By Alex Davidson
The board will also convene public hearings on whether to approve a zoning alteration for a gas station on Cross Bay Boulevard and the conversion of two-way streets into one-way thoroughfares in Ozone Park.
Chairwoman Betty Braton said she is expecting her fellow board members on Jan. 8 to have numerous questions during the public hearing, which will give residents of Ozone Park, South Ozone Park and Howard Beach time to speak on the proposed community residence for mentally retarded and developmentally disabled persons at 149-2 123rd St.
“Always with a group home people are upset,” Braton said in an interview Monday. She said, however, that angry residents usually become more comfortable with proposed group homes after hearing from officials and planners of the community residences.
Braton and other members of Community Board 10 denied a request to build a similar group home in Ozone Park at their last regular meeting in December during a rancorous public hearing. Braton said she is not anticipating as much of a fight over the group residence at 149-26 123rd St. because it does not have a common driveway and is a more suitable home for potential residents.
Also on the agenda for the meeting is whether the board will approve a permit by a Cross Bay Boulevard gas station owner to build a new on-site convenience store, relocate gas dispensers and construct 10 new parking spaces. Braton said a host of gas stations along Cross Bay Boulevard have undergone similar redevelopments, and their success at gaining approval for zoning amendments has depended on where the new convenience stores are built. She said the new stores are either built in the center of the gas station complex or on the back of the property. Braton said the gas station is seeking to revamp a majority of its property at once because it is easier than seeking individual permits over an extended period of time.
The board will also consider whether to allow street conversions in the area bounded by Cross Bay Boulevard, Rockaway Boulevard, 98th Street and Albert Road in Ozone Park. The proposed alterations, reorganizing two-way streets into one-way streets, come on the heels of a city Department of Transportation study examining the traffic patterns of the area.
Community Board 10 will also elect a new treasurer at its meeting following the resignation of 28-year-board member Claude Jones, Braton said. Jones, who is moving to Florida, will be replaced by a successor until his term ends in April, the chairwoman said.
Reach reporter Alex Davidson by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 156.
