CORONA, NY — On Tuesday, Council Member Francisco Moya issued the following statement in response to the Board of Standards and Appeals ruling that allows the proposed Target to move forward in Elmhurst, Queens:

“While I haven’t been able to personally review the BSA’s decision yet to understand its rationale for permitting the Target project to move forward, I can say that I believe all the residents, activists and elected officials who testified against this project articulated a sound argument. My interpretation of the zoning regulations remains the same. It’s a mistake allowing organizations to use cellar space as a loophole to skirt zoning rules. Any interpretation of the zoning text that permits this loophole is ignoring the spirit of the regulation. As the chair of the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, I’ll be looking into updating the zoning text to protect against this loophole.”

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Council Member Francisco Moya represents the New York City Council’s 21st District, which encompasses Corona, East Elmhurst, LeFrak City and parts of Jackson Heights. He chairs the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises and sits on seven other committees: Civil Service and Labor; Cultural Affairs, Libraries, and International Intergroup Relations; Finance; Immigration; Land Use; Parks and Recreation; and Hospitals. Additionally, Council Member Moya serves as the vice co-chair of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus (BLAC). For more information, please visit council.nyc.gov/francisco-moya/.