By Jyoti Thottam
Two public hearings this week will give Maspeth residents a chance to voice their opinions in the tug-of-war over a potential elementary school site slated for a Staples superstore.
Staples, a discount office-supply retailer based in Massachusetts, announced in April it would open a new store at 72-50 Grand Ave., the former site of an Edwards supermarket. Community Board 5 approved its land use application this fall, but School Board 24 stepped in and asked the School Construction Authority to consider using the site for a new school in the most crowded district in the city.
