STAPLETON — The future of the North Shore will be planned at two public workshops in the neighborhood this week.
Representatives from the City Planning Committee, the Department of Transportation and the Economic Development Corporation will be on hand on Thursday and Saturday to discuss the "Bay Street Corridor" neighborhood plan being worked on by the city.
"This is your opportunity to really give us your insights, ask us questions, as we try and craft recommendations for a future," Len Garcia-Duran, Staten Island borough director for City Planning, said during Tuesday night's Community Board 1 meeting.
The half-mile of stretch of Bay Street, which runs from Stapleton to St. George, will be rezoned for more residential uses as part of a push by Mayor Bill de Blasio to create more affordable housing options in the city.
The area has traditionally been zoned for commercial and manufacturing uses and the city hopes to convince current owners to sell their spots, according to the Staten Island Advance.
Aside from re-zoning, Garcia-Duran said at the meeting the process will look at the resources needed in the neighborhood if more residents move in, including schools and transportation.
"It's not just recommendations about zoning, but recommendations about infrastructure and services needed as the area grows," he told the crowd on Tuesday night.
The public workshops will be held on Thursday at 5050 Skatepark, at 345 Front St., from 7 to 9 p.m. and at P.S. 65, at 98 Grant St., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
