By Courtney Dentch
Plans to build dozens of two-family homes on land in Springfield Gardens that was once believed to be city park space are moving forward despite the community’s concerns that the project would hurt the quality-of-life in the area.
Borough President Helen Marshall met with community leaders, the developers and city agencies last Thursday to discuss the plan and its impact on the neighborhood, said Dan Andrews, Marshall’s spokesman.
“The borough president brought everybody in to provide the forum wherein they could have a dialogue,” he said. “We were glad the developer had come in and listened to the concerns of the community and that they’re not going ahead without listening to them.”
Developer Martin Schafer is planning to build 37 one- and two-family homes on eight plots of land surrounding Railroad Park in Springfield Gardens.
But Warren McCain, president of the Save Our Communities Coalition, and others are worried that their quality of life will be compromised, he said.
“We’re looking at how it’s going to change the character of the area and the way of life in the area,” he said.
The plan would add about 80 families to the neighborhood, said McCain, who attended Marshall’s meeting last Thursday. The new residents will only add to traffic and parking congestion and strain resources, including the already overcrowded School District 29, he said.
The area has had severe flooding problems for decades, and McCain believes that the city should fix up the sewer and storm drainage systems in the community before letting more homes in.
“The first the thing we’d look at is infrastructure,” he said. “We need to see what we have here and see if it will take on what they have in mind. We need studies here.”
But Marshall believes the best way to upgrade the infrastructure is to move ahead with the project, Andrews said.
“The borough president feels that the concerns can be addressed and that we can get a good development out of there that will increase property values and result in greater infrastructure than is already there,” he said.
Schafer’s attorney, Adam Rothkrug, could not be reached for comment on the meeting.
Railroad Park has been part of the community since 1962 when Rochdale Village sold the land to the city. The 16.4 acres of park are officially bounded by 176th Street, 129th Avenue and the Long Island Rail Road tracks.
Parcels above 129th Avenue and along 132nd and 133rd avenues were thought to have been part of the public green space, but the land actually belongs to the Rochdale Village housing complex, whose managers sold the land to Schafer last year.
Since the land is private property, Schafer does not need additional permission to build the houses aside from the standard construction permits. Schafer plans to build 37 detached and semi-detached homes on the plots, which is permitted under the zoning regulations for the area, Andrews said. The project does need approval from several city agencies, he said.
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at news@timesledger.com, or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 138.
