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Projects & Proposals > Rockaway Printer Friendly Version
Rockaway Neighborhoods Rezoning
Existing Zoning and Context


Overview | Existing Zoning and Context | Proposed Zoning | Public Review

The proposed zoning changes will encompass five neighborhoods stretching from the Nassau County border to B. 129th Street: Far Rockaway, Edgemere and Somerville on the eastern end of the peninsula Rockaway Beach and Rockaway Park in the western section.  These neighborhoods share their peninsula location with 10 other communities, including Bayswater, Mott Creek, Hammels, Seaside, Belle Harbor, Roxbury, Neponsit, Rockaway Point and Breezy Point, as well as Jacob Riis Park, Fort Tilden, and a portion of the Gateway National Recreation Area.

During the early and mid-19th century, seaside hotels and summertime residences were developed on the peninsula with the construction of the Rockaway turnpike and establishment of ferry service.  For the first half of the 20th Century, Rockaway remained a popular recreation and amusement destination and summer colony for the middle- and working-classes, prompting a building boom of seasonal bungalow residences and the conversion of the summer mansions to rooming houses.  By mid-century, the seasonal nature of the area waned; summer bungalows were converted into year-round homes and permanent residences were constructed. 

Today, a wide variety of housing types can be found in the area’s communities, including clusters of modest bungalows, superblocks with large apartment complexes, and suburban-style one- and two-family houses.  Commercial uses are concentrated in downtown Far Rockway and the Rockaway Beach Boulevard and Beach 116th Street corridors in Rockaway Beach and Rockaway Park.  The elevated A train line arrives at Rockaway Beach and runs both eastward to Far Rockaway and westward to Rockaway Park.

Rockaway Neighborhoods - Existing Zoning Maps
Somerville Zoning Map
Somerville - Existing Zoning Map
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Far Rockaway and Edgemere Existing Zoning Map
Far Rockaway and Edgemere - Existing Zoning Map
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Rockaway Park Existing Zoning Map
Rockaway Park - Existing Zoning Map
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Rockaway Beach Existing Zoning Map
Rockaway Beach - Existing Zoning Map
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Existing Zoning
There are currently nine residential zoning districts and one commercial zoning district with residential equivalents within the Rockaway Neighborhoods Rezoning area.  These existing zoning districts permit a wide range of housing types, including detached, semi-detached, attached residences, as well as large apartment buildings.  The variety of building types and occupancies permitted in these zones has resulted in development that is inconsistent with the established built character of the Rockaway neighborhoods.  Commercial overlay districts within the rezoning area (C1-2, C2-2 and C2-4) are mapped along portions of Rockaway Beach Boulevard, Shore Front Parkway, Beach 116th, Beach 53rd and Beach 50th streets.  Smaller commercial overlay districts are scattered throughout the rezoning area. 
R2
The R2 district permits one-family, detached residences on lots that have a minimum area of 3,800 square-feet and a minimum width of 40 feet.  The maximum floor area ratio(FAR) is 0.5.  There is no established maximum building height; instead, the building’s maximum height is determined by its sky exposure plane, which has a varying height depending on where a building is located on its zoning lot.  Community facilities are permitted at a maximum FAR of 0.5.  One parking space per dwelling unit is required.

R3A
The R3A zoning district permits one- and two-family, detached residences.  The minimum lot size for detached buildings is 2,375 square feet and lot width is 25 feet.  The maximum FAR is 0.5, plus a 0.1 attic allowance. The maximum building height is 35 feet with a maximum perimeter wall height of 21 feet.  Community facilities are permitted an FAR of 1.0.  One parking space is required for each dwelling unit.

R3-1
The R3-1 zoning district permits one- and two-family, detached or semi-detached residences.  The maximum FAR is 0.5, plus a 0.1 attic allowance.  The minimum lot width and lot area depend upon the housing configuration:  detached structures require a minimum 40-foot lot width and 3,800 square feet of lot area; semi-detached structures require lots that have at least 18 feet of width and 1,700 square feet of lot area.  The maximum building height is 35 feet with a maximum perimeter wall height of 21 feet.  Community facilities are permitted an FAR of 1.0.  One parking space is required for each dwelling unit.

R3-2
The R3-2 district is the lowest-density general residence district in which multi-family structures are permitted.  A variety of housing types are permitted, including garden apartments, row houses and semi-detached and detached houses.  The maximum FAR is 0.5, plus a 0.1 attic allowance.  Minimum lot width and lot area depend upon the housing configuration: detached structures require a 40-foot lot width and 3,800 square feet of lot area; other housing types require lots that have at least 18 feet of width and 1,700 square feet of area.  The maximum building height is 35 feet with a maximum perimeter wall height of 21 feet. Community facilities are permitted an FAR of 1.0.  One parking space is required for each dwelling unit.

R4
The R4 district allows the same variety of housing types as the R3‑2 district but at a slightly higher density.  The maximum FAR is 0.9, which includes a 0.15 attic allowance.  Detached residences require a minimum lot area of 3,800 square feet, and a minimum lot width of 40 feet.  Semi-detached and attached residences are limited to lots with a minimum of 1,700 square feet in area and a minimum lot width of 18 feet.   The maximum building height is 35 feet with a maximum perimeter wall height of 25 feet.  In a predominantly built up area, a maximum FAR of 1.35 is permitted with the R4 infill provisions. Community facilities are permitted at an FAR of 2.0. One parking space is required for each dwelling unit.

R4A
R4A zoning districts allow one- and two-family detached houses.  The maximum FAR is 0.9, which includes a 0.15 attic allowance.  The minimum lot size is 2,850 square feet and the minimum lot width is 30 feet.  The maximum building height is 35 feet with a maximum perimeter wall height of 21 feet.  Community facilities are permitted an FAR of 2.0.  One parking space is required for each dwelling unit.

R4-1
R4-1 zoning districts allow one- and two-family detached and semi-detached residential development.  The maximum FAR is 0.9, which includes a 0.15 attic allowance.  For detached development the minimum lot area is 2,375 square feet and the minimum lot width is 25 feet.  For semi-detached development the minimum lot area is 1,700 square feet and the minimum lot width is 18 feet. The maximum building height is 35 feet with a maximum perimeter wall height of 25 feet.  Community facilities are permitted an FAR of 2.0.  One parking space is required for each dwelling unit.

R5
R5 zoning districts allow all housing types including detached, semi-detached, attached and multi-family residences.  The maximum FAR for all housing types is 1.25.  Detached residences are limited to lots with a minimum of 3,800 square feet in area, and a minimum lot width of 40 feet.  All other housing types are limited to lots with a minimum of 1,700 square feet in area and a minimum lot width of 18 feet.  The maximum building height is 40 feet with a maximum perimeter wall height of 35 feet.  On blocks that are predominantly built up, a maximum FAR of 1.65 is permitted with the R5 infill provisions. Community facilities are permitted an FAR of 2.0.  Off street parking in a grouped facility is required for 85% of the dwelling units.

R6
R6 zoning districts allow all housing types.  R6 is a height factor district wherein residential and community facility uses are permitted with no height limits with a maximum FAR of up to 2.43 for residential uses and up to 4.8 FAR for buildings containing community facility uses.  Development under the Quality Housing Program has a maximum FAR of 2.2 on narrow streets with a 55-foot building height limit and a maximum of 3.0 FAR on wide streets with a height limit of 70 feet.  Off-street parking is required for 70% of the dwelling units.  If the lot area is less than 10,000 square feet off-street parking is required is for 50% of the dwelling units.  In R6 districts, if fewer than five spaces are required, then off-street parking is waived.

C3
C3 districts permit waterfront recreational activities along waterfront areas adjacent to residential uses.  Other permitted uses are included in Use Group 14 and are waterfront-related.  Residential and community facility uses are also permitted. Residential development is governed by the R3-2 regulations which permit all types of housing.. The R3-2 regulations are described above.  Commercial buildings in C3 districts are permitted an FAR of 0.5 and have a 30-foot or two-story height limit, whichever is less.  Parking requirements vary with the commercial use.

C1-2, C2-2 and C2-4 Commercial Overlay Districts
C1 overlay districts are mapped within residential districts and permit Use Groups 1 through 6.  Commercial Use Group 6 allows the kinds of local retail and service establishments that serve the immediate neighborhood.  C2 districts permit the same uses as in C1, in addition to a slightly wider range of commercial uses that typically serve a wider area.  The maximum commercial FAR in both C1 and C2 districts is 1.0 in R1-R5 districts and 2.0 FAR in R6 districts. Commercial uses are limited to the ground floor in mixed buildings.  Most retail uses require one accessory parking space per 300 square feet of commercial floor space, although the requirements may range between one space per 200 square feet and one space per 1,000 square feet.

Two-family detached houses on Gouverneur Avenue in Somerville within an existing R3-2 district.
Two-family detached houses on Gouverneur Avenue in Somerville within an existing R3-2 district.

Out-of-character development on B. 91st Street in Rockaway Beach within an existing R6 district.
Out-of-character development on B. 91st Street in Rockaway Beach within an existing R6 district.


Overview | Existing Zoning and Context | Proposed Zoning | Public Review


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