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Community Board 12 tells District 28 CEC Jamaica rezoning will add large housing supply and increase need for new school seats
Summary
Community Board 12 education committee told the CEC that a newly approved Downtown Jamaica rezoning could add roughly 100,000 housing units over 20 years in the area and will require planning for significant new school seats; the board urged CEC 28 to participate in upcoming planning and high-school siting discussions.
Vanessa Sparks, representing the Community Board 12 education committee, told the District 28 Community Education Council on Oct. 9 that the New York City Council approved a Downtown Jamaica rezoning that will likely bring a substantial increase in housing and a corresponding need for school seats.
Sparks said the rezoning — approved by the City Council — is expected to spur development in a swath that includes Liberty Avenue near PS 50, Guy R. Brewer Boulevard near PS 40 and areas as far south as 109th Avenue and Sutphin Boulevard, and she said planners estimate an eventual addition of new housing units in the tens of thousands.
"This area can expect a large influx of children, which means we're going to have to address the need for new school seats," Sparks told the council, and she said Community Board 12 planned presentations from city planning and would alert CEC 28 when dates were set so education representatives could attend and ask questions about school capacity and siting.
Sparks also urged the council to be involved in debates about a proposed new high school building on Hillside and 165th Street, saying parents and education representatives should attend planning meetings rather than cede the discussion to other districts.
Council leadership acknowledged the rezoning presentation and said the CEC would coordinate with community boards and planners as details emerge. Members said early engagement on school siting and capacity planning would be necessary to make sure new housing does not outpace school-seat planning.
