On May 11, 2005, New York City Council approved the zoning map amendments for 40 blocks in the Kissena Park neighborhood in northern Queens, Community District 7. The rezoning will support and reinforce the detached, low-density character of the neighborhood and ensure that future residential development will be consistent in scale and context with the area’s detached one- and two-family homes.
The NYC Department of City Planning undertook the initial zoning study at the request of the Kissena Park Civic Association and the local Councilmember. The proposals respond to community concerns about the changes in their neighborhood brought about by the as-of-right construction of multifamily houses. Under the existing R3-2 zoning, which permits all types of housing including row houses and apartment buildings, detached one-family homes have been demolished and replaced with semi-detached, two-family or multi-family structures.