The Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises of the New York City Council met at 11:30 AM on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in Hearing Room 3 at 250 Broadway, New York, NY. Chair Farah N. Louis presided; members present were Carr, Encarnación, Farías, Felder, Salaam, Sanchez, Schulman, and Thomas-Henry. The subcommittee considered five Queens land use applications: two rezoning packages—each with a zoning map amendment and a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) text amendment—and one sidewalk café revocable consent application. The chair described the session as voting on three proposals: the sidewalk café, the 158-06 Northern Boulevard mixed-use rezoning, and the 21-31 46th Avenue mixed-use rezoning.
Applicant Northern 158 Holdings LLC sought to rezone property in Flushing, Queens (Community District 7, Council District 20). The project description calls for a mixed-use residential development with approximately 76 apartments, of which approximately 19 would be permanently affordable. The proposal would change the existing R5B district with a C1-2 commercial overlay to an R7A district with a C2-4 overlay, and would establish a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing area through an Appendix F zoning text amendment. Chair Louis recommended two modifications: limit the rezoning area to sites fronting Northern Boulevard, because the narrower, dead-end 159th Street is not appropriate for significant residential density; and reduce the MIH text map so it is coterminous with the reduced rezoning area. The district's Councilmember (identified in the transcript as Ung/Unc) supported the application as modified but was not present.
Applicant 21-31 Holdings LLC sought to rezone property in Long Island City, Queens (Community District 2, Council District 26). The project description calls for a mixed-use residential development with approximately 84 apartments, of which approximately 21 would be permanently affordable. The proposal would change the existing M1-4/R6B mixed-use district to an R7X district with a C2-5 overlay, and would establish a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing area. Chair Louis recommended one modification: remove MIH option 2 and add option 3 to ensure deeper affordability. The district's Councilmember (referred to in the transcript as Wan/One) supported the application as modified.
Tedo de Esquina NYC Corp., formerly doing business as Cali Tajadas Bakery & Restaurant, applied for a revocable sidewalk café consent at 45-18 104th Street, Corona, Queens (Community District 4, Council District 21). The applicant proposed four tables and attached seating along the front of the restaurant. Councilmember Thomas-Henry, who represents District 21 and chairs the Committee on Small Business, opposed the application. She stated that her office had received numerous quality-of-life concerns and that, despite repeated efforts to engage with the owner, there was not sufficient communication to address those concerns. She described a sidewalk café as permission to use shared public space carrying a responsibility to neighbors, families, and other small businesses.
Record discrepancy: The raw transcript contains conflicting language around the sidewalk café vote. The official minutes state LU 0141-2026 was disapproved, but the chair's spoken remarks in the transcript refer to approving the sidewalk café with modifications and conclude that the items were approved and referred to the full Land Use Committee. The minutes also record the approved items as referred to CPC. The outcome list above follows the official minutes.
Hello, good morning. Welcome to today's New York City Council vote for the Committee on Zoning and Franchises. At this time, please silence all phones. Moving forward, no one is to approach Dayers. Chair, you may begin. Good morning and welcome to a meeting of the subcommittee on zoning and franchises. I'm Councilmember Farrah Lewis of the subcommittee. This morning we're joined by Councilmembers in Canacion, Jay Sanchez, Thomas Henry, Minority Leader Carr, Felder, Shulman, and Salam. Today we are voting on the following three proposals. An application for revocable set consent. Stand at ease. We're having technical difficulties. Give us a moment. We've also been joined by Councilmember Farias. Testing, testing, testing. Let's just start. We don't have to say today we are. Today we are voting on the following three proposals. An application for revocable consent by Tedo de Esquina NYC Corp. Formerly doing business as Cali Tejadas Bakery and Restaurant to operate a sidewalk cafe in Councilmember Thomas Henry's district. The 158 06 Northern Boulevard Mixed Use Residential Rezoning and Council Member Ung's district and the 21 3146th Avenue, mixed use residential rezoning in Councilmember Wan's district. The first vote concerns LU 141, relating to an application by Tedo de Esquina NYC Corp, formally doing business as Cali Tahadas Bakery and Restaurant for a sidewalk application in Councilmember Thomas Henry's district. Applicant is to place four tables and attached seating along the front of the restaurant, which is located in Corona, Queens. Councilmember Thomas Henry does not support the application. I now call on Councilmember Thomas Henry for remarks. Good morning, and thank you, Chair Lewis, for the opportunity to speak today. As chair of the Committee on Small Business, as the Councilmember representing District 21, and as a former small business owner myself, I believe deeply in supporting our local entrepreneurs. Small businesses are the backbone of communities like Corona, and when they are ready to grow, we should be working alongside them to help them succeed. But supporting small businesses also means protecting the integrity of the entrepreneurs who work hard every day to be responsible members of the communities they serve. That's why I called up the Sidewalk Cafe application for Cali Calais Tejadas Bakery and Restaurant. Our office has received numerous quality of life concerns regarding this establish establishment. Most importantly, despite repeated efforts by my office to engage directly with the business owner and find community centered solutions. We cannot effectively address concerns when there is not sufficient communication. A sidewalk cafe is not simply an expansion of a private business. It is permission to use our shared public space. And with that opportunity comes a responsibility to the neighbors, families, and other small businesses who share that block. A responsibility to grow with our community. Thank you. Thank you, Councilmember. Next, we will vote on LU's 123 and 124 regarding the 158-06 Northern Boulevard mixed use residential rezoning proposal in Councilmember Ung's district. Applicant is seeking to develop a mixed-use residential project in Flushing Queens that would have approximately 76 apartments, of which approximately 19 apartments would be permanently affordable. The proposal involves two actions. The first is a zoning map amendment to change the existing residential R5B district with the C1 2 commercial overlay to a residential R7A district with a C2 4 overlay. The second action is a zoning tax amendment to map a mandatory inclusionary housing area. We are recommending two modifications to this application. The first modicate modification is to limit the rezoning area to the sites fronting on Northern Boulevard. Northern Boulevard is a wide street along which there are existing buildings, the size that the applicant is proposing. In contrast, 159th Street is a much narrower and comes to comes to a dead end at this location. As such, it is not appropriate to place significant residential density on lots only fronting on 159th Street. The other modification is to reduce the proposed MIH zoning tax zoning text map to make it cutomonious with the reduced rezoning area.