After getting an earful from Maspeth residents regarding the proposed homeless shelter at a neighborhood hotel, Community Board 5 will weigh in with its official recommendation on the project later this month.
The advisory body is expected to consider a resolution on the subject during its next meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, Sept. 14, at Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village.
The board will either recommend denial or acceptance of the proposed homeless shelter for up to 220 adults at the Holiday Inn Express located on 55th Road in Maspeth and slated to open in October. First announced in August, the plan sent many Maspeth residents into a frenzy, sparking nightly protests outside the hotel, a neighborhood march and boisterous objections raised at a public meeting on the matter.
Although the city stressed it needs the rooms at the Holiday Inn Express to meet the needs of an ever-growing homeless population, opponents in Maspeth say the hotel, among other issues, lacks the required amenities for a homeless shelter and is located too far from public transportation.
More than a thousand people showed up at a public hearing on the proposal that Board 5 held on Aug. 31 at the Knockdown Center. Many residents expressed their outrage at the shelter plan by turning their backs on Human Resources Commissioner Steven Banks and jeering at Assemblywoman Margaret Markey as they spoke.
The vote will likely come after Board 5 attends to a number of other items on its agenda, including a public hearing on budget items for the city’s 2018 fiscal year budget, a presentation by the Sanitation Department regarding the proposed expansion of organic recycling into Ridgewood, a public forum for comments, a review of liquor licenses and demolition notices, and reports by Chairperson Vincent Arcuri and District Manager Gary Giordano.
The Sept. 14 meeting will be held in Christ the King’s cafeteria, located in the rear of the high school at 68-02 Metropolitan Ave. Parking is available, and the school is located within walking distance of the M train and the Q38, Q54 and Q67 buses.
For more information, call 718-366-1834.
