The owners of the former Parkway Hospital site in Forest Hills have submitted a Brownfield Cleanup Program application with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and are looking for community comment regarding the application.
The site, located at 70-35 113th St., was originally developed as a hospital in 1963 and was closed down in 2008. Since that time, it has been occupied by a six-story vacant building, with two basement levels and an asphalt-paved parking area. The site is in an R1-2a Zone, which is zoned for residential use.
According to DEC, “a brownfield site is any real property where a contaminant is present at levels exceeding the soil cleanup objectives or other health-based or environmental standards, criteria or guidance adopted by DEC that are applicable based on the reasonably anticipated use of the property, in accordance with applicable regulations.”
The current environmental and health conditions at the former Parkway Hospital site are “currently under review and will be revised as additional information becomes available,” DEC said.
The Brownfield Cleanup Program was created to encourage private-sector cleanups of brownfield sites and to promote their redevelopment as a way to revitalize economically troubled communities by providing tax incentives for the redevelopment of these sites.
Public comments about the former Parkway Hospital application must be submitted no later than Dec. 30. A copy of the application and other relevant documents are available at the document repositories located at Queens Borough Public Library – Forest Hills Branch, 108-19 71st Ave., and the Queens Community Board 6 (CB 6), at 10401 Metropolitan Ave.
The public should send their comments to Aaron Fischer, Project Manager, NYSDEC-DER, 625 Broadway, 12th Fl., Albany, NY 12233-7016; to aaron.fischer[@]dec.ny.gov; or call 518-402-9767.
