Forest Hills/Rego Park Rezoning Progresses

Forest Hills/Rego Park Rezoning Progresses
The members of Community Board 6 (CB6) have unanimously approved a plan to rezone portions of Forest Hills and Rego Park, after a public hearing at which many local residents praised the proposed rules.
City planners say that the goal of the rezoning plan is to maintain the existing character of the neighborhoods it addresses. The area in question incorporates 61 blocks loosely bounded by Burns St. to the north, Yellowstone Blvd. to the east, Kessel to the south and Ascan to the west. Two smaller areas in Rego Park on the north side of the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) tracks are also included.
"We tried to create zoning that is a response to the needs of the community," said John Young, director of the Queens office of the Dept. of City Planning and leader of the initiative. "Its the genesis of a request from civic groups and the local community."
Currently, the area covered by the proposal is zoned to allow multi-family buildings to be constructed. At present, new buildings constructed in much of the area below the LIRR tracks may not exceed three to four stories, but a low-rise apartment complex in the area may extend up to 185 feet along the block. If many are built, such complexes would dramatically increase the population and strain neighborhood schools and other resources. In the area covered by the proposal north of the LIRR tracks, buildings may rise as high as 14 stories.
None of the areas covered under the proposal would keep their current designations. Instead, four designations that more closely reflect the existing building types and scale of development would govern any new construction plans. However, the new zoning would not be retroactive, so any existing buildings that violate the new rules would be allowed to remain.
"My wife and I are tremendously in favor of this plan," Matthew Bauer, a resident of Booth St. in Rego Park, part of the area that may be rezoned, told the assembled crowd during the period of public comment.
Brian Nixon, president of the Forest Hills Van Court Homeowners Assoc., praised the proposal and thanked CB6 and the planners for "involving the community in the process and keeping developers from coming in and destroying our neighborhoods."
After the meeting, Flor Angela Castro of Booth St. added her accolades to the plan. "The proposal has to do with the community keeping an eye on how the blocks look. I agree with that." Castros neighbor, Ann Whyte, added, "I agree with it 100 percent and Im just delighted that its going forward. I want to preserve the look of the neighborhood and I dont want structures to be built that shouldnt be."
Indeed, the only complaint heard at the meeting was that the proposal didnt cover more territory. Steve Goldberg, who heads the CB6 planning committee, told those at the meeting that the current proposal was meant as a pilot, and that people interested in having their block rezoned should contact the community board. "We will look at it and talk to City Planning," he said.
Now that CB6 has approved the rezoning proposal, first Borough President Helen Marshall and then the City Council will hold their own, separate public hearings on it. Marshalls hearing is scheduled for June 27. If her office approves the plan, then the Council must hold its hearing within 60 days, making it possible that the plan will be in place by September.