New Webster Ave. Plans Bring Cheers and Jeers

Editor's Note: This article first appeared in the latest edition of the Norwood News, on the streets and online now.

Construction has begun at 3600 Webster Ave. on a four-building
affordable housing complex. (Photo by Jeanmarie Evelly)

By JEANMARIE EVELLY

Change is coming to Webster Avenue.

The gritty, industrial stretch that runs through the neighborhoods of Norwood and Bedford Park was rezoned by the City Council this past March, with a plan designed to encourage more retail stores and residential housing in an area now largely composed of parking lots and auto body shops.

Though not necessarily a direct result of the city’s change—zoning plans are more like gentle hands that shape a neighborhood, and depending on market conditions, it can take years before any real changes are seen—new projects already underway or in the pipeline along Webster are a portent for what the street could look like down the road.

Two developers are eyeing the avenue as the site of separate affordable housing complexes. One is already underway, in a lot technically located in Community Board 12, along the south end of Woodlawn Cemetery and just north of Gun Hill Road. Jackson Development Group is constructing over 400 new apartments in four buildings, calling the massive development “Webster Commons,” and advertising the rentals for low and moderate-income tenants.

Webster Rezoning Okayed, Setting Up Makeover

(Editor's Note: this article was first published in the Norwood News, out now)

A plan to rezone Webster Avenue between East Gun Hill and Fordham roads was officially approved by the City Council at the end of March, the culmination of years of planning by local leaders and elected officials to help transform the 1.75-mile corridor.

“We worked very diligently over a five-year period to craft this proposal,” said Community Board 7 member Ozzie Brown, who said the plan lays the groundwork for a more vibrant and pedestrian-friendly Webster Avenue.

“We were able to set the context for what might happen in this region for the next 10, 15 years or so,” Brown said.

Webster Avenue Rezoning Now in Hands of City Council

Webster Avenue could see major changes if a new rezoning plan is adopted. (Photo A. Talwar)

The rezoning of a long, auto shop-strewn stretch of Webster Avenue between Fordham Road and Gun Hill Road is now moving into its final stage -- scrutiny from the City Council, which must sign off on the plan.

For more background on the rezoning plan, click here. But basically, over the past few years, Community Board 7 has worked with the office of City Planning to up-zone Webster Avenue to encourage more residential and retail development and, at the same time, down-zone select neighborhoods in Norwood and Bedford Park.

Over the coming weeks, the Council will hold three meetings to discuss the Webster rezone plan:
--March 15, 9:30 a.m., 16th Floor Hearing Room – Zoning Subcommittee (Hearing & vote)
--March 16, 11 a.m., 16th Floor Hearing Room – (Full) Land Use Committee (Hearing & vote)
--March 23, 1:30 PM, Emigrant Savings Bank (49-51 Chambers Street) -- Stated Meeting (Vote)

The public can sign up to speak at the March 15 zoning subcommittee hearing. The actual vote on the plan will be on March 23.

Bronx News Roundup, Jan. 6

Happy Three Kings day, to those of you who celebrate it! The holiday, which marks the arrival of the three kings to Bethlehem after the birth of Jesus, is popular in Latin American and Caribbean cultures. There are a few community celebrations taking place in the Bronx this weekend; see our events calendar for details.

Two teenagers are facing assault and attempted murder charges for Wednesday's stabbing of a 16-year-old boy outside his public school in Westchester Square. The victim, Negro Rivera, remains in critical condition.

A 70-year-old woman was found stabbed to death yesterday inside her 15th-floor apartment on Crotona Avenue. There have been no arrests so far.

The health department and local community leaders are looking to curb the effects of second-hand smoke in the South Bronx,which has the highest smoking rate in the city--and the highest rates of children with asthma.

Loeser’s Kosher Deli, at 214 W. 231st St. in Kingsbridge, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. On Saturday, the deli will be having food specials to mark the big day.

And for another big Bronx anniversary: the public library on City Island is celebrating its centennial.

More on the opening of a men's homeless shelter in Highbridge, which has upset a number of residents in the area.

David Johnson, an ex-top aide to former Gov. David Paterson, appeared in a Bronx court yesterday for a hearing on his alleged assault of ex-girlfriend Sherr-una Booker.

A Bronx man accused of holding an Albany family hostage during a Dec. 23 standoff with police appears to have shot himself during the altercation. Police say that at least two of the five bullets that injured 38-year-old suspect Isaac Peterson came from his own gun.

The city's plan to rezone Webster Avenue could help revitalize the thoroughfare. Here's the Norwood News' coverage of the rezoning from July's issue.

An 8-month-old tiger cub from Pennsylvania is moving to the Bronx Zoo.

Renowned Jazz pianist and longtime Riverdale resident Billy Taylor died of heart failure on Dec. 28, at the age of 89.

Story of the Day: Webster Avenue Rezoning Process Under Way

The latest issue of the Norwood News is on-line now, including this look at the beginnings of efforts to rezone Webster Avenue to create a more residential feel. (Photo by Adi Talwar)

Webster Ave. Rezoning Hearing Tonight

Actually, the hearing (at the Bedford Park Senior Center) for the rezoning of Webster Avenue and other surrounding communities is starting at 4 p.m.  Gotta run to cover it. We'll have some post-hearing coverage later this week. 

Here's some background and details.