From the Times Ledger:The developer of the $800 million mixed-use Flushing Commons project planned for downtown Flushing has released data it gathered with the city Department of Transportation estimating the “worst-case” impact that anticipated construction could have on downtown traffic.
The data has contributed to a growing body of arguments that opponents have used against the project’s construction as it is planned, but a rising chorus of local voices is supporting the current traffic and parking plan.
Merchants and residents have long been concerned about the traffic headaches that Flushing Commons and other upcoming construction projects could cause.
Community Board 7 last Thursday learned that even without Flushing Commons, afternoon traffic at 30 downtown Flushing intersections could increase by as much as 27 percent.
If Flushing Commons’ impact is included, traffic could instead increase by up to 36 percent, according to the study.
The Flushing Business Improvement District passed three resolutions Monday, requesting TDC Development — the developer of Flushing Commons — make a number of substantive changes, one of which would require the company to include hundreds more affordable parking spots, to its plans if it wants to gain the group’s support for the project.
From the Daily News:
"There's a lot of really bad feeling because this entire project was done in secret and it was held off until John Liu left office," said Paul Graziano, an urban planning consultant and president of the Historic Districts Council.
In 2007, Liu, the local councilman at the time, was a vocal opponent when developers replaced the original plan, which included 2,000 parking spaces, with a 1,600-spot garage. He also helped secure a parking rate cap that could only be changed with city approval and input from the BID.
In the plan unveiled in January, parking rates are limited for five years only and the parking space count remains 1,600.
"It was [Liu's] project," said Chuck Apelian, vice chairman of Community Board 7.
"Peter Koo hasn't been involved at all," Apelian said of Liu's successor, who took office in January.
But Koo said he is just taking time to familiarize himself with the project and the issues that come with it.
"I want to go out and listen to everyone's concerns before I make my final decision," he said.
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But Koo said he is just taking time to familiarize himself with the project and the issues that come with it.
"I want to go out and listen to everyone's concerns before I make my final decision," he said.
TRANSLATION: I am checking out who's going to fill my pockets with the most $$$!!!!!!!!
Sold Out!
C.M. Koo has publicly stated that he "...Doesn't have the time to attend long 3 hour meetings..."!
Well...WTF is he spending that 3 hours doing...attending to his drug (store) business...when his job is his constituents' business?
And who is running his show ex-councilman/rapist Dennis P. Gallagher?
One of the most important projects in Koo's district is under suspicion and the inscrutable Koo becomes invisible.
Oh...but he's sent an intergovernmental office lackey to take notes...a Mr. Wiggins.
Thanks for nothing Pete!
If this is the kind or "representation" the district can expect from the get-go, then in 4 years you'll be losing your seat to a Democrat once again.
Those Republican dumb asses...they manage to finally capture a seat that hasn't seen a Republican since the early 1950s and start to throw it away with both hands come the next election
Is this some of "Pinky" Gallagher's advice to councilman Koo?
Peter Koo is for You.
Peter Koo is for You.
If you want a good screw!!
this is gonna come back and bite frank padavan on the ass. all those koreans bsuinessman live in the senatre district in bayside. the wealthy chinese like michael lee amd jimmy meng etc live on long island. peter koo is gonna kill padavan on this.
"Those Republican dumb asses...they manage to finally capture a seat that hasn't seen a Republican since the early 1950s and start to throw it away..."
Take a publicly owned parcel turn it over to private interest with ambiguous, time limited promises of "affordability" --sounds classic republican to me.
Bayside is next.
Wow, who knew that Bloomberg was a "classic Republican"?
Who knew that Governor Cuomo and Mayor Koch, who tried to do the same thing at Willets Point 25 years ago, were "classic Republicans"?
And that Bruce Ratner - yep, now there's a classic Republican for you!
'Who knew that Governor Cuomo and Mayor Koch, who tried to do the same thing at Willets Point 25 years ago, were "classic Republicans"?"
You might want to research this one: in the early '60s Robert Moses wanted to get rid of those businesses at W-P before they offended the World's Fair patrons. Mario Cuomo was the merchant's lawyer. He also was instrumental in keeping public housing out of Forest Hills.
Point is, once a person achieves a certain degree of power and money, the political affiliations and sometimes even core beliefs become relative.
Bloomberg,was -elected- last fall as a Republican. Ratner is just playing the game by the long established rules.
So no comment about Cuomo and Koch giving land over to Donald Trump that other people own, eh?
Yeah, I know about the Cuomo case. And I know what he became.
And his son will do the same.
Bloomberg bought the Republican line last year and ran on it originally because there were "too many Democrats" running in 2001 and it therefore was convenient for him to run as GOP.
His politics of regulating everything under the sun are liberal at their core.
"Bloomberg bought the Republican line........ in 2001 and it..... was convenient for him to run as GOP."
-Why do you think that the Dem's would not have embraced this self financing candidate? Bloomberg is about ego and power. His choice of first being Democrat is just reality in a city with a 6-1 ratio (as much as 9-1 Manhattan).
When the internals blocked him, he switched.
None the less, any reasonable assessment of his grandiose projects and what has gone on behind the scenes says republican.
At his level though, parties are just a convenience. The Koch-Cuomo-Trump (and any other uber-rich) axis is a good example of this.
"His politics of regulating everything under the sun are liberal at their core."
You are confusing a typical case of "to the manor born" paternalism -with the practical results of his policies. BTW: One of the most paternal examples was the 1995 smoking ban in restaurants. Giuliani was mayor. Even though it cost us customers, it was right.
"His politics of regulating everything under the sun are liberal at their core."
Republicans like regulation too..but only when it pertains to us..not big business and wealth.
LET'S SEE IF C.M. KOO RECUSES HIMSELF FROM VOTING ON "FLUSHING COMMONS" IN THE CITY COUNCIL NOW THAT IT'S BEEN LEARNED THAT HIS GOOD FRIEND IS "TDC's" MICHAEL LEE!
Where's Wellington Chen?
Isn't he behind all of this?
I guess he wants a "white face" on this project with Michael Meyers of the Rockefeller group fronting for the Asians.
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