CB 11 blocks sale of lot to church

If Community Board 11 (CB11) has its way, the vacant, grassy land next to St. Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Douglaston will not be sold to the Church for a day care center.
At the most recent CB 11 meeting, all but one member voted to write a letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City’s Housing Preservation Department (HPD) condemning the plan, which HPD had brought to members several weeks ago.
Although HPD’s main job is to find space for and create affordable housing, the neighborhood of Douglaston is not suited for multi-family dwellings, CB 11 Chair Steve Newman explained. Therefore, HPD came up with a plan to sell the empty lot - located on 234th Street at 39th Avenue - to the Church, which owns the property directly adjacent to the north of the lot.
At a meeting on Wednesday April 18, the city agency had met with board members and proposed that St. Sarkis buy the land, build a day care center and rent it to a for-profit third party - ABC Early Learning Center - to run the new day care’s operations. Currently, ABC runs a center within Temple Torah on Little Neck Parkway and has a waiting list of children that cannot attend the Center because space does not permit it.
City officials estimated that the church would pay about $600,000 for the property - about half of the lot’s estimated worth of $1.2 million - because the religious organization has non-profit status.
If constructed, the new building would be a 6,900-square-foot structure, rising two stories in height with 15 parking spaces in the front. Children ages two to five would be allowed, and the new center would be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
However, Douglaston residents have been outspoken in their opposition to the idea since first introduced. Newman said that at the meeting three weeks ago, about 40 percent of the board had attended and their opposition was “highly vocal.”
“I’m so happy they voted that way. It’s a relief,” said Ann Jawin, President of the Doug-Bay Manor Civic Association, following CB 11’s meeting.
Board members asked that the city consider instead converting the land into a park or building a street to connect Douglaston Parkway with 39th Avenue since there are currently only three streets - 235th Street, 38th Drive, and Bay Street - and that provide access to the enclave from Douglaston Bay for emergency services vehicles.
However, part of the land that would be used to create such a street is not owned by the city, and a spokesperson from the Department of Transportation told Board members at the last meeting that the city had abandoned the plan to create the street 30 years ago.
Board members also questioned how the day care facility would affect parking problems that already exist in the area and whether the church’s full catering facility would be used to prepare food for the estimated 70 children who will be able to attend the new center. As part of the possible agreement with the city, the day care center would be barred from preparing food on premises.
For the sale to take place, the City Council would have to approve the proposal, and then CB 11 would have a chance to make a recommendation on the plan, before it was sent to the Borough President’s office.