Monday, May 13, 2013

Lipstick on a pig

UPDATE: Chuck Apelian has called a CB7 Buildings Committee meeting for 5:30pm tonight.. Also, a multi-agency task force is sweeping through Phase 1 closing down businesses.

Reliable sources say that Queens Community Board 7 – whose Building and Zoning Committee voted last week 7-2 to deny the Willets West mall/Willets Point ULURP application – has contacted members of that committee and instructed them to set aside time beginning at 5:30PM this afternoon, Monday, May 13, in case the committee needs to convene again for an emergency meeting prior to the CB7 public hearing to be held tonight at 7:00PM.

If such an emergency committee meeting occurs, it can only mean one thing: That powers-that-be do not accept last Wednesday's "No" vote to deny the Willets West mall/Willets Point application, and want a last-ditch opportunity to strong-arm the committee into re-voting to approve the application with "conditions" prior to the start of the public hearing. The seeds for this were planted during last Wednesday's committee meeting, when board members who voted in the minority discussed with committee Chair Chuck Apelian the possibility of continuing discussions with the City and the developers, and possibly re-convening the committee prior to Monday's public hearing.

Last Wednesday's vote was duly taken after the committee had convened four separate times for a total of roughly 13 hours, during which the City and the developers had carte blanche to present whatever information they wished in support of the project. Having heard everything, the committee then voted to deny the application. If the committee does convene again on Monday, the application certainly will be unchanged, so there would seem to be no legitimate basis to solicit a re-vote, when a vote has already been taken. Doing so anyway would be just another example of project proponents stopping at nothing, as they have done before, to shamelessly push this Bloomberg legacy project.

With the CB7 committee having done its duty and made its decision, why should there be any interest in facilitating a reversal? Well, you should all know that Harry Giannoulis, a lobbyist for the Parkside Group (as well as former TLC Commissioner), has had private discussions with Chuck Apelian after committee meetings regarding Willets Point. Interestingly, neither Wachtel, Masyr & Missry, LLP nor Parkside have  listed Community Board 7 as a lobbying target as required by law. This document shows that people who lobby community boards must register as lobbyists. And once registered, the requirement is to disclose the "targets" of the lobbying on the periodic reports, which are filed 6 times per year. Check Flushing Willets Point Corona LDC's 2008 reports to see correct disclosure of "targets", including Apelian and Kelty. If Parkside is lobbying CB7, then everyone is entitled to an honest disclosure of that fact -- not more concealment, as Claire Shulman did during 2008. (Shulman's records were audited and corrected after Willets Point United shed light on her shenanigans.)

In addition, I have been informed by multiple CB7 members that there have been a series of clandestine meetings between a lot of them and Parkside lobbyists at the North Flushing Senior Center, a non-profit founded and funded by late State Senator Leonard and current State Senator Toby Stavisky, parents of Parkside co-founder Evan Stavisky. Hello, conflict of interest?

If this isn't enough proof that the EDC, Parkside and the Wilpons are cooking something up behind the scenes, then how about this: The Real Deal posted an accurate story on their website last Friday about the outcome of last Wednesday's CB7 committee vote, and then the next day deleted it and replaced it with a line of B.S. from "a spokesperson for the project" stating that the CB7 committee "voted to not vote" and did not vote on the project itself, which is patently false. A CB7 member rebutted the ridiculous assertion in the article's comments section and now The Real Deal has egg on its face.

I guess the bottom line here is that last week's vote seemed too good to be true...and we'll find out tonight if it was.

Prediction: Either there will be a hastily called committee meeting prior to the full board meeting to discuss conditions for voting yes, or Chuck Apelian will pull a list out of his pocket after the public hearing and make a motion to vote yes on them. The latter would be in blatant violation of the Open Meetings Law, but that never stopped him before.

With all this crap going on it begs the question:

WHERE THE HELL IS THE FBI????

I'll allow the project opponents to have the last word:

29 comments:

Jerry Rotondi said...

WHERE THE HELL--INDEED--IS THE FBI !!!

It seems that shenanigans are usually a standard part of doing business at CB7 !

Anonymous said...

That North Flushing Senior Center has gotten $500,000
from Toby Ann's coffers up in Albany.

It looks like they are using the seniors as a front for underground activities.

Pull in that Albany net and that fat Stavisky fish might finally be caught.

Anonymous said...

I smell...corruption...corruption...corruption !

Word around town has it that "follow the buck" Chuck Apelian has some sort of piece in that development project next to the old Baptist Church (off of Sanford Ave. and Union Street in Flushing).

Can that be true?

We're not talking about printing contracts for Chuck's "Prestone" company, either.

This story (with evidence, we believe) was given to a local reporter weeks ago. Is this just an unsubstantiated rumor that's been floating around?

But we haven't seen zilch! Nothing has run in the press, so far.

Maybe now it's up to "Queens Crap" to investigate and shine some light in the dark corners of the community board. These termites continue eating away at our neighborhoods.

Anonymous said...

"Velcro" domed Apelian has a lot to answer for.
Bring in the feds!

Kelty looks like he's been bending the elbow too much to even care any more.

All he does is bellow and rage at any contrary opinions that might be expressed by opponents of these kind of development projects.

Dump 'em both...then clean out the rest of the shady hoodlums at CB#7. A good high colonic might help do the job.

It's too late to administer a standard enema!

Anonymous said...

Closed door last minute meetings:
It all sounds very fishy!

Isn't it against the law to mix government (CB#7) business with not for profits (North Flushing Senior Center) activities?

Anonymous said...

Why don't they just meet at Apelian's home, like some meetings were held in the past?

How could you mr buck said...

When your fellow everyday cb7 members are turning you in than you know you've done wrong ..might be time to rethink your next move "chuck the buck" or your next career because all good things (for you that is ) come to an end

Anonymous said...

Isn't the community boards room next to claires in the nursing home chucky house anyway. Dealing and wheeling his way into the "" crapper""

Anonymous said...

what ever it is , they have to vote this down , it will kill Queens ,

Anonymous said...

In addition, I have been informed by multiple CB7 members that there have been a series of clandestine meetings between a lot of them and Parkside lobbyists at the North Flushing Senior Center, a non-profit founded and funded by late State Senator Leonard and current State Senator Toby Stavisky, parents of Parkside co-founder Evan Stavisky. Hello, conflict of interest?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Here we go again!!!


http://wwe1.osc.state.ny.us/transparency/contracts/
contracttransactions.cfm?Contract=OFA01-M095800-1010000


Vendor Name: NORTH FLUSHING SENIOR CENTER INC
Agency Name: Aging, State Office for the
Department/Facility Name: Office for the Aging
Contract Number: M095800
Current Contract Amount: $438,000.00
Spending to Date: $377,649.09
Contract Type: Community Projects Fund (Member Initiative)

Transaction Approved/Filed Date
Converted Contract $438,000.00 12/01/2009 12/31/2013 NUTRITION, OPERATIONS 07/20/2010

Are you wondering how $377,649.09 was spent so far? Me too!!! Hey FEDS!!! Are you paying attention???

Anonymous said...

North Flushing Senior Center and Dry Cleaning Service

Get your money laundered here. Tweeds get special discount!!!

Free lunch...NOT!!!

Anonymous said...

Senior centers are just secret banks evading taxes

Anonymous said...

Chucky really trying to pull this off...hope the Feds walk in on meeting.......oh we have a letter from the city chucky...says pick up your hair piece

Anonymous said...

Money talks in Queens.

Does anyone honestly think that this whole Community Board approach to projects is honest?

If the board shoots the Willets Point idea down they will be overridden by their Manhattan superiors.

Anonymous said...

What is this crap, a political do over for billionaires?

Hey Wilpon... You freakin' lost!

But as the owner of the Mets you should be used to that by now.

Anonymous said...

Where does Community Board 7 meet

Anonymous said...

Is Aplian a member of the board or is he getting paid by the developersIm watching this meeting and he seems to be doi g anything he can to help these guys

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Where does Community Board 7 meet
----------------------------------------------------------------
Overtly or covertly???

Anonymous said...

Wow, first time attending a CB7 meeting and I have a couple of questions.
Does Mr. Apellian work for the developers of this project? The reason I ask is because he was doing a great job trying to get this project approved by his Community Board.
My 2nd question is. I left before the vote was taken and don't know the outcome yet. But if it passed, did anyone think the ramp,affordable housing or school will ever get built?
No shot in hell will this phase of the project ever be built.

Anonymous said...

Yes chucky does work for the mets ....he's getting season tickets for this one....for sure he was biased and pushing plan 1000%

Anonymous said...

I see two pigs in this photo.
Or is one a hog and the other a sow?

"Soo-ey....soo-ey"!
It's feeding time at the trough.
Line up for your kickbacks....slurp, slurp!

Anonymous said...

We hear that Jack Bitterman still gets free USTA passes.

Anonymous said...

The Bittermans must be doing real fine.

Their Mitchell Gardens co-op is long paid off...kids already through college...and Marilyn is grossing $95,000 a year plus her hubby's income.

Why is she still DM of CB#7...to feed Jack better?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
The Bittermans must be doing real fine.

Their Mitchell Gardens co-op is long paid off...kids already through college...and Marilyn is grossing $95,000 a year plus her hubby's income.

Why is she still DM of CB#7...to feed Jack better?
--------------------------------------------------------
Hey loser! Your attacks on Marilyn Bitterman are falling on deaf ears. Ms. Bitterman is NOT a policy maker but she works very hard on behalf of community members every day. I've witnessed this first hand. It's a thankless job and unless you come up with specific reasons to attack this community board manager, than shut your face!!!

Anonymous said...

Every time that I see Apelian, I feel like I should hear him whining about how everybody loves Raymond.

Anonymous said...

You guys wanted them on someone like John Liu...

Anonymous said...

I'm a loser?
It sounds more like you are the one who's living in la-la land.

Marilyn Bitterman is the policy makers' enabler.
She works "very hard" for herself not the community.
I could work hard too for $95,000 a year.

Why are you always sucking her sphincter, buddy?

Is she a relative of yours, or do you get some of her kickback money?

Anonymous said...

Those don't sound like attacks...
merely the truth. Wazza matta, can't handle it?

Marilyn Bitterman is a mediocre overpaid bureaucrat.

Anonymous said...

I agree with that.
if she doesn't like her job, then quit.
She likes the money. That's why she's hanging in.