Will Protect Housing Character, WRBA Learns
Protecting the residential housing stock of Woodhaven and Richmond Hill and combating a controversial plan to change the direction of two area streets were hot topics during the Woodhaven Residents Block Association (WRBA) meeting last Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
Despite snowy weather, a packed house heard a presentation by Brendan Pillar of the Department of City Planning (DCP) regarding a draft proposal to institute contextual zoning laws covering 229 blocks of one-and two-family homes in both neighborhoods. The plan also includes an increase in the zoning along Jamaica and Atlantic avenues.
According to Pillar, the rezoning plan was launched in an effort to preserve the character of the communities’ residential areas. In recent years, many single- and two-family homes in the neighborhoods have been demolished and replaced by multiplefamily dwellings.
The Woodhaven area of the zoning study is generally bounded on the north by Park Lane South, on the east by the Rockaway Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), on the west by Eldert Lane and on the south by a zig-zag boundary of Jamaica Avenue, 88th Street, 91st Avenue, 89th Avenue, 96th Street, and 93rd Avenue.
Most of the area are currently zoned under R3-1 regulations, which Pillar noted have allowed for the proliferation of one- and two-family semi-detached structures in areas dominated by detached buildings. Other parts of the zoning area fell under R5 rules, which allow for all types of housing to be constructed.
Pillar explained that the rezoning study calls for residential areas of Woodhaven to be given R3X or R3A zoning status, which restricts the size and bulk of housing to one- and twofamily detached homes. The R3A code applies to homes on narrow lots, while the R3X applies the same rules to structures on larger plots of land.
Meanwhile, Jamaica Avenue between Eldert Lane and the Rockaway Beach branch will be upzoned to R6A zoning with a commercial overlay. Pillar stated that builders will be permitted to erect structures up to 70 feet in height while reducing the depth of the commercial usage of the building from 150 to 100 feet.
Even though this area is being upzoned, the DCP representative stated that the agency does not anticipate that “the height of future development will be greater” than three to five stories.
Regarding the Richmond Hill rezoning, the study area is generally bounded on the south by 103rd Avenue, on the west by 102nd Street, on the east by the Van Wyck Expressway and Atlantic Avenue. It also includes a smaller portion bounded on the north by Jamaica Avenue, on the south by Atlantic Avenue, on the west by 112th Street and on the east by 121st Street.
Homes in Richmond Hill currently situated in R3-1 and R5 zoning areas will be downzoned to R4A status. Pillar stated that this limits the housing stock to detached one- to two family homes on large lots. A fourblock area of attached one- and twofamily rowhouses will also be rezoned from R5 to R4B.
Twenty-eight blocks of Atlantic Avenue between 104th Street and the van Wyck Expressway will be upzoned to R6A status, Pillar added.
The final rezoning proposal is expected to be released by the DCP in March for the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP), Pillar explained. Community Board 9 will have 60 days to review and make a recommendation for or against the project, followed by the borough president, the City Planning Commission and the City Council. He expects that the plan could be enacted between five and seven months, depending on how quickly the review process moves along.
City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley offered her support for the rezoning plan, stating that “we want to make sure that any development” in Woodhaven and Richmond Hill “is smart development.”
‘Nightmare’ on what was Elm St.
WRBA President Ed Wendell urged civic members to attend a public hearing scheduled for Wednesday night, Feb. 1, at St. Elizabeth’s School regarding the proposed changes to the directions of 84th Street in Ozone Park and 89th Avenue in Woodhaven- a plan which he labeled as being “dopey.”
As reported in last week’s Times Newsweekly, the Department of Transportation (DOT) plans to convert 89th Avenue between Woodhaven Boulevard and 97th Street from a two-way road into a one-way road for eastbound traffic; and 84th Street between Liberty and Atlantic avenues from a one-way street northbound into a one-way street southbound.
During the meeting, Wendell asked for two show-of-hands votes of the number of attendees who supported the conversions; each time, no hands were raised. He asked Council Member Crowley if the plan could be withdrawn since there seemed to be little support from the community.
“Historically, 89th Avenue … for about 70 to 80 years or more was known as Elm Street,” he told Crowley, “which is appropriate, because if they make this change, it’s going to be a nightmare.”
Crowley stated that she would actively urge the DOT to scrap the conversion plan if no strong support for the proposal is demonstrated. Wendell noted that he and other WRBA members plan to attend the public hearing to make their voices heard, and urged other Woodhaven residents to do the same.
Searching for justice
The daughter of a Woodhaven man who was murdered at the Bushwick tire store where he worked last month urged the community to do what they can to help track down the suspect responsible for the crime.
Ismelda Rosario stated that detectives are continuing to search for the gunman who fatally shot 58-year-old Carlos Rosario at the Bushwick Tire Shop located at 1370 Bushwick Ave. on the morning of Nov. 20, 2011 during what was believed to be a botched robbery attempt.
According to police, the suspect- described by authorities as an African-American male believed to be 40 years old and standing 6′-tall- entered the location and asked Carlos Rosario for hubcaps. When the victim told the suspect to get his car, it was reported, the perpetrator pulled out a gun and opened fire, striking Rosario in the mouth.
The victim died later that morning at Interfaith Medical Center.
Three months after the murder, the killer remains at large, Ismelda Rosario noted, and police are currently offering a $12,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman responsible for her father’s death. Though she and her family are still in mourning, she noted, they are determined to help police bring the suspect to justice.
Anyone with any information regarding the fatal shooting that could prove helpful is urged to call the 83rd Precinct Detective Squad at 1-718- 574-1796; all calls will be kept confidential.
Buzz over convention center
State Sen. Joseph Addabbo tried to answer a number of questions from attendees regarding the proposed plans for the development of the nation’s largest convention center at the Resorts World New York Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park, as well as its potential impact on Woodhaven and other surrounding communities.
“We should proceed with caution,” he told WRBA members regarding the $4 billion project that was conceived through a partnership between the state and Genting Americas, the parent company of Resorts World New York. While noting that the convention center would bring much-needed jobs and revenue to Queens, Addabbo stated that the developers must develop a plan that does not negatively impact residents living nearby.
The senator hoped that Genting would engage in an ongoing dialogue with community leaders about the new convention center in much the same way that it currently holds regular meetings to discuss quality-oflife issues related to the casino.
Speaking about the proposed state constitutional amendment to permit the use of table games at casinos across New York, Addabbo stated that the proposal would allow New York to keep billions of dollars in revenue lost to other states which offer greater gambling options.
Without the amendment, he said, “we’ll never realize the full potential of what we have here,” adding, “if we have a way of stopping money from going out of our state, then we should look at that potential. If we have a will to do it, let’s take advantage of it.”
As previously reported, any amendment to the state constitution must be approved by the state legislature in two consecutive sessions, then signed into law by the governor and approved by voters through a ballot referendum in order to be ratified. “We still won’t get it if the people don’t want it,” Addabbo pointed out.
Should expanded gaming be approved, the senator also called for the legal age to gamble in casino to be raised from 18 to 21. He noted that the age increase would prevent teenagers from falling prey to gambling addition.
One resident in attendance asked about potential changes to the transportation infrastructure to bring visitors to and from the planned convention center. Addabbo noted that a host of options are currently being considered, including the revitalization of the Rockaway Beach branch of the Long Island Rail Road, the reintroduction of the JFK Express “Train to the Plane” subway line and roadway improvements along North and South Conduit avenues.
“There’s a lot of discussion about traffic flow,” Addabbo said. “We need to solve these problems before it opens.”
Asked about increasing police presence in and around the Aqueduct site, the senator stated that he has asked the NYPD to boost the number of officers assigned to the 102nd and 106th precincts since Resorts World opened in October. He also noted that a plan is being considered to establish Resorts World security personnel as “peace officers” who may be authorized to make arrests before police arrive.
Police visit the meeting
Sgt. Joseph DiMarco and P.O. Jose Severino of the 102nd Precinct stopped by to inform residents that the precinct is looking to combat illegally parked vehicles around the neighborhood. DiMarco also advised residents to prevent their vehicles from being broken into by leaving valuables out of parked cars.
The sergeant also advised residents to make sure they have working carbon monoxide detectors in their homes following the recent death of two Ozone Park men who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning earlier this month. Severino also advised residents to call police when they observe graffiti in their area; a $500 reward is also being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a graffiti vandal.
Losing two active members
At the start of the meeting, the WRBA paid tribute to two prominent members of the neighborhood who died last week.
Dee Garvey, who died last Monday, Jan. 16, was a WRBA block captain and a 35-year resident of Woodhaven who contributed to a variety of functions including the community’s annual Flag Day ceremony.
Susan Farrell, a member of both the WRBA and Community Board 9, also died last Thursday, Jan. 19. Wendell remembered for helping to improve his leadership upon taking control of the civic organization. He also noted that Farrell, most recently, helped advised the group about the proposed changes to one-way streets in the area.
Both residents will be deeply missed by the community, Wendell and others in attendance remarked.
The next Woodhaven Residents Block Association meeting is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 1 p.m. at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps, located at 78-15 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven. For more information, visit www.woodhaven-nyc.org.
