New zoning laws championed by Mayor Bill de Blasio with the approval of the City Council now make it easier for developers to build affordable housing without the addition of parking units, which could vastly impact the hundreds of drivers who rely on street parking in Norwood.

The complex zoning laws, falling under Zoning for Quality & Affordability (ZQA), and Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH), are considered the DNA of de Blasio’s lofty Housing New York plan introduced in May 2014. The plan seeks to build 80,000 new units of affordable housing while repairing 120,000 more affordable units over the next decade. The plan looked to solve what the de Blasio Administration sees as an affordable housing crisis across the city.

“[W]e will look back on this as a pivotal moment when we turned the tide to keep our city a place for all New Yorkers,” said de Blasio, in a statement.

But a major change includes the elimination of the parking requirement for any new affordable and senior residences. Zoning rules on the books since the 1950s require that developers set aside parking units for tenants depending on how many apartment units were created. The New York City Department of City Planning views the construction of parking spots as a financial waste that hinders developers from building larger residences.

Developers who now build within so-called Transit Zones, areas the city defines as having an abundance of public transportation options, are now completely exempt from the parking requirement. Norwood and Bedford Park fall within a Transit Zone, given its proximity to the 2, 4, 5, B and D subway lines and two Metro-North train stations. While the Council pared back Transit Zones for Bronx neighborhoods in the fringes, it did not do so for Norwood. This could present issues down the road, given the swath of new affordable housing expected to be built along Webster Avenue. The corridor could be made even more attractive given the lifting of the parking requirement.

The Bronx Council Delegation voted almost unanimously in favor of ZQA and MIH. The lone dissenter on the ZQA vote on March 22 was Councilman Andrew Cohen, whose 11th Council District covers Norwood, Bedford Park, Woodlawn and Riverdale.

Cohen’s objection to the ZQA measure stemmed largely from its “one-size-fits-all” approach toward zoning, which broadly alters zoning laws instead of allowing customized rezoning according to the needs of the neighborhood.

“It is the locals who know their neighborhood best and I believe that communities should lead the way on the zoning of their district. While many of the changes made to the text are positive developments, based on this top-down approach, I cannot support ZQA,” said Cohen, in a statement.

Cohen was in favor of the MIH measure, which mandates developers designate 20 percent of its units to be affordable while lowering the area median income threshold to 40 percent. A family of four, for instance, would need a maximum $34,520 to qualify for an affordable apartment.

Cohen’s rejection of the measure also stemmed from the impact it would have on parking within his district, particularly Norwood, which greatly depends on street parking. On weekdays, it can take a half hour or more to find parking. Community Board 7, representing Norwood, Bedford Park, Kingsbridge Heights, Fordham, and University Heights, shot down the measure in November.

The zoning amendments are now in effect.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.