After making note of troublesome parking lot and traffic conditions in the area, Community Board 7 voted on Monday night in favor of an application to bring a new building to a College Point shopping mall.
The board heard a presentation on the application for the shopping mall at 133rd Street and 20th Avenue at its monthly meeting on May 14. The advisory body recommended approval of the developer’s request to modify its special permit, which would allow them to construct a new, one-story building on the premises. The proposal will go before the City Planning Commission for final approval.
The 9,000-square-foot structure at the southwest corner of the center will house an Ulta Beauty store. The cosmetics chain has a 10-year lease, with a five-year option, legal counsel noted. Construction began on the building late last year.
The building and use is as-of-right. However, due to a special permit issued to developers by the city in 1989, the group must seek to modify the existing site plan in order to accommodate additional development.
Community Board 7 Vice Chairperson Chuck Apelian, who delivered the committee report, said members voiced concerns about the condition of the shopping center’s parking lot. Exit and entrance grades cause vehicles to bottom out, he noted, and the lot is configured in a way that causes traffic confusion.
A representative for site operator College Point Management said the developers are in the process of making improvements to the parking lot and exit and entrances. They are in the process of re-configuring and re-striping the parking lot and installing new traffic islands, planting areas and 32 new parking spots to accommodate the new building.
Apelian said members also expressed a desire to see left and right hand turn signals installed at the 20th Avenue intersection, immediately outside of the entrance to the shopping center.
While this change would ultimately have to be instituted by the city’s Department of Transportation, developers said they would support Board 7 in their bid for the traffic controls.
The College Point location would be Ulta’s third shop in Queens. One is already operating in the Shops at Atlas Park in Glendale and another at the Rego Center on Junction Boulevard.
Petco and ShopRite are the existing tenants closest to the new building. Staples vacated its location within the shopping center on Oct. 7 of last year.
