The Kew Gardens Hills rezoning moved forward with a key hearing before the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises on Wednesday, Sept. 4. The proposed rezoning would allow affected homeowners to expand their homes as their families grow.
Queens Community Board 8 formally applied for the Kew Gardens Hills rezoning and is supported by the Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association. The rezoning is being guided through the City Council by Councilmember Rory Lancman.
“We want to keep Kew Gardens Hills families in Kew Gardens Hills,” Lancman said. “This rezoning allows homes to grow to meet their owners’ needs. I am proud to shepherd this rezoning through the Council, and am grateful for the support of the Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association, Community Board 8, and the Borough President.”
The proposal will rezone the affected area from R2 to R2X, which will increase the floor area ratio from 0.5 to 1.02 and impose maximum building heights of 35 feet. Effectively, the proposal gives homeowners the opportunity to expand single-family homes approximately 10 feet into their backyards and 3 feet on either side while setting a height cap that will maintain the single-family home charter of the neighborhood.
The Proposed Actions would rezone two separate areas (Area A and Area B) made up of 16 blocks, 377 lots (the “Rezoning Area”). Area A includes 283 lots and is bounded by Main Street, 72nd Road, Park Drive East and 77th Avenue. Area B includes 94 lots and is bounded by Vleigh Place, 78th Road, Park Drive East and Union Turnpike.
Wednesday’s hearing will be followed shortly by a vote of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and then a vote of the full Committee on Land Use before ultimately being voted on by the City Council later this month.
