BY PATRICK STACHNIAK | news@queensledger.com
Members of the Middle Village Property Owners and Residents Association (MVRA) met at Our Lady of Hope with special guests: Project Manager Jordan Smith and the rest of the team currently designing the Interborough Express (IBX). The new rail line aims to cut travel times between Brooklyn and East Queens by over half, though the community has been vocal about the concerns they have over its construction.
MVRA President Paul Pogozelski invited the MTA team to the meeting for a presentation and Q&A. Pogozelski distributed index cards for members to write down their questions for the MTA, though many still interjected with follow-ups.
Surveyors have nearly completed the environmental review of the entire 14-mile train line, and are about halfway through the section in Queens. The MTA reiterated the IBX’s goal of better connecting Brooklyn and Queens, over doubling the amount of schools, hospitals and stores within 30 minutes of those located near the new line.
“One of the things we want to do is make sure the design reflects the wishes of the community,” said Smith. “Our job now is to take that feedback and find ways to improve. So, we’re doing that work now, and we’re going to keep coming back.”
Community Board 5 Board Member Daniel Heredia announced the Land Use Committee would be meeting with the Department of City Planning (DCP) at 7:30 PM, June 15, 61-23 Myrtle Ave., to discuss how resources can be used to minimize the IBX’s intrusion and stay consistent with each neighborhood’s plan.
The audience questioned how the MTA will reduce flooding of the tracks and where new stations would gain their power. The MTA representatives stated Con Edison would connect the line to high-voltage cables that are separate from Queens residents’ power, but must contact Con Ed to provide further details.
Other questions, like the use of eminent domain or flood reduction, will be answered during the next phase of design.
“I just want to thank these people for coming here today. They stood here, and they were respectful… and they’re going to come back with more answers,” said Pogozelski.
Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. attended the meeting to listen to the presentation and briefly speak about the IBX and the recent protest across the street from a battery energy storage system (BESS) being built in Middle Village.
“My job is to take your concerns and go to the MTA and go, we have to do something here ,” Addabbo said. “More people have to come up, [the timing] is perfect because the mold has not hardened yet. We can still mold this… but we have to work together.”
Though Addabbo still disapproves with this facility’s placement close to PS/IS 128Q, he stated it would behoove the MVRA and community to bring in a representative of FDNY to explain overfall safety and why it approved sites in residential areas.
Pogozelski and Ara Chekmayan gave a presentation on their concerns for the BESS, owned by NineDot Energy. Though members’ fears still center around the overall safety, Pogozelski questioned details such as decommissioning of a BESS after the batteries expire.
“Hypothetically, NineDot goes out of business: who holds the bond to decommission this site?” Pogozelski asked. “Are we gonna have to go to Rep. Grace Meng and our federal agents and take money away from our parks, sewers and everything else?”
NYSERDA recommends that all authorities having jurisdiction (AHJ)’s procure a bond fund or letter of credit from larger BESS projects. The Department of Buildings (DOB), the City’s AHJ, requires companies to provide a detailed plan for decommissioning for every BESS project and not a bond to fund the process.
At a total of only 6 Megawatts (MW), NYSERDA would not recommend the DOB require a bond for a BESS this size, but Pogozelski believes a decommissioning bond would “go a long way” in building trust with Middle Village.
“They have not come forward with any of this information,” Pogozelski said. “These are the types of things that we need to be concerned about.”
On June 12, about 350 people on Eliot Ave. lost power to their homes due to the heat wave. According to a NineDot spokesperson, this BESS has an effective radius of 0.5 miles. The energy stored in the batteries will be deployed during such times to prevent blackouts in the near future.
Despite this potential aid to the grid, the MVRA members still questioned the safety and details of decommissioning the project in the future.
“DOB’s Office of Technical Certification and Research performs extensive review of all BESS applications, and both DOB and FDNY have strict regulations related to battery energy storage systems that ensure that these projects meet the highest safety standards. As part of this application process, the city requires that a detailed decommissioning plan be filed with the Department detailing the plan for the safe removal of the equipment at the end of its usable life,” said a DOB spokesperson. “The Department of Buildings does not have the legal authority to unilaterally mandate that applicants post a bond, fund, or letter of credit, for their project. That type of mandate would require legislation.”
