From the Times Ledger:
Bayrock Group, a Manhattan-based developer, was the last owner of the site and performed remediation on the toxic soil.
Bayrock still has a rendering on its website from 2005 showing the 52 homes and public park it planned to build before a bank began foreclosure proceedings on the property several years ago, Preuss said.
Bayrock Group’s development plan for the property, which it estimated carried a pricetag of between $100 million to $200 million back in 2008, was approved by Community Board 7, Borough President Helen Marshall and ultimately the City Council Land Use Committee.
But Alfredo Centola, president of the Malba Gardens Civic Association, said now that the property was on the market, he was concerned about increased traffic in the neighborhood and the impact on local schools, which he said are overcrowded as it is.
“As we speak, there is a need for another school or an expansion,” he said. “What’s going to happen with all these new developments going on?”
Centola hopes that any developer that moves in builds responsibly.
Luckily for him, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) also had concerns about the impact of development on the community when plans were first proposed to build on the property several years ago.
Avella was a councilman in 2008 and sat on the Land Use Committee, where he oversaw the successful rezoning of the area for 52 homes when developers wanted to build more.
One plan pitched to him called for 400 units in multi-family dwellings.
10 comments:
Hey al you better hope matt and debra dont get elected otherwise that whole area will become a developers dream.
Thos damned whitestone kids right debbie.
Fighting development piece by piece will never work. It divides people and leaves self satisfied islands that wake up one day surrounded by development and their fabric compromised bit by bit with Swiss cheese like variances.
The city has to ban together: Zero Population Growth.
Maybe instead of 52 houses they should build a middle or high school on that property.
Then the neighborhood will be begging for 52 houses instead.
Maybe instead of 52 houses they should build a middle or high school on that property.
Then the neighborhood will be begging for 52 houses instead.
sure put kids on a brownfield putz
There is room to expand both ps 193 by taking over whitestone farms an abandoned blighted property being held by another manhattan developer and there is room to expand ps 79 by removing the portables and building.
that was good suggest something worse to secure something else.
Instead of ANY new development, why don't we put our foot down and say NO to new development until they do something for the schools, transportation, utility infrastructure.
How can Queens residents expect any respect if they say 'well they will always be development' when hospital beds are 1/5 of Manhattan?
What is wrong with the civics - all cutting deals for their narrow self interest?
"that was good suggest something worse to secure something else."
I'm just saying, people oppose the development claiming that there is no local JHS or HS, and this is just a BS excuse. The last thing the neighborhood wants or needs is a local JHS or HS.
Large one family houses are pretty much the least possible impact housing development in terms of people and traffic. Be thankful that that is the avenue being pursued. It's really nothing compared the nearby LeHarve development or the nearby Tropicana and Kinray facilities that generate lots of truck traffic. Wasn't that land an asphalt plant or something there at one time? It was definitely something industrial that contaminated the soil there. Maybe it should stay industrial so instead of a slight population growth we get constant truck traffic and noise. And people are complaining about one family houses being put there? When the rest of Whitestone and Bayside is ravaged by multiple two family houses on formerly single home plots?
Just a bunch of crybabies if you ask me.
"The city has to ban together: Zero Population Growth."
Great idea-dummy.
The point of the article is that the civics at leas Malba Gardens is concerned with how the development is going to impact the neighborhood. Studies and remedies need to be done honestly.
Also, I ask : was the site really cleaned up? Anyone know the history of Bayrock and who the priciples are and or were? If I were a betting man I would say it wasnt really "cleaned up".
Whitestone just had over 100 cookie cutter mansion thrown up by mattone in the past ten years, the old jewels site is approved for 55 and now Vallone & co. want to saddle the community with another 54. By the time the Vallone site is shovel ready CB7 and Vallone family friend Chuck Apellian will have pushed through for over 100, watch & see! God deliver Whitestone from criminals.
al you have to run
you are the only one who will do the right thing and make sure things get done right
al centola for office
Myth
I'm just saying, people oppose the development claiming that there is no local JHS or HS, and this is just a BS excuse. The last thing the neighborhood wants or needs is a local JHS or HS.
REALITY
DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN THE NABE, LIKE A POWER PLANT, HOSPITAL, ET AL, BUT...... YOU NEED IT AND RIGHT NOW QUEENS IS OFF THE SCALE IN INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT
Myth
Large one family houses are pretty much the least possible impact housing development in terms of people and traffic. Be thankful that that is the avenue being pursued.
REALITY
SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ARE THE MOST INEFFICIENT USE OF URBAN RESOURCES - YOU GET THE LEAST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK.
Myth
It was definitely something industrial that contaminated the soil there. Maybe it should stay industrial so instead of a slight population growth we get constant truck traffic and noise.
REALITY
HOW ABOUT A PARK - YEA, WASTE SOME LAND ON THE PEOPLE - WHAT A NOVEL IDEA!
Myth
And people are complaining about one family houses being put there? When the rest of Whitestone and Bayside is ravaged by multiple two family houses on formerly single home plots?
REALITY
DOESN'T SEEM TO BOTHER PEOPLE TOO MUCH - SAME WEAK CIVICS AND SAME POLITICIANS THAT SELL THE COMMUNITY TO DEVELOPERS.
Myth
Just a bunch of crybabies if you ask me.
REALITY
WE AGREE!!
Myth
"The city has to ban together: Zero Population Growth."
Great idea-dummy.
REALITY
THANKS,
AND DON'T CALL ME 'DUMMY'. NOT IN OFFICE NOR ANY ANY INTEREST IN BEING IN OFFICE THANK YOU.
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