Link: Queens Gazette Article on DCP's Zoning Study of Astoria
Protect our neighborhoods with contextual zoning!
Stop block busting! No more destruction of attached homes that are damaged in the demolition process. Preserve much needed green spaces vs trend of maximum outbuilding by greedy developers who have no stake in the community other than rental income. Let's have zoning that reflects and protects the community we bought into. Stop commercial overlays on our 1 and 2 family residential blocks such overly by the huge medical Facility on 37th Street near 30th Avenue. This huge commercial medical facility replaced a 2 family home on 37th Street. Between patient traffic and medical care vehicles, congestion for residents and business alike will be huge. Sadly, this non-conforming medical complex dwarfs surrounding 1 and 2 family homes and is totally out of character on our street; another street victim to inappropriate zoning.
Left hand photo: East side of 36th street between 30th Avenue and 31st Avenue. Right hand photo: West side of 36th Street - a 2 family home with a front garden was demolished and an 8 unit apartment building put up. The front garden was cemented over and this rental building was out-built to the max, it's walls breaking the continuity and site line of this beautiful block.
We need contextual zoning! New 4, 5 and 6 story constructions tower over neighboring buildings, blocking light and sometimes butting up against small neighboring homes. Higher density apartment buildings without parking accommodations will cause congestion, not to mention strain on over taxed infrastructure: sewer, electric, transportation, hospitals, schools, sanitation, noise and pollution.
We need contextual zoning that will protect our community of primarily 1 and 2 family residential homes from commercial overlays like the above construction on 37th Street at 30th Avenue. These commercial medical facilities can build BIGGER than residential structures and in this case built up to an F.A.R of 4.6. This medical facility will have a MAJOR impact on the residents of 36th and 37th Streets.
Contextual zoning will prevent busting-up and destroying the street wall line up of row houses and terrace homes such as those on 36th Street and East side of 37th street. Above a set of 30 homes built as a planned community and sharing an architectural style had a single family home mid block demolished for a 4 to 5 unit apartment building. Fortunately a small front garden was kept.
