"Here is another example of out-of-character construction," said Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside), standing last week at 172nd St. and 27th Ave.The three-family house towers over the existing one-family homes on the block.
"The entire neighborhood is one-family homes," Avella said.
Although the neighborhood is predominantly comprised of single-family residences, the current zoning, which has not been changed since 1961, permits all residence types, including multifamily buildings, Avella said.
"I have been pushing the Department of City Planning to do something for 2 1/2 years," said Avella. The study is a year and a half late.
Pol rips big buildings as big problem
Avella said the mayor's commitment to preserve neighborhoods changed dramatically after he was reelected.
"Now he is pro-development," said the councilman. "The interest from the administration in doing these rezonings clearly isn't there."
Meanwhile, the councilman said that the "entire staff of the Queens unit has been totally usurped for the Jamaica rezoning."
N. Flushing needs rezone now: Avella
Pol To City: Speed Up North Flushing Rezoning
McMansions Spread As A Boro Waits
45 comments:
I have been reading this blog for a while and have come to the conclusion that many of its readers have the mistaken idea that they live in suburbia, not New York City. They obviously had originally hoped to live on Long Island, couldn't make it there for one reason or another, and settled in Queens as a second choice. Wrong. This is New York City and development - tall skyscrapers - is what you get here. Sorry.
There's such a thing as zoning, Drake. It keeps things small.
Sorry to bust your bubble "drake"......
but Queens WAS MY FIRST CHOICE.
I had house hunted in Manhattan (around1974)....
That's right old boy...I had the the down payment
for a $156,000 town house I had located way over in the east teens that needed work.
My family's in the construction business so there wouldn't have been a problem with the rehab .
I could have had a super duplex and a couple of rental apartments and lived like an urban prince.
Spacious lofts in SOHO proper (Mercer or Crosby St.) were even less expensive at that time.
I totally opted out of even considering living in suburban Long Island.....not my style.
Queens had the unique living qualities that I desired .....neither urban nor suburban....but the best of both and a little more.
In the long run I made the right choice. I'm just 23 minutes from NYC's Penn Station via LIRR and I've had offers on my home (which I've refused) that still astound me.
I'm not suggesting tearing down all those high density apartment buildings in Manhattan and having the area down zoned to build Levitt Houses so where the hell do you get the balls to suggest ramming high rise development into neighborhoods that are low rise ?
I tell you what fella....you adjust your spectacles on your ass cheeks and take a good look around.
This is an URBAN (not suburban) low rise neighborhood (zoned as such) and you can insert your zone busting comments back up your butt and try peddling them on some other blog !
We're not buying here !
If you knew how many hits this blog gets each day (and growing fast)
you'd be soiling your trousers right now.
There's more of us out here than people like you.
That also means more civic associations,
more involvement and more votes.
Now you just bring that message back
to whoever your scoping this site for
like a nice sweet little go-fer .
Drake....you're on the defensive.
Can the B/S bravado.
You can't fool us !
Duh....that's right "drake"......
you figured it out all by yourself
with no help from mom.
We're anti-over development
We have no real objections to contextual development, however.
Did you just gave away where you reside.... Long Island..... where we all
"had originally hoped to live" ?
Perhaps you're even a small time "developer"
who builds "in Queens as a second choice"
because he "couldn't make it there for one reason or another" to play along with the big boy
developers in mainstream Manhattan ? !!!
That would really be a hoot !
Queens has always had a third-rate reputation - not as sophisticated as Manhattan, not as hip as Brooklyn, not as nice as Long Island. We are finally (in the past 5-10 years or so) getting some world-class development, finally converting some dreary areas into something desirable, and finally becoming a top urban living environment. Some people who have been living in their own little worlds in their own little houses can't take it that the world around them is moving onward and upward. But most people I know in Queens are very happy with the progress being made and want to see more of it. Lots of us are anti-BAD development, meaning low-quality, not small scale. However, most Queens residents (especially the younger generation - 30s and younger)are happy with the things we are seeing, such as old, wood-frame homes replaced with nice-style brick and stone structures, luxury condos built in appropriate areas, the Willets Point plans, the development of LIC, the Queens Center Mall expansion, the Vornado project in Rego Park, Atlas Park, the Flushing-Meadows Park projects, the Moving Image museum expansion, the new Mets stadium, the Bay Terrace expansion, etc.
I agree that we should review the zoning codes and update them after 56 years, and avoid huge, ugly shoddy structures that are out of place, but we cannot and should not stifle progress. The last thing we want Queens to be is a poor man's Long Island.
Avella should stick a finger at drake too.
Now "drake" is posting as "anonymous" (switch hitting) so he can make an even bigger ass of himself without (he thinks) detection.
Which end is up "drake/anonymous"?
Are you crappin' through your mouth and smilin' through your butt?
You're "living in your own little words" and mind again....aren't you ?
Let "Parkside" teach you some better PR skills....yawn you're a wimp among giants here!
What these carte blanche
unbridled over-development advocates
often fail to grasp is simply this:
Our "anti-development" movement
(as you've often chosen to label us)
is the MAJORITY....
unlike you, who are the MINORITY
(no matter how hard you try to package
your transparent lies).
We favor CONTEXTUAL DEVELOPMENT
that isn't horrendously inappropriate or out of scale.
Our compatriots are sprouting up like Dandelions ALL OVER the city.
We've become like English Ivy
securely clinging to greedy developers eveywhere.
We tenaciously tangle about their legs....
forever tripping them as they attempt
to rape and pillage OUR communities!
Ever try to get rid of Ivy? Good luck !
You guys CAN'T control
the number of ever sprouting blogs
(many linked up nationwide)
like you've done with traditional media.
This fast growing new "media ivy" is going to
choke you up and shut you down!
WE WILL HAVE OUR DAY
and your meager counter postings
ain't accomplishing squat.
So keep on firing away for the general
blogging public's enjoyment.
This is better than the sport of kings !
For about 50 years, New York City, including Queens was in a gradual decline as people chose to move to Long Island and other suburbs for what they thought was a better life. This trend has now reversed itself. With that reversal you can expect more former Manhattanites and others with higher incomes outpriced by that market moving into Queens and bringing with it Manhattan-like living. You can't stop history. Get used to it. Sorry.
Anonymous is definitely wrong. The anti-everything NIMBYs on this website are most certainly in the minority in Queens. I only hear such crazy anti-new housing sentiments on this board. Most Queens residents support the new growth. If anything, there needs to be more in certain neighborhoods close to transit.
The anti-everythings are also a dying breed. I bet you none of these Queens Crap complainers are under the age of 35, immigrants, or new to Queens. In time, demographic changes will mean that crazies like Avella will be unelectable. Apparently Avella is unaware he represents one of the densest and most urban locations in the United States. You would think he represents some rural area in Vermont or something.
I also think that most people viewing this website do so to see what’s going on in Queens, NOT because they agree with the crazy rantings. The hits on this website have nothing do to with agreement on the opinions. Personally I find the wacky anti-everything comments hilarious. Most residents know that new housing and new development is needed to ensure the future of Queens. You can tell the complainers are old folks nostalgic for the doom and gloom 70’s, when nothing was built and property values were plummeting.
Actually, I only hear pro development rantings by a small minority on this board.
If we are in the minority, then why has every community from Bayside to Jamaica to Forest Hills to Maspeth been crying out for downzoning?
The reason why more people under 35 are pro-development is very simple. Most don't own homes and are renting. Desperate for affordable places to shack up they welcome any piece of crap that developers slap together, especially if it means a stately old home will be demolished to make way for it, which helps quench their jealousy towards those who do own homes.
I am under 35 and pro-neighborhood preservation.
Under 35ers are usually the hicks from the midwest who are happy just to be within a 1/2 hour of "the big city."
I can't for the life of me fathom why people in the most densely populated city in the country would welcome MORE people piled on top of them.
I am in my 20s and am completely against development, unlike my peers I am not thrilled by having my neighborhood strip mined. I do not look forward to living in one of those new "luxury" barracks, as opposed to a spacious house where I actually OWN the land; no such luck for me with prices quickly reaching one million. I have lived in Astoria all my life and I do not believe that any of these "young people" have the right to any sort of opinion on this matter, since most have never set foot in Queens before the gentrification. We the people who have lived and paid taxes in Queens for decades should be given first dibs over these developers and opportunistic "young people."
Old homes in Queens that were built as far back as 150 years ago are still structurally sound. Will buildings that are currently being put up last nearly as long? Not a chance. So anyone who is looking to buy one of these new crappy homes should think long and hard. Otherwise you'll be tossing your money out the window, granted the crappy box home even has windows.
Queens Crapper is far too wise for me to believe him to be under 35. I estimate him to be at least 250.
i'm under 35, born and raised in queens, and i am against the over-development and exploitation of communities in queens by greedy real-estate and construction developers.
my parents were also born and raised in queens, and my grandparents moved here after WWII. they chose to live in queens for the same reasons i do- proximity to manhattan *and* the island, the mixed immigrant and socio-economic communities, and most of all, some space to enjoy nature as well as each other.
how dare you imply that younger queens residents are here for any other reason other than choice to reside in a place we love, to surround our children in a multicultural and urban environment where they can flourish. how dare you assume that those of us "under 35" think that it is attractive or beneficial when a modest, affordable home is torn down and replaced with multi-family dwellings or mcmansions? why do you think just because i am younger than you i don't have an appreciation for good architecture? why do you think because i am younger than you i would be grateful for a poorly-designed, poorly-built piece of garbage thrown up in an area where it sticks out like the eyesore that it is?
i would NEVER live on long island. i LOVE queens. but i hate what so many people who don't love it and only love their own bank accounts are doing to it.
Hey "drake" or "duck" the real issues....
we're all doing a pretty damn good job
(with the help of DOI and the FBI) to your chagrin in putting away a lot of law breaking
over development abusers !
Sorry we can't reveal anymore info
because of ongoing investigations.
Good to hear from you again "crawford"......
thought you had gotten tired.
You're PR/BS line smells like
an amateur developer's pimp.
We're really gettin' yer goat...ain't we.
Otherwise you wouldn't be scoping this blog
and trying your best (which ain't good enough) to con
its readers with your tiresome musings (yawn)!
By "more people under 35" I meant in relation to people over 35 and was by no means implying that there were a whole bunch of people under 35 who were pro-development, but only that there were (probably) more amoung this age bracket who were in comparison to people over 35, for the reason I stated. I do have to admit though that I have a bias about young people being rather callous in general about their environment. Thanks for dispelling this belief, somewhat. Live and learn as they say.
Hey "drake" & "crawford"or one of the same......
Your writing "style" & content indicates
that you're probably a shade over 35 years old.....
certainly past your 20s !
So stop trying to shit a shitter !
In fact, your desperate
(though well attenuated) overcompensated tone
betrays your lack of belief in the bally-hoo
you're attempting to promote here!
But it's always amusing to see how
a messenger of the minority opinion
attempts to feign being the majority....
somewhat like a Blowfish puffing himself up to scare away predators !
Boy.....
somebody is really afraid that Avella
(a true man of the people....not the developers)
could very well become our next mayor!
And so ends the gravy train
for those lip smacking politicos
who have been accepting all those bribes
from the NYC real estate industry!
Idiot pro over-development posters.....
your responses are embarrassingly amateur.
The number of daily"hits" on a blog site
are like the "CPM"indicators in traditional media.....
indicating it's a great place to advertise opinions.
"QC" is the best media buy out there folks !
Don't you love to hate it? !!!
That lengthy dribble (my God....single spaced) posted by "anonymous #4"....
indicates that maybe somebody paid
consultant's fee for a college sophomore
(their son or daughter perhaps).... to write it.
Then again, maybe it was a staff member
from a politico's district office....
with some (slightly above average) writing skills.
But, I have other suspicions.
It's just too riddled with the names
of all of those questionable boro-wide projects
(i.e. Willets Point Vornado, etc.) that are being pimped around Queens these days .
Maybe the posting actually comes from
Dan Andrews (disguising his identity as a blogger)
at the behest of our 7 watt bulb boro prez.
Then again, it could be the Queens Chamber of Commerce lowering themselves to do battle here.
The possibilities are interesting.
Keep on kicking ass Tony....you've got my vote !
I am 34 years old, grew up in Queens and currently reside in a house that I own in Queens. I know many, many people in my age group in Forest Hills, Rego Park, Middle Village, Maspeth, Astoria, Bayside and Flushing. I have never heard anyone complain when a modest old home was replaced with a bigger, nicer house. I have never heard anyone complain about the luxury buildings going up. I have never heard anyone complain about the new retail and commercial developments put up in the past few years. Sure, no one likes to see a big, boring shoddy-looking apartment box put up in an inappropriate location, but everyone I know is generally happy with the development going on and hope for more and even better. I have a great job in Manhattan and chose to stay in Queens BECAUSE of the developing changes taking place. I sure would not have stayed here if Queens was the same dull, simple place it was 15-20 years ago.
You are living in a fantasy world if you think the majority of the younger generation in Queens is anti-development.
You've all got it wrong.
I think that (Republican) Peter Boudouvis ,
who lost the last city council race to Avella
( P.D. got "shlonged")....
is at it again along with that pathetically
pompous Republican Party chief Phil Ragusa .
Remember....Phil is the one who supported
the embroiled Dennis Gallagher....who in return took money from that racketeer Brian Mc Laughlin....
a Democrat !
What a bunch of cross party low-lifes !
.
It's us younger people
(mainly in our 30s)
who just moved to Queens....
that represent the majority
protesting all the out of context
over development
that threatens our quality of life
and the values of our homes.
A lot of the 50 + year olds,
that people like"drake & crawford"
keep on referring to
have already retired and moved away.
Who do you think sold us our homes ?
It was the older folks.
So please stop trying to pull our legs.
We moved to Queens to raise families
and we have more than an ample supply
of youthful energy to fight zone busting.
Some residents agressively fight over-development all their lives, which is terrific, except that when they are about to retire they often choose to sell their homes to the same ruthless developers they've been doing battle with simply in order to rake in a few more bucks. When money enters into the picture principles often go out the door.
Ya know fellas (who are spouting this crap).....
puttin' down the olde folks....
calling 'em names and such....
suggestin' that they're "past it"....
and maybe (literally) should be "put down"
for the sake of "progress" (over-development)....
ain't exactly gonna win you any friends
who might otherwise listen to your comments!
Are you listenin'..... "drake & crawford" ?
The ELDERLY have the best voting turnout record.
I think you guys just shot yourselves in the foot.
Now....maybe they're just gonna
be sure to vote for AVELLA now.....
not who ever you've got in mind to oppose him!
Next time....you'd better use your brain
before you let your mouth go off !
Ta, ta ! Tsk, tsk, tsk !
"crawford" darling.....
You more than find these "wacky" postings "hilarious" you find them threatening to your agenda.
Otherwise you wouldn't find such a driving need
to counter-post our comments with your weak rebuttals.
Why not just sit back, put your feet up and laugh ?
It's gettin' to you....eh ? You just gotta respond !
"a true man of the people....not the developers" Laughable! Are you on his payroll?
Check his campaign contributions and his expenditures. He's taken $$$ from developers. He's also given thousands and thousands $$$ to the Parkside Group. I didn't vote for him for City Council. He's not my candidate for Mayor.
PS I'm old enough to know better than to believe any politician.
And who did you vote for as "your man of the people"...Peter Boudouvis? Why don't you check out his "sterling" background?
No I don't work for Avella.
In fact I'm registered with the Green Party.
I've already checked out Avella's campaign contributions (about 1 &1/2 years ago) he's pretty clean when compared to those like Melinda Katz who's the poster child for taking money from developers.
You're naive fella....everybody works with "Parkside" or didn't you check them all out for yourself.
Nobody in politics is a saint.
Isn't it spelled Peter Do-DOOFUS ?
"Isn't it spelled Peter Do-DOOFUS ?"
A childish rant. Pitiful!
I am old enough to vote and I voted for him, but you're wrong. Avella has lots of Real Estate contributions listed with the CFB. From past years and for the upcoming 2009 election. He’s on the Land Use Committee for Christ sake! You must be looking at the wrong candidate.
I agree, they’re not saints.
A childish rant is a befitting reply to someone with a sub adolescent mentality.
P. Boudouvis got whipped by Avella in a landslide and for good reason. The man is an inept DOOFUS on the payroll of builders.....an engineer (?).... we've been told.
That gives him a vested interest in the status quo!
I did look up the right candidate.....and invite everyone else to do also.
You're obviously either a Ragusa fool or a Dem Machine clubhouse hack!
Maybe if the "intrepid" Peter Boudouvis runs for Avella's seat when he's term limited out..... he'll be soundly beaten once again.
Practically any candidate that runs against P.B. will surpass his ability to garner the majority of votes necessary for a victory.
When will the Republican party have enough brains to select some decent candidates that can break the stranglehold that the Democratic machine has on Queens?
I'd love to vote for a qualified Republican candidate.....but Boudouvis isn't one of them.
Are you listening Phil Ragusa?
Your party has already pissed on their own shoes with C.M. Gallagher!
Maybe the Green Party will run a candidate in Avella's District. Somebody that will run a campaign.
Give it up Peter B-DOOFUS supporters.
Next time you run a candidate.... make sure
that the photograph on his campaign posters
don't resemble Fred Munster !
Someone need to increase the MEDS!!!
Hey ole buddy....
Republican Party chief Phil Ragusa supported
(D) assemblyman Mort Hillman in the early 1980s.
I was at the fund raiser barbecue that Greater Whitestone Taxpayers threw.
Fledgling Brian Mc Laughlin was there
sitting at my table!
He looked like a crooked union thug to me even then!
Now Phil's a republican?
This turncoat will do anything to keep his ego full of an ample supply of hot air.
He's a legend in his own mind and the Republican Party is about to become as extinct as the Dodo bird!
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