Filthy streets, traffic congestion and a lack of public space were among the many concerns expressed about the proposed 2,873-unit Creedmoor development plan by a local civic association on Monday night.
Members of the Creedmoor Civic Association, a local civic group, voiced concerns during their monthly meeting Jan. 8 that an influx of new people to the area would lead to more litter, congested streets and a shortage of green space.
The meeting, held virtually, was attended by 26 members of the association as well as Assembly Member Clyde Vanel, with the discussion centered on the Creedmoor Master Plan, which was unveiled last month with the aim of transforming a portion of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center into a mega development that will include 2,873 apartments if approved.
The attendees said that the influx of residents would lead to more trash clogging up the streets and that the Department of Sanitation may struggle to clean it up.
“Keeping our neighborhood looking nice is something that we are passionate about and we do want to keep our neighborhood clean so will it possibly get worse, when this new housing development gets built?” one attend asked Assembly Member Vanel.
Vanel responded by encouraging people to let state officials know their concerns. He said residents should make it clear to representatives of the Empire State Development Corp., an arm of the state behind the plan, that clean streets are a priority.
“It’s important that we participate fully throughout the process because we will be the ones living with the consequences of the housing development,” he said.
In relation to public spaces, the topic was brought up again when an attendee said that he was concerned that the developers could put a greenhouse on the flat roofs of apartment buildings and then count this as green space for the community in their plans.
Vanel doubted that this would be the case. He reiterated that this is why it is important the community stay engaged with the development process and make their concerns about the neighborhood known.
Many attendees mentioned that the increased number of residents could cause density issues and change the nature of the neighborhood.
Creedmoor Civic Association President Mike O’Keeffe said that the association only wanted a limit of 1,000 apartment units and that the number of the proposed 2,873 is far too many.
“This is going to be an ongoing topic that we will be discussing at Association meetings for the foreseeable future,” he said.
The next Association meeting will be taking place on Jan. 22 on Zoom.
