Sunday, September 7, 2008

Still fighting in Willets Point

“The city is making some progress in filling in the meat of the plans for Willets point,” said City Councilmember John Liu. “There still is a huge issue with this administration’s use of eminent domain and that is something that has not been addressed.”

Many are crediting the renewed talks between the businesses and the city to an August meeting organized by State Senator Minority Leader Malcolm Smith.

Anthony Fodera, the owner of Fodera Foods, was present at the meeting, and although he praised Smith for bringing back talks between the city and businesses, he said that the city has had three years to negotiate with the businesses and little has been resolved.

“We have always maintained that we have wanted to be a part of this process, but we have been excluded from it,” said Fodera, who pointed to the fact that only four agreements have been reached as ample evidence that the negotiations are not working.

“All we’ve ever asked for is that we own the land, we want to be included,” said Fodera, who is a member of the Willets Point Industry and Realty Association (WPIRA), which represents a majority of the property owners at the site. “You’re going to see more and more from us, not less.”


Progress with Willets, but still opposition

PRO: Willets Point Ascendant

CON: Don’t take our land

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Only in Willets is 12 of 74 a majority

Anonymous said...

Here's a question...where was the rest of the community board that night? The vote was 20-15; doesn't that mean 15 people didn't show up to cast a vote?

Anonymous said...

More good news from Fodera.

From his comments he might be packing up the flour and heading off to Hunts Point soon.

Anonymous said...

Looks like the pro-development wacko that comes here and comments incessantly is finally taking his medication. That's good news for us all!

Anonymous said...

He's probably at the US Open.

Anonymous said...

Great day in the area

100,000 plus come out to Shea in 12 hours and 40 some thousand pass through Flushing Meadow.

Traffic was manageable

The sky isnt falling in traffic chicken littles out there in crap land

Anonymous said...

Looks like the commenter before last hit the nail on the head. And what constitutes manageable? Only a 60 minute wait to exit the parking lot?

Anonymous said...

I was on line for more than an hour just to get to the 7 train when I saw Billy Joel play at Shea in July.

Anonymous said...

Just wait until a future US Open is in progress, and the Mets are playing a popular home series, at the same time that Wellington Pointe is loaded with thousands of exhibitors and rowdy conventioneers who are swarming the Shulman Center; residents of Stavisky Tower are attempting to park, and they can't because there's less than 100% parking and fierce competition for spaces with the thousands of retail employees, office workers and shoppers who are squeezed into the Marshall Mall like sardines; children are being discharged from the Meyersohn school yard (after being continually rained down upon by jet fuel mist during their playtime); taxis need a half an hour just to drive the final 2 block to the TDC Hilton; stone drunk Mets fans are wobbling all along Bloomberg Boulevard; and everywhere, the deafening sound of honking horns from the immobile cars on the Whitestone and VanWyck Expressways. Welcome to the future. You asked for it.

Anonymous said...

Those Mets fans start their drinking at Penn Station.

They're well oiled by the time they hit Shea.

I had to put up with a car full
of these loud common drunks on the LIRR just last week!

They well reflect the low caliber of the Mets playing skills!

Can't we attract a quality ball team to Queens?

I guess not!

Anonymous said...

N.J. Mayor Wants to Block Erotic Convention

Coming soon to Willets Point!

Anonymous said...

Put up the god damn bill boards attacking the pols already.

This whole thing would die down within a month.

Your 'minders' are in cahoots with the same people that want to take your land!

Anonymous said...

"100,000 plus come out to Shea in 12 hours and 40 some thousand pass through Flushing Meadow.

Traffic was manageable"

Excuse me? I live off the Whitestone Expressway and there were jams all day. And not all of them were southbound. What is your definition of manageable? Manageable as long as you can get through? I guess that you can bend the truth...if you can get away with it.

Anonymous said...

Wait.

You mean we had a tropical storm roll through and almost 200,000 visitors to the Flushing Meadows area in a 24 hour period and the world did not come to an end????

Looks likr the traffic doomsayers need to find another argument.

Anonymous said...

I took the GCP in around noon without incident and got on the Whitestone Expy around 7 without incident.

Traffic going over the Whitestone but not unexpected.