14 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 13, 2022 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Community Board 13 rejects developer’s plan to build
mixed-use residential building in Springfi eld Gardens
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
A developer’s request to construct an
eight-story, mixed-use residential building
in Springfi eld Gardens is being
met with opposition from members of
Community Board 13, who say that the
building doesn’t “fi t in” with the community.
A ULURP application submitted on
behalf of Ranbir LLC to rezone a vacant
lot, located at 146-93 Guy R. Brewer Blvd.,
as a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing
(MIH) area was presented during the
Queens Borough President’s Land Use
hearing on Th ursday, Dec. 23.
Th e applicant is seeking to rezone the
property (the main project site) and the
adjacent four lots from an R3-2 zoning
district to an R6A/C2-2 zoning district
that is primarily residential with commercial
uses on the street level. Th e project
was introduced several years ago to revitalize
the area.
Th e development would include 42
housing units with seven studios, 28
one-bedroom, fi ve two-bedroom, and
two three-bedroom apartments with 11
aff ordable units at 60% AMI, while 10% of
the units will be at 40% AMI allowing for
deeper aff ordability, according to Richard
Lobel, of Sheldon Lobel PC., who is representing
the applicant.
“We want to off er units to people who
live in the area and are experiencing housing
pressure. It’s locally oriented and is not
just a commercial space but a residential
development to attract people in the area,”
Lobel said.
Th ere are challenges to developing the
site that was previously used as a gas station
and is currently used for parking,
according to Lobel. Th e lot, which is listed
as a brownfi eld site and may be contaminated,
would require remediation that
would cost nearly $800 million.
Aft er discussions with CB 13 about the
project, according to Lobel, the developer
presented another option with a sevenstory
building instead, and reduced the
density of the site creating 36 units with
three studios, 24 one-bedroom, six twobedroom
and three three-bedroom apartments,
and nine MIH units.
During their Dec. 20 general board
meeting, Community Board 13 voted
against the project with 32-0 votes and no
abstentions, said board member Michael
Mallia, who testifi ed at the virtual hearing.
“While they understand the need for
aff ordable housing, they just think the
need for this project is just too out of context
with the local neighborhood,” Mallia
said. “We are afraid that this is going to
set the precedent for other R6 rezonings
in the neighborhood. We had six letters
from the local civic and homeowners that
are against it.”
According to Mallia, density is a major
concern, traffi c at the corner boulevard,
and plans for attended parking at the
building.
Barbara Brown, who testifi ed on behalf
of the Eastern Queens Alliance and the
Springfi eld/Rosedale Community Action
Association, said the area is stressed in
terms of parking.
“A lot of the buildings have more cars
and fi nding parking in the area is hard.
Traffi c at the corner is terrible and there
are trucks sitting on the sidewalk and out
on the streets, including cars and buses
that run back and forth during the course
of the day,” Brown said.
According to Brown, they’re also concerned
about the fact that the height of the
building is out of conformity with the rest
of the neighborhood that consists of one-
and two-family homes.
“It would be taller than the warehouses
in the neighborhood and shade the
homeless shelter across the street and the
homes east of it,” Brown said. “People are
living in that area because they want to
live in a low-density area. Th ey like the
look and feel of the area and to introduce
towers is a bad precedent to set.”
Bill Perkins, a resident of Rosedale,
echoed Brown’s statement on the height of
the building and concerns about residents
relocating elsewhere.
“We do not want that vacant lot to exist
here. Th at’s a conversation that we want to
have regarding what goes there and being
strategic about it,” Perkins said. “Th e conversation
about what goes there is really
important. We want to work with the
team on ideas that are benefi cial, quick
and eff ective.”
Th e Southeastern Queens Zoning
Preservation Task Force is planning to
organize a demonstration to rally against
the proposed development. According to
the group, the project will lead to the
destruction of the neighborhood’s quality
of life, and ultimately decrease the value
of their homes.
“It would be taller than the warehouses in the
neighborhood and shade the homeless
shelter across the street and the homes east
of it. People are living in that area because
they want to live in a low-density area. They
like the look and feel of the area and to
introduce towers is a bad precedent to set.”
— Barbara Brown
Photo via Zoom
A rendering of the proposed development for 146-93 Guy R. Brewer Blvd. in Springfi eld Gardens.
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