Zoning meeting will be vital to area

To the editor:

Last week’s Riverdale Press article “Builder to replace 2 homes with 95” highlights a developer tearing down two private homes and constructing two apartment buildings in its stead (3707 Blackstone Ave. and 640 W. 238th St., respectively). 

If the Department of City Planning has its way in its efforts to expedite affordable housing, we are in for a tsunami of new oversized development. Their proposal will undo years of community planning that resulted in Community Board 8’s 197-a Plan and will permanently change the character of every corner of our community. 

Among other things, it will allow developers to: 

1. Build taller, denser buildings with larger footprints that will eliminate open space.
2. Reduce or eliminate entirely current parking requirements.
3. Build new buildings in current parking lots of senior/nursing homes.
4. Reduce the requirements for corner, irregularly shaped, or sloped lots. 

The mayor’s new plan will be presented at Community Board 8’s Land Use meeting on Thursday, June 25 at 7:30 pm., at In-Tech Academy (MS/HS 368), located at 2975 Tibbett Ave. Parking is available in the lot.

We strongly urge the community to attend this critical meeting. 

Laura Spalter
Broadway Community Alliance