Long Term Adult Housing Plans To Take Over South Shore

By: Salvatore Cento

An historical landmark soon to be changed, all for money. Credit: silive.com

Here we go again. 

First it was the BJ’s on the North Shore. Tearing up the wetlands. Destroying the animals that live there. 

Pulling up the acres upon acres of wetlands that reside there and the protection it offered to the residents in times of Hurricane Sandy. 

Second, the additional Amazon Warehouse. The tagline of this second behemoth of a building being something to the accord of this one guaranteeing more speedy deliveries. With the original storehouse’s horror stories in tow, human endurance is going to be tested more than ever before.

And most recently, the 48 condos that are being proposed for the property lot around the Kreischer Mansion. 

Oh, excuse me. 

Adult active community. 

Basically, for the senior citizens.

When I talked about the BJ’s, I meticulously explained all the stores and entertainment spots around the supposed site. I went through how this really didn’t make much sense when the mall was a bus ride away. 

Grocery stores were minutes away. All that was being offered when it came to products out of BJ’s. 

Let me put aside the obvious deforestation for a moment while I bring an obvious observation to the table. The main premise of this new project is to offer housing to older residents of Staten Island. Kresicherville Park, is what the owner of the mansion will call this new community.

A quick digital search on google maps or a quick in real life trip will do. The latter will give you a better perspective if I do say so myself. 

What you will come to notice is that there is a very familiar structure on the other side of the street. Exactly the same thing the owner wants to build on the Kreischer lot – another active adult community called The Tides.

Now, I can sit here and argue the much finer points – how this will bring more traffic to an already congested borough, how even more natural land will be uprooted or even how this historical site will no longer stay in the condition it is in with that many more people maneuvering about the space.

But the most hitting argument isn’t even all that hidden. According to the NYC Planning Zoning Application Portal, Final Environmental Impact Statements were submitted in 1995 for The Tides. 

In 1999, Yomtovian bought the mansion. According to The Tides official website, the 190 single family homes were built in the mid 2000’s.  In 2006, Yomtovian received approval to build 130 condos. 

The statement that this was a dream of his to build Kresicherville Park cannot stand on just good will alone. This is a story of two entities that were on literal opposite sides of the street that wanted the exact same thing. 

A need sprang up from the wants of the baby boomer generation and money was to be made in the process.

In the blur that is this high stakes rat race, the real shame remains. Besides everything that I’ve mentioned, nobody brings up the fact that two (one soon to be) senior residences are located right next to a giant bus depot. 

How much of a park like setting can the property be turned into with the quality of the air ruining the mirage?

If anything can be learned from this, it’s blatantly obvious. Money outweighs nature. 

Money outweighs people’s dignity. And most importantly, money now outweighs original history. 

If something special happens to withstand the test of time, expect that something will be written overtime by the way of money and power. Even though that sounds like a line of dialogue that was ripped from a movie filled with suspense and excitement, this is now a reality.

One that we should all be afraid of.