Developer leaves cats to die in gutted Ridgewood building

I'm posting this so you can understand the level of depravity of the developers that have infiltrated our communities. The background is dark, so please click on the Facebook post to read it.

In an era where a worker death is simply written off as the cost of doing business, it's no surprise that animals are being subjected to this.



Although the above post claims a stop work order is in effect, there is none as evidenced by DOB's own website:

Ain't gentrification at any cost just grand?

Illegal hotel busted in Little Neck

From the Queens Chronicle:

A house where Airbnb guests stayed on Beechknoll Avenue in Little Neck has been removed from the rental website by the host and the building was hit last month with a vacate order from the Department of Buildings over its usage as a hotel.

The owner of 249-23 Beechknoll Ave., the cellar of which was being used as a living space, could not be reached for comment before deadline.

The building received three Environmental Control Board violations for occupancy contrary to the certificate of occupancy, work without a permit in the basement and failing to provide ingress and egress. They were issued on June 14 along with the vacate order, according to the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement.

“The overwhelming majority of hosts in Queens are responsible home sharers who respect their neighbors and take pride in introducing visitors from around the world to their borough,” Airbnb said in an emailed statement to the Chronicle.

The company did not immediately respond when asked when the listing was removed.

Gov. Cuomo signed legislation last year banning advertisements for short-term rentals in “Class A” multiple dwellings. But it did not ban using Airbnb to rent a single-family homes like the one on Beechknoll Avenue or two-family ones.

Willets Point is open for business

Kosciuszko, meet Pulaski

I've seen plenty of photos of the old Kosciuszko passing under the new one and it sailing below the Brooklyn Bridge but George the Atheist had a pretty interesting perspective from the raised Pulaski Bridge and other vantage points. And the old photo at the top of his post looks 50 years old but it was only taken 4 years ago.

Is Calamus Avenue water safe to drink?

From the Queens Tribune:

Ben Geremia, a 60-year resident of the street, said that, in 2015, he saw that the city Department of Design and Construction’s contractor, CAC Industries Inc., had installed a red rubber hose as a temporary water supply for his home.

Geremia took a photo of the rubber hose, found the manufacturer and called to ask for its use. According to Geremia, the manufacturer does not recommend the hose for use of drinking water. He noted that a few days later, he spoke with CAC’s foreman and had the hose removed from his house.

Then, a clear hose was installed a few days later and Geremia once again consulted the hose’s manufacturer to discover that it was also used for non-potable water. Eventually, his home received the correct temporary hose.

Two years later, he was astonished to discover that CAC Inc. was uncovering red hoses buried in the ground and supplying water to his neighbors.

He points out that he was the only one who complained and [although he has no evidence], he is worried that his neighbors are not getting quality drinking water.

Cops dig up Kissena Park looking for MS-13 victims

From the Daily News:

Cops were digging in a Queens park Friday afternoon for the bodies of two possible victims of MS-13, according to sources.

Police could be seen unloading heavy excavation equipment at Kissena Park near 164th St. and Underhill Ave. in Flushing around 5 p.m., witnesses said.

One source said that cops were investigating after they received a tip and another law enforcement source said that the bodies could be related to MS-13 killings.

Telling it like it is

Ray Rogers condemns NYC's rezoning policies as REBNY policies that benefit fat cat developers like Rob and Jerry Speyer (Tishman Speyer), Jed Walentas (Two Trees Management), Gary Barnett (Extell Development Company) and Daniel Brodsky (The Brodsky Organization). Rogers says REBNY is run by "bullies and racketeers" while speaking at Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's rezoning hearing in East Harlem (7-13-17).

Catastrophe on Calamus

From the Queens Chronicle:

Stringer explained during the walk that the contract between the DDC and CAC Industries, the contractor doing the work, indemnifies the city from being directly sued by residents.
Instead, those impacted by the work are advised to go through their insurance company and that of CAC Industries.

Representatives for Stringer told the Chronicle on Monday that it is standard for the city to be indemnified from lawsuits while it works with an outside contractor who has its own insurance.
Juniper Park Civic Association President Bob Holden — who is running against Crowley in September’s Democratic primary — said in a Monday interview the city’s lack of accountability in situations like these “stinks to high heaven.”

“People have gone through years of hell,” Holden said. “They shouldn’t have to go through their insurance companies to get satisfaction here.

“Why does the city continue to hire these guys? Do they not have many good contractors or do good contractors not want to do business with the city?” he continued. “Are they putting less-qualified contractors into neighborhoods that are working class? Would this be allowed in Manhattan?

In a June letter sent to Calamus Avenue residents, Crowley advised filing a claim with DDC and Stringer’s office, as well as referring to one’s own homeowner’s insurance policy to see if there’s a time frame for filing claims.

...A little more than a week later...
From the Queens Chronicle:

Wu and Guillen were two of a number of residents along the block who tried to file claims with their homeowners insurance companies.

They’ve all been unsuccessful, however. Guillen said she was told that losses stemming from “earth movement” are not covered.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Glendale) and a spokesman for city Comptroller Scott Stringer said residents with damage to their property should report it to CAC as soon as possible.

“The company contracted with the city on this project is responsible for fixing any and all damages,” Crowley said in a statement. “All homeowners should document and report their damages to both the company and the city.”

CAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment by press time.

Does anyone here know what the hell they are doing or care that these people's homes were damaged by a city contractor?

Kew Gardens to honor Rodney Dangerfield

From DNA Info:

A plaque honoring the late stand-up comedian and actor Rodney Dangerfield will be unveiled next week near a Kew Gardens building where he grew up.

The bronze sign will be first displayed during a kickoff party for the inaugural Kew Gardens Festival of Cinema on Aug. 4, beginning at 8 p.m., in a garden located between Austin’s Ale House’s Trackside Cafe and the Kew Gardens Long Island Rail Road station.

For a good laugh check out Karen Koslowitz discussing why a street dedication in Rodney's honor was rejected but the Ramones was accepted.

Graziano Files Court Case Against Vallone; Claims Petitions are Permeated with Fraud

Graziano v. Vallone Papers by Paul Graziano on Scribd

On Tuesday, July 25th, 2017, Democratic New York City Council Candidate Paul Graziano filed suit against his opponent, the incumbent Paul Vallone, in order to remove him from the Democratic Party ballot line in the 19th District due to massive fraud and forgery in his petitions.

"The Supreme Court in Queens County has received our papers and we look forward to presenting our case," said Graziano.

32 allegations of fraud? Holy crap!

Rockaway hostel vacated

From DNA Info:

The city shut down a "dangerous" illegal hostel run by a controversial operator who advertised the home as an airy getaway close to the beach — which hosted as many as 22 people at a time without proper exits or fire alarms, officials said.

Drifter Inn, at 427 Beach 69th Street, put up to eight people in a room inside the two-family Victorian home, renting bunk beds out at $35 a night on weekdays and $50 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The hostel was operated by Laura Jones, who has now been permanently banned from Airbnb, a company spokesman said.

In 2014, Jones tried opening the Hostile Hostel — which caused a stir over bungalow names including the “wife beater” and “gang violence.”

It later closed due to controversy surrounding the room themes, which Jones said was just a joke.

She did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

On July 13, the Department of Buildings and the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement ordered a full vacate of the new hostel, saying it was illegally converted from a two-family residence to include seven furnished rooms lacking necessary exits, fire alarms or sprinklers.

Latin Kings busted in Woodhaven

From the Queens Chronicle:

Seven members and associates of a Latin Kings sect known as the "Woodhaven Mayans" were arrested and now face narcotics and weapons charges, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown announced Friday.

The gang operated primarily within the confines of the 102nd and 106th precincts, according to Brown.

“A morning wake-up call by the police armed with a court-authorized search warrant earlier this week resulted in the arrest of seven individuals – six men and one woman – and the seizure of a large quantity of illicit drugs and a defaced firearm," Brown said in a statement. "These arrests should serve as a warning to other drug dealers and gang members that the law enforcement community will continue to aggressively track down those who traffic in drugs and illegal firearms and seek to put them in prison.”

The defendants were identified as David Golden, Jesus Merced, Janet Rodriguez, Alberto Santiago, Malik Santiago, Edgardo Torres and Travis Gonzales. Torres, Gonazalez and Golden are listed as Queens residents with no specific neighborhood and Merced in from Hempstead, LI. Rodriguez and both Santiagos are from Ozone Park.

Why secret shelters are a bad idea

From the NY Post:

The homeless shelter that housed four young men accused in a gang sex assault on a Queens churchgoer opened last year without any notice to the neighborhood — because “confidentiality and privacy are important” to the program, City Hall said Monday.

Residents near the 21-bed facility in Jamaica were furious to learn it was operating under their noses and blasted officials for not alerting them, with one saying, “The city should put a sign there.”

“It’s not safe for the community not to know,” added Josephine Alarcon, a stay-at-home mother of three who lives a block away.

Mayor de Blasio pleaded ignorance on Monday when asked about the community outrage over the homeless shelter, which serves youths ages 16 to 21 and is about a half-mile from where the assault occurred.

Old Kosciuszko span lowered to water

George the Atheist has more photos on his page.

If you want something fixed, call the media

From NY1:

Harnisher spent months trying to get the city to fix his property, but instead, he said he got the runaround. That all changed after the 78-year-old reached out to NY1 and we reported on the problem last week. City representatives and EIC have had several meetings since then. The city says repairs will begin next week.

"They have a plan that they are going to put things together with DDC from the city, and they are overseeing it, and they are going to put additional rocks, bring the levels up and address some of these issues," Harnisher said.

Harnisher allowed the city to use his property after they gave him a written promise to return it to its original condition. Initially, the city told us Harnisher would have to go through his insurance company to recover the thousands of dollars in pool repair costs. But since our report, he's reached a comprise with EIC.

"Thank God, speaking to you folks," Harnisher said. "I was frustrated since the middle of April."

Harnisher says he hasn't gotten a date yet as to when the actual construction will start, but he's happy things are finally moving along. He'll be even happier once the job is done.

Scammers sought in phony apartment rental scheme

From PIX11:

Several New Yorkers hoping to move into new apartments were the victims of a scam, police said Monday.

The culprits met with the victims over the last few months and identified themselves as apartment owners, police said. They took deposits from victims and gave them keys for already-occupied apartments.

The scam started on April 1 when a man took a $1,400 deposit from a 40-year-old woman in Jackson Heights. Subsequent ‘deposits’ by other victims were for even more money. A 25-year-old woman gave a man $1,800 for an already-occupied apartment on April 21.

And where will they build this?

From Curbed:

Development company Global Sports Ventures is making a play to woo Americans over to the traditional English game. They’re teaming up with the real estate firm JLL to build professional cricket stadiums in eight U.S. cities in the hopes of establishing the sport as a new professional league on par with the NFL or MLB. The stadium developments alone have an estimated cost of $2.4 billion.

The teams and cricket stadiums are likely to be located in California, Washington, DC., Georgia, Florida, Texas, Illinois, and New York or New Jersey—regions where cricket “already has an established following,” according to WXIA in Atlanta.

The league is set to launch in 2020—an ambitious timeline considering the build-out.

Avella backs Graziano in District 19 City Council primary

On Monday, July 17th, State Senator Tony Avella officially endorsed Paul Graziano in the Democratic primary for the 19th Council District seat, which covers most of northeast Queens including College Point, Whitestone, North Flushing, Auburndale, Bayside, Bay Terrace, Douglaston and Little Neck. It is rare for a sitting elected official to not endorse an incumbent, but Senator Avella is supporting Paul Graziano in this race over machine candidate Paul Vallone.

“As the former councilmember for this district, I know what it takes to effectively represent the people,” Avella said. “Paul Graziano is the right person for the job. I have worked with him closely for over a decade on multiple issues that have had great impact on the neighborhoods of northeast Queens. Paul understands what the people of the district want and need.”

“I am greatly honored to receive the endorsement of Senator Avella,” Paul Graziano said. “We have stood together to successfully fight many proposals and plans that would have negatively impacted our district and also worked closely on passing major legislation and actions that have been incredibly beneficial for northeast Queens, such as contextual rezonings, obtaining landmark status for individual buildings and historic districts and, just last month, stopping the giveaway of 45 acres of public parkland for the development of a megamall in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park. More than 95% of the 19th Council District is within the boundaries of Senator Avella’s 11th State Senate District; with both of us representing northeast Queens together, I believe we will be able to do that much more for our neighborhoods.”

For more information, please contact the Graziano campaign at 718-309-7522 or paulgraziano2017@gmail.com.

A transcript of the video may be found here.

DCAS director fired for complaining about conflict of interest

From the Daily News:

Mayor de Blasio avoided questions Sunday about his alleged intervention on behalf of a big campaign donor who threw two free fund-raisers for him.

The Daily News broke the story on its website Saturday, revealing that a former city deputy claims he was fired after protesting City Hall's interference for Harendra Singh, whose Queens restaurant owed the city nearly $750,000 in back rent.

The News revealed that de Blasio's campaign didn't bother paying the bill for fund-raisers in 2011 and 2013 at Singh's Water's Edge restaurant until the city Campaign Finance Board demanded documentation during an audit in 2015.

The News also revealed that de Blasio's top aide, director of governmental relations Emma Wolfe, personally intervened in the Water's Edge rent dispute with the city Department of Citywide Administrative Services.

Ricardo Morales, DCAS' deputy commissioner for asset management, was handling the Water's Edge negotiations and says he was fired in February because he complained that City Hall's "inappropriate involvement" violated city conflict-of-interest rules.

DeBlasio doesn't want to see the homeless

From the NY Post:

Mayor de Blasio ventured into the city’s decrepit subway system on Sunday — but didn’t have to face the foul-smelling and often crazy vagrants that ordinary New Yorkers are forced to contend with every day.

That’s because police were ordered to roust all the homeless people from two stations ahead of the mayor’s four-stop press event as he rode from his Park Slope gym to his new re-election headquarters in Downtown Brooklyn, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

The rank and file had until 11 a.m. to prepare the Fourth Avenue/Ninth Street and Jay Street/MetroTech F train stations for the mayor’s brief, underground publicity stunt, sources said.

One source characterized the directive — contained in an email from the NYPD’s Transit Bureau — as instructing cops to “make sure nobody’s hanging out” so that the stations “looked nice.”

Another source said the mayor’s office notified police brass of his schedule ahead of time “with the expectation that the subway stations would be free and clear of homeless people.”

“It’s too bad he’s only interested when he’s going to get on the subway,” the source said.

“I wish he had the same attention to detail when he wasn’t on the subway. Too bad he doesn’t care about quality of life for all passengers and not just himself.”

A newsstand manager inside the Jay Street/MetroTech station was shocked by the noticeable absence of derelicts on the uptown A, C and F platform surrounding his kiosk.

“I see a lot of homeless people in a week — up to 25. On average five a day. Today, I have seen only one,” Ali Imtiaz said.

Fake grass is not a solution

"Another one of those paved-over front lawns. But this one's a bit different. Not sure if the fake grass/Astroturf came before or after the complaint, but the DOB apparently wasn't too pleased with this "remedy."

-Rick

New hotel coming to Jackson Heights

From Jackson Heights Post:

A developer filed plans with the Department of Buildings Monday to construct a seven-story, 22-room hotel in Jackson Heights.

The building, which would go up at 37-38 73rd Street, would be narrow. It would consist of five rooms per floor–from the third through sixth floors–and two rooms on the seventh.

The first floor would be the lobby area and there would be a community facility on the second floor. There would also be an outdoor recreation area on the roof.

Kissena Park tennis courts need better maintenance

From CBS 2:

They claim the city has left their local tennis courts in disarray.

The Har-Tru clay courts require a lot of water to stay solid and safe. When they dry out, holes develop in the clay and nails start to surface.

Residents said the sprinkler’s timer system lasted only one season. Now someone from the parks department manually turns the sprinklers on, but the water doesn’t even reach the entire court.

CBS2 asked a parks employee to explain, but he wouldn’t say much.

“The people who put it in, they were supposed to – well, I don’t want to say,” he said.

Bait and switch leads to shelter

From NY1:

Another building is going up along a bustling strip of Broadway in Kingsbridge.

The community was told it would be market-rate housing that would complement a commercial boom in the area.

Then Friday: "The city calls and says, 'We're putting a homeless shelter in there,'" Bronx State Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said. "That means we were lied to."

The building developer, the Stagg Group, cut a deal with the city as part of the mayor's plan to house homeless people in their neighborhoods of origin instead of hotels and large shelters.

"Why are you picking on certain neighborhoods where they're middle income or lower income?" one local resident said.

Department of Homeless Services officials said there are 359 people from the area in shelters across the city.

Some of them will be among the 81 families who are now scheduled to move in the area next month.

"There's a lot of residents that are homeowners, they're co-op owners here," one local man said. "For some reason, they may feel that a shelter around here may bring down the value of their property."

Apparently, this isn't the first time the Stagg Group pulled this trick.

Dueling Willets Point press conferences are revealing

Hiram: “But he does call for the alienation of parkland. So what I’m doing is, I’m helping connect the dots. Trojan horse. This is the Trojan horse plan. He comes out here, he talks about affordable housing, he talks about a new plan, 100 percent affordable – well, 100 percent affordable of what? Is it 100 units? Is it 200 units? I’m saying 5,500 units, right? Point blank. Secondly, he’s already on the record supporting the building of a soccer stadium. In fact, if I recall correctly, I believe he was supportive of the Jets building another football stadium in this park. That’s even a few more years back. Probably around 2008, 2007. The fact of the matter is, that he is very stadium-friendly, and he is very developer-friendly. He is the candidate of political insiders and the rich corporate developers. That’s who he is. That’s not me saying it. I think that if we bother to look even at his campaign filings, both with the State and the City, we’ll see the trail of money that indicates clearly who’s pulling the strings on his back.”

Moya: [On campaign’s prior press release pledging to work with colleagues in Albany to alienate parkland as plan requires] “I’m not in support of any mall being built here. The parkland alienation will always have to go to the State. So we are following what the court has ruled, but I’ve never been in support of a mall. I’m on record for that. So what we have right now is what a court has ruled, saying that we will now have to vote for it in the State, for any type of parkland alienation which is the law.” [After follow-up question concerning campaign’s prior press release, pledging to support, as councilman, alienation legislation by State legislature:] “The alienation will have to go through Albany. We need to make sure that – What we are doing now is proposing a plan that is a plan that is about making sure that we are not bringing in retail here; that is a plan about making sure we’re building affordable housing; that we are building plan that is talking about public and open space; that we’re building a plan that has to do with the remediation and decontamination of this area. That’s what we’re talking about here.”

Moya completely misstated who's paying for remediation of Willets Point land. Speaking about his (Moya's) Willets Plan, he says: "This plan will continue the proposed remediation efforts for Willets Point at the original plan, which included $40 million put forward by the developers to remediate and decontaminate this area." However, the $40 million is merely included in the City's capital grant of $99+ million to Queens Development Group – In other words, QDG would only be "putting forward" taxpayer money given to them and earmarked for this purpose. There is no private $40 million from the developer, contrary to Moya's misleading statement.

The person who spoke at Moya's presser for Make The Road NY was Marta Gualotuna. Googling her name, one finds an article published by Make the Road, which begins: "After learning the Supreme Court deadlocked on an immigration plan that would protect her from being deported, Marta Gualotuna could barely speak through her tears." The implication from Make the Road's own article is that Marta Gualotuna is an illegal alien subject to potential deportation. And of all people, SHE is the sole "community" voice who speaks at Moya's press conference, advocating that everyone support Moya in the election? She cannot even vote! Gualotuna is standing on the left in blue MTR shirt in the photo of the Moya presser.

Queens politics. Just when you thought it couldn't get any dumber, it does.

Manhattan...it's not Queens

From DNA Info:

Elected officials said they will bring a lawsuit against the city if it doesn't halt a trio of skyscrapers slated to rise on the Two Bridges waterfront.

Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and Councilwoman Margaret Chin on Friday said they will urge the Department of City Planning to reject an application submitted by developers to build the residential towers within a three-block radius, urging the agency to instead put the developments through a more rigorous review process.

But if the city elects to approve the application, which is now making its way through a comparatively lax review, they will resort to legal action, said the politicians.

"To the members of the City Planning Commission, we have a simple message: if you rule against this community, we will use every tool at our disposal to make sure the voices of the people are heard," Chin said at a rally near the development sites.

JDS Development Group plans to build a 77-story tower at 247 Cherry St., while Two Bridges Associates plans two towers on a shared base at 260 South St. Starrett Development is planning a 62-story residence at 259 Clinton St.

Neighbors fear the collective developments will negatively impact their quality of life by blocking views and natural light, overcrowding an area with sparse transportation and open space options, and driving up property values by bringing hundreds of market-rate units to the largely low-income neighborhood.

Brewer and Chin last year urged DCP to put the towers through its rigorous, seven-month Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), which would require a review from the local community board, borough board, city council and the mayor himself before going to a vote.

The agency shot down the request, stating the towers are considered "minor modifications" because they do not require new waivers or zoning actions.

Instead, the developments are subjected only to a city-mandated environmental review process aimed at identifying and mitigating potential impacts they may have on the surrounding area.

Could you imagine a Queens elected official even threatening something like this? Usually they just say, "Oh well, I tried" while they pocket scads of dough from the developer.

Queens lady lets de Blasio have it in photo op gone wrong

Give 'em hell, Vickie!

Wills guilty, booted from City Council

From NY1:

A jury Thursday has found Queens City Councilman Ruben Wills guilty on five of six counts against him in his corruption trial.

Wills was accused of stealing more than $30,000 in taxpayer money, funneling it through his nonprofit group, then using it, among other things, on clothes, fast food, gas and, in one case, a $690 Louis Vuitton handbag.

After the verdict, he was upbeat and defiant. "I'm just going to sit here and make sure that my community knows that I'm innocent," Wills said to reporters. "I didn't steal any money. I'm disappointed in the verdict."

A city councilman representing southeast Queens since 2011, Wills now automatically loses his council seat.

Wills faces up to seven years in prison. His attorney plans to appeal.

Let's recall that the Queens Machine endorsed him while he was under indictment.

Now what happens? Do they pick his successor?

Whitestone asks FAA to reroute helicopters

From PIX11:

Neighbors in Queens are sounding an alarm after a helicopter with two people inside made a water landing off the south shore of Long Island on Wednesday.

"We Love Whitestone" is a group created a number of years ago. Members joined with some other neighborhoods and people in Astoria, Queens to bring attention to the air traffic above their homes.

Alfredo Centola is a founding member of the Whitestone group. He has shared videos with PIX11 of helicopters flying over their homes. They run a website where neighbors can file reports and they also say they have set up sensors that track aircraft.

They're asking the Federal Aviation Administration to review the official flight plan that brings choppers and sea-planes over northwestern Queens. The neighbors point out the same path requires aircraft to fly along the water farther south in certain parts of Long Island's North Shore.

Flushing & Jamaica Stations to undergo renovations

From NY1:

As renovations continue at Penn Station, the state announced Wednesday an improvement plan for dozens of Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) stations, including two in Queens.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the state is investing $5.6 billion to transform 39 LIRR stations.

He said the much-needed improvements will strengthen transportation infrastructure and increase rider capacity by 80 percent.

The Jamaica Station will undergo a major face lift, as it will be upgraded with higher speed switches and new signals.

Aging platforms are expected to be replaced, and some will be expanded to accommodate full-length, 12-car trains.

The station is also projected to be equipped with heated waiting areas and Wi-Fi.

Meantime, Flushing Station is expected to undergo general improvements.

Moya to publicly pledge his allegiance to the Queens Machine today

CORONA, N.Y. - On the heels of an appellate court rejection of a prior development project, Assemblymember and Council candidate Francisco Moya has issued a community-minded high bar for negotiations on the future of the redevelopment of Willets Point. These essential guidelines come in the face of a failed attempt to bring affordable housing to the area by scandal-tarred Hiram Monserrate, the former Councilmember whose deals with Mayor Bloomberg led to a decade of inaction and stagnation.

Moya's proposal comes shortly after a decision last month by the New York State Court of Appeals striking down the Willets West phase of the proposed redevelopment. The plan, which would have brought a shopping center and movie theater to the 30-acre site immediately west of Citi Field, was intended to be the first phase in the two-part redevelopment of the Willets Point Site. However, the Court of Appeals struck the plan down on the grounds that the land, which is technically parkland pertaining to the adjacent Flushing-Meadows Park, would first require state lawmakers' approval. Moya has pledged to work with colleagues in the legislature to secure the required parkland alienation provisions if his proposal moves forward.

...the leading City Council candidate will join Make the Road Action, Jackson Heights Green Alliance, Fairness Coalition of Queens, and local community leaders to rally in support of Moya's plan, and urge Mayor Bill de Blasio to join in support. The press conference and rally will coincide with the Mayor's week-long stint in Queens, working out of Queens Borough Hall.

Who: New York State Assemblymember Francisco Moya (D - Corona), Make the Road Action, members of Jackson Heights Green Alliance and the Fairness Coalition of Queens, as well as local community leaders.

What: Rally and press conference in support of Moya's Willets Point proposal

Where: Willets Point, 126th Street and Willets Point Blvd., Corona, N.Y. 11368.

When: Tomorrow, Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 2:30 p.m.

Nice collection of tweeder groups, Francisco! He also wants a soccer stadium in the park.

I'm kind of hoping Hiram shows up...

Assembly bill seeks to unmask AirBnB rentals

From the Real Deal

From The Real Deal:

What could go wrong when sharing your address with thousands of strangers over the internet? A new bill sponsored by State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal would force Airbnb hosts to do just that.

Anyone who lists an apartment on the short-term rental site in New York would have to include the unit’s address, down to the apartment number. Rosenthal argued the bill would create “an open and honest system that prioritizes transparency and safety” and make it easier to unmask illegal listings.

A spokesperson for Airbnb said the bill will “put thousands of lives at risk.”

People who post illegal listings (such as renting out an entire unit for 30 days or less if the tenant or owner isn’t also present) could face fines ranging from $1,000 to $7,500, the New York Daily News reported.

Landlord reports tenants to ICE, gets fined by City

From the Daily News:

A Queens landlord who reported his tenants to ICE after they complained about him to the city has been slapped with a retaliation charge, the Daily News has learned.

"Our message is loud and clear: we will hold landlords accountable for discrimination in our city," Mayor de Blasio said in a statement. "We stand with tenants, regardless of their origin, in Queens and across the five boroughs."

The city would not name the Ridgewood landlord, citing a continuing investigation, or the tenants, out of fear of further retaliation.

The city Commission on Human Rights initially served the landlord with a notice of complaint alleging discrimination in March, after immigrant-advocacy group Make the Road NY alerted them to problems at the building.

The landlord responded by denying the charges - and copying ICE on his letter, which contained the personal information of his tenants.

That, the commission says, violates the city's Human Rights Law, which prohibits people from retaliating after someone files a discrimination complaint. Sapna V. Raj, an assistant commissioner at the commission, said the commission will continue to go after anyone who retaliates against New Yorkers reporting discrimination.

Continued overdevelopment along 7 train line is probably a bad idea

From Brick Underground:

Anyone who has passed through Queensboro Plaza lately won't be surprised to hear that a development boom is afoot in this part of Queens. The area surrounding the elevated train station in Long Island City is a sea of cranes and residential high-rises, which have been sprouting up ever since a 2001 rezoning of the neighborhood.

And lately, developers have been pushing farther along the 7 train corridor into Queens, adding towers to the skylines of areas like Jackson Heights and Flushing. Last year, a report from Ariel Property Advisors predicted that growth would continue, eventually even mirroring Brooklyn's L train corridor in the changes to come, based on the area's (relative) affordability, transit and increasingly hip reputation. Even Anthony Bourdain, bad boy celebrity chef meets CNN anchor, recently featured Queens in an episode of his travel show, Parts Unknown.

The word is definitely already out in northwest Queens, home to Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside and Woodside. According to the most recent Douglas Elliman market reports, median rents have actually exceeded those of Brooklyn and the number of new leases grew by over 50 percent from last year.

But some Queens locals say that they're concerned about population growth along the 7 line, which isn't really free from the issues ailing the rest of NYC's subway network. (In fact, Brick previously covered how weekend subway shutdowns of the 7 hurt Queens neighborhoods.) A development boom could end up exacerbating overcrowding and delays that are already plaguing the train, these residents say, making a bad situation worse.

Rooftop farms are the latest thing

From AM-NY:

The seeds of New York’s rooftop farming industry, planted over the past decade, have yielded a harvest in recent years.

It has grown from a niche industry to a large-scale phenomenon, according to experts, thanks to a change in city regulations and a subsequent spur of investment.

And there’s potential for expansion in the years ahead, especially in Brooklyn and Queens.

“These large-scale greenhouses are advanced and expensive, but more and more consumers and businesses are supporting them,” said Nicole Baum, spokeswoman for Gotham Greens, a rooftop farm operator in Brooklyn.

The city changed its zoning laws in 2012 to allow rooftop greenhouses certain exemptions from limits on height and floor size on commercial and industrial properties. As a consequence, landlords have come to view them as a potential amenity and opportunity for profit.

The city offers plenty of ready-made locations to allow for the industry’s further expansion, according to the Columbia University analysis.
It concluded that there were more than 5,701 private and public roofs in 2013 that, combined, were capable of holding 3,000 acres of rooftop farms. That’s nearly three and a half times the size of Central Park. Neighborhoods with the most rooftop space were Maspeth, Long Island City, Greenpoint and Sunset Park, according to the report.

Trial not going well for Wills

From the NY Post:

Queens Councilman Ruben Wills flew into a rage in court Monday — slamming his fists on the table and yelling at the top of his lungs — as a judge all but threw out his defense in his ongoing corruption trial.

The pol grew infuriated when Queens Supreme Court Judge Ira Margulis barred his lawyer from calling five witnesses, saying they were irrelevant to the case.

The two then continued bickering out of the presence of the jury, which has been hearing evidence since the beginning of this month that Wills allegedly misspent $30,000 in taxpayer funds by blowing it on personal expenses.

“You cannot speak. You have an attorney to speak for you,” Margulis told the fuming Democrat.

Wills retorted, “But you are preventing my attorney from making a case!”

Margulis then issued a stern warning, “One more outburst and I will hold you in contempt!”

“I’m not going to allow these witnesses,” Margulis said before he was interrupted by Wills, who bellowed, “How can do you do that?!” while banging his hands on the defense table.

Wills was admonished a second time for slamming a giant stack of papers on the table and muttering loudly after Margulis refused to postpone the trial so that defense could call witnesses who were unavailable Monday.

The judge eventually allowed one witness — Kim Newsom — to testify Monday afternoon but told O’Donnell, “You’re asking to produce witnesses to testify as to what is in your client’s mind. How can they do that?”

I googled Ruben Wills and this came up first:

Hacked? Or just run by a hack?

Documenting the last days of the old Kosciuszko Bridge

"Remembering the old Kosciuszko Bridge before the demolition. How many frustrating hours of New York traffic did you spend in your life on this old metal rusted bridge? A lot and we hated every minute of it. Now that its gone in a way we are happy to see it go but are sad at the same time. We will always remember this green metal bridge. She served us well. May she go down in history. Enjoy this drone aerial video to remember the history of this fine bridge as we look to the future. I took my time to make this video for all of you my fellow New Yorkers and for anyone else out there who relates."

Activity at Civic Virtue site

"Hello Crapman:

Drove by Borough Hall today and noted that the green plywood fencing surrounding the Civic Virtue site was down. The workers were hosing the site with water. I spoke to them and they said that blue boxood and white lilies - the colors of the Queens flag - will be planted in the fountain area. Flower planting to come from somewhere in New Jersey. Will Katz have a ribbon-cutting ceremony very soon?

Check out my post here with today's photos of the renovated site.

All the best,
GtheA"

Glad to hear we're even outsourcing flower planting.

What a strange question to ask!

I gotta say, I've never seen a reporter ask this question about other reporters' investigations. I haven't noticed anyone ask "Who's out to get Mayor de Blasio?" or "Who's out to get Andrew Cuomo?" or "Who's out to get Donald Trump?" when their shenanigans are exposed. So why ask this question about Joe Crowley who seriously deserves the scrutiny?

Here's the actual piece.

Engineer volunteering to help Kew Gardens bridge businesses

From the Queens Tribune:

A once-dim future for the Lefferts Boulevard bridge businesses in Kew Gardens appears to be getting brighter.

Recently, three engineers—from the MTA, city Department of Transportation and a volunteer retired engineer from Kew Garden—examined the bridge after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority told the business owners that the platforms on which their buildings are located must be demolished.

Al Brand, the retired engineer, floated the idea that an additional concrete slab could be installed underneath the bridge.

Concerns regarding this proposal include whether the slab would allow adequate clearance for Long Island Rail Road trains underneath and the possible cost of the project.

Michael Cohen, communications director for Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz (D- Forest Hills), said that Brand is volunteering his expertise and acting as a representative for the Kew Gardens community and Koslowitz in the MTA’s discussions.

Cohen noted that there are still many questions that need to be answered regarding the site. He said that Koslowitz is pleased that the MTA is considering the alternative. He added that the agency has committed to hosting a meeting before Aug 1. to discuss bringing in a third-party consultant to review this matter and making a recommendation.

East Elmhurst hotel to close and make way for ....?

From the Queens Chronicle:

An East Elmhurst hotel previously thought to become a homeless shelter will close its doors on Oct. 1, due to “economic” reasons, according to a notice from the state Department of Labor.

The agency’s “Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification” website posted on July 3 that the Courtyard by Marriott LaGuardia Hotel, located at 90-10 Grand Central Pkwy., will close and 144 employees will be affected.

The reason was only listed as “economic” and no further details were available.

The hotel was in the headlines last October when East Elmhurst officials blasted the city Department of Homeless Services for failing to notify the community of plans to house 60 single men there.

“As with prior occasions, DHS has completely failed to inform both elected officials and community members of their plans to house any individuals at this facility,” Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, Bronx), state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) and Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights) said in a joint statement at the time.

The DHS back then denied any plans to convert the hotel into a shelter — saying it had received no offers to put homeless services at the site. The agency says it still has no plans to use the location.

"Urban Renewal" is a concern in Far Rockaway

From AM-NY:

Some local merchants say they need more guidance on how to be part of a business boom the city seeks to spur in downtown Far Rockaway.

Under the city’s plan, larger residential buildings with retail spaces on the ground floors would rise where, today, a half-vacant shopping center and buildings with small businesses sit. To ensure that they can make it happen, the proposal includes a 13-acre urban renewal area, which allows the government to seize property and compensate occupants through a highly regulated process.

But if the City Council approves the plan, existing business owners said they are not sure where they will land amid the anticipated construction spree.
Lookran Jagdeo has run Far Rockaway Auto Glass Inc. in the targeted area for 21 years. Even if he is offered some sort of compensation to pack up, Jagdeo said he doubts he could find another nearby business location.

[Council Member Donovan] Richards said some merchants may have written off this plan because similar attempts have sputtered over the years.

He said the city is not eager to seize property classified for urban renewal, but said it may prove prudent, if the private market does not develop as planned.

Under the city’s plan, 16 businesses would likely be relocated from the urban renewal area, at least temporarily. Another dozen stores may be displaced if the real estate market proceeds as planned, city paperwork shows.

However, some shops in the urban renewal area have already struck deals to remain in the community long-term, Richards said. And the city’s Economic Development Corporation said it would help any merchant seeking advice.

Liu slapped with more campaign finance fines

From NY1:

A former city comptroller was hit Thursday with a hefty fine in connection with his 2013 run for mayor.

The campaign board slapped John Liu with $26,000 in campaign finance fines in connection with a straw donor scandal.

This comes after Liu's campaign treasurer and a campaign fundraiser were convicted of federal fraud charges.

They were accused of concocting a phony donor scheme to get Liu public matching funds.

Liu never received the funds, but the board determined that his campaign should be penalized for fraud.

Resorts World about to expand

From 1010WINS:

The Resorts World Casino in Queens has broken ground on a $400-million expansion.

First opened in 2011 in the retrofitted grandstand of Aqueduct Race Track the all-electronic casino already attracts more than 10-million visitors a year. It’s enough success, Casino President Scott Molina said, for the Malaysian conglomerate that owns it to invest another $400-million into it.

The two year project will include a new 400 room, four star hotel, and four new restaurants.

Silver skates but will be retried

From NY1:

Former state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's conviction on fraud, money laundering, and extortion was overturned Thursday.

The judge used a Supreme Court precedent involving former Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, which more clearly defined the kind of conduct that could be considered corrupt while in office.

"The court talks about certain acts that Silver was shown to have taken that no longer can be considered official acts, such as having a meeting," attorney Joshua Colangelo-Bryan said.

"It is not clear beyond a reasonable doubt that a rational jury would have reached the same conclusion if properly instructed, as is required by the law for the verdict to stand," Jose Cabranes of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals decision said in his decision.

In a statement, acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim says he will re-try the case.

Ridgewood rowhouse on steroids is ugly (as predicted)

Just about a year ago, our blog featured this corner house at Stockholm Street and Cypress Avenue.

It was in the process of being altered, and the remark made was, "This will no doubt look incredibly stupid when all is said and done."

Aaaaand...another nail was hit squarely on its head by the Crapper.

Several more complaints have been lodged on this project as well.

City contractors damage property then skedaddle

From NY1:

A busted pool, a broken shed, and a missing fence — that's just some of the damage Frank Harnisher says a city contractor did to his property while working on a project to alleviate chronic flooding on West 11th Road during high tide.

The 78-year-old has fought for months to get the contractor or the city to address the issue. "I can't get them down here, I can't get anybody to talk to me about how they are going to redo my property," he said.

Which was the agreement, according to a 2014 letter from the contracting firm EIC Associates.

Workers used his property at the end of the street to build a cofferdam, a watertight enclosure for construction below the waterline.

The company said it would return the area to its pre-construction condition, but instead Harnisher said it's been one problem after the other.

"When they erected the cofferdam a lot of my property deteriorated, and instead of building it back to its pre-existing condition, they shorted me five feet of property on one side, my existing rock bulkhead on the other side is three feet shorter, and now I'm subject to high tides," Harnisher said.

The contracting firm said it was told to vacate 11th Road to make room for Build it Back construction and couldn't go back.

But when NY1 reached out to the Department of Design and Construction, the agency overseeing the $28 million project, we were told that property that was removed or damaged because of the work will be restored.

Sunnyside rental scammer sentenced to probation

Photo from Sunnyside Post

From Sunnyside Post:

A Queens woman who owned a Woodside real estate firm and scammed 28 prospective tenants out of nearly $95,000 was sentenced last month to 3-years probation–and is required to repay all her victims.

Rosita Tsiklauri, a 48-year-old College Point resident, operated Fast Solutions Realty out of 47-20 48th Avenue, where she duped prospective tenants out of thousands in cash, according to the Queens District Attorney’s office.

Tsiklauri’s firm collected deposits, fees and rental payments on apartments that were not available.

She would often show the same apartment to prospective tenants and ask them for cash payments to cover the deposit and first month’s rent. She would then tell her victims that the apartment was suddenly taken and pocket the cash.

In cases where she did refund her prospective tenants, the checks either bounced or her bank account was frozen.

She was arrested last year at JFK Airport after returning from the Ukraine. She was charged with second-degree criminal possession of stolen property, third-and-fourth degree grand larceny, first degree scheme to defraud and issuing a bad check. She faced up to 15 years in prison.

Bill de Blasio, world traveler

From the NY Post:

Mayor de Blasio claims he has taken only “limited” excursions overseas, but he has actually flown outside the continental US 11 times since taking office, records show.

Besides last week’s jaunt to Germany to support protesters at the G-20 summit, the mayor has logged four trips to Puerto Rico, three to Italy and separate treks to Israel, England and France.

In all, he has taken at least 53 trips outside New York City over the past 3 ¹/₂ years — spending 77 weekdays away from City Hall.

Trips to Albany and Washington, DC, are not included in the count.

Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg logged just 44 workdays outside the Big Apple in his first four years.

Queens commutes suck

From Brick Underground: Residents of four different regions of NYC face commutes that rank among the nation’s top 10 longest ones, according to a study conducted by statistician Chase Sawyer and originally reported on by CityLab. Unsurprisingly, outer borough residents have the toughest slogs in the city: Queens residents have an average commute time of 42.6 minutes, Brooklynites have a 41.7-minute commute on average, Bronx residents 43 minutes and Staten Island residents 42.6 minutes on average. By comparison, Manhattanites' average commute time is about 31 minutes, according to the map. Interestingly, both Westchester County and Nassau County residents had shorter commutes than outer-borough residents — 32.9 and 34.9 minutes respectively, though we'd imagine the aforementioned "summer of hell," and recent LIRR woes may skew these numbers a bit the next time around.

63-story skyscraper next to clock tower

From the Queens Gazette:

The Durst Organization has filed plans to develop a 63-story tower in a lot next door to the landmarked Clock Tower Building at Queens Plaza in Long Island City.

The new tower will feature 763 residential units and a public park, plans show. The Durst Organization acquired the parcel from Property Markets Group in December 2016 for $173.5 million., contingent on the renewal of the New York State 421-a tax program that offers tax breaks to developers in exchange for the creation of affordable housing.

State lawmakers approved a new version of the program in spring 2017. Under the program, developers will set aside at least 28 per cent of the Durst tower’s 763 apartments as affordable housing.

An item on the Real Deal website in December said developer Kevin Maloney, of Property Markets Group, indicated that an acquisition note on the clock tower project was coming due, so he felt it was time to sell the property.

The new, 63-story Super Tower will rise 710-feet from ground level and will feature 8,702-square-feet of retail space, according to the plans.

The Durst Organization is not planning any changes to the Clock Tower building, which was awarded landmark status by the city in 2015, a spokesperson for the Durst Organization said.

More restoration work at the Steinway Mansion

The portico roof of the Steinway Mansion is being reconstructed.

George the Atheist has a photo history.

Borough Hall has been moved to Missouri

And there you have it. This may be where the Mayor actually is as he is quite the jetsetter lately. Original link.

Cars being keyed in Oakland Gardens

From CBS 2:

Cars are being vandalized in a Queens neighborhood, and residents say it has been going on for months – all on one specific street.

As CBS2’s Erin Logan reported, a vandal or vandals are clearly making their mark on more than a few cars on a small stretch of 75th Avenue in Oakland Gardens, Queens.

“When her car was vandalized, there were other people’s cars vandalized. At that point, I proceeded to call the cops and told them what happened,” [Nerry] Nayzov sad. “At that point, we saw an elderly man who scratched my neighbor’s car right in front of me — while police were on scene.”

Police arrested that man immediately, and Nayzov thought the problem was solved. But the vandals did not stop there.

Two and a half weeks later, more cars were damaged. CBS2 counted at least three on one side of the street, and even more on the other side.

The owner of a maroon sport-utility vehicle and a black Nissan Maxima were also saying “enough is enough” Sunday.

Paul Guterman and his wife did not even realize their Maxima was damaged until Sunday night. They asked why everyone was hovering over the cars – and then sure enough, they saw the answer.