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Housing complex denied by board

By Dustin Brown

Bowing to intense neighborhood pressure, Community Board 5 overwhelmingly voted not to endorse a proposed Admiral Avenue housing complex last week despite the developer’s confident assertion he would still get the city’s permission to build it.

Dozens of Middle Village residents gathered Jan. 9 in the cafeteria of Christ the King High School, where the board voted 34-7 against the 70-unit housing development, saying it was too large for the property.

“The 70 units really were considered kind of overwhelming by the residents,” said Walter Sanchez, chairman of the land use committee.

But the developer is moving ahead to get city approval for the project.

“The neighbors are really taking a big risk here,” said Janice Cahalane, the attorney representing developer Henry Fabian of HRF Construction in Maspeth. “We’re definitely still going forward on this plan, and it’s a very good plan.”

The triangular lot sits at the southeastern end of Admiral Avenue, a narrow dead-end street in Middle Village lined with two-family homes. Bounded on its other two sides by railroad tracks and the parking lot of the Metro Mall, the landlocked property can only be accessed from Admiral Avenue, meaning all of the traffic generated by development of the land would have to pass through the neighborhood.

The site is zoned for manufacturing uses, but Fabian considers its location inappropriate for such development and is applying for a variance to build the residential units.

While the community board and borough president both get to issue recommendations on the variance, the final decision rests with the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals, which is under no obligation to follow the local suggestion.

Cahalane said she is confident the variance will ultimately be approved because it meets every one of the standards BSA considers in its decision, which it will likely render in a few months.

But neighborhood residents vowed to continue fighting the project.

“If this plan is carried forth as proposed, we will fight it in the court and with civil disobedience if necessary,” Admiral Avenue resident Joseph McQuillan said publicly before the vote was called.

“We don’t give up,” Johannes Wittkowski of 65th Lane said after the meeting. “We’ve lived in this neighborhood for too long.”

Cahalane contends the project actually calls for less development than the zoning for the surrounding neighborhood allows.

“It’s just not fair,” she said. “It’s unfair for them to expect Fabian not to make a return on his parcel and to build on his parcel and for them to be able to build on theirs.”

Sanchez said the board’s land use committee considered 50 units or fewer to be more appropriate for the site, but Fabian refused to alter the plans for financial reasons.

“He would make more money by building nothing than by building 50” units, Cahalane said.

Fabian had offered to increase the number of parking spots from 90 to 120 if the community board supported the variance, but without the board’s endorsement it is moving ahead with the original plan of 90 spaces.

Cahalane also said Fabian may consider building a nursing home or comparable facility on the site, which is allowed under current rezoning and would not require community board approval.

Reach reporter Dustin Brown by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 154.