On Wednesday, September 4, the Kew Gardens Hills rezoning moved forward with a key hearing before the City Council Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises. The proposed rezoning will allow affected homeowners to expand their homes as their families grow.
Formally applied for by Queens Community Board 8, the Kew Gardens Hills rezoning is supported by the Kew Gardens Hills Civic Association and is being shepherded through the City Council by Council Member Rory I. Lancman. 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 ten feet into their backyards and three feet on either side, while setting a height cap that will maintain the single-family-home character of the neighborhood.
“We want to keep Kew Gardens Hills families in Kew Gardens Hills,” said Councilman Rory I. Lancman, “and 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 September 4 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.