Williamsbridge is a neighborhood geographically located in the north-central portion of the Bronx in New York City. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are East 222nd Street to the north, Boston Road to the east, East Gun Hill Road to the south, and the Bronx River to the west. White Plains Road is the primary thoroughfare through Williamsbridge. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12 and its ZIP Codes include 10466, 10467, and 10469. The area is patrolled by the 47th Precinct of the New York City Police Department. New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) property in the area is patrolled by P.S.A. 8 at 2794 Randall Avenue in the Throggs Neck section of the Bronx. History According to the New York City Parks Department, Williamsbridge was named for 18th Century farmer John Williams, who had a farm on the east bank of the Bronx River in the vicinity of Gun Hill Road and White Plains Road, and was credited with building the first bridge over the Bronx River. It incorporated as a village on November 23, 1888. Olinville, named for Methodist Episcopal minister Stephen Olin, is a disused neighborhood name for the area around Olinville Avenue in Williamsbridge. . However, the name "Olinville" survives in four telephone exchanges — OLinville 2, 3, 4, and 5 — which can still be found in the neighborhood (as 652, 653, 654 and 655). Planned zoning changes The New York City Department of City Planning has proposed zoning map changes for 36 blocks in the Williamsbridge/Olinville area. The proposed zoning would preserve the area’s lower density residential character and promote new development in keeping with the scale of the surrounding neighborhood. In addition, the DCP is proposing a zoning text amendment establishing a new citywide R5A district to address the unique detached housing stock found within this neighborhood. The area’s development patterns, although varied, are characterized by distinct enclaves of detached, semi-detached, and attached residential buildings, as well as a smaller number of mid and high-rise apartment buildings. However, the height and density of existing housing is generally lower than is permitted under the current zoning. Clusters of one- and two-family homes are prevalent in many parts of Williamsbridge and few buildings are higher than 70 feet, even in the more densely developed portions of the neighborhood. The proposed rezonings aim to address this zoning mismatch by ensuring