Office of Borough President James P. Molinaro
Staten Island, New York
Borough President Molinaro and Councilman Oddo move to protect wetland areas from future development
Citing "Unregulated" Modifications to Wetlands, Officials Appeal to
Department of City Planning for a Common-Sense Solution
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – Borough President James P. Molinaro today announced that he has asked the Department of City Planning to meet with elected officials to discuss a new text amendment that will require zoning yard setbacks to be taken completely outside protected areas, such as wetlands.
“I am hopeful that City Planning will see the value in crafting an amendment that will help the community protect environmentally-sensitive areas,” said Molinaro. “Homeowners should not have to worry if there are portions of their yards where children are not allowed to walk, and the community should not suffer the adverse effects of the unregulated manipulation of wetland areas by developers or private homeowners.”
Molinaro said that he and City Councilman James Oddo met with the owner of a proposed Richmondtown development, hoping to preserve additional wetland areas in the Richmond Creek Bluebelt.
“I have opposed any project that encroaches on the fringes of our Bluebelt system,” said Molinaro. “While we respect the owner’s right to develop the property, we also must protect the ecosystem that comprises our natural drainage system.”
The proposed Richmondtown development consists of dwelling units situated on 6.8 acres fronting Richmond Road. At Molinaro’s request, the developer has redesigned the footprints of the structures to provide 30-foot useable backyards outside the proposed wetland buffer. He has also removed all regulated areas from the tax lots being transferred to future property owners.
“We have consistently voiced our concerns about this proposal and have received zero cooperation from the State Department of Environmental Conservation,” Molinaro said. “So I went straight to the owner and read him my DEC testimony again. I appreciate the developer’s consideration regarding the protection of adjacent wetland areas.”
Councilman Oddo said, “The fact that the project was greenlighted by all regulatory agencies continues to trouble me. The only good thing to come out of this process is recognition that a formal change to the zoning resolution needs to happen, so developers can no longer use the buffer area in an attempt to satisfy the 30-foot yard requirement. We now need to codify the fix to address our concerns.”
April 13, 2011