Board 4 Hears Zoning Request Day After Drive-By Shooting
BY RICHARD GENTILVISO

A rare summer meeting of Community Board 4 was held last week, less than 24 hours after a drive-by shooting took the life of an 11year-old girl in the same Corona neighborhood.

Gunfire from a passing car struck and killed Genesis Regalado while she was cooling off from the heat wave in water that was spraying from a fire hydrant on 99th Street at 55th Avenue on the night of July 17. Police at the 110th Precinct held a suspect for questioning after he was denied entry into the Dominican Republic and taken into custody on his return to Kennedy International Airport. According to the police, the shots fired may have been intended for someone else at the scene. Regalado was a student at I.S. 61 in Corona.

Community Board 4, which meets at 108th Street and 51st Avenue in Corona, generally does not hold meetings during July and August. But an application proposing a zoning amendment could not be kept until September, so the July meeting was necessary.

Although a public hearing was held, the board did not have a quorum and no vote was taken. "We can't take any official position without a quorum," District Manager Richard Italiano said.

The applicant. H.K. Development Group, Ltd., wanted a zoning map amendment for the south side of 45th Avenue between 82nd and 83rd Streets in Elmhurst, where they propose to build a new residential building with commercial space as well. Specifically, H.K. Development is asking the Department of City Planning to rezone a portion of the area from a R6B with a partial C2-3 commercial overlay to a R7A with a C2-3 commercial overlay zone.

An R6B zone usually accommodates fourstory rowhouses or apartment buildings with parking for one space per dwelling or 50 percent if the units are grouped. A typical building in an R7Azone are sixto eight-story apartment houses (see Woodhaven Boulevard) with 50 percent parking spaces available for the units.

The change would allow the development of one new mixed-use building consisting of two low-rise residential towers on a commercial first floor on two individual lots. The first tower would be eight stories high with 54 dwelling units, consisting of 20 two-bedroom and 34-one bedroom apartments. The second tower would be six stories high with 45 dwelling units, consisting of 15 two-bedroom and 30 one-bedroom apartments.

"This project is going to be a catalyst for the area," said Joseph Morsellino, attorney for H.K. Development group. Several area residents took issue with the proposal, however.

"We are for development, but we are for responsible development," said Robert Valdez, a member of the Newtown Civic Association. "This project needs far more work to be viable for the community."

David Johnson, a resident of 82nd Street, said he was concerned about the impact the project would have on area parking. "The current community is already burgeoning at the seams for parking," said Valdez.

Regina Kessler, a resident of 81st Street for 30 years, said congestion in the neighborhood is at a breaking point. Noting excess garbage, she said, "More people, more unsanitary conditions."

But Board Member Judy D'Andrea said the developer could build a five story building as-ofright and that the proposal was a quality project. "We're going to build a very attractive building," said Morsellino.

Since the required quorum of 29 board members was short three members, no official recommendation will go to City Planning on the application. However, the zoning committee did approve the project.

"The committee felt the project would be an improvement over what is there," said Zoning Chairperson Miriam Levenson.

Italiano said he would forward a letter to City Planning reporting on the recommendation of the zoning committee and the public hearing.