To the Editor,
The fight isn’t over, in fact it has just started. Seventeen years ago Mayor Bloomberg came to a Throggs Neck homeowners meeting at The Villa Barone. He brought with him many of his commissioners. The problem of over-development was discussed. The mayor did something unusual for a politician, he listened to the constituents and directed the Department of City Planning to investigate the matter.
Commissioner Amanda Bruden ordered her department to survey almost 300 blocks in our community. They saw the problem and developed the “Throggs Neck rezoning text amendment.” This protection was voted on by the Department of City Planning, then Borough President Carrion, the full City council and was unanimously passed by all departments. We were given the new zoning designation of R3A and R4A, which redefined lot size, building height, set backs and yard requirements, and much-needed off-street parking.
Now in 2022, the group called Throggs Neck Associates LLC, wants to take away our zoning protection for their own nefarious reasons to build high-rise buildings. Our infrastructure can not handle this and our citizens do not want this. Our streets are congested every day. Overflow from Interstate 95 clogs every main artery in the area daily. Any increase in population will completely destroy this community. Every service is at the breaking point now.
The schools are at maximum capacity now, the hospitals are so full patients are in hallways for lack of beds. Our Police and Fire departments are stretched to the limit now. There is no way any kind of upzoning can be entertained. This application by must be stopped now. Nothing good can come of their application to take away our zoning and our quality of life.
Andrew Chirico
