CB 10 plans for more parking and less flooding

Community Board 10 (CB 10) leaders in South Ozone Park approved plans to help regulate traffic control and create additional parking space along 156th Avenue. Members and residents also saw presentations for a new storm management plan in the area – two major concerns for residents.
Nathan Gray, community coordinator for the Department of Transportation (DOT), presented a proposed plan on Thursday, April 1 to help create additional parking – as requested by local residents – on 156th Avenue between 78th and 79th Street.
Residents claimed the avenue was prone to high volumes of traffic, speeding and double-parked cars. They complained that it was hard getting out of their driveways because of the doubled parked cars. The high volume of parking tickets given in the area also made it difficult for drivers to leave their cars.
Board members approved a plan that is supposed to include an additional 14 parking spaces, stop bars, and the plantation of seven tree pits along the median. The streets will have a 20-foot moving lane and 20 feet of parking.
The plan, Gray said, would provide parking and slow traffic down. Some residents, however, worry that the additional spaces “will not be enough.”
Within the next two years, residents will also begin to see the development of a new storm water management plan by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)-PlanNYC2030.
The plan will start in a ten-acre area bounded by North Conduit and South Conduit between Sutter Avenue and 80th Street.
John McLaughlin, director of Environmental Services for the DEP said permeable soil will be used in order to soak up excess water that may cause flooding and is designed to drain in up to 72 hours and help prevent mosquitoes from inhabiting the area.
“Will it solve the problem? Absolutely not,” said McLaughlin. “But it’s a step and every little bit helps.”
The complete design should be done by early June. Construction is set to begin in August and run through October, The tree planting goes from October to November.
The storm water management plan will be monitored for two years. If the plan shows improvement in flood prevention and water quality, the plan will be spread citywide. An overview of the plan can be found on the NYC.gov site- PlanNYC2030.