Why as-of-right permitting leaves Middle Village residents without a hearing
SafeGridUnited · September 11, 2026
As-of-right permits can proceed without a discretionary public hearing, which is the core of the chapter's concern.
Battery-storage projects that qualify as as-of-right under local zoning can proceed without a discretionary public hearing. In Middle Village, Queens, that is the central concern raised by residents: a 4.9 MW NineDot Energy installation across from PS/IS 128 advanced without the public review that a special-permit process would require. The chapter's position is that environmental review and a public hearing should precede construction near homes and schools. Primary source: SafeGridUnited national dataset (seeds/national-v2.csv), Middle Village (Queens) row.