Residents Oppose New School Set For East 107th Street
By Dara Mormile

Former East 107th Street yeshiva is scheduled for demolition and will be replaced by a new public school by 2009. Neil S. Friedman

Some residents of East 107th and 108th streets, between Flatlands Avenue and Avenue J, are scheduled to get a new - and unwelcome - neighbor within the next few years: a new public school on the site of the former Canarsie Jewish Center yeshiva.

Local residents gathered at the Hebrew Educational Society on October 25 to protest demolition of the unoccupied yeshiva on East 107 Street and construction of a new elementary school even though the School Construction Authority (SCA) advised the community of the pending project at a public meeting two years ago. While residents argued they don't want a school established near their homes, the meeting specifically addressed the impact of the project and its impact on property.

The meeting was coordinated and hosted by State Senator John Sampson after residents contacted him about a license agreement they recently received in the mail from the SCA, which is under the auspices of the Department of Education.

SCA officials said residents are expected to sign the agreement, which explains the necessary changes that must be made in order to undertake construction.

Three SCA representatives were at last week's meeting to clarify how residents' properties will be infringed upon when the work is underway.

According to SCA senior manager Fred Maley, the standard contract outlines how homeowners' properties will be affected. "Building codes require us to protect homeowners' property and compensate them for any damage caused during construction," he said.

Maley also said residents would be included in a $3 million wrap-around insurance policy with the construction agency and residents' property would be returned to its original condition.

"What if we don't want to sign this contract?" asked Delores Rose, one of the affected residents.

Chief project manager George Toma said that if residents do not sign the agreement, court-ordered access would be issued to the construction agency.

"It's the same thing as if one of your neighbors was having construction done on their property," he said. "It's for your safety."

When one resident asked what could be done to stop the construction, Toma replied, "Our job is simply to build the school. The Department of Education has purchased the property and assessed the need for the school - we are not involved in the project, just the construction."

When Sampson told attendees that he would work with them to fight the project, some residents said they'd never had a chance to oppose the project at its inception.

Maley said the project was discussed and presented in full detail during a Community Board 18 meeting in December 2004. Six days before the hearing, an article in the Canarsie Courier outlined the agenda for the meeting.

According to minutes from December 22, 2004 meeting, the owner of the yeshiva contacted the School Construction Authority and offered the school for use. SCA officials gave a presentation to the community during the meeting, which was, according to Board 18 District Manager Dorothy Turano "highly-attended."

"The meeting was publicized all over the papers - everyone heard about it and the board vehemently opposed it," she said. "But some people don't really hear about it or concern themselves with the issue until it hits home."

After that hearing, Turano wrote a letter to SCA President William Goldstein, which said, "The location is unsuitable for another school."

Her letter also stated the selection process for the school did not include any other sites and that "the cost to demolish and rebuild the school is prohibitive..."

The project, which has already been approved by the city's Department of Buildings, will be awarded to a contractor by the end of the year. Consequently, when the project proceeds, it will involve removing asbestos and preparing the yeshiva building for demolition.

It is estimated it will take one year to demolish the yeshiva and two years to erect the new school with an expected completion date of September 2009.

Officials from the Department of Education did not provide any comment at press time.