone Rezoning (C 060055 ZMQ – map amendment) (December 7, 2005). CITYADMIN