Thursday, September 24, 2026, 11:30 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 3
Committee: Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises
The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, chaired by Council Member Farah Louis, voted on three land use items: a sidewalk café application by Taro De Esquinas and YC Corp (formerly Kalita Harrah's Bakery and Restaurant) in Corona, Queens, and two mixed-use residential rezoning proposals in Flushing and Long Island City. Council Member Thomas-Henry spoke in opposition to the sidewalk café application, citing unresolved quality-of-life concerns and lack of engagement by the business owner with her office. The chair recommended modifications to both rezoning items, including limiting the rezoning area, reducing the MIH map, and removing an MIH option to ensure deeper affordability. All three items passed by a vote of nine in the affirmative, zero opposing, and zero abstentions, as a package of disapproving the café application and approving the rezonings with modifications. The items were referred to the full Land Use Committee.
0:07 Pat cousineau
0:07 . Hello good morning welcome
0:09 to today's New York City
0:11 council vote for the committee
0:12 on zoning and franchises.
0:15 At this time please silence
0:17 all phones moving forward no
0:19 one is to approach the days
0:21 chair you begin good morning
0:26 and welcome to a meeting of
0:28 the subcommittee on zone ian
0:30 franchises I'm council Farah
0:32 lewis of the the subcommittee
0:34 this morning we're joined by
0:35 council members and j Sanchez
0:39 Thomas Henry minority leader
0:42 kar Felder and Salaam today we
0:44 are voting on the following
0:46 three proposals and
0:47 application for a vocal belson
0:49 standard is we're having
1:01 a momentl difficulties give us
1:16 . We've also been joined by
1:23 council Farías.
1:24 Testing testing let's just
1:40 start we don't have the same
1:44 yeah problem today
1:46 . Today we are voting on the
1:47 following three proposals and
1:49 application for revocable
1:52 consent by title the x
1:54 screener and y c corp formally
1:57 doing as cali tha harrah's
1:59 bakery and restaurant t
2:01 ooperate a sidewalk cafe and
2:02 Council Member Thomas henry's
2:04 district the 1 58 dash so
2:07 sixth northern boulevard mixed
2:08 use residential rezoning and
2:10 councilmember young's district
2:11 and the 21- 31 2 46 avenue
2:15 makes use residential rezoning
2:17 and councilmember joan's
2:17 district the first vote
2:18 concerns l u hundred 4
2:20 1relating to an application by
2:22 taro De escwa corp formerly
2:25 doing business as kalita
2:27 harrah's bakery and restaurant
2:30 for a sidewalk application and
2:31 Council Member Thomas henry's
2:33 district applicant is to place
2:35 four tables and attached
2:36 seating along the front of the
2:38 restaurant which is located in
2:39 corona queens Council Member
2:41 Thomas Henry does not support
2:43 the application I now call on
2:44 Council Member Thomas Henry
2:47 for remarks good morning and
2:48 thank you chair Louis for the
2:50 opportunity to speak today um
2:51 as chair of the committee on
2:54 small business as the council
2:56 member representing district
2:57 21 and as a former small
2:59 business owner myself I
3:00 believe deeply in supporting
3:02 our local entrepreneurs small
3:04 businesses are the backbone of
3:07 communities like corona and
3:08 when they are ready to grow we
3:10 should be working alongside
3:11 them to help them succeed but
3:14 supporting small businesses
3:15 also means protecting the
3:16 integrity of the entrepreneurs
3:17 who work hard every day to be
3:20 responsible members of the
3:20 communities they serve that's
3:21 why I called up the sidewalk
3:24 cafe application for calais
3:26 tejada's bakery and restaurant d
3:30 numerous quality of life
3:31 concerns regarding this
3:33 establishment establishment
3:35 most importantly despite
3:36 repeated efforts by my office
3:37 to engage directly with the
3:39 business owner and find
3:40 community center solutions we
3:42 were unable to establish the
3:43 communication necessary t
3:45 omeaningfully address those
3:47 concerns and that matters we
3:49 cannot effectively address
3:50 concerns when there is not
3:52 sufficient communication
3:53 . My office intends to use
3:54 this process to make it clear
3:56 that given the unresolved
3:58 quality of life concerns and
3:59 the lack of meaningful
4:01 engagement with our office and
4:03 the surrounding community we
4:04 do not believe this sidewalk
4:06 cafe can operate in a manner
4:07 that respects the residents
4:09 and businesses who share this
4:11 public space a sidewalk cafe
4:13 is not simply an expansion of
4:13 a private business it is
4:15 permission to use our shared
4:16 public space and with that
4:18 opportunity comes a
4:19 responsibility to the
4:21 neighbors families and other
4:21 small businesses who share
4:24 that block a responsibility t
4:25 ogrow with our community thank
4:26 you thank you Council Member
4:29 next we will vote on l use
4:32 hundred 2324 regarding the 158 d
4:35 mixed use residential rezoning
4:37 proposal and Council Member
4:38 hung's district applicant is
4:39 seeking to develop a mixed use
4:41 residential project and
4:42 flushing queens that would
4:44 have approximately 76
4:47 apartments of which are
4:49 approximately 19 would be
4:50 permanently affordable the
4:52 proposal involves two actions
4:53 the first is a zoning map
4:56 amendment to change the
4:57 existing residential are fiv
4:59 eb district with the c 1-
5:02 2commercial overlay to a
5:03 residential r seven a district
5:05 with a c 2- 4 overlay the
5:07 second action is the zoning
5:08 text amendment to map a
5:10 mandatory inclusionary housing
5:11 area we are recommending to
5:14 modifications this application n
5:16 modification is to limit the
5:18 rezoning area to the site
5:21 fronting on northern boulevard e
5:24 street along which there are
5:27 existing buildings the sides
5:28 that the the applicant is
5:30 proposing in contrast 150
5:32 ninth street is a much
5:34 narrower and comes to comes t
5:36 oa dead end at this location as
5:38 such it is not appropriate t
5:40 oplace significant residential
5:42 density on lots only fronting
5:44 on 150 ninth street the other
5:46 modification is to reduce the
5:48 proposed me zoning tax zoning
5:50 text map to make it.
5:54 Kota mon ius with the
5:56 reduced rezoning area council
5:58 member on supports application
6:01 as modified she's not happy
6:02 . The third volt concerns l
6:03 use hundred 2728 regarding 21-
6:07 31 2 46 street 46 mixed use
6:10 residential rezoning proposal
6:11 and Council Member district
6:13 applicant is seeking to to
6:15 develop a mixed use
6:16 residential project in long
6:18 island City queens that would
6:20 have approximately 8
6:21 4apartments of which
6:22 approximately 21 apartment
6:23 a zoning map amendment change
6:31 to change the existing mixed
6:33 use district that consists of
6:35 a manufacturing m 1- fo
6:38 rdistrict and residential r sixl
6:40 r seven x district with a
6:43 commercial seat to five
6:46 overlay district.
6:47 The second action is a
6:49 zoning tax amendment to map a
6:50 mandatory inclusionary housing
6:52 area we are recommending one
6:54 modification to remove me
6:58 option and ensure deeper
7:01 affordability.
7:01 Option one councilmember
7:02 number one supports this
7:04 application as modified.
7:05 Counsel are the enemy
7:07 council members with questions
7:09 or remarks at this time
7:11 members appearing remotely who
7:13 have questions or remarks
7:15 about today's items should use
7:16 the raised hand button now no
7:19 cherry no council members have
7:25 questions I now call for a
7:27 vote to disapprove l you Won
7:29 41 related to the application
7:31 by taro De esquinas and y
7:34 business with cali tahar a's
7:36 bakery and restaurant t
7:38 ooperate a sidewalk cafe.
7:39 To approve with
7:41 modifications l use hundred 2
7:45 3and 1 24 related to the 158-
7:48 o6 northern boulevard rezoning
7:49 mixed use residential rezoning
7:51 proposal and l e a hundred 2
7:53 7and and 28 were related to the
7:55 21 dashed 31 2 46 avenue
7:58 rezoning mixed use residential
8:00 rezoning proposal council
8:01 please call the roll chair I
8:12 don't know Council Member
8:14 fergus I have an eye on all
8:16 thank you councilmember
8:20 shulman hi.
8:21 Council Member salam
8:23 . Council Member Felder I I
8:31 know Council Member
8:31 Encarnación wrote ayanna
8:34 Council Member jay Sanchez
8:38 Council Member Thomas Henry I
8:41 my no any leader car ionel by
8:45 a vote of nine in the
8:47 affirmative zero opposing and
8:49 zero abstention the items are
8:50 approved as described by the
8:51 chair and these items
8:52 . Are now referred to a full
8:55 and use committee
8:55 . That concludes today's
8:56 business I would like to thank
8:57 members of the public my
8:59 colleagues subcommittee
9:00 counsel lanyards and council
9:01 staff and the sergeant at arms
9:03 for participating in today's
9:05 meeting this meeting is