CB8 calls hearing on Synagogue

Community Board 8 (CB8), which monitors public concerns in Queens from Briarwood to Fresh Meadows, is holding a public hearing on construction of another “community facility” on another residential block in Jamaica Estates.
The owner of the property at the northwest corner of Chevy Chase Street and 80th Road is seeking a relaxation of zoning rules to allow construction of a synagogue on the site, which is zoned R1-2 - for a single-family home.
The applicant, Bokharian Communities Center, Inc. is a non-profit religious organization. They are asking for a variance - a relaxation of minimum parking requirements and floor area regulations.
The location is on a block which borders the commercial strip of Union Turnpike. The Hillcrest Jewish Center and a Sephardic synagogue, Congregation Anshe Shalom, are located on the block. The requested variance would enable the synagogue to be the third “community facility” on the block.
The application is under a provision of the zoning code, section 72-21, which outlines five reasons for granting a variance - for example, a lot with an “irregular shape.”
Under the wording of the rule, all five conditions must be met for a variance to be granted. In actual practice, the Board of Standards and Appeals, the appointed board whose decisions can only be appealed to the courts, regularly grants variance applications which do not meet all five criteria.
The hearing, slated for Monday, February 25 at 8 p.m. will be at the Hillside Manor, located at 188-11 Hillside Avenue, in Jamaica Estates.
At the meeting, speaking time will be granted to members of the public who request it in advance from CB8, and subject to their rules and limits.
To request speaking time or for more information, call the CB8 office at 718-264-7895, Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.