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A developer who wants to build a commercial building with parking at what is currently a parking lot at Broadway and Nagle Avenue is currently conducting an environmental review of the site, which was a gas station from 1966 until 2005.
The site sits adjacent to a playground, right down the street from two schools. A little farther on is a senior facility and daycare center.
A parking lot currently sits atop the brownfield site at the corner of Broadway and Nagle Avenue (4566 Broadway). From 1966 until 2005, a gas station operated on the property, leading to contamination. In 2006, the parking lot was opened.
A brownfield, as defined by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), is a property that is difficult to reuse or redevelop because of the presence or potential presence of contamination.
Field activities on brownfield sites have the potential to create air pollution, and anyone developing on a brownfield site must follow a Community Air Monitoring Plan and a Health and Safety Plan.
4566 Broadway LLC has begun the process of investigating the site for contamination and proposing a cleanup that would allow the land to be developed. The investigation will be performed by 4566 Broadway LLC and overseen by NYSDEC and the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH).
On December 20, 2010, the Draft Investigation Work Plan was made available to the public for comment. The NYSDEC will continue to accept comments until January 19, 2011.
The Work Plan, located at the Inwood Branch New York Public Library and Community Board 12, proposes four goals: 1) define the nature and extent of contamination in soil, surface water, groundwater and other parts of the environment affect, 2) identify the source of contamination, 3) assess the impact of the contamination on public health and the environment, and 4) provide information to support the development of a remedy to address the contamination.
The Work Plan proposes taking indoor air samples from four nearby apartment buildings.
Earlier investigations of the site found gasoline range petroleum compounds, diesel range petroleum compounds, and tetrachloroethene and trichloroethene.
Brownfields are typically found in former industrial areas, or on the location of former gas stations or dry cleaners. It is not uncommon for brownfield sites to sit vacant for years due to the cost of a cleanup.
New York’s Brownfield Cleanup Program was started to promote the cleanup of brownfields for reuse and redevelopment.
Initially, it was proposed that the site by redeveloped for a 74-unit multifamily building with 11,000 square feet of commercial space. However, the plan was modified in August of 2008 to be a two-story commercial building with underground parking.
However, it may be some time before the site sees any redevelopment. The NYSDEC will review any public comments and the plan will be revised as needed. Then the NYSDEC and NYSDOH will approve the Work Plan and make it available to the public. After 4566 Broadway LLC reports the results from the site investigation it will create a plan to address the contamination, which must be approved by the NYSDEC. At that point, 4566 Broadway LLC will develop a cleanup plan, called a Remedial Work Plan. The public has 45 days to comment on the draft cleanup plan.
In addition, the public will have five other opportunities to comment: before the NYSDEC approves the remedial investigation report, before the NYSDEC finalizes the remedial work plan, before 4566 Broadway LLC starts construction, before the NYSDEC approves the final engineering report, and within 10 days of the issuing of a Certificate of Completion.
Project documents can be found at:
The New York Public Library, Inwood Branch (4790 Broadway) or Community Board 12 (711 W 168 St). Submit all comments on the Draft Investigation Work Plan by January 19, 2011.
Written comments should be sent to: Mr. Sadique Ahmed, Project Manager, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Environmental Remediation, 625 Broadway, 12th floor, Albany, NY 12233-7016.
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