A proposed senior housing complex in the Sandy Ground neighborhood of Staten Island is causing some controversy lately. Some homeowners in the area have expressed opposition to the plan, which would involve building two, four-story structures on either side of the Rossville A.M.E. Zion Church.

One member of Community Board 3, which recently voted against allowing developers to cut down trees at the site, claimed that “archaeological issues” may halt the proposed plan — Sandy Ground was once the oldest community of free blacks in the United States. Sandy Ground Historical Society now maintains a small museum there.

See the Web site for Thirteen’s “A Walk Around Staten Island” for an exclusive video interview with Sylvia D’Alessandro of the Sandy Ground Historical Society. And to learn more about Sandy Ground and other hidden gems of New York’s least populous borough, check out the Staten Island interactive map.