By Kathianne Boniello
The city Department of Transportation has delayed a planned reconstruction of Bayside’s municipal parking lot because the cost of the project doubled, a spokesman for the city DOT said this week.
In May the Department of Transportation said it was expecting to shut down the lot “within six weeks” to reconstruct it and fix a flooding problem. The work was to include repaving for the lot at 41st Avenue and 214th Place.
The project was expected to correct a long-term flooding problem in the approximately 90-spot lot, the DOT said. The flooding affects about six spaces in the center of the lot, where a small lake seems to form at least once a week.
DOT spokesman Keith Kalb said Tuesday the project was delayed because initial examination of the lot revealed extensive reconstruction was needed to fix the flooding.
“It became a more complicated project,” said Kalb, who said the lot needs to be connected to the city’s sewer system to eliminate the flooding.
The cost of the project was originally estimated to be between $150,000 and $185,000, Kalb said. With the extended sewer work, the cost doubled to about $325,00, he said.
“We’re trying to reschedule for spring, or next summer,” Kalb said.
With a busy Long Island Rail Road stop at 41st Avenue and 213th Street and popular bars, restaurants and businesses along Bell Boulevard, parking frustrations in the neighborhood can skyrocket.
The news of the lot’s renovation came at about the same time the city raised meter rates for municipal lots, including the Bayside one, which went from 25 cents per 30 minutes to 25 cents for every 20 minutes of parking.
Kalb acknowledged that the Bayside lot needed to be worked on, but said the city’s budget constraints have put the project behind other lots where safety issues take precedence.
“There are other lots where safety problems are a priority,” Kalb said. “It makes more sense for us to wait an extra year and allot the additional money.”
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
