The community opposition was not enough to prevent developers, which includes the church that owns the land, from erecting an affordable housing five-story building on Farmers Boulevard in St. Albans.
The city Board of Standards and Appeals approved Tuesday the zoning variances the developers were seeking to build the complex that will also house a community center in the ground floor.
The project had three votes in favor and one abstention. The board member who abstained explained she did not know enough about the proposed plan.
“The board seemed to be supportive of the plan,” said a source familiar with the BSA hearings about the construction plans.
“I believe this is wrong,” said Karen Plummer, president of the St. Albans Civic Improvement Association. “Too many people will move in and the neighborhood can’t sustain it.”
The developers, including the St. Albans Presbyterian Church, needed variances involving maximum building height, maximum dwelling unit and minimum parking.
The project consists of a 67-unit structure of one- and two-bedroom apartments that will be built in two empty lots located on Farmers Boulevard between 118th and 119th avenues.
“This is just too much for us,” Plummer said.
Once the decision becomes public, the people in the community who opposes the project will have 30 days to appeal.
2 comments:
For years, the owners of this property never took care of it as far as garbage all around it and the fence in poor condition (I reported this a few times). I mean why would a church never take care of property that they owned and allow garbage to pile up around it (what happened to Cleanliness is next to Godliness). Same thing with Rev. Flake's small parking lot on the West side of Merrick Blvd,a block away from his church AME, always mounds of garbage dumped in front of it.
Along with poor/corrupt political leadership, a bad community board, a shitload of church leaders who don't give a shit and this type of thing is what helped destroy many parts of Jamaica and allowed the bottom of the barrel people to thrive in this environment.
BSA goes against community wishes. So what else is new?
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