Civic leaders and lawmakers will meet with the operators of a Rockaway halfway house next month to convince them to keep the storm-damaged facility shut rather than reopening as a homeless shelter. <\/p>\n
The Beach 116th St. building, operated by Narco Freedom, is located on a key commercial strip that is undergoing a post-Sandy revival. <\/p>\n
The storm swept Narco Freedom and its residents out of the facility. The group, which provides housing and substance abuse treatment, is considering a controversial proposal to house about 40 homeless but that plan is on hold until the meeting. <\/p>\n
This is a business district, said Danny Ruscillo, president of the 100th Precinct Community Council, who led a groundswell of opposition to the plan. You cant put homeless people here. It will defeat the whole idea of revitalizing Beach 116th St. <\/p>\n
For years, Ruscillo and others have complained that Rockaway is saturated with halfway houses and single room occupancy hotels. <\/p>\n
Some of the residents were aggressive panhandlers who scare away customers and harass pedestrians running daily errands. <\/p>\n
RELATED: ROCKAWAY DRUG PROGRAM PLEDGES CURFEW CRACKDOWN <\/p>\n
The city has helped merchants organize an association and provided grants for spruced up streetscapes and storefronts and many believe that a reopened Narco Freedom facility will halt the momentum. <\/p>\n
The most important part of our community recovery is going to be the stability of our commercial area, said Assemblyman Philip Goldfeder. People need a place to shop and spend time with their families. <\/p>\n
Goldfeder said he spoke with Narco Freedom officials about the plans impact and is hopeful they will come up with an alternative. <\/p>\n
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Read the original: <\/p>\n
Rockaway: Let's stop Narco Freedom from reopening<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Civic leaders and lawmakers will meet with the operators of a Rockaway halfway house next month to convince them to keep the storm-damaged facility shut rather than reopening as a homeless shelter. The Beach 116th St Continue reading