Sunnyside and Woodside rezoning passes

City Council members voted recently to pass the rezoning of Sunnyside and Woodside in an effort to prevent development Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer calls “out of character” while protecting the low density nature of much of the area.
Van Bramer hosted a town hall with over 100 in attendance in June and has collaborated with entities including community groups, city planning, and the community board to push the plan to completion. According to the councilmember’s office, the 130 block rezoning works to preserve the character of local neighborhoods. The rezoning also lifts the restrictions on sidewalk cafes along Queens Boulevard while also allowing for small, unenclosed cafes on portions of Skillman Avenue thus increasing foot traffic and visibility.
“In Queens, we’ve all witnessed too many teardowns of one and two story homes only to be replaced by large, multi-unit dwellings that don’t fit the scale of surrounding homes . . . I am grateful to Speaker Quinn, Councilmembers Comrie and Weprin, City Planning, Community Board 2 and the community for helping to make this a reality and preserve the low density nature of our neighborhoods,” Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer said.