From the Times Ledger:A Douglaston developer who had unusual construction plans for a multiple family home revoked amid outcry from North Flushing residents and City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has applied to the city Board of Standards and Appeals in a bid to resurrect his proposal.
According to BSA records, Paul Rufino has applied for a variance to build a six-family home at 166-43 26th Ave., claiming financial hardship because he had already started to construct walls and foundation around an existing home on the property.
“It is easily the most egregious thing I have seen in my eight years in the City Council and my 20 years in the community,” Avella said.
The peculiar story began in March when Rufino, unbeknownst to his tenants, began construction on several large cinder block walls and portions of a concrete foundation around an existing Tudor home at the site. Avella said Rufino was attempting to grandfather in his plans to tear down the home and build a multiple-family dwelling — which the recently approved North Flushing rezoning does not allow — by completing enough of it before the rezoning was passed by the City Council in May.
Following several protests held by Avella and members of the neighborhood, the city Department of Buildings issued a stop-work order and eventually revoked Rufino’s building permit altogether.
Calls to Rufino’s company, the Douglaston Development Corp., were not immediately returned.
12 comments:
That is why your downzoning is a big waste of time. Variences and outright ignoring of the law will be the rule.
Increasingly, the city seems to be able to do only one thing: make apartments no one can afford damn the consequence on everyone else.
Unless there is a citywide effort at education and a willingness at working together (an its not led by the prime landmark districts who are the only communities profiting from this mess) is our only hope for change.
And a good part of what they do should be to reform the election process because without the politicans changing their tune 180 degress, you are all just wasting your time.
This builder has an 8 foot fence surrounding the front of the property. And anyone who tries to look into the property can't see a THING. I've never seen a fence like this. Obviously hiding something.
As long as citizens are required to hire expensive lawyers to fight variance applications at the BSA they're powerless unless they possess a big bankroll.
So the privileged rich can build to their hearts' desires and BLOCK-BUST wherever and whenever they want.
So much for down zoning.
And as for creating a historic landmark municipal district for premium protection...
it's already been engraved in stone...YOU AIN'T GONNA GET ONE...Broadway/Flushing (and other hopeful applicants).
The final Broadway/Flushing decision is being held up just to stick it to Avella and his people...also for the benefit of Paul Vallone to give him an edge in the upcoming primary.
Paul indicates that only with him and Mike Bloomberg together can we expect to get our district "on track"...an empty campaign promise.
The train wreck will come after the election when he betrays us!
And those polite little BFHA-ers who think that by remaining quiet and positive we'll get our landmarking complete...I say pish-tosh!
My chances at winning the lottery are better than Broadway/Flushing attaining historic district status through acquiescence at this point in time.
Let's DUMP THE LANDMARKS LAW because it was only created to protect the already-have-plenty neighborhoods not for its poor cousins the have-nots.
Let every nabe wind up in the same boat!
That's preservation democracy!
Want control over your neighborhood?
Want control over your borough? Over the city?
There's only one way to gain control.
Vote for Tony Avella on Tuesday, September 15.
On November 3, Vote for Tony Avella again in the general election.
And we thought it was just the Asians f*ing up the neighborhood. Oh wait - the Italians also don't give a shit! This use to be a nice place to live - IN THE 1970s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"As long as citizens are required to hire expensive lawyers"
kudos to you! the lawyers ARE the problem, not those who break the law.
such as slumlords and other parasitic imbeciles.
Little by little residents rights are being whittled away.
#1. You need a lawyer to represent you at the BSA.
#2. You have only 45 days to protest building plans at the DOB.
#3. Architects self certify.
What's next...having to thank your rapist/developer for the courtesy of using a condom before he reams out your asshole?
Does anyone find it interesting that Paul Riffino gave mucho money to the Paul Vallone campaign,Riffino has Vallone signs on his lawn in Douglaston, AND rents Vallone his campaign office across the street from this 1 family home on 26th Ave.that Riffino is trying to make into a multi family building. Vote for Vallone and this will be just the beginning of overdevelopement. We have 1 more day to make sure he goes back to astoria.
"Does anyone find it interesting that Paul Riffino gave mucho money to the Paul Vallone campaign,Riffino has Vallone signs on his lawn in Douglaston, AND rents Vallone his campaign office across the street from this 1 family home on 26th Ave.that Riffino is trying to make into a multi family building. Vote for Vallone and this will be just the beginning of overdevelopement. We have 1 more day to make sure he goes back to astoria"
Are you joking? If Vallone is elected, that 6 family the builder wants to put there will be a reality.
If overdevelopment is the issue here and people are on to these Vallones regarding what they've done to Astoria, then how is this guy going to sleep at night if he's elected? People will be torturing this guy on a daily basis. What's going to be his plan of operation? Ignoring all calls and letters, not having press conferences on anything unless it benefits him in some way, making dirty deals with developers. What??
And don't worry Kevin Kim. You're just as bad as Vallone and would probably do all the same things.
I fear District 19 is doomed!
SOS...SOS...SOS!
Save our ship...save our neighborhoods!
Either we send Paul back to Astoria or he will bring Astoria's over development to us!
SEND HIM PACKING BACK TO DADDY!
This is an extremely critical situation we're facing in our northeastern nabes if we let this Vallone-y/baloney salesman get his foot in our door!
VOTE FOR ANYONE ELSE BUT VALLONE!
If Chuck "follow the buck" Apelian is running Paul Vallone's campaign (supposedly for "free"...ha, ha) something is definitely up!
BETTER WATCH OUT!
There's a noreaster headed for the northeastern portion of Queens with
persistent over development squalls to follow!
Broadway-Flushing is the next nabe scheduled for "the skids" by the REAL department of city planning...Bloomberg/Vallone!
No wonder why it's being stonewalled on obtaining its municipal historic district.
Mayor Mike can smell a wimpish neighborhood from 7 miles away!
Unfortunately its past leadership has been out of touch for too long...aging white folks with no stomach for the necessary fighting needed to protect their own homes!
Thomas Jefferson:
"...The Tree of liberty needs to be watered with blood from time to time...".
WAKE UP BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!
STOP BEING SO POLITE AND "POSITIVE"!
Speed...camera...action!
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