Here’s the formula to ruin a neighborhood. Place a methadone clinic, an OTB parlor, and a bar near a housing development, and voila: instant flight by respectable homeowners in the vicinity and a deterioration of the quality of community life.

That’s what happened to Stapleton, Staten Island, in the early 1970s, and it also happened to East 23rd Street in Manhattan. The latter neighborhood, however, managed to recuperate much faster than the Stapleton community, which has struggled for the past 30 years to turn things around. Now a major New York City developer is threatening to undo the hard work of community advocates by pushing a controversial plan to build 105 apartments for low-income seniors right smack in the middle of the business district.

No, this is not a complaint along the lines of NIMBY – Not in My Backyard. This is a protest against the total disregard for the residents and homeowners of a neighborhood that has long been burdened by endless dumping of social-service agencies on its doorstep.

Looking for a home for parolee counseling? There’s one on Van Duzer Street, right across the street from an AIDS service agency.

Three blocks away is a shelter for battered women. Then, of course, there’s the methadone clinic in Tappen Park, which also has the unofficial social-service agencies of Off-Track Betting and a bar.

Most of these are worthwhile enterprises, but their clients come principally from other areas and boroughs, and they’re all lumped into a neighborhood that is just now living up to its possibilities.

New businesses are cropping up around Bay Street. Mayor Bloomberg has expressed interest in developing the waterfront for a mix of housing, retail, and parks. The Navy came and went in the mid-1990s after pouring millions into dredging the waters, so that large ships could berth there. The Navy gave the Home Port back to the city, and it has immense potential for development.

BFC Partners wants to build on an underutilized parking lot on Bay Street, across from the old Paramount theater. That would jeopardize the future of the business community, which can provide necessary jobs for the youth of Stapleton. The question is, why this particular spot?

There are abandoned warehouses and stretches of land along Richmond Terrace, which would be better suited for the development of low-income housing. This particular area of Stapleton was once a thriving business district with antique stores, clothiers, and jewelers. The parking lot is an essential draw for businesses to relocate there, and, should the waterfront projects come through, it would be vital.

Donald Capoccia, the builder behind the senior housing proposal, is a Bush appointee to the federal Commission of Fine Arts, who quit the post over the president’s support of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. He has close ties to Rudolph Giuliani and to moderate Republicans in state government.

According to the Staten Island Advance, Tracy Paurowski, a spokeswoman for the New York City Housing Development Corporation, said her agency was reviewing the details of Mr. Capoccia’s Stapleton proposal and considering helping finance the project through tax-exempt bonds. I thought the city was broke.

Staten Island is the smallest borough of New York City, and it already has several high-caliber senior residences, including a private residence that opened in Stapleton a few years ago. Why do we need another, which is expected to cost a senior from $632 to $812 a month in rent? That may sound like a great bargain, but it just doesn’t compare with what seniors here already enjoy.

I visited an elderly friend of mine after she moved into the New Lane residence in Rosebank. That residence is run by the city, and I was amazed at the comfortable accommodations my friend lives in, for $250 a month. She has a one bedroom, air-conditioned apartment with a view of the waterfront. She pays $1.35 for meals in the community cafeteria and was given space to grow her private garden. There are a multitude of activities for her enjoyment, including a well-supplied art center.

I live in Stapleton. I’m fortunate to have moved here 26 years ago – when it was considered a risky venture – because my house was a real bargain. In recent years, artists have moved into the area, and now we have coffeehouses and pubs with atmosphere. A Victorian gift shoppe serves tea and sells period dolls and sundries. Houses are being restored by residents taking advantage of low refinancing rates. The bloom is on the rose.

The residents have put all their eggs in the basket called Stapleton, and it’s a shame that a hot-shot developer can come in and wreck their investment with an ill-conceived project.