Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Profiles in gerrymandering: Mitchell-Linden

Redistricting Maps 1
Whitestone / North Flushing

The Commission has proposed that six blocks of the Mitchell-Linden apartment complex,
six-story buildings located west of Union Street, should be removed from the 20th
Council District and placed into the 19th (Figures 1 and 2). These blocks - which
represents only about half of the Mitchell-Linden Civic Association area - were curiously carved out of the 20th, seemingly with no context; not only did it divide a previously united neighborhood, it is surrounded on three sides by the 20th, with its only connection to the 19th adjacent to the Whitestone Expressway on the west, across from the College Point Corporate Park.

Based on conversations with the Mitchell-Linden Civic Association, the Queens Civic
Congress believes that these six blocks should revert back into the 20th Council District.

An appropriate addition to the 19th from the 20th would be the portion of North Flushing located in the 20th (Figure 3) - both in terms of comparable population (Figure 7) - as the remainder of this area is already in the 19th.

The North Flushing area - approximately 38 blocks, or 25%, of the primarily detached
single-family, low-density R1/R2 residential neighborhood (Figures 4, 5 and 6) north of Northern Boulevard that stretches between Union Street and Francis Lewis Boulevard - is currently located in the 20th Council District. It has no relation to the adjacent areas of high-density downtown Flushing to the south or the Mitchell-Linden Cooperative apartment buildings to the west, but is consistent and has a "common interest" with the rest of North Flushing to the east and should be placed entirely within the 19th Council District. QCC's recommendation is supported by the North Flushing Civic Association, which represents the immediate area, as well as the adjacent organizations to the east:

Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association, Bowne Park Civic Association,
Auburndale Improvement Association and the North East Flushing Civic Association.
This "district swap" has also been endorsed by the Mitchell-Linden Civic Association.
In addition, two blocks should be added to the 20th from the 19th: a single block of
garden apartments in Whitestone at 20th Avenue and Parsons Boulevard; and a block
filled with six-story apartments at Northern Boulevard between Murray and 153rd
Streets. These changes would generate less gerrymandered district lines as well as
including higher density in District 20 where it is more in keeping with other similar areas.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

There goes the neighborhood!

PS How does Toby Stavisky's North Flushing Senior Center fit into this equation?

Anonymous said...

I think that these maps
might be a little above everybody's heads...
especially Queens' dull heads.

Anonymous said...

If this keeps Halloran out of Congress, I'm all for it!
Set loose those rabid Democrats on Danny boy!

Anonymous said...

use·less/ˈyo͞osləs/
Adjective:
1.Not fulfilling or not expected to achieve the intended purpose or desired outcome.
2.Having no ability or skill in a specified activity or area: "he was useless at football".
3. Mitchell-Linden Civic Association

Anonymous said...

What percetage of election districts were already sliced this year?

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget that the community lost a major supermarket as reported in Queens Crap last June:
http://queenscrap.blogspot.com/2012/06/flushing-supermarket-threatened-with.html

With the anchor store closed, the rest of the businesses at the Lindenvue Shopping Center are hurting!

The question is where are the elected officials that allegedly represent the neighborhood? The Mitchell-Linden Civic Association has been silent on the matter. Maybe change will be good...

Anonymous said...

Is Austin Shafran useing Evan Stavisky's Pad.

Anonymous said...

Fellow posters -

I don't care how much you hate the Mitchell-Linden Civic Association and their political cronies.

This post has nothing to do with the CIVIC ORGANIZATION, just the NEIGHBORHOOD.

If the Mitchell-Linden neighborhood wants to stay in the 20th CD, let them. If North Flushing wants to go into the 19th CD, let them as well. It makes sense, from what I can tell from the maps.

Anonymous said...

"Doofy" Dan Halloran
doesn't want any of these Mitchell-Linden Democrats added to his district. He'd wind up out of a job.

At least he's showing some smarts on that.

Broadway Bob said...

Except for a few ignorant die hards,
nobody wants Halloran representing our nabe.

Anonymous said...

This post has nothing to do with the CIVIC ORGANIZATION, just the NEIGHBORHOOD.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Bull! Without a strong civic association, a community suffers greatly. Look what's going on across the Whitestone Expressway in College Point. Same deal! The Mitchell-Linden Civic Association does NOTHING but shill for local elected officials. Photo op anyone? Someone must've hit a nerve by the previous comment. Truth is truth. Name one thing the Mitchell-Linden Civic Association has done lately. We're waiting!

Anonymous said...

Name one thing the Mitchell-Linden Civic Association has done lately. We're waiting!
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We're STILL waiting!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Name one thing the Mitchell-Linden Civic Association has done lately. We're waiting!
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We're STILL waiting!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

STILL waiting, MLCA troll.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmmmm. I guess the MLCA troll realized he/she was beaten. As it says above, the association is useless for the community and that's a fact that's hard to dispute!