School next to firehouse not the best idea

From the Times Ledger:

City officials agree that Corona public schools are extremely overcrowded and that new schools must be built, but those same officials disagree about where at least one of those schools should be built.

City Department of Education officials said Tuesday that public review and design plans are underway for two schools, one at 97-36 43rd Ave., which will add 664 seats in the district, and the other at 110-02 Northern Blvd., which will add 379 seats.

The 43rd Avenue site is an L-shaped, 40,000-square-foot warehouse currently occupied by the Wal-Rich Corp., a plumbing and heating supplies distributor, and the city is forcing the owners to sell the property through eminent domain. The building surrounds the 89th District firehouse and is less than two blocks away from the NYPD’s 110th Precinct house.

Community Board 4 District Manager Richard Italiano said that makes the proposed site dangerous for kids.

“We’re not against new schools,” he said. “We want as many schools as we can get, but that particular site poses a concern. We’re just concerned with the emergency vehicle movements and children walking from school around the street there will be safety hazards.”

CB 4 members met Tuesday night at one of the proposed school construction sites, located at 98th Street between 50th and Christie avenues. An 89th District FDNY member, who asked not to be identified, said he and other fire officials disagree with the proposed location of the school because children traveling to and from school may be hit by passing vehicles and emergency vehicles leaving the firehouse could be slowed down by kids and school buses.

“It’s a terrible idea,” he said. “How are we going to get out of quarters? They claim they’re going to use the other street that’s in back of us, but the street behind us is 12 feet wide. There’s no way the school buses are going to fit behind this building. In my opinion, it’s going to be a very dangerous situation to build a school right next to a fire house.”

Okay, so the business owners don't want to leave and the FDNY thinks this is a bad idea, so why not put the school at 90th Street and Corona Avenue in the big empty lot that's been a blight on the area for years? Last time I checked, it was for sale. There would be no business displacement, safer location, eyesore elimination... wait - that makes too much sense.