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Few oppose group home at CB 11 meet

By Kathianne Boniello

Only a few residents turned out to protest an application from a Brooklyn agency for a new group home for the mentally disabled on Cloverdale Boulevard in Bayside at a Community Board 11 meeting Monday night.

Last month about a dozen people attended CB 11's Feb. 7 meeting to voice their opposition to the placement of another group home on 204th Street in Bayside by an agency based in College Point.

Just two residents spoke about the group home proposed for 64-51 Cloverdale Blvd. at Monday's meeting where representatives from the Brooklyn-based Heart Share Human Services met with little resistance and even some support.

Edward McEvoy, who lives near the group home proposed by Heart Share, expressed frustration when he was told that the agency was expected to close on the house Friday.

“Then it's already done,” said McEvoy, who threw up his hands. McEvoy has lived in the area for 25 years.

Civic leader Frank Skala, president of the East Bayside Homeowners Association, said “just because you disagree with group homes doesn't mean you're evil. They are using taxpayer money and there is a right to say no.”

The only other resident to speak about the group home Monday was Cory Polshansky, who said he lives around the corner from the future group home.

“I hope everyone will fully support the development of this group home,” Polshansky said. He added that over the years group homes “become a part of the neighborhood. They become our friends.”

Mandingo Tshaka, president of the Bayside Clear-Spring Council and a former CB 11 board member, said he has witnessed many group homes enter the area and has not seen any problems.

“It doesn't have any impact on the community,” he said. “It's not the retarded people you have to be afraid of. It's those that say they're normal.”

CB 11 holds public hearings on group home applications in accordance with state law, but the board follows its own policy and does not vote on them. District Manager Anne Marie Boranian said CB 11 adopted the nonvoting policy a few years ago.

In other news, CB 11 voted 18-9 against a proposal by Mobil Corp. to demolish its gas and service station on the corner of Northern and Bell Boulevards and to construct a new convenience store and six new gas pumps.

Representatives from Mobil said rising costs for diagnostic and repair equipment for cars made the station too expensive for either the company or the franchise owner to operate.

Members of the board, civic leaders, and residents said they opposed the application because of the danger of increased traffic in an area where a lot of children and pedestrians walk through.

The station is next door to the Bayside Public Library and a few blocks away from PS 31 and MS 158.

CB 11 also elected its officers Monday night. Bernard Haber was re-elected as chairman, and Jack Como and Joan Garippa were re-elected as vice chairmen.