Springfield Gardens residents petitioned City to initiate down-zoning. On April 12, 2005, the City Council down-zoned 68 blocks of Springfield Gardens, Queens, completing a three-year process initiated by a local community group, the United Neighbors Civic Association.

Concerned about the proliferation of multi-family apartment buildings replacing small, single-family homes, members of United Neighbors canvassed Springfield Gardens with a petition requesting that the City down-zone the neighborhood to hinder future demolition. Acting on the request, the Planning Department found that although the area’s zoning permitted large-scale, multifamily units with a 35-foot height limit, 97 percent of Springfield Gardens contained one and two-family homes, which created an incentive to demolish existing homes. (read more…)