Author Archives: Alessandra Stoffo

Encroaching development threatens a crucial Staten Island wetlands

Situated between the neighborhoods of Old Place and Graniteville, this 42-acre woodlands has been growing in isolation for many decades, inside a triangle of land surrounded by strip malls and chain stores. Thousands of mature trees live here, some soaring 100 feet over the adjoining marshes of the Graniteville Swamp. Soon, more than half of this forest may be bulldozed to make way for a 28-acre development that will include a gas station, 838 parking spaces, and BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Written by Nathan Kensinger. Read more from the article: https://bit.ly/2WZ1VZS.

Vital Staten Island Wetlands About To Get A BJ’s Wholesale Club

In this northwest corner of the Forgotten Borough, Velardi-Ward is one of dozens of Staten Islanders who have been waging a battle largely outside of the wider city spotlight, a stand against City Hall that they feel is a matter of life and death for the people who live in this part of the city.

Written by Alexis Sottile. Read more from the article: https://bit.ly/3g6IR3o.

Activists Still Hoping to Derail Plan to Develop on Staten Island Wetland

During Superstorm Sandy, low-lying areas like Canarsie, Red Hook and Midland Beach were among the worst hit but some neighborhoods escaped with the help of their local wetlands, which serve as a natural defense against storm surges. In the northwest corner of Staten Island some residents have been fighting to preserve their wetland site from an impending development sanctioned by City Council in 2017.

Written by Avery Miles. Read more from the article: https://bit.ly/2X3qqoT.

Still time to save the Graniteville wetlands and our homes: Commentary

Without the natural buffer of the Graniteville wetlands, homes will be at risk during the next big storm. There is no doubt that waters will rise and flood our community. If, as a result, FEMA redraws the flood plain maps, residents are forced to get flood insurance that currently isn’t required, homes will suddenly be unaffordable for many neighborhood residents.

Written by Ed Szczepanski and Paula Segal. Read more from the article: https://bit.ly/305gE7O.

Ecosystem, homes at risk in Graniteville: Letter to the editor

Staten Islanders know that the borough is a unique hybrid of urban amenities plus natural resources and wildlife. The Graniteville area is one of the best examples of this; it’s a great city neighborhood straddling the Graniteville Wetlands and Forest. During Superstorm Sandy, those wetlands and trees were all that stood between neighborhood homes and devastating destruction.

Written by Gabriella Velardi Ward and Paula Segal. Read more from the article: https://bit.ly/32YhFjE.

Endangered turtle may slow progress of controversial BJ’s development

After more than a year of community opposition to a commercial development planned for a site next to a wetland area in Mariners Harbor, the biggest obstacle the developers now face may be in the form of a reptile. It’s believed that the eastern mud turtle, which is on the New York State list of endangered species, may reside in the area behind United Cerebral Palsy at 2324 Forest Ave.

Written by Annalise Knudson. Read more from the article: https://bit.ly/305gE7O.

Houston’s flooding shows what happens when you ignore science and let developers run rampant

Since Houston, Texas was founded nearly two centuries ago, Houstonians have been treating its wetlands as stinky, mosquito-infested blots in need of drainage. Even after it became a widely accepted scientific fact that wetlands can soak up large amounts of flood water, the city continued to pave over them. In recent days, the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey has raised water levels in some parts of the watershed high enough to completely cover a Cadillac. The vanished wetlands wouldn’t have prevented flooding, but they would have made it less painful, experts say.

Written by Ana Campoy & David Yanofsky. Read more from the article: https://bit.ly/2PjcLpl.

NY/NJ Baykeeper’s commentary on Proposed Retail Development

NY/NJ Baykeeper has a significant interest in preserving open space in Staten Island, particularly in a neighborhood as already well developed as Graniteville. Adding yet another unnecessary retail development in place of a beautiful wooded area raises significant concerns, as it is not supported by local need or desire. The fact that this particular development abuts a significant tract of protected tidal wetlands only compounds the issue, putting even more green space at risk of loss.

Written by Debbie Mans. Read more from the letter: https://bit.ly/30naqA4.