FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 19, 2021 • THE QUEENS COURIER 23
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When is the proposal for a new school and
playground in Bay Terrace not a good idea?
letters & comments
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BY TONY AVELLA
When is the proposal
for a new school and
playground not a good
idea? When they are
proposed for the wrong
location, without real community input,
to be located on a narrow street, creating
a traffi c nightmare, and being rushed
through for approval at the end of a political
term.
Th e proposal by the School Construction
Authority (SCA) for a new school at 24th
Avenue and Waters Edge Drive in Bay
Terrace is signifi cantly fl awed. It comes
at the end of this mayoral administration
and months before a new Council
member for the district can take offi ce.
First and foremost, SCA should put this
proposal on hold until a new mayor
and Council member can fully evaluate
whether a new school is needed in this
specifi c neighborhood. Only a few blocks
away, P.S. 169 is already under construction,
adding over 600 additional seats. I
also understand that presently, P.S. 169
has seats available.
Th e proposed new school site itself is
on a narrow road with no parking. Th e
street fi lters onto Bell Boulevard exactly at
the entrance to the Bay Terrace Shopping
Center, already a congested intersection.
Adding school buses and parents dropping
off and picking their children will
only further exacerbate a crowded traffi
c situation.
Th e land is a historic landfi ll, with possible
underground contaminants, and
may also include wetlands. Th ese conditions
should necessitate a full environmental
impact statement before any
possible negotiations with the property
owner should begin — which SCA clearly
will not do. How the SCA can even begin
the process of purchasing this site without
fully investigating these conditions is fi scally
irresponsible.
Th e adjoining proposal for a new playground
across the street seems to have
been made solely to bolster the argument
for the school, providing a few parking
spots and a playground for the schoolchildren.
Unfortunately, the playground proposal
also is short sighted for the same reasons
against the school. Th is is the dead end
of 24th Avenue, again creating a dangerous
traffi c situation for future park users.
Given its proposed location, a deserted
dead-end street with little to no visibility,
it can only become a potential latenight
hangout.
I applaud the inclusion of $20 million
in the city budget for construction of this
playground, but not its location!
A much better location is nearby Little
Bay Park/Fort Totten, which is much more
accessible to residents of Bay Terrace and
surrounding communities. Th at site has
a large parking lot and a wonderful comfort
station and is accessible by city bus.
Parks offi cials have long sought additional
funding for Little Bay and Fort Totten.
Th e $20 million would be a boon for both
parks and create a more utilized and safer
new playground.
Another reason against the proposed
playground location is that although
the lot on Waters Edge Drive and 24th
Avenue is parkland, it currently is and
has been for decades used by the Bay
Terrace Country Club as a parking lot for
the pool club. Taking away this parking
lot would doom the Pool Club. Th e Pool
Club has stated it has a 99-year lease on
this property and obviously would contest
the lease being vacated. Th e Pool Club has
been a great resource for Bay Terrace and
Queens for over six decades and it would
be a tremendous loss for everyone if it
should have to close because of the loss
of parking.
In addition, in the middle of both
sites is a Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) sewage pumping station
with facilities underneath and on
the street and sidewalk. I understand that
only recently was the DEP made aware
of these proposals. Did no one bother to
check what issues are present on these
sites – obviously not?
Does it make sense to build a school
and playground immediately adjacent to
a sewage, odor-producing pumping station
– of course not!
For all of these reasons I oppose the
new school and the location for the playground.
What should be done, and done immediately,
is to put the school proposal on
hold until a new mayor and new Council
member have a chance to review its location
and its need in this neighborhood.
Th e SCA should work together with local
elected offi cials, the Community Board
and residents to fi nd an appropriate site
that would better serve the children. SCA
should turn away from dictating its proposals
to working and collaborating with
stakeholders.
Th e proposed playground should also
be given a second look and relocated to
Little Bay/Fort Totten. Let’s build a playground
where everyone can enjoy it and
at the same time allow the Pool Club to
continue to serve the community.
To join with me and sign the petition,
please go to http://chng.it/Pjx6sjQzZg.
Tony Avella is the Democratic candidate
for the 19th City Council District and former
state senator for the 11th District.
FEDS, STATE HELP
KEEP LIRR ROLLING
“Keeping the Long Island Rail
Road working for you” (op-ed
by LIRR President Phillip Yang
— Aug. 12) is also dependent
upon the LIRR reaching a state
of good repair for existing fl eet,
stations, elevators, escalators,
signals, interlockings, track,
power, yards and shops.
It also includes more and
more stations reaching compliance
with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA).
All maintenance programs for
all operating assets also need to
be fully funded and completed
on time to ensure riders safe,
uninterrupted, reliable service.
Since its creation in 1964,
the Urban Mass Transit
Administration (since 1991,
known as the Federal Transit
Administration) has provided
billions to pay for many of these
capital improvements.
Th e LIRR share of annual FTA
grants to the MTA averages 15
percent. In 2021, this should
represent $225 million of $1.5
billion in federal grant funding.
A fair share out of the $14
billion in three COVID-19
Emergency Relief Packages
should also be provided. Th e
New York State Department
of Transportation provides
Statewide Transportation
Operating Assistance (STOA)
on an annual basis to the MTA
and LIRR.
Let us give thanks to both
Washington and Albany for
continued fi nancial support
for our very own LIRR — the
nation’s largest commuter railroad.
Larry Penner, Great Neck
ALL ABOUT
THE SCOUTS
It has come to my attention
that Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio
of the Brooklyn/Queens Diocese
recently visited the Ten Mile
River Scout Camp in upstate
New York. He was there in support
of the Boy Scouts.
Bishop DiMarzio was a Boy
Scout himself and earned the
title of Life Scout, the organization’s
second highest rank. As
such, I praise the bishop for his
support of scouting.
Over 50 years ago, I was a Cub
Scout, Boy Scout and eventually
an Explorer Scout. During my
time as a scout, I learned a lot
about community service, charity
and patriotism.
Today I am the grand knight
of St. Anastasia Knights of
Columbus Council #5911 in
Douglaston and have been
chairman of our twice-a-year
blood drive. I do this with the
help of Boy Scout Troop #153,
whose help has been immeasurable.
Membership in the scouts has
dropped to 62 percent nationwide,
a fact that I fi nd quite troubling
because it is such a fi ne
organization. As such I implore
parents to encourage their boys
to join the Boy Scouts.
Th e Boy Scouts teaches a lot
about community service, charity,
values, self-reliance and
dedication to God and country.
Th ese values are so important
considering the problems
our nation faces today.
Frederick Bedell, Jr., Bellerose
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