The site, consisting of eight privately-owned lots, is bounded by Coney Island Avenue to the east, Turner Place to the north, Hinckley Place to the south, and dwellings fronting on East 8th Street to the west.
The site is within the boundaries of Community Board 12 (CB 12), whose board voted against the proposal at its November 23rd public hearing.
The Wall Street Journal says "The problem for residents is that the school would primarily serve students living in a neighboring school district [School District 22], and parents were angry that children who live near the school [in School District 15] might not be able to attend."
Yeruchim Silber, vice-chairperson of CB 12's Land Use Committee, said "We'd rather save [that site] for a school that would serve our board."
The article quotes the Department of Education (DOE) as stating that it's planning to add more than 4,000 seats in School District 15 in the near future. Classrooms in School District 15 are notoriously overcrowded.
DOE is also quoted as saying that "Students from District 15 may still be allowed to join the proposed District 22 school, but exactly how many students will be able to attend hasn't been decided. That will depend on the demand for the school and the admissions criteria, which has yet to be determined."
Background documents about the proposal include a letter from the School Construction Authority to Alan Dubrow, chairperson of CB 12, a site plan (map), a notice of filing, an alternate sites analyses, and announcements of CB 12's public hearing.
The SCA is accepting comments on the proposal from the public until Friday, December 3rd. Write to
New York City School Construction Authority
30-30 Thomson Avenue
Long Island City, NY11101
Attention: Ross J. Holden