Council Member Michael C. Nelson announced that he has learned of ongoing negotiations for the sale of three lots located on Ocean Avenue between Avenues L and M to the Department of Education, for the construction of a new public school.
Councilman Nelson is concerned about the proposed school, which would serve about 450 students from pre-school to 5th grade, because of the many potential problems that could be presented by the project’s location.
While there are still many ‘ifs’ to be sorted out, the proposal, if made a reality, would negatively impact an already oversaturated neighborhood. “A public school in the proposed location would not serve the residents in the area,” said Councilman Nelson, noting that many in the community opt to send their children to one of the numerous private schools nearby. “The area is already dealing with the Department of Education’s newly opened and misplaced truancy center, as well as the frequent JC Studio film shootings, which tie down streets for days at a time and take up valuable parking spaces for residents and commercial establishments,” Nelson continued.
Community Liaison, Chaim Deutsch added to the Councilman’s sentiments saying that between the frequent film shootings, the amount of schools nearby, and the many commercial properties including the massive Pomegranate supermarket, “traffic in the vicinity can get Manhattan-like during rush hour and adding a school would create even more havoc.” Deutsch stressed the importance of reducing traffic congestion when possible, specifically for the needs of emergency vehicles.
If a deal is not struck between the landlord and the Department of Education, the city has threatened to acquire the property through the use of eminent domain. It is also known that the School Construction Authority considered four other properties before settling on Ocean Ave. A hearing on the topic is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6th at 7PM at the Community Board 14 Office located at 810 East 16th St. Residents are urged to attend if they have any concerns.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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2 Responses
If this plan moves ahead, and puts a public school in a neighborhood where most children attend yeshivas, the frummers in the neighborhood should give serious consideration to registering their children for the school, as a negotiating ploy to relocate the building to a neighborhood where it will actually be attended by non-frum children. And as a back-up position, this would be a good time for the frum to revise their education model, to have their children enroll in public schools for secular subjects, and an after-school program for religious education.
The choice of this site is ludicrous since the neighboring elementary schools are not full even with students bussed in. A small 450 seat school seems wasteful especially when it’s no where near the area where there’s a need for additional seats. Let them find a site in the northern or eastern part of district 22 where there’s a need, so that the kids can walk to school instead of riding polluting busses far from home.
The notice about this school was published by the School Construction Authority on February 8th in the NY Post and City Record.