Northeast Queens Leaders Upset That Council Approved Bayside School Plan

Northeast Queens leaders said they were disappointed that the City Council approved a plan last week to build a 416-seat primary school in Bayside.

Only Council members Mark Weprin, D-Oakland Gardens, and Peter Vallone Jr., D-Astoria, voted against the proposal to construct the school at the Keil Bros. site on 48th Avenue between 210th and 211th Streets.

Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, who has voiced his support for the plan, was excused from the vote.

“The Bayside community opposed the building of an elementary school on 48th Avenue because it would add to traffic congestion in a residential area,” Weprin said. “The DOE should focus on providing additional resources to existing schools instead of building new ones.”

State Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, and state Assemblywoman Nily Rozic, D-Fresh Meadows, joined Bayside Hills residents last year to oppose the proposal for the school, which would be facing the backyards of 31 homes.

"It’s pretty discouraging that the City Council once again showed no gumption to stand up to the mayor for what is very bad site for a school," Avella said of last week's vote "It’s particularly infuriating considering that I was told by City Council members that it would be voted down. I feel for the homeowners whose property values will drop dramatically."

In May, Community Board 11 voted 25-3 against the proposal, which was followed by a terse written exchange between the board’s chairman, Jerry Iannece, and city Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott.

Iannece had said that the city has not kept the board notified about hearings on the matter.