112-46 68th Rd, Forest Hills, NY 11375

Low-Density Contextual Residence District

R1 districts are leafy, low-density neighborhoods of large, single-family detached homes on spacious lots. Resembling many suburbs, these districts are mapped in a few areas of the city, such as Todt Hill (R1-1) in Staten Island, Jamaica Estates (R1-2) in Queens, and Fieldston (R1-2) in the Bronx. R1-2A is mapped in Forest Hills in Queens.; There are three R1 districts. Although new homes in R1-1 districts must be on larger and wider lots than homes in R1-2 and R1-2A districts, generous yard requirements and high open space ratio (OSR) or lot coverage regulations preserve the open space that characterizes all R1 districts. The floor area ratio (FAR) of 0.5 and the sizeable required lot area tend to produce big, roomy houses. The maximum height of buildings in R1-1 and R1-2 districts is not fixed but is governed by a sky exposure plane;; contextual regulations in R1-2A districts produce buildings that maintain neighborhood scale and character with a maximum perimeter wall of 25 feet, a maximum building height of 35 feet and a front yard as deep as a neighboring yard. Auto ownership rates are high and, as in other lower-density districts which are often distant from mass transit, one off-street parking space is required for each dwelling unit.