WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JULY 18, 2019 3
Traffi c fears fuel opposition to Glen. facility
BY MAX PARROTT
MPARROTT@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Some Glendale residents made a last
ditch attempt at the Community
Board 5 meeting on July 10 to
stop the rezoning application for a sixstory
residential tower for homeless
individuals with disabilities before it
goes to vote at the Board of Standards
and Appeals in the coming weeks.
By a 33-2 vote in December 2018, the
board overwhelmingly approved the
66-unit housing development at 80-97
Cypress Ave. proposed by WellLife,
a nonprofi t that provides services
for residents with mental illness,
developmental disabilities, seniors
and formerly homeless individuals.
During the public forum last
week, residents raised concerns
over parking and traffic, limited
neighborhood amenities and the
nonprofit organization’s financial
security. They pled with the
community board to intervene on
their behalf.
The three residents who spoke out
to the board live on 59th Street, a deadend
road that nears the rear end of the
property on Cypress Avenue. Two of
them said they were concerned the
parking lot of the apartment building
would include an exit onto their
street, adding to its congestion and
parking problems.
“Traffi c is a huge issue. Cypress
Avenue, as I’m sure most of you know
who drive cars, is a terrible place to
drive,” said one resident. In addition
to causing problems on 59th Street,
she said she was concerned that the 19
parking spaces proposed in December
would further burden Cypress.
Willie Scott, vice president of
public aff airs for WellLife, said that
as the project currently stands, the
parking spaces have been reduced
down to 10 to 14 and that, of those, he
doesn’t expect them to be fi lled.
“The majority of the people who are
living there will not be driving. They
don’t drive for the most part. They will
be relying on public transportation,”
Scott said.
Another resident raised questions
about the financial health of the
WellLife, claiming that one of the
large grants that it’s using to fund the
development is not a secure source
of funding. Scott said that he was
not sure what grant to which they
were referring.
The development will be using
funding through the Empire State
Supportive Housing Initiative
through the state Offi ce of Mental
Health, an award that provides up
to $25,000 per unit annually for
persons identifi ed as homeless with
special needs.
WellLife has been reported to be a
$100 million company serving 25,000
individuals through 100 programs.
“The bottom line is whatever they’re
talking about is unclear, but we have
the ability to develop the project,
and we’re not going anywhere,”
said Scott. “There’s no danger of us
running out of money and the project
falling apart.”
As to the lack of amenities in
the area, Scott countered that the
residents would use the same
public transit options and grocery
stores currently available to
the neighborhood.
One of the speakers at the July 10 Community Board 5 meeting, a resident
of 59th Street in Glendale, who voiced opposition to a 66-unit residence for
homeless disabled persons in the neighborhood. Photo: Max Parrott/QNS
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