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As we feared when City of Yes became law, we are facing a very real threat to our community. City of Yes reduced the minimum lot size in our R2A zoning to 30 feet wide and reduced parking and green space requirements as well. That means any house on a 60x100 lot is at risk: Under City of Yes, developers can buy a house on a 60x100 lot and reconfigure the property into two 30-foot-wide lots. There are dozens of homes in Bellcourt on 60x100 lots—developers will surely be attempting to divide them all, buying one house and replacing it with two in each case. 

Imagine a couple of extra houses on every block, each with several cars to go on the street, and you can see why this would be a terrible thing for Bellcourt.

Here in Bellcourt, however, the Rickert-Finlay developers set the lot sizes at 40 feet wide, with deed restrictions that require a minimum 37.5-foot frontage as well as a 20-foot minimum setback from the sidewalk. Our tree-lined streets with homes set back from the sidewalk are part of what gives our neighborhood its charm.

We intend to fight back and enforce the deed restrictions that mandate the 37.5-foot minimum frontage as well as the minimum setback. We have already consulted an attorney, and although we hope we can prevail without an expensive court case, we know that’s a possibility. We are committed to keeping you informed, and we hope for your support.

If you are not yet on our email list, please subscribe today so you can stay up to date. If you would be willing to contribute to a new legal fund to allow us to fight, you can do that online at bellcourt.org as well (or send a check made out to Bellcourt Civic Association and send to the address below). Please be sure to specify that your donation is for the legal fund.

Don't love paying online? Send a check to Bellcourt Civic Association, 211-19 38th Ave, Bayside, NY 11361 Use this printable form