Copyright Staten Island Advance
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Earlier this year, all three Staten Island councilmembers supported a bill that requires the NYC Department of Transportation to establish overnight parking areas for commercial vehicles in industrial business zones. It’s a small-scale curbside solution, they say, for the illegal truck parking that has plagued the borough’s residential neighborhoods for decades — not an invitation for a massive truck freight station on an already overburdened street. “I’ve made it clear that I strongly oppose the proposed truck stop — it’s the wrong project in the wrong place,” noted Councilmember Frank Morano, a Republican who represents the South Shore, speaking of the plans for a commercial motor freight station at 4400 Arthur Kill Rd. in Charleston. “This has nothing to do with the overnight truck parking bill I supported, which focused on small-scale, regulated curbside parking in existing industrial zones — not massive private truck depots in residential-adjacent areas.” ‘Collaborative discussion’ needed Councilmember David Carr, a Republican representing the Mid-Island, also clarified the difference between his vote and the truck stop proposal. “My office has done a lot of tow operations to get rid of the illegally parked trucks, but it’s a battle of attrition. The notion behind the bill we supported was to make it easier for trucks to park in places that make sense, and it required the DOT to examine on-street parking opportunities in industrial business zones — meaning the far West Shore, near Edward Curry Avenue, Gulf Avenue, and other non-residential areas,” Carr said. “This proposal on Arthur Kill Road is not in an Industrial Business Zone, it’s not on-street parking, it’s not meeting the mandate of the law. It actually has nothing to do with the law that we passed. We need to have a real collaborative discussion about how to extend parking opportunities to truckers, one without a negative impact to the area. This certainly isn’t it.” Councilmember Kamillah Hanks, a Democrat representing the North Shore, defended her stance as well: “When I sponsored legislation to create curbside overnight truck parking in designated industrial zones, it was in response to the growing issue of illegal truck parking across Staten Island and especially in my district,” she noted. “The goal has always been to bring safety and organization to areas where truck activity already exists and finding a place where it makes sense contextually with the surrounding neighborhood.” And while the truck freight terminal is a private project that’s not curbside and is located in an M1-1 or “light industrial business zone,” the developer, Arthur Englewood LLC, said that the DOT has “expressed an interest” in it, designating the site as a “safe and legal alternative to overnight truck parking on residential streets.” DOT pilot program “The DOT has launched a pilot program to elect truck parking in designated industrial zones in three boroughs,” Arthur Englewood noted in a business plan that was presented at a Community Board 3 meeting in September. “With DOT being a main resource for commercial drivers, the designation will inform users of alternative solutions.” When asked if 4400 Arthur Kill Rd. was a property being considered for the pilot program, a DOT spokesperson noted that the DOT has identified an as-of-right facility on Arthur Kill Road as a “potential” site in NYC DOT’s Overnight Commercial Vehicle Parking pilot. And the DOT is not the only city agency eyeing Arthur Kill Road for development. According to an NYC Industrial Plan recently developed by the Department of City Planning in partnership with the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the two-lane thoroughfare plays an important role in “how NYC can best support the development of a modern, growing and sustainable industrial economy.” The EDC provided the Advance/SILive.com with its 75-page draft report that maps out the city’s “primary industrial areas” — designated zones that support industrial and manufacturing businesses, and are characterized by large lots and access to transportation routes. ‘Intense’ competition Portions of the North and West shores and a sizeable swath of Arthur Kill Road are illuminated in purple in one of the report’s maps, indicating the area’s availability for industrial use. According to the report, competition for these spaces is “intense.” “New York City has 28,500 acres of M zones, which allow for a wide range of industrial and more limited commercial activity … these zones make up 15% of the city’s land area,” the report noted. “Despite the abundance, M zones are under-zoned generally and aren’t well-positioned to manage competing real estate pressures and the needs of the city. This misalignment means competition for industrial space is intense and only likely to increase.” Four massive projects — including the truck freight facility, are being planned along the strip — each within miles of each other and in different phases of completion. If development progresses according to plan, Arthur Kill Road will soon be home to two major warehouses, a Department of Transportation construction management site and the 16-acre truck freight facility. The EDC noted that the projects the Advance/SILive.com has reported on are private developments that are not subject to city planning or approval, and the agency’s Industrial Plan was written to “better guide NYC’s industrial policy.” ‘One project after another’ But elected officials are shining a light on the confluence of this development. “What’s happening along Arthur Kill Road is exactly what happens when City Hall allows overdevelopment without any real planning,” Morano said. “One project after another is being approved with no thought given to traffic, flooding, or quality of life … I’m pushing for a formal industrial Business Improvement District along this corridor and exploring a Community Benefits Agreement to make sure any future industrial development contributes back to the neighborhood, instead of overwhelming it." Hanks added: “Staten Island has historically carried a significant share of the city’s industrial activity, and we see that across Staten Island. Many of these projects are built as-of-right, which means they don’t require City Council review, and that highlights a broader challenge within our city’s zoning … While there is a need for well-planned industrial facilities that support local jobs and citywide logistics, they must be appropriately located and balanced with the needs of nearby communities.” This story is part of series investigating the rapid industrial development of Arthur Kill Road. Do you live, work or operate a business near one of these facilities? Contact Jessica Jones-Gorman at jgorman@siadvance.com to voice your concerns or discuss community impact.
