Sunday, November 18, 2012

Revised redistricting maps even worse

If you go to this link, you'll download the revised version of the NYC Districting Commission's proposed City Council district maps.

To summarize:

The Districting Commission's role is supposed to be to maintain communities of interest, which includes ethnic as well as well-defined neighborhoods with long-maintained boundaries. After the initial maps were drawn, the Commission came under great scrutiny for not doing very much at all and making all sorts of decisions that seemed contrary to their stated mission. They assured the public - and the elected officials - that the first map was "just a draft" and there would be great opportunity for the public to help to shape the process.

The maps as proposed by the Commission are quite damaging for Queens neighborhoods. Not only were certain areas not corrected as had been suggested, other areas that have always maintained cohesiveness within one district or another have been dramatically divided.

Here's a sample of what's wrong:

Mitchell-Linden - After putting the area west of Union Street into the 19th Council District, the Commission made a motion to place it back in the 20th, as per the wishes of the community. However, now the part of Mitchell-Linden east of Union Street has been placed in the 19th.

North Flushing - North Flushing north of 33rd Avenue west of 150th Street was placed in the 19th; groups had requested all of the R2A area, which includes a number of blocks between 33rd and 34th Avenues, again to keep the neighborhood intact.

Broadway-Flushing - Instead, the Commission dragged the 33rd Avenue boundary all the way to 169th Street, dividing Broadway-Flushing in two. Also, at 169th Street, the District line makes a right angle south all the way to Flushing Cemetery, severing off the most eastern blocks of Broadway-Flushing as well. It is scarcely believable that Broadway-Flushing, which has a clearly defined boundary at Northern Boulevard, has been divided in this fashion.

Station Road - Similarly, the Station Road area was previously divided north and south, mostly by Northern Boulevard. This is one of the few civic areas that straddles Northern Boulevard due to the entire area being zoned R2 or R2A. Now the area has been divided east and west at 169th Street, again with little rhyme or reason.

There are many council members who are unhappy with the way the lines were drawn. But if the council doesn't vote to reject this map by December 7th, the lines are accepted as is and will stay that way for the next 10 years.

9 comments:

Jerry Rotondi, BFHA member said...

Councilman Halloran, WHAT DO YOU intend to do about remedying this rotten situation, considering that I DID vote for you?

Anonymous said...

Halloran and Koo had better vote to REJECT these maps
in the city council.

If not...Koo, I wont vote for you!
And Dan...you are no longer my man!

Anonymous said...

The plan appears to be all about .carving up the old farm...breaking the back of the northeast for future development..10 or 20 years down the line.

ALL of you affected civic and homeowners associations had better find your spines PDQ!

If you don't grow some backbone, you'll be finding that your property values have just take a slide!

You Pollyannas, out there, had better go to boot camp and learn to fight...no more social teas or garden prizes. Fix bayonets!

Anonymous said...

It looks like the "esteemed" former NYS Senator Frank Padavan has screwed us all!

HE VOTED FOR ALL THIS!

What's the explanation? Has he lost his mind?

Has someone blackmailed him into to voting in favor of this mess, lest he be exposed for something questionable he did many years ago?

Who knows?

FRANK, YOU'RE A TRAITOR!

Anonymous said...

Where was "doofy" Dan Halloran when all of his went down...at his favorite watering hole?

The Flushing Phantom said...

Between the NYS Assembly and NYC Council district lines...Broadway-Flushing has been DRAWN and about to be QUARTERED...north and south...east and west!

There goes your united former political clout carved up into 4 quadrants like a nice fat pumpkin pie.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Padavan was offered a nice paying, cushy retirement job, in exchange for voting yes on this shit!

That seems like that's what just happened.

Jerry Rotondi said...

Frank Padavan--
I was just told that YOU voted in favor of these new district lines.

Frankly,
I'm shocked and very disappointed if that is so.
I'm displeased enough, that I've since changed my voter registration to Democrat.

I've always voted independently--while my wife is a lifelong Democrat.

Nevertheless, we both ALWAYS voted for you.

Throughout your 38 term in office, we have always considered you to be a respected man of great integrity.

I can personally confirm that you and your most efficiently run office have tirelessly served our community faithfully and extremely well for the 30+ years that we've lived in your district

For that I thank you most heartily--but
do I now have to now call you, "TURNCOAT" ?

You've got some explaining to do to many disappointed Broadway/Flushing residents.

Why did you vote in favor of these district lines?

Anonymous said...

What did anyone expect from a commission composed primarily of Manhattanites, aging politicians and business people, not one civic leader or community activist in the mix. At least in North Flushing, Broadway-Flushing and Station Road the changes appear to be designed to split communities that have fought against over-development and the continual and ever escalating assault on residential quality of life.