Rendering of the precinct once it will be completed by 2024. Image Credit: DDC.

After decades of advocating, the communities of Rosedale, Brookville, Laurelton, and Springfield Gardens in Queens celebrated the topping off on their newly-established police precinct. On August 22, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams joined the NYPD, NYC Department of Design and Construction, and local elected officials to celebrate the installation of the last steel beam, known as the topping off ceremony, for the new 116th Precinct in southeast Queens. (more…)

Render of the modular housing to be constructed to provide affordable homeownership opportunities in Southeast Queens. Image Credit: HPD.

On March 9, 2022, Mayor Eric Adams announced updates to two infrastructure and affordable housing projects in Southeast Queens.  (more…)

New asphalt is laid after water and sewer mains have been replaced in Hollis and Queens Village. Image Credit: NYC DEP

The project was completed 5 months early and $2.7 million under budget and is a part of the $1.9 billion program to improve street and flooding conditions in southeast Queens. On June 2, 2021, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection announced that a $20.5 million project to upgrade infrastructure, improve street conditions, and alleviate flooding in Hollis and Queens Village had been completed. (more…)

Council Member Sanders claimed that contextual rezoning would check development pressure. On September 16, 2010, the City Council approved the Department of City Planning’s 193-block rezoning proposal in Rosedale, Queens. The contextual rezoning impacts a triangular-shaped area generally bounded by Idlewild Park and Hook Creek to the south, the Nassau County border to the east, and Brookville Boulevard to the west. Planning proposed the rezoning in order to reinforce Rosedale’s lowdensity suburban character against recent development pressure.

Sunrise Highway divides the study area into a northern portion, zoned R2, and a southern portion, previously zoned R3-2. Although both sections are characterized by single-family detached homes, the flexibility of the R3-2 zoning, which permits detached and attached housing and small apartment buildings, had resulted in pockets of out-of-character development. The rezoning targeted the southern portion and replaced the majority of its R3-2 zoning with contextual zoning districts, including R3-1 and R3X, in order to limit new development to existing land use patterns.

At the City Planning Commission’s hearing, Council Member James Sanders Jr., whose district includes Rosedale, and local leaders expressed support for the rezoning. The Commission unanimously approved the plan. 7 CityLand 122 (Sept. 15, 2010). (more…)

Local council member supported 193-block contextual rezoning in suburban Queens. On August 25, 2010, the City Planning Commission approved the Department of City Planning’s proposal to rezone 193 blocks in Rosedale, Queens. The triangular-shaped rezoning area is generally bounded by Merrick Boulevard to the north, Idlewild Park and Hook Creek to the south, Nassau County to the east, and Brookville Boulevard to the west. The plan seeks to preserve the neighborhood’s low-density character and builds on three recent rezonings in the nearby neighborhoods of Brookville, Cambria Heights, and Laurelton. The Commission certified the proposal in June 2010. 7 CityLand 91 (July 15, 2010).

Sunrise Highway bisects the rezoning area. The northern portion is zoned R2 and characterized by single- family detached homes. Rosedale’s southern portion is zoned R3- 2, which allows a variety of housing types, including low-rise attached houses, small multi-family apartment houses, and detached and semi-detached houses. This area is also characterized by single-family detached homes, but the flexibility of the R3-2 zoning has resulted in pockets of over development out of character with the area’s prevailing suburban nature. Planning would replace the majority of the R3-2 zoning with contextual zoning districts in order to better reflect existing development. The plan would rezone 146 blocks throughout the southern portion of Rosedale to R3X, thereby limiting building types to detached one- and two-family homes. (more…)