Springfield Gardens builder plays 'beat the clock'

In May, the community learned that the site at the corner of Springfield Boulevard and North Conduit Avenue was to be the home of a three-story motel, owned by Gandi Sailesh, reputed to own several more buildings like it in Brooklyn.

Springfield Gardens quickly rallied to hold meetings and protests against Sailesh, including taking the fight to his home on Long Island.

Now, according to Richards, it’s a race against the clock as the zoning in the area changes at the beginning of September from C-2 to C-1.

Under C-1 zoning, hotels and other similar structures would be forbidden. However, if the developer manages to get the foundation in place before the change, the structure would be grandfathered in under C-2 statutes.

Motel’s Opponents Fight Race Against Time, Zoning

Most recently, the site was the subject of a Department of Environmental Protection citation, a setback earlier this summer that slowed work on the site. The citation was for a plumbing system which would have been inadequate to handle the water needs of the building and could potentially have flooded the area with waste water had it been allowed to go through.

Currently, construction has begun again, in earnest.