Monday, May 3, 2010

Halloran saves Bayside homeowner from huge bill

From the Times Ledger:

A Bayside resident said the city attempted to force him to pay to put in a sidewalk in front of his home on 39th Avenue that could have cost as much as $10,000.

John Fox, who has lived on 39th Avenue at 222nd Street near the dead end at the Cross Island Parkway since October, said he received a violation in December from the city’s Department of Transportation for not having a sidewalk in front of his house.

The DOT then told him he either had to pay to have a sidewalk built or the city would undertake the project and bill him later. Fox said he was given estimates that the project could have cost him between $6,000 to $10,000.

“None of my neighbors have sidewalks,” said Fox, who works for the federal government. “If I did, it would be the bridge to nowhere. There’s a tree on one side and shrubs on another. There are two houses that were built in the last two years on either side of me that were not required to have sidewalks. My house was built in the 1920s.”

City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) intervened earlier this year, so Fox now does not have to pay for a new sidewalk. But the Bayside resident said the city would have charged him had he not contacted the councilman.

He was quoted $8.21 per square foot for 750 square feet of sidewalk. But the price estimate from the DOT did not include landscaping, excavating or building a retaining wall, he said.

The city eventually sent out another inspector to look at his property. The department relented and decided not to fine him after Halloran got involved.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a typical QUOTA system con job...

Also you can contact internal affairs and file a complaint against this person

Who probably is close to losing his job so he needs to write up as many violations as possible and hope some stick, to prove his "worth" to the city

Anonymous said...

There are so many sidewalks around queens that are all broken and are a serious hazard. It is amazing no one falls on them. Why doesen't the DOT go and replace them instead of finding stupid small problems?

Anonymous said...

i like halloran...a real human being

Anonymous said...

So what about the old CYO development where there are no sidewalks. It is a new development that is required by Law to have sidewalks, why are they allowed to get away with it? Sidewalks are essential, most people have to walk on the street in order to get around in the Cresthaven Site.

Anonymous said...

dan halloran was successful in unlocking the gates to the newly remodeled P.S.159 Q. playground to park for local teens. after a taxpayer cost of $2-3 million dollars,the princi[pal and parks dept. was locking it 24/7. thanks dan. good job.

the teens told me that they would like to be able to play full court basketball at the north end. all other c.p.b. 11 play spaces have a full court.

but one sibling tree, of the nineteen planted, and two benches must be moved elsewhere.