Astoria is on the fast track for rezoning after Queens Community Board 1 (CB1) overwhelmingly voted in favor of the plan.
On Tuesday, February 26, the board voted 26 to one with a single abstention to approve the plan, which would rezone nearly 240 blocks in the northwest Queens neighborhood.
The plan, which was drafted by the Department of City Planning after numerous meetings with the local community board and civic associations, is designed to preserve the existing scale and character of the area, while allowing for a modest increase in residential and commercial density in some locations.
“I think the board feels every effort was made to hear people take into consideration and then to include as much of what could be included to achieve what they were going for,” said Lucille Hartmann, District Manager for Community Board 2.
This rezoning plan, which is the largest in Astoria’s history, comprises 248 blocks and is bounded by 20th Avenue on the north, Steinway Street on the east, Broadway on the south, and Vernon Boulevard, 8th Street, 14th Street, and the East River on the west.
It would protect neighborhood character from out-of-scale development by mapping contextual zoning districts that more closely reflect the scale and form of existing buildings and set firm building height limits.
For example, on blocks fronting Vernon Boulevard, 21st Street and 31st Street, moderate density increases are proposed along with incentives for the development of affordable housing through the Inclusionary Housing Program. Building height limits would ensure that the scale of new buildings generally remains consistent with the existing development patterns.
During the hearing, Hartmann said that about 40 people voiced their opinion about the proposal with a majority of those supporting the project. However, a few people did speak out against the plan saying they believed that it did not go far enough.
“I think that we have the support of the vast majority of people,” said City Councilmember Peter Vallone Jr., who represents the area and has been working with City Planning on the rezoning efforts for years. “There will always be some people who don’t agree with things.”
