PAUL GRAZIANO
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College Point rezoning

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Previous College Point zoning
Prior to 2005, more than 85% of College Point was zoned for multi-family 
apartment units (R3-2, R4, R5B in blue), which resulted in a rash of teardowns 
replacing one and two-family detached houses with small apartment complexes. 
This began to have a profound negative effect on College Point, an geographically 
isolated community with a mid-19th century street grid and infrastructure. 
The remaining small areas were zoned R3A and R3X (orange) which allow one 
and two-family detached houses; and R4-1, which allows one and two-family 
semi-attached houses. There is only one small area east of the White Point 
shopping center that has single family zoning (R2 in beige).

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Current College Point zoning based on Paul's plans
The College Point rezoning was critical to the survival of this very unique 
neighborhood. It also partially fulfilled a promise made since the late 1960s 
during the Lindsay administration to "preserve" the areas away from the 
waterfront from overdevelopment. After the adoption of the College Point 
Rezoning that I co-authored in 2005, almost all of the multi-family zoning 
areas (R3-2, R4, R5B) have been rezoned contextually: 85% of College Point 
is now zoned detached one family (R2A in yellow) or detached one and two-family 
(R3A, R4A). 30 blocks of R2A zoning have been added, which have protected key 
sections of College Point that have historically been mostly one-family detached 
housing. More than 25 blocks were also changed from R4 to R4-1 (purple), to 
protect the one and two-family semi-detached houses located there. The College 
Point Corporate Park was also rezoned several years later and made a Special 
District that better protects the residential neighborhoods that are adjacent to it.

Articles

CB 7 gives okay to rezoning plan, Times Ledger, 6/30/2005
Rezoning’s New Challenge: College Point Next Hurdle In Battle, Queens Tribune, 2/11/2005
City poised to rezone College Point, Times Ledger, 2/10/2005
College Point Residents Hear New Rezoning Plans For Area, Queens Chronicle, 2/10/2005
New zoning sought for College Point, Times Ledger, 8/14/2003 
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