Board 5: Site Unsuitable For Residential Use
Community Board 5 has yet to receive any proposal regarding a rumored homeless facility being created at a former Glendale industrial site, according to Chairperson Vincent Arcuri in a press release issued last Friday, Aug. 17.
Arcuri noted that, under current Zoning regulations, a Community Residence Facility would not be permitted at the site, located at 78-16 Cooper Ave. He did advise, however, that if Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared an emergency situation existed, the City of New York may be able to place such a facility there or anywhere else.
The location is zoned M1-1 for industrial and manufacturing purposes, and Arcuri stated that the property does not meet building code requirements for residential occupancy and, due to the age and condition and previous occupancies, could be an environmental nightmare.
“The building, which currently has several active Department of Building violations, may contain lead paint, asbestos and various PCB contaminants,” the chairperson said. “The cost and time to convert this structure to a residential facility would be extensive, and possibly twice as much as new construction.”
“Prior occupancies included an aircraft parts manufacturer, knitting mills, machine shops and, its largest occupant, Eastern Cabinet Company which manufactured cabinetry that included lacquers, paints and other environmentally sensitive products,” he added. “Rumors abound that the site may have been part of the Manhattan Project, which produced the first atomic bomb.”
“The building had an internal railroad spur, which, over the years, saw coal fired steam engines and then diesel powered engines haul trains, into the building, on ballasted track that was sprayed with petroleum based products to keep the dust down,” Arcuri continued. “The site is located adjacent to a known brownfield site and, due to its low elevation and location, may contain under- ground pockets of PERC (dry cleaning fluid) from the many defunct knitting mills in the area.”
The chairperson noted that the Board 5, several years ago, identified the Cooper Avenue site as a potential economic development site to bring high tech jobs to the community, which is in dire need of jobs for its highly skilled, middle class residents.
At that time, the New York City Economic Development Corporation was interested in purchasing the site, but the Wilner family (which owns the property) was not interested in selling.
Arcuri reiterated that the area needs jobs for its residents, jobs which produce the payroll taxes that the City of New York runs on, not large community facilities that take properties off the tax rolls.
