Council Member Robert Holden spearheaded a rally on Wednesday, April 2, to oppose the proposed construction of a large-scale lithium-ion battery storage facility at 64-30 69th Place in Middle Village, directly across from PS/IS 128.
The rally, which brought together local residents, political leaders, and concerned parents, demonstrated the growing frustration and alarm surrounding the project.
Holden, joined by Council Member Joann Ariola, Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa, and many local residents, condemned the facility’s location in a densely populated residential area, emphasizing the risks posed to public safety, particularly the safety of children and families living nearby.
“So many people will be affected. The children, the parents, the homeowners who live close to this facility,” Holden said, addressing the crowd with urgency.
“They should all be on this lawsuit. It has been filed. We will follow through and we have a good shot at winning. We’re not going to take this lying down. We have to fight back. They are always shoving these kinds of places at us. This is very, very dangerous.”
Holden’s concerns center on the proposed facility’s proximity to several important community spaces. The site is located near an animal hospital, a daycare center, and a children’s party and play space.
Additionally, it sits directly across from PS/IS 128, a school that serves hundreds of children. Local residents, many of whom have lived in the area for decades, are alarmed by the potential dangers posed by a lithium-ion battery storage facility, particularly considering the risks associated with battery fires.
Ariola, who co-chairs the Common Sense Caucus with Holden, echoed his concerns and framed the issue as part of a broader citywide problem.
“This is a citywide problem that the City of Yes brought us, and the way we’ve been very successful in winning lawsuits recently with our Common Sense Caucus, which I proudly co-chair with Bob Holden, we will win this one as well,” she declared. “We don’t need a lithium-ion battery storage facility in between two schools in a residential area.”
Ariola also recalled a hearing held months ago in which she questioned safety concerns related to lithium-ion batteries.
“I asked the question, ‘Is there any container that can contain the explosion of a lithium-ion battery?’ The answer was no. So why would we even be thinking of putting something like this in a residential area across from a school?”
Curtis Sliwa, who has been vocal in his opposition to the siting of such facilities in residential neighborhoods, also addressed the crowd. Sliwa, a Republican candidate for mayor, explained that his concerns are shared across political lines.
“I’ve been at every rally that has taken place. First in Staten Island, then in Brooklyn, now in Queens, and soon in The Bronx,” Sliwa said. “This is dangerous. We don’t have a problem with green energy or lithium-ion batteries, but they belong in industrial areas—not residential neighborhoods.”
Sliwa continued to criticize the actions of NineDot Energy, the company behind the proposal, pointing to the growing trend of these facilities being placed in residential zones across the outer boroughs.
“We have Alicia Vaichunas, who is running for City Council as a Republican in this area, and Phil Wong, who is running as a Democrat, and they are joined unanimously on behalf of the community,” he added.
Among the speakers was Osvaldo Callado, a local Middle Village resident who voiced his personal concerns about the facility.
“There are times when you just can’t stand idly by. I was living a comfortable little life until things like this interrupted it,” Callado said.
“44 of the 51 Council Members have constantly interrupted the American Dream. Now, a residential neighborhood that’s the embodiment of the American Dream will be destroyed. This will turn into a toxic dump. It will create the evacuation of every resident across the street. Not to mention the 1,000 children in the school.”
Callado spoke passionately about the disruption that the facility would cause to the peace and security of his neighborhood. He claimed that this project could turn into “the Chernobyl of Middle Village.”
The rally was charged with energy as the crowd repeatedly chanted, “No storage facility here!” and “Protect our kids!”
Local parents, teachers, and residents all voiced their concerns about the safety risks associated with the proposed facility, particularly the threat of fires from the volatile lithium-ion batteries. While many at the rally expressed support for green energy, they emphasized that such facilities belong in industrial areas, not residential neighborhoods.
One of the rally’s most poignant moments came from an eight-year-old student at PS/IS 128 who shared her worries about the facility’s potential dangers.
“I’m in third grade, and I love this school. I really hope there’s not going to be a deadly box of power here,” the young girl said. “It’s harmful to our community, classmates, students, teachers, and parents. It would mean the world to me if they wouldn’t build it. No future with flames.”
The proposed facility is part of a growing number of lithium-ion battery storage projects across New York City. While these facilities are promoted as a solution to the city’s energy storage needs, they have raised alarms due to the risks posed by battery fires, which are notoriously difficult to extinguish.
As the legal battle continues, it’s clear that Holden, Ariola, Sliwa, and countless concerned residents are determined to stop the construction of the lithium-ion battery storage facility in Middle Village. They are putting pressure on city leaders to reconsider the risks and safety concerns associated with the project.
