Thursday, March 24, 2011

Whitestone & Flushing rezonings

From the Times Ledger:

Community Board 7 voted overwhelmingly Monday to support a downtown Flushing auto shop owner’s proposal to rezone his property to allow for it to be redeveloped as a mid-sized, mixed-use building.

Mark Solow, owner of Crown Auto Parts, which has been at 139-01 Northern Blvd. for generations, presented plans for a “hypothetical building” at the hearing.

The plans, which call for a six-story, 52,570-square-foot edifice, are an example of what he said he hopes to build there if the city approves the change from manufacturing to mixed-use residential zoning.

But Solow is not bound to those plans, though he agreed to a “gentlemen’s agreement” with CB 7 requesting that he come back before the board if he wants to make major changes or sell the 11,000-square-foot site.


From the Queens Chronicle:

Whitestone Lumber has agreed to lease its space to TD Bank, but the bank wants the location on 14th Avenue near the Cross Island Parkway upzoned. Residents in the community want less commercialization and are fighting the rezoning.

Whitestone residents have heard it before, and in a case of seeming deja vu, a business is seeking to upzone a block for a commercial enterprise.

TD Bank wants to build on the triangular-shaped property now occupied by Whitestone Lumber Corp., at 148-02 14 Ave., just off the Cross Island Parkway. The bank, which will lease the site and build a new structure, is seeking a C1-2 overlay that affects two plots, including an auto repair business that has a Board of Standards and Appeals special permit.

The issue will be heard at a Community Board 7 hearing on April 11, but at a Land Use Committee meeting last week, neighbors indicated their opposition to the plan. Marlene Cody, vice president of the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association, said members don’t wany any more upzoning in the community.

Cody noted her group had worked hard to get the area downzoned and believes if the project is approved, it will have a domino effect for further commercialization.

30 comments:

Tru Datt said...

It's not as if democracy works in Queens anyhow.

Anonymous said...

is not the TD bank a Toronto, Canada bank ? is not HSBC a Hong Kong,Shanghai,British bank?

why do they like our American depositors so much ?

Anonymous said...

What is the point of CB 7. They are completely useless. The only thing they do is know how to approve oversized projects for areas that can not support any more of them.

Anonymous said...

Not to worry Marlene, CB7 Land-use Committee's got you're Back! Har, Har, Har!

Jerry Rotondi said...

It appears that community board 7 is quickly becoming known as the board of the rubber stamp among its residents.

Why are developers so often perceived to be given carte blanche by them?

When questioned,
CB#7 often claims that a lot of the projects that come before them are "as of right".

That might be true but
many of us are beginning to feel that a lot of these are really as of wrong!

Our already over strained infrastructure can't handle any more mega building without prior improvement.

With all due respect---I'm sorry but I have to openly speak my mind---Mr. Kelty and Mr. Apelian.

I implore you to take the lead in curbing such reckless unbridled development without first attending to the building of adequate infrastructure.

After all---isn't that also part of your arduous (and I admit) unpaid but nevertheless---job?

I sympathize with your plight for I also haven't been paid for my tireless vigilance regarding the RKO Keith's since 1986.

So no more excuses please.

Now, lets go men!

It's time to step up to the plate and hit some home runs for CB 7's residents!

Anonymous said...

"After all---isn't that also part of your arduous (and I admit) unpaid but nevertheless---job?"
- - - - - - - - - - -
Are you sure it's unpaid?

Anonymous said...

Hey Danny Boy, is this "RESPONSIBLE DEVELOPMENT" AS WELL????

Anonymous said...

Not to worry Marlene, CB7 Land-use Committee's got you're Back! Har, Har, Har!

You meant HAIR HAIR HAIR DIDNT YOU?

Anonymous said...

I've never heard or seen this "Crown Auto Parts". The address it gives it not a valid one. It's supposedly 3 stores west from the Han Ah Reum supermarket.

I typed in Crown Auto Parts in google maps and nothing came up.

Can someone please clarify the location of "CROWN AUTO PARTS".

Anonymous said...

I believe Crown Auto parts is located somewhere to the left of the old RKO Keith's building.

Just what that side of the boulevard needs...even more uber-development.

Anonymous said...

Well at least those "sterling" lads at CB#7 aren't being paid above the table....Chuckle, Chuckle, Chuckle....eh Mr. Green ($$$$$$$) Jeans!

Perhaps the "little duke" of Wellington (heh,heh) sees that their nests are feathered....maybe with some well laundered loot from Taiwan.

Anonymous said...

Why not ask Mariyln Bitterman about a trip to Toronto that Mr. Chen helped her with....h-m-m-m?

Jack B. said...

Burp...fart!

That was a nice (free) filling dinner.

Anonymous said...

LOL...that Jack always speaks his ass.

Anonymous said...

Whew now Jerry is gonna get hosed by the FDNY.

Anonymous said...

The China connection runs through Toronto.

Isn'that city is home to the largest concentration of Chinese in Canada?

Bingo...is that where the Bittermans went?

Whew, $85 "G"s a year for CB#7's DM!

WELLINGTON CHEN, WELLINGTON CHE, WELLINGTON CHEN, WELLINGTON CHEN!

Marilyn's hero?

Shine the light on this elusive guy!

Nothing disinfects like a good dose of sunlight!

Anonymous said...

Ol' hollerin' Halloran...Dan dons his Theod mini dress then this pagan priest(ess) pimps for his developer pals!

"Let's raise a glass to Joey "d'or" my good drinkin' buddy".

Anonymous said...

Dan (s-s-h-h, Gambino) Halloran!

You didn't know he was Italian by injection?

Anonymous said...

You mean injection of cash?

Anonymous said...

Maybe.

"Payolla" isn't that an Italian word?

Anonymous said...

Isn't that Eric Palatnik in the photo?
Sleazy douchebag lawyer to the crooked-in-need-of-a-variance?

Anonymous said...

Lousy weaklies. There they go again reporting a story to make it so boring. Nothing about China, Canada, Halloran's religion, the mob, or Marilyn's hair. That's all up to us. Cheers to the Crapper!

Anony2 said...

Where is Whitestone Lumber moving to? It's probably a good spot for a bank, if you live over there, it's a far walk to the nearest ATM. But why can't they do it w/o upzoning?

I'm not sure how one can miss Crown Auto Parts, it is huge and thriving and has been there since the beginning of time. Corner of Prince St and the North side of Northern Blvd.

Anonymous said...

ANYONE KNOW WHERE THIS "CROWN AUTO PARTS" IS.

I cant find it anywhere.

U. R. N. Idiot said...

I cant find it anywhere.

Either you're a total moron or a total moron! I just Googled "Crown Auto Parts" and guess what came up???

Anonymous said...

ANYONE KNOW WHERE THIS "CROWN AUTO PARTS" IS.

I cant find it anywhere.

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

Did your mommy do your homework for you?

Anonymous said...

Ah...the bitter taste of Bitterman lingers long after CB#7 leaves for the day.

Does Marilyn ever make a move without first consulting with Wellington Chen?

We're all tired of hearing how tireless she is...working so hard for the community.

She gets paid well enough for it...$85,000 a year (above the table)!

Lately, it looks like everyone at CB#7 works for the developers.

ABOLISH ALL COMMUNITY BOARDS!

They're nothing but a pack of P.T. Barnum phonies!

CT Land Use Permitting said...

As a land planner in CT it is not surprising to see owners of commercial properties attempting to maximize their returns. You see this more and more as property values have declined but owner;s expenses have not.

Anonymous said...

Isn't that Eric Palatnik in the photo?
Sleazy douchebag lawyer to the crooked-in-need-of-a-variance?

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

Balding and getting fat. Is he related to the Stavisky's?

Anonymous said...

I live right next to Whitestone Lumber. I can't even begin to understand why a bank branch is worse than a lumber yard. Sometimes I feel like long islanders would go NIMBY on your ass even if you tried to build a temple made of 24 carat gold.