Dear Neighbors,
On behalf of the board of the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners’ Association, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah and a happy and healthy New Year. I would also like to take this opportunity to update everyone on the City of Yes.
On December 5th, the New York City Council approved a modified version of Mayor Adams’ zoning reform plan known as the City of Yes with a vote of 31-20. The original plan, in its entirety, would have made the city unlivable and turned our idyllic neighborhood into an unrecognizable mess. We joined other civic associations and the Queens Civic Congress, led by Paul Graziano, to fight this plan in order to stop the nightmarish zoning changes.
Thankfully, the pressure put on the city council by our combined efforts stopped certain building development. In the approved proposal, development of multi family and commercial buildings is prohibited in 1 and 2 family neighborhoods such as ours. Furthermore, accessory dwelling units, (ADUs) which would include garage and basement apartments and backyard “cottages”, are prohibited in low density neighborhoods. You are not misreading the last part. This is what Mr. Adams and many members of the city council actually wanted.
We plan on continuing the fight against what remains of the City of Yes. It is a plan which, in my opinion, would wipe out what remains of the middle class in the city of New York. As such, the board has voted to once again join forces with several other civic associations by donating money to support a lawsuit filed by the Queens Civic Congress against the city. Needless to say, this will not get in the way of our main objective which is to vigorously enforce the Rickert Finley covenant as needed. The BFHA has never lost a lawsuit upholding the Rickert Finley covenant. This has maintained the beauty and architectural integrity of our neighborhood. Of course, legal action is expensive. As such, I ask that you continue supporting the BFHA through your membership dues and donations to our legal fund. We are always looking for volunteers to join us in our mission, so consider joining our board. I hope to see you all at our next general membership meeting on March 27th at 7:30pm at St. Andrew Avellino Catholic Academy where we should have further news on the City of Yes and other important neighborhood updates.
George Zbravos
32nd President, BFHA
Order a plaque for your home or as a gift for your neighbor. If you would like to order a plaque, please visit our website and select “Order a Plaque” This will take you directly to the manufacturer who has given a 10% discount for all Broadway-Flushing Plaques. If you need help installing your plaque reach out to us because we know who the “handy” neighbors are and they would love to help you!
