Communicated: Community Expresses Opposition to Mammoth Construction in Dense Area of Boro Park

Imagine building a project with 267 housing units and only supplying 40 parking spaces. Imagine placing this project in an area which is already congested, creating a nightmare for the local traffic, including the school buses and sanitation trucks which will be necessary to service the venture. Imagine further that the new construction is placed near some of the streets used constantly by emergency vehicles, as well as a nearby fire house and police precinct, and a very active MTA bus route.

“Building this monstrosity in the proposed location, over the train tracks running from 59^th Street and 16^th Avenue to 62^nd Street and New Utrecht, near 14^th Avenue, will not only destroy the quality of life for the current residents, but will also not provide decent living conditions for the families who will occupy those units,” a Boro Park resident said. “How will the other 227 occupants find parking for their vehicles? Will mothers be unloading their shopping while blocking the streets, with their children remaining in the idling car spewing fumes into the air of this congested area? Where will these children play, given that there is no open space allocated for it? Children need space to play and adults need breathing space as well, and this proposal is totally not in line with the needs of the families. Building 247 units in only 65 thousand square feet is not enough space to raise a healthy family.”

The proposed project, titled Brooklyn Yards, has been in the works for an extended period of time, and while everyone agrees there is a need to provide more housing for the growing families of Boro Park, nevertheless there is mounting opposition to alleviate the housing crisis by creating additional havoc to the current and future residents of the neighborhood.

“Most families in this vicinity require a car for transportation and cannot rely solely on public transportation to get to work, to get their children to school, and to shop for groceries for their large families,” a member of the community related. “A single car is almost a given for any family who would consider locating to these new buildings. Finding parking is already a nightmare, and adding hundreds of new vehicles to the mix is something that will make life unbearable for all. The streets are just lacking the infrastructure for this shortsighted project, and the residents of the area, as well as those of surrounding blocks, are solidly against this proposal.

“The developers are seeking to build over the very train tracks which Governor Hochul has proposed to use for a cross-boro line. Going ahead with this project will make this difficult to implement, and it will likely upend the lives of the neighborhood residents for the foreseeable future.”

A petition has been organized to help Boro Park residents express their opposition to this construction, and hundreds of signatures have been gathered for this purpose. By publicizing the community opposition to the project, the organizers hope to influence the zoning board to reject the proposal and develop a more reasonable manner to increase the pool of affordable housing in the area.

“There needs to be better outreach to the local residents and stakeholders so that any additions enhance the quality of life and offers a realistic solution to the need for housing,” community residents emphasized. “Forcing such a project on us is against the interests of those currently living here, and will not offer suitable housing for any future residents.”