By Ivan Pereira
Democratic district leader Jackie Boyce was elected to serve as the new chairwoman of Community Board 12 during its monthly meeting last week.
Boyce, who has been on the board for 18 years, beat out Carol Hunt and Adrian Adams for the position that was vacated last month when former Chairwoman Adjoa Gzifa was removed from the board.
City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), who rejected Gzifa’s renewal application for the board, swore in the new chairwoman, who promised to fight for the community’s quality of life.
“I thank you for your vote and I know I can represent the board well,” she said after the election.
Boyce won with 14 votes, beating Adams by one vote. Three board members named Hunt as their choice for chairwoman.
Boyce, who served as the board’s 1st vice chairman prior to the election, is the Democratic district leader for the 29th state Assembly District and the president of the Local Development Corp. of Laurelton, Rosedale & Springfield Gardens. She has been on the forefront on many issues, including the influx of homeless shelters that have been placed in the board’s district, which includes Jamaica, Hollis, St. Albans, Springfield Gardens, Baisley Park, Rochdale Village and South Jamaica.
Yvonne Reddick, the board’s district manager, is still recuperating from injuries she sustained in a car accident last month, but is doing well, according to Boyce. Next month the group will vote on a new first and second vice chair.
In other news, a development group presented the board with its plans to build an affordable housing unit at 109th Avenue and Union Hall Street. Monadnock Construction wants to create 34 units in a four-story lot at the space that includes parking spaces, a computer room and a full laundry room.
Five of the units will be dedicated to veterans, according to Kirk Goodridge, the director of development for Monadnock.
“We took great pains to make sure the project was contextual with the neighborhood,” he said.
A start date for the construction for the building has not been set because the company is awaiting approval from the state for funding, according to Goodridge.
Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
