Councilman Peter Vallone Jr., left, and residents of Norwood Gardens protest the construction of two new apartment buildings in Astoria. PHOTO BY SMRITI RAO
At first glance, the empty lot at 36-88 36th St. in Astoria looks like any other construction site in the city. But the mere presence of this parcel in a quiet, leafy stretch of Astoria makes the neighbors angry.
Days after the Norwood Neighborhood Association reached a compromise with the Department of City Planning about new, tougher zoning regulations, the community learned about two neighboring demolition and development proposals on 36th Street, including the lot at 36-88, which would result in eight- and 10-story buildings on a block mostly consisting of two-family homes.
On Saturday morning, angry neighbors and residents of Norwood Gardens, an area bounded by 35th, 36th and 37th Streets between 30th and 31st Avenues, gathered despite the rain to protest the construction and development of the two sites.
“These houses in blocks [are] what makes Astoria beautiful,” said Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Astoria) referring to Astoria’s quiet streets and modest homes. The building of a highrise in a quiet neighborhood, despite being legal, goes against the wishes of the community, Vallone said.
The residents can’t stop the construction, but they wish to make their displeasure clear.
“We want [the developers] to be good neighbors,” Vallone said. “There is no excuse for them to come into this community and destroy its character. This property is violating the character of the entire neighborhood.”
The developers of the site could not be reached for comment.
The two new structures on 36th Street are to be 8-unit and 10-unit apartment buildings. Such dwellings comply with the zoning of the area, which allows tall structures, but a new plan the city is considering would restrict development to make it harmonize more closely with existing structures.
Some residents are unhappy the new rules aren’t already in place. “We want to send a message to the City Council that we want the new zoning laws to be passed as soon as possible,” said Donnelly Marks, a member of the Norwood Neighborhood Association, which represents families living in one- and two-story houses in Astoria.“The building may be legal, but it is wrong. With the new buildings, there will be 18 more families in the area. How can we accommodate more parking and other issues?”
Complaints about out-of-context projects are common in Astoria. “We are trying to halt the development of these tall structures,” said Astoria resident Benjamin Duffey.“As long as they retain the aesthetic of the neighborhood, it’s fine, but look at them,” he added, pointing to two tall older buildings at the end of the block, “they stick out like sore thumbs!”
“These buildings will destroy the character of the neighborhood; they go against our community,” added resident Patrick Comasky. “With highrises and single-bedroom homes, you are getting a community that is transient. We need family-type housing, that keeps families and kids here.”
Others said they fear the incoming families could be a burden on the area’s existing infrastructure. “They are building homes, offices,” said James Mazlun, who has lived in Astoria since 1926. “We have one regular school, one hospital. Where are all these people going to go? If they have empty areas, they should build schools and hospitals.”
With the new housing, Duffey predicted problems with parking and noise pollution. “Con Ed won’t be able to support the demand in this area,” he added. Mazlun also noted that Astoria has become an increasingly popular place to live over the past few years and said newcomers don’t realize how much and how quickly the area is changing.
Part of the residents’ anxiety also stems from the commercial development on 30th Avenue. With a slew of bars and clubs, neighbors complain of the increase in bar brawls and noise pollution. “There are more people drunk on the streets — more fights that start at four in the morning,” said resident Karin Afrides. “There is screaming, yelling, breaking glass. It is just a matter of time that someone pops a gun and shoots someone.”
The neighborhood blog, norwoodneighborhoodassociation.blogspot.com, provides details of weekend chaos. Residents talk of brawls at 3 a.m., fights in the streets, urination on private property, beer bottles, trash and drug packets on the sidewalk, recklessly speeding cars with souped-up engines screeching and revving their way down residential streets.
While the NYPD reports a reduction in crime in the 114th Precinct over the past few years — rapes went from 33 in 2001 to 22 in 2009, and robberies dropped from 288 to 256 — residents feel the numbers are high.
Afrides’ husband, John, worries not just about what he sees as a deteriorating quality of life on 36th Street, but also about a potential increase in property taxes which could accompany big new development.
“Houses here are worth $800,000 to $1,000,000, so with this development, our property taxes will go up,” he said. The Afrides are also concerned about old trees being destroyed during construction.
This piece first appeared in Queens Chronicle
