Dedicated to preserving historic homes in Bayside
The Bellcourt Civic Association strongly opposes state proposal on population density. Scroll down for our position statement
The Bellcourt Civic Association strongly opposes state proposal on population density. Scroll down for our position statement
After many, many pandemic-fueled delays, we are now officially an incorporated nonprofit organization that can accept your membership dues! Please make your donation today to help us with outreach, communication, education, and advocacy. It's all to preserve Bellcourt!
The Governor did NOT remove these proposals from the proposed budget, so we must now press hard on our state legislators to reject the budget.
Please contact the Governor, the Queens Borough President, and our elected representatives ASAP. Click here for email addresses and some talking points to include if you need inspiration.
This would be a disaster for single-family homeowners from middle-class NYC boroughs and wealthy suburbs alike. Read two perspectives:
A special session of the Bellcourt Civic featured a presentation by Paul DiBenedetto about the new neighborhood density proposals
The Bellcourt Civic Association is vehemently opposed to the transit-oriented development (TOD) and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) plans included in Governor Hochul’s proposed budget of February 1, 2023. We support the drive for additional affordable housing units in New York City; in fact, Bellcourt was carefully developed with greater density near our transit hub, which is the Bayside LIRR station. However:
· The TOD proposal would require the density equivalent of five households on every 40x100 lot in Bellcourt, replacing the century-old homes that define our community.
· Overriding local zoning to allow ADUs is state overreach that would deprive citizens of local input and lead to overcrowding beyond what our infrastructure can support.
The TOD requirement of 50 households per acre equates Bellcourt with much more urban neighborhoods across New York City. Imposing the same density requirements on neighborhoods of middle-class homeowners as on vibrant urban areas does nothing to increase affordability, and would completely destroy Bellcourt along with similar communities of single-family homes in Eastern Queens. The ADUs proposal would legalize additional units (either attached or detached to an existing home on a single lot) including garage apartments, basement apartments, in-law suites, casitas, and other types of housing in our single-family zoned community.
The Bellcourt Civic Association strongly objects to including these proposals in a budget document instead of submitting them to the legislative process, and we oppose heavy-handed attempts to deprive us of local input into the governance of our community.
Read our open letter to Governor Hochul below
After more than a year of waiting for our application to be processed, we are now officially the Bellcourt Civic Association, Incorporated, a New York State corporation and an IRS-approved non-profit. We'll be able to start collecting dues shortly.
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The tour, led by Paul Graziano, started at the historic Cobblestone House on Bell Blvd and 36th Avenue
The historic Bellcourt section of Bayside was established in 1904 as a planned community developed by the Rickert-Finley real estate company.
Bellcourt includes about 400 homes in the area between Bell Boulevard and 204th Street. and between 35th and 39th Avenues. It wasn't always like this:
The Bellcourt Civic Association was founded to protect our historic area from overdevelopment and to preserve the charm and quality of our homes. Our mission is historical preservation and community spirit
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