After a very long wait the Holly and Waldheim neighborhoods will soon have the opportunity to be contextually zoned. Unfortunately, Holly civic is taking a hard stand to repute almost their entire zoning package that City Planning has proposed while Waldheim has happily approved their plan. Although neither plan is perfect, both will improve the zoning substantially. With the long list of neighborhoods waiting to be rezoned City Planning will likely pass over this project entirely if an agreement can not be reached. Since the two plans have been tied together from inception, Holly's disgruntle attitude can destroy Waldheim's opportunity to be rezoned as well. Hopefully the two plans will be separated so that at least Waldhiem can enjoy the benefits of better zoning. Luckily, nine blocks that Holly Civic claims to be in their district are actually part of the Kissena Park Civic's jurisdiction since 1937, many years before Holly was born, and were rezoned on May 11, 2005 as part of the Kissena Park rezoning plan. The R3-2 zoning in the Kissena park area was changed to R3X, R3A and R2 which all permit only detached one and two-family housing.
Although there are several issues that are involved in Holly's plan, one of their main problems is their poor understanding of the zoning types. Another is the fact that they are being influenced by outside sources that have no ties to the Holly Civic's community. Once they pass up the opportunity to be contextually zoned they may not have another chance in their lifetime and will have to live with the pitfalls of R3-2 zoning of their residential areas forever. The proposed zoning change to R4-1 is a much more desireable zone because it only permits semi-detached one an two family houses where R3-2 permits many housing types including two-family row housing and even small apartment houses. Although R4-1 allows a slightly taller and larger home than in an R3-2 zone the advantage of only permitting semi-detached one and two-family housing tremendously reduces the population density per acre be not permiting row, multi-family and apartment houses. It is unfortunate that Holly Civic doesn't have anyone that understands zoning on its Board.
Joe Amoroso, KPCA Zoning Chair
