On Wednesday, April 20th the New York City Council voted in favor of a down zoning amendment pertaining to a portion of the Woodlawn neighborhood. This change marks the first down zoning in over 2.5 years in the City of New York.
The area affected is property generally bounded by East 240th Street to the North, East 234th Street to the South, Viero Avenue to the West and Webster Avenue to the East. This section was previously an R7A District and will now become a R4A District. Before, the project area was 19 lots that were either zoned R7A or were split between R7A and R4A districts. R7A Districts are typically 7 and 8 story apartment buildings, while R4A Districts are one-and-two family detached homes.
This zoning change will provide a framework for orderly growth while protecting the established residential character of the neighborhood. The previous zoning did not adequately reflect the one-and-two family housing stock typically found on residential blocks. The change to a R4A District more closely reflects the existing built condition of the project area’s properties, and will protect against future development that would be out of scale and out of character that was permitted under the R7A zoning.
“The down zoning of Woodlawn will stop the destruction of the single family homes that currently gives the neighborhood its intrinsic character, as well as prevent high-rise developments from invading its narrow streets. This is something that the residents of Woodlawn have been in support of for quite some time and I am proud to have been able to make it a reality. I would like to thank Community Board 12, the Women of Woodlawn, the Woodlawn Taxpayers Association and the Webster Avenue Taxpayers Association for their backing on this issue and for continuing to ensure that this unique neighborhoods remains just that, unique,” said City Council Member Andrew Cohen.
"Bronx Community Board 12 was happy to rezone this portion of Woodlawn after several meetings with the local constituency and elected officials. This rezoning is the result of careful planning between the Community Board, City Planning and Council Member Andrew Cohen's office to help preserve what makes Woodlawn a vibrant and close-knit neighborhood," said George Torres, District Manager of Community Board 12.
The Woodlawn Heights Taxpayers and Community Association is delighted that Councilmember Cohen and the NY City Council passed this zoning amendment, as it will maintain the current character of our neighborhood, and prohibit large, multi-family dwellings from being built on our quite residential streets. Thanks very much to Councilmember Cohen and his staff for all their help,” said Kenneth Nugent, President of the Woodlawn Taxpayers Association.
