By Jeff Lipton
Five Towns community leaders said that if the project is approved, it would further clog local roads with traffic and be a significant blow to the area's quality of life. Neighborhood leaders have already begun to mobilize in an attempt to stop the project.
Called the Brookville Center project, the proposal calls for the development of the commercial center on 22.75 acres of vacant New York City-owned land at the southwest corner of Brookville Boulevard and Rockaway Boulevard, in Queens, just over the Five Towns border. According to plans, about 9.3 acres would be developed, with 95,000 square feet of retail space in three buildings. In addition, plans call for two restaurants, one measuring 8,000 square feet and another 5,000 square feet, as well as a 100,000-square-foot storage facility. A parking lot able to accommodate 505 vehicles as well as a public walkway and waterfront viewing areas are also in the plans.
A public scoping meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 12, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at St. Peters Lutheran Church, 224-04 147th Avenue in Springfield Gardens, Queens. During the meeting, officials from the city's Economic Development Corporation will hear comments from the public regarding the proposed scope of work for the environmental impact statement.
Five Towners said they had to get moving to halt the project. It would be a total disaster, Martin Oliner, a Lawrence village board trustee, said of the commercial center. There is no infrastructure in place to support that.
Oliner pledged to mobilize local elected officials, mayors of surrounding villages and community residents and officials to squash the plans.
God willing, we are going to stop it, said Oliner. It seems like everyday [city officials] are adding a new project.
In late 2001, Oliner threw a spotlight on the construction of the International Airport Centers, just down the road from the planned commercial center. But it was too late to stop that project Ñ construction of four buildings for an airport cargo-storage facility Ñ which was already more than five years in the making when the community uncovered the city's plans to build it. Construction began early this year.
Many residents and neighborhood leaders in the Five Towns were upset that they were not notified during the hearing process and had no time to stop that project. But the community was able to win certain concessions, such as extra turn lanes and restriping along Rockaway Boulevard.
Traffic lights were recently installed in front of the airport centers and have been working for the past month. The first of the four buildings is expected to be occupied this month, but construction won't be completed for another two years, officials said.
Tracy Lloyd, director of legislation for Sen. Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), said he has been in constant touch with the city, which led economic development officials to give the Five Towns clues about the latest proposal and publicize the Dec. 12 date for a public meeting to discuss the project and invite community input.
At least this time they're giving us a heads-up, Lloyd said, and this is a call for us to energize Lawrence and the Five Towns. We now know they're going to try to develop this big project, and if it's approved there will be even more congestion on Rockaway Turnpike.
He added that the chances of defeating the commercial center project are now better than ever.
When informed of the city's latest proposal, Stephen Mahler, Village of Atlantic Beach mayor, said, I just can't believe that. This is really an outrage. How the hell do they think they can stick things like this on the side of the roadway?
Mahler expressed his concern about the continued use of Rockaway Boulevard as an evacuation route with the addition of another massive construction project. That's our main evacuation route, he said.
Oliner and Mahler agreed that the city lacked a solid master plan for the area. Oliner said the city assured him that there would be no further construction in the area after the International Airport Centers are completed. City officials did not return phone calls.
Whatever it takes, we will make sure it doesn't happen, Oliner said. Otherwise, everyone on the south shore of Long Island would be put at risk here.
