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. building, operated by Narco Freedom, is located on a key commercial strip that is undergoing a post-Sandy revival.

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.

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.

For years, Ruscillo and others have complained that Rockaway is saturated with halfway houses and single room occupancy hotels.

Some of the residents were aggressive panhandlers who scare away customers and harass pedestrians running daily errands.

RELATED: ROCKAWAY DRUG PROGRAM PLEDGES CURFEW CRACKDOWN

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.

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.

Goldfeder said he spoke with Narco Freedom officials about the plans impact and is hopeful they will come up with an alternative.

Read the original:

Rockaway: Let's stop Narco Freedom from reopening