Community boards are essential for the well-being of their communities, and Community Board 7 in Flushing, NY is no exception. This board is devoted to enhancing the community and providing services that bring the community together to discuss local issues. It is composed of 50 members, half of whom are nominated by City Council members and the other half by the county president. The board plays a significant advisory role in dealing with matters of land use and zoning, the municipal budget, the provision of municipal services, and many other issues related to the well-being of their communities.
Requests for a change or variation of the zoning resolution must be submitted to the Board for review, and the position of the Board will be taken into account in the final determination of these requests. The Board also has a mailing list of more than 800 people and disseminates news of public hearings through the Flushing Library, community organizations, religious institutions and the press. Through partnerships, it can help the community resolve its service delivery problems and quality of life issues. The current members of the Community Board 7 committee are composed of a majority of Flushing residents and a minority of Flushing business owners, all from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Community boards should be consulted about the location of most municipal facilities in the community and on other land use issues.
Even ethnic groups that appear to be less prominent in Flushing, such as Latinos and South Asians, have some members on the Board of Directors. Community Board 7 covers a large area of Queens, including neighborhoods such as Flushing, College Point and Bay Terrace, and is home to one of the largest populations represented by a community board: nearly 250,000 residents. While community boards do not have extensive formal authority, they serve as essential links between other agencies and governing bodies of the city and the communities they are supposed to serve. Community Board 7 in Flushing is an example of how these boards can help bring people together to discuss local issues and improve their quality of life.
