By Alex Davidson
Residents who live near a new housing complex in Ozone Park on Crossbay Boulevard and North Conduit Avenue are opposing the building of an adjacent two-story commercial development, the local civic association president said.
Sam Development Corp. is asking for a variance to amend the current Magnolia Plaza’s residential zoning into commercial zoning, said Rose Pepe, district manager for Community Board 10.
The development company, which is based in Manhattan, did not return phone calls for comment.
Ricky Pistone, president of the Ozone Park Civic Association, said residents want to keep the Magnolia Plaza development residential and are against the developer’s request to change the site’s zoning to allow for the building of retail and office space.
“I’ve never seen the community so against anything in my life,” Pistone said. “We have enough stores in the neighborhood. What we need is more housing.”
Residents opposed to the proposed variance will attend the Nov. 7 public hearing at the monthly Community Board 10 meeting in South Ozone Park, he said. The community board can only make a recommendation on the proposed change, Pistone said, and pointed out that the Board of Standards and Appeals will make the final decision at an as yet unscheduled hearing in Manhattan.
Pasquale Pacifico, executive director of the board, said his agency has not yet reviewed the case. He did say, however, that community sentiment is important in determining whether a zoning variance would be granted to developers.
Community sentiment “is a very valuable tool,” he said. “If they stick to what the case is about and to the issues, they’re going to be heard.”
The BSA is the specific agency that grants zoning variances on a case-by-case basis so as not to have to fully amend or change the zoning for an entire site, he said.
Pepe said the developer did not come to the board to present its original residential plans because the property was zoned for housing units.
“The site is already zoned for condos,” she said. “There was a small brown house there before and [the developer] must have torn that down.”
Pepe was unaware of what types of stores the developer intends to put on the property if it is granted the zoning change.
But Pistone said residents are rightly concerned because the property is far enough away from schools and other areas to potentially allow any type of commercial store. He also said residents do not want to change the zoning because they would then lose any control over what types of stores come into their neighborhood.
“It could be almost anything. They don’t know what’s going to be in there,” he said. “Once you give a commercial variance, you can’t go back.”
Reach reporter Alex Davidson by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or by phone at 229-0300, Ext. 156.
