Monday, April 11, 2011

Halloran weaves tangled web on White House rezone

For reasons we don't quite understand, Councilman Dan Halloran has been adamantly supporting reputed Gambino crime family captain Joseph Franco's bid to build a giant "wedding factory" catering hall at the former White House restaurant on 154th Street in Whitestone. Mr. Franco was removed in 2009 from his long-term lease of the Caffe On The Green catering hall and restaurant next to the Cleaview Golf Course for not paying at least $120,000 that was owed to the city - and trying to hide it.

The way Mr. Franco wants to rebuild his catering empire is by upzoning 154th Street from R2A to an R3-1 with a C2-2 commercial overlay. I’m no expert, but the way the Department of City Planning describes it in their handbook is that it would go from only allowing small detached single-family houses to allowing big two-family semi-attached houses, and also allow commercial development as-of-right.

The immediate neighbors and the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association, which represents the area, want any owner of this or other presently non-commercially zoned properties to go through a Board of Standards and Appeals variance rather than a rezoning. This way, the current R2A zoning, which protects the area from overdevelopment, can remain while allowing for the owners to build something somewhat larger than the existing building.
White House, DCP

Mr. Halloran’s most recent previous position from late February was to support redevelopment of the White House site but not the rest of the block, leaving the two single-family houses in the R2A zone while leaving the door open for a solution including the possibility of a variance rather than a rezoning. This was codified in a letter to Councilman Weprin, who is the Chair of the Zoning Subcommittee of the City Council (see attached letter).
Halloran White House letter to Mark Weprin
Mr. Halloran has repeatedly broken his promises with the property owners and the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association; at the City Planning Commission hearing last week, he declared war on them.

As has happened time and again with this situation, from consistently defending a known Gambino family member Joe Franco; to constantly changing his story; to making promises that are never kept; Councilman Halloran dropped a bomb at the City Planning Commission hearing last week: he is calling parts of the 2006 Whitestone rezoning "illegal" and a "violation" of the law (see letter). For civic and homeowner groups that fought hard to rezone their neighborhoods to stop overdevelopment, his is a very dangerous statement for him to make. As for the actual city land use process, he is accusing City Planning, the Borough President, the Community Board and even the City Council that he is a part of that they are conducting illegal and unlawful actions every time a rezoning is completed, which is ridiculous and totally untrue.

For civic and homeowner groups that fought hard to rezone their neighborhoods to stop overdevelopment, his is a very dangerous statement for him to make. As for the actual city land use process, he is accusing City Planning, the Borough President, the Community Board and even the City Council that he is a part of that they are conducting illegal and unlawful actions every time a rezoning is completed, which is ridiculous and totally untrue.

The Whitestone rezoning, as well as all of the other ones in the 19th Council District finished over the last five or six years, were done carefully with input from all levels of government, civic associations and homeowners. If this upzoning goes through, every small commercial area that was purposely rezoned to keep the status quo (including an isolated corner deli or a small strip of stores mixed in with residential buildings, like the block that the White House is on) will have a precedent set for upzoning.

Already, another area zoned residential in Whitestone on the Cross Island Parkway is started the city land use process to try to get a commercial upzoning. Several other small strips in residential zones have commercial property owners clamoring for the same thing, including the owners of a building right across the street from the White House.

Councilman Halloran's actions don't make any sense. He's supposed to represent the residents and voters of his district FIRST. Seems to me that he's representing them LAST, and instead helping his campaign contributors, like Mr. Franco, at the community's expense. Is that what we hired him to do? If so, we are all in serious trouble.

- Anonymous Resident

You have to wonder why the community board and borough president are lined up behind this guy considering his past contractual default and his reputation. The NY Post reports that property owners who have spoken out against the rezoning have received threatening letters.

Senator Tony Avella has taken a much different stance than Halloran.

Photos from Daily News.

65 comments:

Anonymous said...

He's ON THE TAKE, plain and simple.
Did Hollerin recently declare bankruptcy?
What a failure this guy has been.

georgetheatheist said...

Who needs another Italian "ristorante"? Cook the damn spaghetti and meatballs at home yourself.

Anonymous said...

The article starts:"For reasons we don't quite understand,....."

'Just love these coy assertions.

Why not come out and say the obvious.

Gotta hand it to these gop goons, whether it is landlords or industrial polluter, or the tobacco lobby, they always find the bottommost dregs to finance them.


Its FBI time...again.

Anonymous said...

if one visits the 154street/10th avenue area to the most northern point, it is obviously a commercial area.

why it was zoned R-2A (one and two family homes) does not make sense. the n. queens area has many such combined business/ with a few residential, plots .

a elongated citibank structure is on the north corner, with two residential plots between the White House plot.the remainder of the block is small commercial stores, with second story apartments.

Halloran,s letters do not appear to be criminal.there is a bit of common sense in them. there has to be a re-evaluation of the zoning procedure. it is possible that it was done in a impractical way.

i just watched "mobster" on cable tv ch#123,investigation ID. the episode covered" Murder Inc.". the show never mentioned the mob sending a threat BY LETTER.

cool and clever minds can solve this problem in a positive way.

Anonymous said...

Instead of attacking Halloran, just think where we'd be if Halloran had lost to Kevin Kim.

Queens Crapper said...

"Gotta hand it to these gop goons, whether it is landlords or industrial polluter, or the tobacco lobby, they always find the bottommost dregs to finance them."

Yes, no Dems have ever been corrupt or bribed.

"Instead of attacking Halloran, just think where we'd be if Halloran had lost to Kevin Kim."

Yes, let's allow Halloran to do whatever he wants without question because the guy he beat would have been worse.

I understand why Queens constantly shat upon is the way it is.

It's the voters!

Anonymous said...

It's no secret...Dan's wife has left him for philandering, etc. and he is in debt...thousands and thousands of dollars worth!

Maybe "the dons" made "doofy" Dan an offer he couldn't refuse...maybe to pay off his debts if he successfully delivered his support for Joey "d'or" Franco's wedding factory...huh???

Why isn't a variance as good an up-zoning Dan?

Does Franco (an FBI confirmed Gambino family member) have plans to muscle the whole block for even further expansion in the future?

In any case, any civic association who trusts Halloran will wind up getting screwed by this crooked, quirky politician!

Anonymous said...

Why would ANY politician publicly support a zoning application put forth by someone with documented financial problems and documented criminal behavior?

Anonymous said...

A GRAVE WARNING TO ANY SHIRKERS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

All of the civics should stand united together in brother & sisterhood to support "Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Association" on this matter.

Any civic which fails to support them are little more than self serving cowards.

It will be so noted when the time comes that they might need support on an issue that hits close to their homes.

Anonymous said...

Let's see if the elitist Broadway Flushing Homeowners' Association has the courage to support Greater Whitestone Taxpayers.

Or will they find a convenient excuse that they shouldn't be involved in this.

Anonymous said...

"he (Halloran) is accusing City Planning, the Borough President, the Community Board and even the City Council that he is a part of that they are conducting illegal and unlawful actions every time a rezoning is completed, which is ridiculous and totally untrue. "


Queens Crap is always accusing our City Planning, Borough President, Community Boards and even the City Council of acting illegally and taking unlawful actions. Why should their rezoning of Whitestone be any different?

Anonymous said...

Kim or Halloran?
Tru dat! Kim would have been worse...but only by comparison.

Dan appears to be one big egotistical crooked fool!

But Dan ain't gonna see a second term...that's for damn sure!

His constituency won't re-elect him.

He's been a failure!

Anonymous said...

Looks like Chrissy is busy posting for her boss.

We know that Dan follows Queens crap every day!

Anonymous said...

At this point I'd vote for a Democratic cat over Halloran.

Hey walrus face Ragusa...say goodbye to the shred of power you think you've gained.

"Doofy" Dan "the hollerin' man" Halloran, just scuttled your submarine!

Your party is finished.

Anonymous said...

Is Dan on speed or cocaine...always red faced and super animated at meetings?

His behavior seems changeable...like he's become a mood swing king.

Maybe that's what mixing grain with Prozac does.

Maspeth said...

Hey, we'll gladly trade you Dizzy Lizzy Crowley, the bumbling marble-mouthed mentally challenged machine disgrace, for Hollerin' Halloran.

Anonymous said...

who do we think can beat Halloran in 2013?

Anonymous said...

If you have a Queens phone book nearby you have an answer.

Anonymous said...

All of the civics should stand united together in brother & sisterhood to support "Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Association" on this matter.

----
Yes, its called the QCC. Not satisfied with that answer? Surprise.

What is needed is a CITY-WIDE gathering of civic groups, preservationists, good government types to hammer out a new platform to revamp community boards, election campaigns, to ensure that taxpayer monies goes to benefit their communities and not agendas , and to get rid of the cult of development.

Anonymous said...

"who do we think can beat Halloran in 2013?"

"We"? Borg collective much?

Anonymous said...

Al Centola should run, no real Party affiliations and active in their community on a daily basis, not just during election time.

Anonymous said...

"who do we think can beat Halloran in 2013?"
- - - - - - - - - - -
Watch the usual Dem leftists - Behar, Markell, Vallone, etc.- battle it out to win the Dem Sept. primary, only to lose in Nov., in a mostly conservative district.

Anonymous said...

"who do we think can beat Halloran in 2013?"
- - - - - - - - - - -
Watch the usual Dem leftists - Behar, Markell, Vallone, etc.- battle it out to win the Dem Sept. primary, only to lose in Nov., in a mostly conservative district.

Anonymous said...

I guess Dan wants to grow up and be like Vallone Jr. some day.

Anonymous said...

I think that for the most part, the people that are involved in politics today - and those political wanna-bes - are from a culture that just substitutes one loser with another.

We need some new blood. We need some new ideas.

All you get is the same crap produced by the same guts.

Goodbye Katheeeee said...

Maybe people are still threatening people to get a point across. Maybe, just maybe, (not to excuse his so-far-not-acceptable actions), Halloran was out-and-out-threatened. Maybe he can't say anything??? Maybe he's just on the take, but so blatantly? I voted for this guy instead of that Kim guy. A lot of people in the neighborhood will miss the White House and its presence in Whitestone all these years. Whitestone is like a small town, and to disrupt a neighborhood with a big catering hall as opposed to a restaurant with a party room and catering is criminal. Mr. Franco could make a nice upscale spot with a nice party room, not a large catering hall in the middle of the neighborhood. Mr. Halloran, take control of the situation!!

Anonymous said...

Who needs another Italian "ristorante"? Cook the damn spaghetti and meatballs at home yourself.

YES GEORGE!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Paul Vallone WILL run again and beat "doofy" Dan the "hollerin' " man!

He would have won out last time if "chooch" Jerry Ianecce "big foot" didn't split off the vote.

That gave Ackerman a window of opportunity to introduce his Asian pay off man Kevin (Dukun) Kim into the picture.

You won't see a Korean stooge run in this very mixed district again.

Asians comprise ONLY %12 of the district.

Anonymous said...

I thought the Gambino guinea mobsters wouldn't let an Irish mick like Dan Hollerin' into the family business.

I was wrong.

"Welcome Don Dan!

Do this little thing for us and you're a made man".

Anonymous said...

On the take?
The Gambinos own Dan's ass!

Anonymous said...

Paul Vallone WILL run again and beat "doofy" Dan the "hollerin' " man!

He would have won out last time if "chooch" Jerry Ianecce "big foot" didn't split off the vote.

For the Record Vallone split the vote, Iannecce had the dem backing.Pauls ego got in the way.

Anonymous said...

Anyone know which committees Halloran is on at the Council? Who chairs the committees? Who got him on the cmmittees?

Halloran is Vallones bitch.

Halloran has done nothing for the neighborhood, he has been pro every new development from the 28 homes sitting on a superfund site with toxic waste, to the upzoning of the Cross Island Parkway area in Whitestone, to the old CYO developement where I read here a local civic group wanted to buy the land and turn it into a Grammarcy park Type park, to which Danny replied "teachers are being laid off , and Firehouses closing, there is no money" Unless you are Councilman Daniel Dromm and Boro President Marshall, then there is 5 Million dollars. Why would Halloran say that? Does the group have the letter?

Anonymous said...

tony avella is making much ado about nothing

he knows he has problem when dan halloran runs against him in the senate race

if tony avella is the true reformist he says he is he would go after the parkside group and their contracTs with the state senate and not franco whom avella is trying to make look like a cartoon character of a bygone era

GO DAN FOR STATE SENATE 2012

Anonymous said...

he knows he has problem when dan halloran runs against him in the senate race


If the Feds dont get to him first,

Anonymous said...

if u want to talk about federal corruption

look no further then the stavisky influence peddling racket and look at tony avella's connection to it

they can ride the hollywood gravy train and make a clown out of an franco

but when it comes to public corruption and influnece peddling look at the gang that "reformist" tony avella runs with

Anonymous said...

if u want to talk about federal corruption

While you may be correct, stick to the topic.

Halloran is selling out our neighborhood for a buck.

Anonymous said...

Dan Halloran like frank padavan and dems mike miller and ed braunstein is a good soul and a good public servant

although its cool to rag on elected officials there are some realy good people in queens who are trying there best in very ungrateful times to serve the public

Anonymous said...

Maybe Tony Avella can explain how he and John Young could take years to re-zone an area and then end up with a restaurant in an R2A zone. Didn't that make it a non-complying use?

Anonymous said...

How come a non-complying use was allowable for the White House Restaurant but not for the Auburndale M-1?

Anonymous said...

Spot zoning for the White House and the proposed TD Bank by the CIP will set a dangerous precedent for the rest of northeast Queens, especially along Northern Blvd where the community fought very hard to maintain the residential designation and will not tolerate anything else.

Anonymous said...

"GO DAN FOR STATE SENATE 2012"

You gotta be kidding. Even in that cloistered little enclave this guy is too much of an embarrassment.

Anonymous said...

who could beat Dan in 2013 ? hmm lets ponder? with the knee jerk manner that Queens democrats vote, maybe McGlaughlin, maybe Monserrat, maybe A. Hevesi, maybe Seminerio, maybe Leffler, maybe Donny Manes, etc .etc.

Anonymous said...

Is he gay?
He looks like a cartoon.

Anonymous said...

Remember, Dan Halloran ran on a platform to stop overdevelopement, and has done just the opposite. Unlike Tony Avella, Dan has never taken an independent stand on any issue. He couldn't shine Avella's shoes.

Anonymous said...

Anon No. 32:

I'm sure Avella is losing sleep worrying about Halloran's candidacy.

Maybe by 2012 Halloran will produce the "three Sanitation workers".

Anonymous said...

a man not to be trusted! he's a liar and cheating bastard..

georgetheatheist said...

You should all be ashamed of yourselves attacking a man of God (er, gods.)

Anonymous said...

Look. Let's get real. If Parkside decides to make the race a priority, whoever they chose will win. They ran Avella's first campaigns for Council. He won. They ran Avella's campaign against Padavan. He won. They ran Braunsteins campaign. He won. Etc etc.

Anonymous said...

Oops. Looks like Mr. Halloran got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. All politicians are schemers. All the care about is money. Sadly, nothing will happen to him because the laws don't apply to politicians..only us common folk.

Anonymous said...

Look. Let's get real. If Parkside decides to make the race a priority, whoever they chose will win. They ran Avella's first campaigns for Council. He won. They ran Avella's campaign against Padavan. He won. They ran uetc.

_______________________________

Not exactly. Parkside ran Jerry's campaign and then took Kevin Km under their wing, lost both elections.

Oh and for Dan Halloran, if anyone remembers, the man didn't even have a campaign office until after the primary was over. He never expected to win this election and prob doesn't care about this district. All he cares about is getting his name out so he can make a run for Avella's Senate seat.

Dan Halloran said...

Its the sanitation workers fault!!

Anonymous said...

Forgot to mention, Dan is just getting buddy buddy with these super rich guys for some donations when his council seat is up. His war chest was WEAK when he ran for Council.

Anonymous said...

Yeah Parkside did such a great job in the last City Council race with Jerry Iannece! LOL! I guess Parkside will offer to sell the Democratic Party endorsement to the highest bidder. I wonder if that's legal?

Anonymous said...

i wonder how many commenters have actually viewed the 154 street area from the l.i.Sound to 9th and 10 th avenue ?a photo on Q.C. would confirm that this section is mostly commercial. especially on the west side of the street.

the rezoning R-2a is questionable?

the plow never touched the snow on my block,after three days of waiting to get off the block,at xmas.
although i feel bloomberg is a jerk, he was not driving the ,raised shovel , plow.

it happened ,deal with it....

stop the name calling and contribute a positive resolution to the civic problems.

Anonymous said...

How is Evan Stavisky a district leader in Queens when he lives in Rockland County?...his wife is the Chairman of the Rockland County Democrats.

Does he need that District Leader position to sell Queens County Democratic Party endorsements to candidates that hire Parkside?

Anonymous said...

it would be interesting to compare the revenue to n.y.c. of the newly operated, "Valentino's on the Green,Sept.9,2010,to the present, with that of the former "Cafe on the Green" business revenue?

did the taxpayers of n.y.c. lose or gain revenue, with the franchise revocation to proprietor Joe Franco ?

Anonymous said...

The Vallones, Parkside, Brian Meara, Franco, developers!

Northeast Queens is owned by lobbyists and special interests!

Anonymous said...

Good question

how is evan stavisky district leader?

with all that civic partcipation in northeast queens. how does he get away with it?

wheres warren schreiber and all these self anointed civic leaders?

Anonymous said...

"wheres warren schreiber and all these self anointed civic leaders?"



Warren is a Toby ass kisser. he ain't going to say anything that will make her angry.

Anonymous said...

No dem hacks or civic leaders will challenge the stavisky rackets.

Anonymous said...

And the RepubCons barely try.

Anonymous said...

The lobbyist/special interests use their access to money to buy these seats.

Stavisky is flush with Parkside lobbying money.

Look at Ed Braunstein. He's an empty suit that has done nothing except answer Shelly Silver's phone. Yet his lobbyist Uncle gave him $230,000 of special interest money to buy an Assembly seat. Now Northeast Queens has an idiot no-nothing Assemblyman who is owned by his lobbyist uncle.

Anonymous said...

We need new blood to run against the stavisky rico clan restore integrity back to queens. Any suggestions????

Anonymous said...

We need new blood to run against the stavisky rico clan restore integrity back to queens. Any suggestions????

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


Al Centola

Anonymous said...

Franco is related by blood to a couple of wiseguys... and he once delivered a lunch order to the Ravenite Social club. Wow! That must make him a "Mafia captain" -- to the stupidest among us.
In the meantime, Halloran got more for the district in two years than Avella did in eight. A list of Tony's accomplishments in the council can be written on the back of a postage stamp.