From Sunnyside Post:State Sen. Mike Gianaris and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer spoke at the board meeting and expressed their opposition to it. They both said that Sunnyside Gardens was the wrong location for the aluminum house. Furthermore, they questioned the building materials being used for the residential component of the development.
Congressman Joseph Crowley sent a representative to make clear that he opposed it.
Whoa! What's going on here?
8 comments:
Doesn't JVB live in Sunnyside Gardens?
It can only mean one thing - they have something much worse in mind for the community for the ultimate use of that land.
Yes, Stonewall Van Bramer lives in SSG and we simply have Mystery Mike paying him back some favor.
When our council delegation makes the same noises on preservation the Brooklyn and Manhattan contingent then we could say they have religion.
On the downside, SSG, which has a bit of an uppity reputation in the area is calling everyone for support expecting it as an entitlement (fine) but causally rejecting any form of reciprocation (will not get far in life kiddies without knowing politics).
The entire preservation community is long overdue for a real reality check.
Yes JVB does live in the Sunnyside Gardens historic district. He surely doesn't want to crap up his own nabe with this out of context aluminum beer can eyesore.
However Van Bramer doesn't seem to favor preserving the world renowned "5 Pointz" outdoor art museum in LIC, which is located within his councilmanic district.
In fact, JVB will soon be voting on the owner's plans to approve building two 40+ story buildings on that site.
Oops--did I forgot to mention that Van Bramer also got thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the Wolkoff family--which owns the "5 Pointz" site?
Any guess as to how councilman Jimmy will be casting his vote regarding the Wolkoff plan (unless the councilman recuses himself)?
Any way the chips may fall regarding "5 Pointz--it still looks like Jimmy's in the pocket of the real estate developers, doesn't it?
And I do hope that Jimmy's chief of staff is reading this.
Hello, uh what's your name again?
The developers were stopped.
Luv, Jane grissom
I must be crazy. I kinda like the look of those aluminum houses.
Great Jane, so a few pols got together and did some horse trading.
Like with Norwood Gardens and that inane photo op that Vallone got on the steps of City Hall saying "Astoria Saved", they nipped in the bud any chance at any benefit to the community at large, or reform in the entire rotten system, by throwing some doggies bones your way for a few blocks - while the rest of the community and borough continues to sink.
Somehow your neighbors outside your little circle is not busting out the champagne.
Since Queens Crap has the well earned reputation (beyond the usual foamer rants or hack postings - things to be expected in 'democratic' discussions) of going beyond the headlines this issue - and its comments here demonstrate a serious flaw in the landmark / preservation efforts in NYC: it is a law funded by public money whose execution is entirely dependent not on merit, but on the whims of politicians.
This issue was won on horse-trading because a politician lived in the district - indeed landmarked because a few people with the right connections lived in the district.
Don't get me wrong, it should have been landmarked and is deserving of that designation.
But any law that depends on whim, and is supported by public funds, rather than merit, should be taken off the books.
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