By Zach Patberg
At a town hall meeting last week, Deborah Ayala, vice president of the Jamaica Hill Community Association, handed Debrah Carney, of the Department of City Planning, a completed survey of the neighborhood's western half. To conduct the survey, Ayala and about 13 other residents spent more than a week walking through the 65 blocks they hope to be rezoned, marking any changes from what information City Planning currently has, including residence size, context and street layout. The survey, which will now be reviewed by the agency, was the first step in a lengthy rezoning process that requires approval from the community board, the borough president and eventually the City Council.The studied area is bordered by 168th Street, Parsons Boulevard, the Grand Central Parkway service road and Highland Avenue. The first phase, which downzoned a 28-block section of eastern Jamaica Hills, took effect in October after a four-year effort led by Ayala. It eliminated zones that allowed residences to be built in all sizes and replaced them with zones that restricted development to one- and two-family detached homes, which the residents thought better suited their neighborhood's character.While it is still too early for any set plans regarding the second rezoning phase, Ayala said she was looking for a downzoning proposal similar to phase one.”We want something that fits with our character of one and two-family homes and spacious front lawns,” she said. The zoning change was expected to be completed by the end of the year, according to Ayala. Upon accepting the survey materials from Ayala at last week's meeting, Carney, was cheered by the crowd of about 50 people for her successful efforts with the previous zoning application.If this second application goes through, Jamaica Hill will be one of the few neighborhoods in Queens to be completely rezoned since the 1961 zoning resolution passed. Support has also been seen from Councilman James Gennaro (D-Fresh Meadows), who organized both last week's town hall meeting and one in 2003 to discuss the two downzoning proposals.Reach reporter Zach Patberg by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 155.
