Rezoning, Road Changes & More At CB 9
The controversial one-way conversion plans for a pair of streets in Woodhaven and Ozone Park and a rezoning proposal for areas of Woodhaven and Richmond Hill top the mammoth agenda for Community Board 9′s next meeting on Tuesday night, Mar. 13.
Seven public hearings will be held by the board at the start of the session, which will take place beginning at 7:45 p.m. this Tuesday night at the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps headquarters located at 78-15 Jamaica Ave. in Woodhaven.
Two of the scheduled hearings will focus on the proposed conversions of 89th Avenue between Woodhaven Boulevard and 97th Street in Woodhaven from a two-way road into a one-way street for eastbound traffic; and 84th Street between Liberty and Atlantic avenues in Ozone Park from a one-way northbound to a one-way southbound.
Votes on the proposed street changes were tabled at the board’s February meeting after objections were raised by local residents and elected officials.
Board 9 will also hold a public hearing regarding the Department of City Planning’s rezoning proposal for 229 blocks of residences and businesses in clusters of Woodhaven and Richmond Hill. As reported in last week’s Times Newsweekly, the plan calls for contextual zoning designed to preserve one- and two-family homes in both neighborhoods while also encouraging commercial development along segments of Jamaica and Atlantic avenues.
More details about the proposal can be found in the article titled “Green Light For Zoning Project,” now available in our local news section at www.timesnewsweekly.com.
The Woodhaven Residents Block Association (WRBA) encouraged its members in a Mar. 6 press release to attend the Mar. 13 meeting and make their presence known on both the rezoning and one-way conversion plans. Three members of the civic group will register to speak at each street change public hearings and two will sign up to speak during the hearing on the rezoning study.
“Even if you don’t say a word, your attendance still matters,” said WRBA President Ed Wendell. “We will ask you to raise your hand if you oppose the street changes or if you favor rezoning, so it is extremely important that you show up if you care about the future of Woodhaven.”
The WRBA has publicly stated its support for the rezoning plan but has condemned the proposed one-way changes.
Board 9 has scheduled votes on the one-way conversions and the rezoning proposal later that evening as part of their regular meeting. Howroadbed ever, those votes could take place very late on Tuesday night, as the advisory body has four additional public hearings slated to take place on the following topics:
– A variance application with the Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) to permit the construction of a three-story, two-family dwelling at 95-36 115th St. in Richmond Hill without providing the required side yards or parking spaces (the application also permits a proposed parking space within the front yard).
– A BSA variance to legalize an existing cellar and two-story detached dwelling located at 114-01 95th Ave. in Richmond Hill which does not provide the required front yards under existing zoning codes.
– A proposed group residence at 94-19 127th St. in Richmond Hill by the Center for Family Support which, if approved, will service five individuals with developmental disabilities who are from the community.
– A review of liquor license applications for 12 separate businesses that are seeking new or renewed permits.
Votes on resolutions regarding the topics discussed at each additional public hearing are also scheduled to be taken during the board’s regularly scheduled public meeting to follow on Tuesday night.
The regular meeting agenda includes reports by Chairperson Andrea Crawford and District Manager Mary Ann Carey, an election of board officers and committee reports. The public forum is the last of the 14 items on the agenda.
Those wishing to speak at any of the public hearings are advised to register in advance by calling Board 9’s office at 1-718-286-2686 or signing up prior to the start of Tuesday’s meeting. All speakers will have a maximum of three minutes each to make their remarks.
