The Webster Avenue corridor where the Doe Fund wants to build is currently zoned for heavy commercial use and is made up of mostly auto shops, gas stations and other industrial businesses. There are also private homes and apartment buildings, but Community Board 7 wants to attract more housing through a rezoning process that would limit heavy commercial use.

Recently, the New York Botanical Garden received the go-ahead from the city to build a four-story parking garage on Webster at the northeast corner of Bedford Park Boulevard. But last fall, the community, including several board members rallied to try to stop a Comfort Inn from being constructed right near PS/MS 20, located on Webster just north of Mosholu Parkway.

The Board wants there to be more guidelines in place to make development less haphazard and to prevent unwanted projects like the proposed hotel (plans have been approved but the developer has yet to apply for a permit).

"We want to improve the look of the area," said Sandra Erickson, chair of CB7’s Land Use Committee.

That also means bringing in developers who share in the Board’s vision for a more residential future, which Faulkner said is not a problem. "If you rezone it, they will come," Faulkner said with confidence.

Still, rezoning is a process, Faulkner said. "We can’t speed the process."

Currently, New York City Planning is surveying Webster Avenue to help the Board with rezoning. Then the city must complete an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) to review the effect rezoning would have on the area. Erickson expects the EIS to be completed by this winter, at which point rezoning can be considered.