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Protect Saint Albans!
Background:
On October 19, 2007, the United States Veterans Administration released an RFP (Request for Proposals) that invites real
estate developers to submit proposals to redevelop the current 55 acre St. Albans VA Campus.
The RFP encourages
bidders to submit proposals that would include: 1) the developer demolishing the present anchor shaped building; and, 2) the
developer building several new facilities for the VA on 30 of the 55 acres. The developer would use the remaining 25 acres
to build rental housing on land the developer would lease from the VA for 75 years.
The deadline for the submission
of responses to the RFP was March 17, 2008. The word on the street is that four developers responded by submitting proposals.
One proposal submitted reportedly includes the development of 4,000 plus rental units -- over two thirds the number of units
in Rochdale Village.
"Protect Saint Albans" is a coalition of individuals/organizations who have joined
forces to stop the development of non-veterans housing on the VA's St. Albans Primary and Extended Care Campus (St. Albans
VA Campus).
Recently, much of St. Albans was successfully "downzoned" in a larger St. Albans - Hollis
rezoning effort led by New York City's Department of City Planning.
That downzoning effort was undertaken to
discourage population growth in two neighborhoods whose infrastructure -- schools, parks, utilities, transportation, and otherwise
-- is already overburdened.
Supporting the development of non-veterans housing on the VA's St. Albans campus
would only work against the gains made by the neighborhood's recent downzoning.
Our Mission
The mission
of "Protect Saint Albans", is to stop the development of non-veterans housing on the VA's St. Albans campus.
"Protect Saint Albans" would prefer that the acreage deemed not necessary to meet the ongoing needs of veterans,
be permanently converted back to park land. Prior to construction of The Naval Hospital in 1950, the grounds were occupied
by the St. Albans Golf Club and Community Center.
Click here to visit "Protect Saint Albans".
Stop Speeding Traffic Around the Linden Boulevard
Bend!
Background:
Addisleigh Park is bordered on the south by Linden Boulevard.
Along Linden Boulevard, between 176th and 177th Streets, there is a bend in the road that is the site of far too many traffic
accidents and, tragically, an occasional related fatality. The last known fatality occured in November 2006 when a gentlemen
riding his bike along the south side of Linden Boulevard was struck and killed by an out of control car that had been speeding
westbound.
The goal of the Addisleigh Park Civic Organization is to work with the New
York City Department of Transportation to have the problem of traffic speeding around the bend fixed.
Several years ago, a traffic signal was installed at the intersection of
Linden Boulevard and 114th Road. This action resulted in a drop in the number of accidents related to vehicles speeding around
the bound. Unfortunately, it did not fully solve the problem.
The April
2007 issue of the Addisleigh Park News featured a "petition" that residents were asked to complete and return to the leadership
of the organization. Copies of those petitions were sent under a cover letter to Ms. Maura McCarthy, Borough Commissioner
of the New York City Department of Transportation. Additionally, copies of the letter and petitions were sent to: Janette
Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation; Helen Marshall, Queens Borough President; and
Councilman Leroy Comrie.
The petition resulted in the June 12th civic organization meeting featuring
a visit from C. Peter Goslett. Mr. Goslett is the Director of Community Affairs for the Queensborough Commissioner's Office.
Several approaches to the problem were discussed and led to the following letter being sent to Mr. Goslett.
Follow-Up Letter to Peter Goslett Visit
Letter From DOT Acknowledging My Letter to Peter Goslett
Letter From DOT Borough Commissioner Maura McCarthy Describing Actions Taken To Slow Traffic Around the Bend
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| Linden Boulevard Bend - Speeding Deterrents |
Road markings and a guard rail were added late summer 2007. Stay tuned to see how effective these measures will be.
"Downzone" Now!
Background:
The majority of Addisleigh Park is presently zoned for single family homes. A portion of the neighborhood, east of 176th
Street and north of 112th Avenue, is presently zoned for multiple family homes.
The New York City
Department of Planning has conducted a zoning study of St. Albans and Hollis that includes Addisleigh Park. The Department
of Planning has proposed that a portion of the section of Addisleigh Park presently zoned for multiple family homes be "downzoned".
If approved, this downzoning would prevent the construction of, or conversion to, multiple family homes. Existing multiple
family homes would "grandfathered".
The remaining portion of Addisleigh Park that is
presently zoned for multiple family homes would receive a more restrictive zoning designation. This more restrictive designation
would discourage the development of attached two family homes that are essentially four family homes.
On
Wednesday, June 20th, 2007, the Department of Planning presented its proposal at the monthly Community Board 12 meeting. Some
objections to the plan were made. Though there was overwhelming support for the downzoing, some attendees were not satisfied
with the degree of proposed downzoning; they wanted more of the areas included in the study to be downzoned. While acknowledging
the problems caused by overdevelopment, the Department of Planning responded by asserting that they have downzoned as much
as they can, given the mayor's goal of increasing the housing stock in New York City.
Another
aspect of the proposed plan that attendees took issue with was the proposed upzoning planned for the lots located at or near
the corner of Linden and Merrick Boulevards -- presently the site of the Mobil service station and the Associated supermarket.
The proposed plan would accommodate the construction of a residential building as tall as seven stories. This change would
accommodate a possible 7-story residential development being considered by the St. Albans Congregational Church -- the present
owner of the land. The proposed plan was approved, with a change to the aforementioned upzoning that would accommodate construction
of a building no more than 4 stories tall.
On Thursday, June 28th, 2007, the New York City Department
of Planning presented its proposal at the Queensborough President's monthly Land Use Public Hearing. Greg Mays, president
of the Addisleigh Park Civic Organization, testified in favor of the plan -- providing specific support of the portion of
the plan that focused on downzing. On October 29, 2007 the City Council adopted the St. Albans
/ Hollis zoning map changes. The zoning changes are now in effect.
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