From the Times Newsweekly:Preliminary plans to build nearly 50 senior housing units at the United Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood will come before Community Board 5’s Zoning and Land Use Committee for an informal review during the panel’s August meeting, it was announced.
According to Rev. Henry Fury, the church’s pastor, the proposal calls for the construction of an L-shaped building housing 48 studio units to be constructed adjacent to and behind the house of worship located at 62-54 60th Pl. The facility would be erected primarily on the site of the parsonage, which would be demolished.
“The church would remain as it is,” Fury told the Times Newsweekly, reiterating that the century-old church and its congregation would not disappear from the Ridgewood scene anytime soon.
But Fury noted that “there’s still a lot that’s not done” and must be finished before the project becomes a reality, namely that the church would need to obtain the necessary funding to begin construction as well as subuled sidies to offer the co-op units to seniors at an affordable price.
Additionally, the church would most likely need to seek several variances with the New York City Board of Standards and Appeals for the construction and operation of the co-op building, added Paul Kerzner, counsel to the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association, who has been working closely with United Presbyterian on the plan.
Kerzner told the Times Newsweekly that the church is not presenting the idea to the Land Use Committee to gauge their opinion on the subject.
“We’re meeting with the committee because I wanted them to give us an informal evaluation of the proposal,” he said. “We haven’t put any of the paper work in to any city agencies, so we’re asking for the committee to review it.”
Fury stated that the church was “willing to make modifications to the plan that are reasonable” if suggested by the Land Use Committee. Even so, the pastor observed, he doesn’t anticipate complete opposition since the project would address a need for affordable senior housing in the Ridgewood area.
5 comments:
The Astoria Presbyterian Church is the model - you will soon see dozens of churches going the same route.
Hey, thanks Sacred Sites Program. You really did a fine thing for the borough of Queens by agreeing to it.
Not to worry. The Queens Preservation Council headed by the Queens Historian will say nothing.
The Astoria Presbyterian Church is now a vacant lot that is quickly becoming overgrown with weeds and was quite dangerous last winter during snowstorms as no one takes responsibility for shoveling the sidewalk. But at least they demolished the abandoned buildings before squatters and rats took over completely.
Carolyn Maloney financed it - you dont see that in the Manhattan part of her district.
Thats it, find a wedge issue to pit the community against each other.
Who can stand against seniors? Who can stand against afforable housing.
All this is needed is for it to be built as affordable housing for gay bike-riding immigrant seniors and they can cover all bases.
Always thought Ridgewood was fille up. Who will pay for the infrastructure costs?
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