After rezoning enormous swaths of the city, the Bloomberg administration has set its sights on its biggest effort ever: a 530-block section of Jamaica where residents say their neighborhood of one- and two-family homes is being overrun.
The proposal, unveiled yesterday, would protect residential neighborhoods — many dating back to World War II — from overdevelopment, while channeling commercial and higher density residential activity to busy commercial streets.
Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden said the city has rezoned 5,000 blocks in Queens since 2002 when Mayor Bloomberg took office in an effort to update development laws that had not been changed since 1961.
“Not only will this rezoning protect the many blocks lined with one- and two-family homes in South Jamaica, it will bring the innovative and critically important FRESH program to the neighborhood,” Burden said of another Bloomberg initiative.
FRESH is the city’s effort to bring grocery stores with well-stocked sections of fresh food and produce to underserved, predominantly minority neighborhoods.
Patrick Evans, president of the Springfield Gardens Civic Association, said the neighborhoods slated for new zoning have been inundated with piecemeal development that is replacing one-family homes with multi-family buildings.
“We’re trying to maintain the character of our neighborhoods as best we can,” said Evans.
“We feel right now the existing zoning leaves us wide open.”
Where one- and two-family homes stood, there are a growing number of new buildings that are constructed right up to the sidewalk with no front yards, limited parking and a complete lack of architectural character, Evans said.
The rezoning area is bounded by Liberty Avenue, 108th Avenue and South Road to the north; Merrick and Springfield boulevards to the east; North Conduit Avenue to the south; and the Van Wyck Expressway to the west.