Ocean Gate residents rally to save their backyard from new construction
Tenants typically park their cars where the building will be going up. Since construction has started, residents now have to park elsewhere.
New construction has sounded the alarm for over 100 tenants in Coney Island.
A fenced-in playground on West 29th Street, and the parking lot of the Ocean Gate building, is the culprit.
The playground serves as a backyard for children who live in the building.
Adults say the parking lot is a necessary convenience after a long day.
But back in May, Erica Turner saw developers scanning the site and says her worst nightmare came true.
The "Coney Landing" development is now being built adjacent to her building.
The development will have around 172 units (171 for residents, 1 unit for the live-in super). More than half of its residents will be formerly homeless people. According to the developer's website, the housing will help address the "need for affordable housing."
But Ocean Gate tenants say they were here first, and its a quality-of-life issue for them all.
Turner says it will take away the view and sunlight from her apartment, among other problems.
"By putting a parking lot where our children play," says Turner, "now there is gonna be parking there. We have children that have asthma, I have asthma, we don't know what's gonna happen with cars idling in the parking lot."
Tenants typically park their cars where the building will be going up. Since construction has started, residents now have to park elsewhere.
Tenants have also raised concerns about environmental conditions.
News 12 reached out to the management teams involved to find out if construction warnings were sent on protocol and is still waiting on a response.
