{"id":40437,"date":"2025-11-15T11:06:11","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T11:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/40437\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T11:06:11","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T11:06:11","slug":"just-horrendous-concrete-walls-around-staten-island-battery-energy-storage-system-spark-outrage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/40437\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Just horrendous\u2019: Concrete walls around Staten Island battery energy storage system spark outrage"},"content":{"rendered":"

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 For decades, Robert Colacino enjoyed the quiet of his Great Kills backyard, neighbored only by a doctor\u2019s office and enveloped by at least 15 to 20 mature trees. But two years ago, developers demolished that office and leveled the trees. Now, his property abuts a battery energy storage system and is fenced in by a massive concrete wall. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an eyesore, just horrendous for a residential area,\u201d Colacino said. \u201cIf you went to the corner of Nelson Avenue and Hylan Boulevard, where that Dunkin\u2019 Donuts and the gas station are, you would swear it was a bunker in Beirut.\u201d <\/p>\n

Colacino, a retired FDNY firefighter, said the reality of living behind a battery energy storage system was tough to accept, but when the project\u2019s developer erected three large perimeter walls around the structure last month, it added insult to injury.<\/p>\n

\"Staten\u201cThe whole construction process has been nothing but a hassle, constant noise affecting quality of life,\u201d Colacino said while standing in his yard.(Staten Island Advance\/SILive | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whole construction process has been nothing but a hassle, constant noise affecting quality of life,\u201d Colacino said. \u201cAnd now we wake up to these massive walls. This doesn\u2019t belong here, and these walls they\u2019ve built around it for safety, for noise, whatever they\u2019re for, prove it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A technology that uses a group of batteries to store electrical energy, allowing the energy to be released later when needed, the storage system sites \u2014 commonly referred to as BESS \u2014 essentially act as backup power sources for homes or the grid, particularly during peak demand or power outages. They are often used in conjunction with renewable energy sources like solar power.<\/p>\n

Developers and green energy proponents tout the lithium-ion structures \u2014 which started popping up in several NYC neighborhoods<\/a> in 2022 \u2014 as quiet neighbors that are a necessary agent for renewable change. They are designed to remove pressure from the city\u2019s stressed grid, using rechargeable batteries to store electrical energy from various sources, and then releasing that stored energy when needed.<\/p>\n

\"StatenNeighbors said this battery energy storage site replaced at least 15 to 20 mature trees located at 287 Nelson Ave. in Great Kills.(Staten Island Advance\/SILive | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

But over the past two years, borough residents and local officials have voiced concerns about their siting. Community Boards voted against their proximity to bakeries<\/a> and storefronts and elected officials issued a moratorium<\/a> on applications filed within residential districts. In one instance, an energy developer retracted plans to place batteries in a Bulls Head church parking lot<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Plans to construct an eight-acre battery energy storage system on a busy strip of Victory Boulevard in Travis were also recently scrapped<\/a> after the company responsible for its development missed several key decommissioning plan deadlines.<\/p>\n

This particular battery energy storage system, located at 287 Nelson Ave., and sandwiched between several residential homes and a Citgo gas station, was allowed because of the property\u2019s as-of-right zoning \u2014 even though its placement was questioned and battled by local politicians since 2023.<\/a><\/p>\n

The walls that now surround it are different and significantly larger than those installed at other battery energy sites in the borough, but NineDot Energy, the project\u2019s developer, noted that they are part of NYC\u2019s standard regulatory process for fire safety and noise mitigation.<\/p>\n

\"MassiveThree large concrete perimeter walls were constructed in October to surround the Great Kills battery energy storage site, a step that developers say is part of NYC\u2019s standard regulatory process for fire safety and noise mitigation.(Staten Island Advance\/SILive | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery site we build includes some form of perimeter walls or fencing, designed in accordance with FDNY and Department of Buildings requirements for all battery storage projects in New York City,\u201d NineDot previously told the Advance\/SILive.com.<\/a> \u201cWhat\u2019s being built at the Nelson Ave. site are not retaining walls. They are engineered sound and fire barriers that were reviewed and approved as part of the standard FDNY and DOB permitting process.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Nine Dot, the design of the barriers is guided by a Hazard Mitigation Analysis and an Acoustical Analysis, which evaluate fire safety and noise mitigation to ensure full compliance with FDNY rules and the NYC Noise Code.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery site we build has walls or fencing around it. While each site design is unique, the rules we follow are the ones laid out by the FDNY and DOB for all battery storage projects in New York City,\u201d the company noted on its website. <\/p>\n

\"MassiveThe battery energy storage site on Nelson Avenue is sandwiched between several residential homes and a Citgo gas station.(Staten Island Advance\/SILive | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

NineDot added: \u201cOverall, these walls are another example of our commitment to safety and our strong partnership with FDNY \u2014 widely regarded as the most expert fire department in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Colacino said he does not find solace in that reasoning and even shared video with the Advance\/SILive.com of the \u201cpersistent\u201d hum emitted by the battery packs that are adjacent to his property.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf these sites are so safe and quiet, why build the wall?\u201d he asked. <\/p>\n

Colacino\u2019s neighbors said they agree. <\/p>\n

\"StatenA green construction fence was erected by developers two years ago. Colacino planted bushes in hopes of concealing it.(Staten Island Advance\/SILive | Jan Somma-Hammel)<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a nightmare,\u201d one resident said, requesting anonymity. \u201cI used to be able to see the ocean from my kitchen window and now all I see is a wall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another resident added: \u201cIt really is shocking that this can happen almost overnight. It used to be so beautiful here, so many trees. If I took one tree down on my property I would face a ton of fines. They changed the whole face of this neighborhood with absolutely no penalty.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 For decades, Robert Colacino enjoyed the quiet of his Great Kills backyard, neighbored only…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":40438,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-40437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40437"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40437\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}