Sunday, February 7, 2016

New law proposed to protect old neighborhoods

From the Times Ledger:

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has announced plans to introduce legislation that would create special architectural districts throughout the state. The move was prompted by the Broadway Flushing neighborhood’s losing battle for city landmark status.

The bill, still in draft form but to be introduced in the new legislative session, would create a process allowing residents to petition for their neighborhood to be protected by their local zoning authority from non-contextual architectural styles, Avella said.

Avella said under his bill, petitions for architectural district designation would require residents to detail a plan with the special design characteristics reflected in their neighborhood, which would have to be approved through a public hearing process.

Under the concept, the city Department of Buildings or any equivalent agency in other municipalities would be made to enforce the design limits set by the architectural district designation.

27 comments:

Unknown said...

Wonderful idea! Thanks Tony, keep us posted, we will do whatever it takes to get this bill passed.

Anonymous said...

They have this in Manhasset and IT WORKS. Now the Asians, Bukarians speculators and builders looking to "block-bust" avoid like the plague and look elsewhere.
One Asian wiseguy did carry on building a cement shitter and now he must take it down or the town will do it for him. In the Town of North Hempstead they put will put a stop work order and lean on your property if go out of compliance. The police will even arrest you, ask the former building inspector who is still in jail.

Problem is Avella is going to have a hard time getting this enacted because in racketeer city your not only facing progressive democrats but big payola, professional crook lawyers moonlighting as politicians with hands in each others laps from Far Rockaway to Albany.

Anonymous said...

Another layer of nonsense paperwork and another layer of tax funded employees feeding off the government teat!

Isn't it clear it doesn't matter what process you have or what plans you make them submit, they will build whatever they want and there is no punishment?

Typical waste of taxpayer money!

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
Another layer of nonsense paperwork and another layer of tax funded employees feeding off the government teat!

You sound very bitter and not too smart. This bill could save many neighborhoods. You need to pull that bitter pickle out of your butt.

r185 said...

This is a great idea. What's being destroyed is not just the individual buildings and homes,it's the character of our neighborhoods.

Anonymous said...

Another layer of nonsense paperwork and another layer of tax funded employees feeding off the government teat!

You are either stupid or a paid shill.

Either way SHAME ON YOU!

Jerry Rotondi said...

Great idea, Tony!
I had asked former Assemblyman Morton C. Hillman to do something similar back around 1987.
He just shrugged his shoulders and told me that it was impossible.
I hope that it is more possible now!

Anonymous said...

I hope this doesn't wind up in the mud.
Tony has a lot of enemies who have put roadblocks in front of a lot of his bills.
"Intro" is one thing. "Passed" is another.

Anonymous said...

Good morning, shill.
So you would prefer having Broadway destroyed.
Hmmmm....must be one of Vallone's real estate lobbying crew.
Vallone is not above shitting in his own backyard.
The Vallone's did it in Astoria. They crapped all over it.
Hey, the family business comes before serving the public.
I love it when the Vallones claim to have served the public since, yadda, yadda, yadda.
I think they meant "service" as in a bull fucking a cow!

Anonymous said...

That was Manhasset and North Hemostead. This is NYC, and they will find ways to override a state measure.
Uh, doesn't the city council have to approve enforcing Tony's Law? "Aye, there's the rub" , as Hamlet said.

Anonymous said...

Another shot in the dark by another vote seeker.

Anonymous said...

I think that there are still a couple of Libertarian Party goofball trolls still checking out this subject on Queens Crap.
Their screws always need a little tightening. Par for their course. Ed K. and the boys, maybe?

Anonymous said...

Nah it's John W. resident outspoken kook.

Jerry Rotondi, BFHA member said...

Let's see if Councilman Vallone is in favor of Senator Avella's bill.
He's a developers' lobbyist and is anti landmarking.

The councilman vehemently opposed a historic district extension for Douglaston Hill recently, in the form of a letter to the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission. Was one of his clients property located within that proposed extension?

Paul Vallone's little farce of touring Broadway with the LPC chair was well rehearsed, I'm sure.
He had to pre-empt Tony Avella's Saturday rally, and try to fool us into thinking that he'd done his best for us.

BS!

So where has our silent councilman been since, regarding our historic district?
Any Vallone sightings, anyone..... besides watching him trying to force feed a new high school into an area that was opposed to it?
I await the deluge of critism following my blunt post. Lay it on!



Anonymous said...

Jerry,
Hillman was a Stavisky stooge. The Stavisky's get their money from the real estate industry like everybody else. They fake caring about neighborhood preservation but they are skillful liars. Look at son of bitch, Evan Stavisky and the Parkside Group.
The Stavisky's always had one of the largest political campaign war chests in the business.They did not get it selling Girl Scout cookies.
What about their North Flushing Senior Center. Is it really a money laundry? Feigning doing good, they charge seniors for lunch and it's a great vote getter operation for the Stavs.

Anonymous said...

Right on about Vallone!
This treacherous chooch comes smiling to meetings and tries to purport himself as a man of the people.
He's the real estate industry's man, bought and paid for like the rest of the Vallone vermin.
He will destroy northeast Queens like his grandfather, father and brother have done to Astoria!
Vallone has wormed his way into St. Andrew's parish and used the church as a platform for election.
An awful lot of my fellow church goers are wise to this devil's spawn.

Anonymous said...

Is BFHA prepared to send a bus load of supporters of this bill up to Albany if necessary?
Not if it's in the middle of garden judging season. Tea and sympathy is likely all you'll see on their part.
Douglaston Hill Civic once filled a bus years back , and went to directly to the LPC's doorstep.
If that's what it takes, that's what was done!

Jerry Rotondi, proud BFHA member said...

You are good at criticizing the homeowners' association.
Do you do anything but complain?
At least BFHA still has enough power to get our borough president to attend a general meeting.
The problem was, Melinda Katz just came to do a commercial for her office and pat herself on the back.
It was real estate money and your votes that got her elected.
Making an appearance does not mean that she is our friend. It made for a great photo op, though.

Anonymous said...

GREAT IDEA! It's worth a try, but there has to be an enforcement component built in.
Areas of Queens still have that attractive "storybook" look.....Tudors on lush green knolls with winding slate paths, mature landscape on wide lots.
Get this done before its all gone.

Anonymous said...


Always someone has something derogatory the say about BFHA and their members.

Listen fuckers:
BFHA is not the problem here.
The corrupt, grand standing, phony, tweeding politicians are.
Lay the blame where it belongs and start voting these pieces of garbage out of office.


Anonymous said...

BFHA IS PART OF THE PROBLEM!
THEY REMAINED TOO LAX FOR TOO DAMNED LONG!
THEIR RECENTLY FOUNDED COURAGE MIGHT BE TOO LITTLE AND TOO LATE,

Do you really think that just voting out the crooked Vallone will solve the problem here?
Broadway Flushing has been earmarked for development, within the current zoning allowable.
That's city planning's plan, which has been backed by powerful political forces.

BFHA's recent acting up is just passing wind to try a blow away an oncoming tornado.
What are the ladies serving for tea next week?


resident since 1961 said...

The only ace in the hole that BFHA has, is their successful lawsuits which have defended their Rickert Finlay deed restrictions.
Eventually, the money will run out to cover these costly lawsuits.
That is exactly what the real estate vultures are waiting for....and the "patience of an Oriental" should never be underestimated.

Anonymous said...

If I were BFHA I would put my energies into beefing up the legal defense fund.
It's low. I keep on giving contributions. Rickert Finlay covenants are all that we have that can be counted on.
Avella, though a good friend, has extremely limited power. We thank him.
But money talks and reform politicians, like Tony, are told to take a walk by his shady colleagues.

Anonymous said...

Maria can always tell Paul the nabe's troubles.
And we shall overcome, someday.
This finnocchio is afraid to talk with anyone else.

Anonymous said...

Yawn....another new law.
We cannot even get enforcement on all of the good old ones.
At least Tony is showing up those crooked SOBs that are doing nothing.
Wake up Consiglieri Vallone.
Aren't you supposed to be working for us?
Too tired from moonlighting for REBNY?

Jerry Rotondi, BFHA member said...

If Paul Vallone did his job properly there would be no need for this bill.
Senator Avella has to clean up Vallone's dirty stable. Thank you senator....sincerely!
If BFHA's president would stop kissing up to Vallone, and demand more of him than token measures,
our neighborhood would be in far better shape than it is.

Anonymous said...

How come that BFHA did not stand with their fellow civic associations, like Westmorland, in pointing out that Vallone's bill to list restrictive covenants did not go far enough with enforcement?
BFHA always played their political games two faced. They kissed political ass and tried to stand together with other civic groups
(supposedly speaking).
Yet it took them how many years to officially become an actual member of Queens Civic Congress?
Don't upset the apple cart was always their credo. Cover your ass from both ends. Don't upset the local pols. Don't upset the civics.
They always sought to straddle the fence. They still do, thinking that their shit is ice cream , and that they will be protected if they do not make waves. These recent demos are just a show. The church ladies hostesses still run the BFHA show. Their president is one of them.