By Anna Gustafson
The owners of the former Leviton manufacturing plant in Little Neck tried to alleviate concerns residents have about future tenants at the site at a meeting last week, said a spokesman for Borough President Helen Marshall, who hosted the gathering.
The Leviton company, which made small electrical parts like light switches, moved from Little Neck to Long Island last year and residents have since been worried about what could replace it on the site, which is surrounded by hundreds of single-family homes. Leviton sold the site to Steel Equities, representatives from which met with Marshall and representatives from Community Board 11 Dec. 8 at Borough Hall.
“It was a very good meeting,” said Dan Andrews, a spokesman for Marshall. “The owners said they had no plans to flip the property, no plans to demolish the building and that they’d be in communication with local elected officials and the community board about any future plans with regard to who may move into the site.”
Andrews said officials from Steel Equities, who did not return a phone call for comment, also said at the meeting that they planned to improve the site’s aesthetics.
“They intend to do new landscaping and provide 24-hour security,” Andrews said.
Judith Cohen, president of the North Hills Estates Civic Association, which covers the Leviton site, said residents were especially worried a new neighbor at the former plant could bring additional traffic congestion, parking problems and noise. The site is currently zoned for light manufacturing and any change in zoning would have to go before CB 11 and the city.
Cohen noted the area around the property is heavily residential with about 410 single-family homes in the neighborhood. She said the neighborhood is already struggling with heavy traffic, particularly during the summer months because of the nearby Deepdale Pool.
“The traffic in the summer is already horrendous and the parking situation becomes terrible,” said Cohen, who has lived in the area for more than 50 years. “One thing we’re very concerned about is we shouldn’t have extra parking problems with whatever takes over Leviton.”
Potential noise also worries residents, Cohen said.
“We hope whatever goes there will not be noisy,” she said. “If a truck comes in and turns off the engine and turns it on to leave, I don’t think it would be a big problem, but we’d oppose any operation where trucks come in and idle their motors.”
Cohen also said residents would insist that any tenant would keep the entrances and exits at the same spot on Little Neck Parkway and not move them to a spot closer to the houses.
Reach reporter Anna Gustafson by e-mail at agustafson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4574.
