From the Times Ledger:An odd island at the convergence of three streets known as the Woodside Triangle may soon end five decades as a de facto park and become another home unless activists in the neighborhood can raise the cash to buy it from the developer.
The 1,265-square-foot lot at the junction of 34th Avenue and 59th and 60th streets has been used by residents as a park since 1959, when Mayor Robert Wagner planted a tree there. Now the owner is poised to begin construction.
At the time the land was owned by a Carvel’s establishment across the street. But when the Carvel’s went under, the triangle changed hands a number of times before ending up with Sano Construction, which first applied to build a two-story home there in 2004.
About two dozen protesters and City Council candidates Brent O’Leary, David Rosasco and Jimmy Van Bramer booed a Sano dump truck as it rattled past the corner Tuesday afternoon. The driver briefly looked down at the crowd and shook his head.
“All of a sudden they put up a chain link fence and we got nervous,” said resident Marion Molno, who has led the effort to stop the development of the triangle starting with an appearance at Community Board 2 in March 2008.
She said neighbors contested the property owner’s application at the city Board of Standards and Appeals, but the agency ultimately granted the variance to make a home on the irregular lot.
The Village Voice pointed out that there is another three-sided property nearby that is actually a city park. But according to commenter Kate: The other three sided property you refer to is full of homeless men who sometime do not wear clothes. It is not a suitable place for children to play and it hasn't been for years.
