Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Council passes Jamaica Plan

The Council voted 45-3 in favor of the rezoning after months of negotiation with community leaders. Still, two of the no votes were from councilmembers whose districts will be directly impacted by the rezoning.

Council hopes zone change gives Jamaica facelift

Opponents of the rezoning say the plan will add too much density to an area whose trains and other infrastructure are already strained.

"We have developers coming by to people's homes where they have lived for 50 years and saying, 'Name your price,'" said councilman David Weprin (D-Hollis). "The subways can't support [more people], you already can't get a seat on the train, the schools are overcrowded and we have major drainage problems."

"The rezoning was at the request of the community, but then the Department of City Planning turned around to make it more about citywide needs than the community's needs," said Tony Avella (D-Bayside).

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

At this point I'd name my price....
take the gelt without guilt....and run....
maybe my shadow can catch up with me.

It's either that or learn to live with it.

When you've been f----d you've been f----d.

There's little left to do
but apply some soothing balm to your a-- hole !

Anonymous said...

Why don't you print this excerpt from the article:
Supporters of the rezoning hope to transform Jamaica into a transportation and retail hub, taking advantage of its close proximity to the AirTrain and the Long Island Rail Road. The neighborhood was once the city's fourth largest shopping district, but has been transformed during the past three decades into vacant strip malls, discount stores and nail salons.

Backers promise that the rezoning will add 3 million square feet of office space, 9,500 jobs and 5,200 housing units.

"This rezoning effort will help transform and revitalize downtown Jamaica into a vibrant economic engine," said Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), who supports the legislation. "The Jamaica plan will bring not only jobs but hope."

Queens Crapper said...

Because this is a blog about overdevelopment and this is the worst plan to hit Queens since the upzoning of Astoria and LIC.

Anonymous said...

Flooded during the last storm? Blackouts? Well you'll have them soon, Jamaica. Welcome to the real Queens.

Anonymous said...

Good point, anonymous. How can this area absorb 5200 new housing units? Where are the new schools, sewers, and parks in the plan?

Anonymous said...

Comrie is apparently a "house slave"
to the building industry !

Anonymous said...

The city reps from communities that think they are protected from development because they have large landmarked districts have just given advocates to overturn the law a big boost.

Just because you are white and wealthy you think you can divert the problems of overdevelopment on poorer darker folks. You have a big surprise.

The same can be said by those in communities that downzoned. Again, those are communities white and wealthy. Someone (I know this to be true) is studying ways to overturn your little stunt, too.

Anonymous said...

The council just passed wind.....the shit will follow!