The focus of much of the outrage is the underhanded way St. John’s acted in securing this dormitory. The permit for the building was gained as-of-right as a community facility, allowing the developer to construct a substantially higher building than is normally permitted in this zoning classification.
The architect self-certified the plans for the building shortly before having his right to self-certify removed by the Department of Buildings for chronic abuse of the privilege.
Furthermore, St. John’s continued to deny plans to build the dorm and later claimed that the developer owned it, not the university. This explanation failed to note the fact that, in order to obtain a permit for a community facility, the intended user of the building has to have signed a 10-year lease.
Unless such a lease is signed, a proposed community facility will not be granted a permit.
The rally, organized by Bayside Councilman Tony Avella, was addressed by Philip Ross, a member if the Concerned Residents group, who drew attention to the stream that runs under the property and urged residents to donate money to enable the Concerned Residents to hire a civil engineer.
“Mold will develop, jeopardizing the health of the students living here,” he said.
Like many present he was incensed that Father Donald Harrington, president of St. John’s University, had not faced residents directly.
The tone of the rally became somewhat personal, with participants exchanging Harrington’s phone number and others suggesting residents should visit his home in Jamaica Estates to express their views directly to him. Several speakers urged protestors to call Harrington.
“We didn’t buy the line that a bit of shrubbery will make this site attractive. We think this address is perfect for a park for the children to play in, not a dorm,” Ross said. “Father Harrington is afraid of you,” he told the gathering.
Ana Landron expressed concern that each time a problem with the design and engineering for the dormitory comes to light, a quick fix is adopted that usually compounds the problem. She joined others in expressing anger and disappointment that the Department of Environmental Protection and the DOB appear complicit in St. John’s determination to build this facility no matter what.
Jamaica Estates Councilman James Gennaro took the opportunity to announce a grant of $5,000 from his discretionary budget to pay for a civil engineer. “It’s important to have this project reviewed by an engineer who is a completely independent third party,” he said. “It is important that every aspect of this development is given the greatest possible scrutiny.”
The engineer will examine the site and surrounding infrastruture and analyze whether local utility service, especially water and sewer, can sustain the new building.
Gennaro argued that the City Council needed to close the community facility loophole, stating that college dormitories shouldn’t be considered a community facility.
He contacted the Mayor’s Office and was told that the sewage proposal was not a done deal. “The way this project can be stopped is by you,” Gennaro said.
Avella, who has spearheaded a citywide battle against rampant development through downzoning, said the only way to have the dorm stopped was by residents and civic associations to band together in protest.
Avella reiterated that residents’ anger was in large part a response to the underhanded and secretive manner in which Harrington and St. John’s secured the deal to construct the dorm. “The point is not whether the building is legal or not. It’s the ethics of using a technicality in the zoning code.”
He told the crowd that the DOB is protecting developers. “There’s no oversight,” he said.
Avella said that no one was questioning the public role of St. John’s University, but it should not be allowed to destroy the character of the neighborhood.
Harbachan Singh, from the Queens Civic Congress, an umbrella group of Queens civic organizations, lent his support to the battle stating, “This project is based on greed.”
Other speakers included Kevin Forrestal, president of the Hillcrest Estates Homeowners Association, who drew attention to the negative impact a 500-bed dorm will have on the neighborhood’s quality of life. He also spoke about residents’ concerns about young people drinking and an increase in crime. “This isn’t just our problem,” he said.
The next meeting of the Concerned Residents of Jamaica Estates will be held on Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m., at P.S. 131, 170-45 84th Ave., Jamaica.
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