Monday, November 30, 2009

Long time Mitchell-Linden stores in jeopardy

"A rumor has been spreading through this residential neighborhood that we might be losing the stores that many of us have shopped in since 1952. Owners of coops and private homes in the area are concerned that these will be rental units, with a portion set aside for Section 8 housing in order to get variances. The Mitchell-Linden Civic Association has been quiet on this proposal until this afternoon when a flyer was put under the doors of the apartments in my co-op. It's about time!"

"Here is a Google satellite view of the area. The stores in question are in the center with white roofs. Do you think parking might be an issue???" - Al

35 comments:

Wondering in Whitestone said...

I find it interesting that only 1 "co-president" made this announcement but there are 2 co-presidents for this civic association. The other co-president is John Choe. John Choe was a Democratic candidate for the council seat in the 20th district but lost to Yen Chou.

This is the same district that John Liu misrepresented for the last 8 years. Coincidentally, John Choe is John Liu's chief of staff. They must have known about this for a while now. Why is this devastating news now being revealed? Is this a done deal? My concern is that Union Street is a major bus route in the area and this will choke off the communities north of the area making my trip from Whitestone to the subway on Main Street much longer and more intolerable.

Can the community's infrastructure sustain these new structures? Isn't this the community that has issues with inadequate sewers? I think that we need answers before this proposal moves forward.

Anonymous said...

John Choe should resign immediately and an investigation into this matter needs to be initiated!!! This is a blatant conflict of interest.

Anonymous said...

Does this mean that the post office dedicated to Toby Stavisky's husband will be torn down. Ironic, isn't it?

Anonymous said...

http://www.house.gov/list/press/ny05_ackerman
/PR_060926a.html

Hohohohohohohohohohohohohoho

They're all a bunch of ho's!

Anonymous said...

DEMOCRATIC/LIBERALISM IS AN ILLNESS.

THE CHICKENS ARE COMING HOME TO ROOST.....

ONE PARTY N.Y.C. GOVERNMENT WILL DESTROY YOUR COMMUNITY.

Anonymous said...

Who needs parking, you supossed to take Mass Transit to everything in NYC, right? Right?

Anonymous said...

"Who needs parking, you supossed to take Mass Transit to everything in NYC, right? Right?"

Wondering in Whitestone said...
"My concern is that Union Street is a major bus route in the area and this will choke off the communities north of the area making my trip from Whitestone to the subway on Main Street much longer and more intolerable."

Don't you read other people's comments or is your ego too big?

Bronx Guy said...

"This is the same district that John Liu misrepresented for the last 8 years."

Are you refering to our new NYC contoller? Uh Oh!

Queens Crapper said...

"Don't you read other people's comments or is your ego too big?"

Don't think he was responding to you.

Anonymous said...

"Don't think he was responding to you."

Nevertheless, how is mass transit an alternative when the buses and subways are already overcrowded? Parking, or the lack thereof, will only compound the problem and cause further delays. Union Street is also the first major street that traffic uses when the northbound Whitestone Expressway is all jammed up.

Queens Crapper said...

The point is he was trying to say that would be the response from the city if lack of parking was brought up.

Anonymous said...

Queens Crapper said...
The point is he was trying to say that would be the response from the city if lack of parking was brought up.


True. I am trying to point out that this proposed development would impact communities beyond Mitchell-Linden. The city's potential response is obviously inadequate and the people in College Point and Whitestone who use public transportation through the area will also suffer longer travel times if this is allowed to go forward. This is a lose/lose situation for everyone but those who stand to directly benefit: the property owner, the developer, the construction company, and of course, the crooked elected officials who are either looking the other way or are getting some sort of perk. Just because the property owner has "as of right" doesn't mean the project is right for this neighborhood. Does anyone know how CB#7 stands on this proposal?

Anonymous said...

And there goes the neighborhood.. for real..

22 Years spent living in the Mitchell Linden community... Don't think this will go down without a HUGE fight.

Lets see who new Councilman Peter Koo sides with on this one. As far as I know the landowner is Korean as well as Koo.

Anonymous said...

As far as I know the landowner is Korean as well as Koo.

-----------------------------------------

I always say that it is best to go to the source to find out the facts. The owner is Italian and not Korean. His name is Nick DeMartini. The management company, An Armful Corporation is owned by Iy Kwon:

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/ECBQueryByLocation
Servlet?requestid=1&allbin=4100730

Management info:

http://www.manta.com/coms2/dnbcompany_
cr74qh

There is currently a stop work order on the property:

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/PropertyProfileOverview
Servlet?boro=4&houseno=29-12+&street=union+street&requestid=0&s=
A03C41B885B461E4F46BD08866A7430E

I'll bet the community is not aware of these violations:

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/ECBQueryByNumberServlet?requestid=3&ecbin=34263832Z

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/ECBQueryByNumberServlet?requestid=7&allbin=4100730&ecbin=34263833K

The last 2 violations are old but I suspect that there is something going on here. Why would the basement, which is supposed to be for storage, being partioned off? 30 video game tables have been installed and there are 7, that's right 7, restrooms?????? Were the proper permits obtained because I still see people going in and out of the door next to the Karate studio that leads to the basement. Why were the fines written off? What does John Liu and John Choe know about this? Was someone paid off? The point is that the people who own and manage the property can't be trusted and so why should they be allowed to move forward with their plan?

Anonymous said...

peter koo is of chinese ethnicity. he did not plan this
project. the former dem/libs did. you probably voted for them,right?

Anonymous said...

"The last 2 violations are old but I suspect that there is something going on here. Why would the basement, which is supposed to be for storage, being partioned off? 30 video game tables have been installed and there are 7, that's right 7, restrooms??????"

Maybe Skenkler and Nussy have found a home for their whores???

cb7 fan said...

Or maybe an additional source of income for Kelty and Apelian???

Mitchell-Linden Resident said...

That explains a lot! I can recall seeing 2 very provocatively dressed young Asian ladies coming out of the basement door when I was walking up Union Street late one night. It was about 11:30 p.m. They got into a shiny black SUV and were driven away. Damn! If I only knew that hot young ladies like video games...

Anonymous said...

peter koo is of chinese ethnicity. he did not plan this
project. the former dem/libs did.

Why don't you name names?

Taxpayer said...

"Do you think parking might be an issue???" - Al"

- - -

Not for the shoppers from other neighborhoods who will cheerfully block driveways, fire hydrants, crosswalks and circle the blocks for hours.

Why should outsiders care how they come like vultures to destroy a neighborhood?

Anonymous said...

Not for the shoppers from other neighborhoods who will cheerfully block driveways, fire hydrants, crosswalks and circle the blocks for hours.

Why should outsiders care how they come like vultures to destroy a neighborhood?


It already is happening! The driveways that cross the sidewalks are dangerous and people have been injured from being hit by cars carelssly entering or exiting the shopping center's parking lot. There are cars parked at the hydrants and people not stopping at the stop signs on this section of Union Street. In addition, several stores are closed off on the Union Street side but have entrances from within the supermarket. It's not as if they are attached to places where food is being cooked. Oh wait. Food is being cooked there as well!!! There is one store that is sealed off and it does not have a supermarket affiliation. Access by emergency vehicles (police, fire, and medical) is severely limited. All of these stores also seem to have DOB violations. This is John Liu's council district and he has known about this since he has been in office. I believe that he knew about this project for a long time and sold out the Mitchell-Linden community. Of course, all of this comes out after his election as NYC Comptroller. How convenient.

Alan said...

I would like to stick my 2 cents in at this point. I taped the stores in question in 2005. The conditions are the same today:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCfoywQPF_A

I also brought this up at a Mitchell-Linden Civic Association not once but twice. The first time Small Business Services Commissioner Robert Walsh said he would look into my concerns but after a few followup phone calls to his office that netted zero results, I gave up. Please note that the attendees at the second meeting were making an attempt to be "politically correct" and tried to dismiss my legitimate concerns. At 3:11 in the video John Liu challenges me and makes it seem like I have a racist agenda. Actually, I was trying to communicate the fact that I felt the victim of racism but naturally Liu didn't get it then or now! At 4:10 in the video an audience member asks why the fire department isn't doing anything about it if it is illegal or hazardous. Liu said he looked into this matter by checking the Certificates of Occupancy and everything checked out. Would anyone like to venture a guess as to what is really going on here?
Here is the video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA8aHNmFQeg

Anonymous said...

A) KOO IS KOREAN

B) I CLAIMED THAT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY WAS ASIAN ON THE BASIS OF WHEN THE PIZZERIA CLOSED, THE OWNER HAD BLAMED IT ON HIS ASIAN LANDLORD

C)What is the zoning of that area? I know its surrounded by R-5 and R-6 but the block of stores has a different zoning.

Queens Crapper said...

Peter Koo was the President of the Flushing Chinese Business Association.

Informed said...

Anonymous said...
A) KOO IS KOREAN

B) I CLAIMED THAT THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY WAS ASIAN ON THE BASIS OF WHEN THE PIZZERIA CLOSED, THE OWNER HAD BLAMED IT ON HIS ASIAN LANDLORD

C)What is the zoning of that area? I know its surrounded by R-5 and R-6 but the block of stores has a different zoning.


A) Peter immigrated to America from Hong Kong in 1971.
Source: http://peterkoo.com/About_Peter.aspx

B) The owner is Italian and the landlord, or management company, is Asian!
Source: http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/ECBQueryByLocation
Servlet?requestid=1&allbin=4100730

C)The block is R5
Source:
www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/pdf/zone/map10a.pdf

What is it like going through life as a moron? Did you ever think that you can spend a little time doing some basic research instead of posting on a blog and proving your ignorance?

Spank the monkey hard! said...

I know this is a blog and we can be a little loose with the truth, but every time you say Koo is Korean or Liu is related to every other Liu in the world or tie Liu to every story involving asians, it makes you look like an uneducated hick from the hills of West Virginia. This is NYC -- read a book or newspaper -- or even do some basic google searches before you spew such lies, which are easily debunked.

Real S. Tate said...

Hear that? It's the sound of coop prices in Mitchell-Linden dropping like a rock!

First you have the "old-timers" who been in the community for 30, 40, 50, or more years. Many look at the value of their apartments as their safety net when and if they decide to move.

Then you have the newly arrived residents who purchased their apartments at a premium rate and in addition to paying their carrying charges, they have to add the cost of the mortgage to their monthly payments.

Both populations better start to look at this potential housing complex as a threat to their fiscal and physical security. It does not bode well to insert rental housing and/or section 8 units in such a stable community.

If the local elected officials and the Mitchell-Linden Civic Association fail to stop this proposal, then there will be a lot of angry citizens to answer to. I agree with earlier posters who are curious to know what John Liu and John Choe knew and when!

Anonymous said...

To Spank the Monkey---

I agree with what you said in principle but this story reeks of John Liu and it has nothing to do with Asian heritage. John Liu is still the city councilman who represents this district. He needs to address this issue while he still holds that office, unless there is more going on here than we are being told.

As far as people posting info that is obviously from the land of fiction, I can't see why people don't use Google to verify info before it is posted, especially when they are making accusations that are not backed up with fact. Some people here get it and actually post links or cite sources. I take those comments a lot more seriously than slanderous attacks or innuendo.

Anonymous said...

Anyone know where the local pols stand on this issue?

Lamont Kranston said...

Is it not true that Kwon has a 99 year lease with owner Nick De Martini?

That sure as hell sounds like they're partners in whatever deal materializes!

Who would have been dumb enough to give anybody a lease short of a century at a time when the Flushing real estae market was at its height?

Methinks that something is rotten in the town of Flushing!

Could this be an alliance between the older Italian and new Asian mobs to develop this site?

Stay tunes ladies and gents!

a resident said...

I just looked up the enormous list of egregious violations on this property. WOW!!!

Everything from improper ventilation; storage of volatile oil and fluids; inadequate sprinkler systems; the illegal partitioning of basement spaces...ad infinitum!

And all this has been going on for years and years without CB#7's Apelian or Kelty doing squat!

John Choe...already on record in the press as a North Korean sympathizer...should be impeached as co-president of Mitchell-Linden Civic immediately for his silence on this grave situation!

Spread the word about this to all of your neighbors!

The cat is now out of the bag!

Anonymous said...

It is pretty disturbing to see that no elected official has commented publicly on this issue. Looks like the cockroaches are scattering!

Anonymous said...

They said the same thing about you back in 1952

Anonymous said...

Impeached? Hang the excretive depleted in apogee!

Anonymous said...

They said the same thing about you back in 1952

Who are "they", jackoff?