Council votes to remove old, polluting Sanitation garage near Ravenswood Houses

A sanitation depot currently located in Ravenswood houses is moving to District 22. Image via Google

By Rachel Vick

The New York City Council voted unanimously Thursday to relocate a dilapidated Sanitation Department repair garage from its current site near the Ravenswood Houses to an industrial zone further north, three years after Mayor Bill de Blasio committed money for the move. 

Residents of the Ravenswood Houses and Clearview Co-ops have complained for years about the garage, located on a 10-acre site along 21st Street. The nearly century-old facility has contributed to air pollution, odor and noise from trucks coursing through the neighborhood. The agency also parks vehicles awaiting service on the sidewalk. 

The Council vote clears the way for a new 93,700-square-foot facility to be built in an industrial zone further north in Astoria.

The city also committed to reserving the property at 34-28 21st Street for 100 percent affordable housing and will begin community input sessions in 2021.

“The agreement we’ve made delivers major wins for the western Queens community,” said Councilmember Costa Constantinides.

Councilmember Jimmy Van Bramer called the vote “a victory for the thousands of people who live in Ravenswood Houses” who advocated for the garage removal.

“The people of Ravenswood Houses fought long and hard to draw attention to the issue at hand — a smelly, unsightly and dangerous facility, right in their backyard,” Van Bramer said.