State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Hillcrest) have strong disagreements over the future of the Brinckerhoff Cemetery in Fresh Meadows.
On Dec. 1, Avella held a press conference with the “Friends of Brinckerhoff,” an organization assembled by community leaders who are hoping to purchase and maintain the landmarked property, which belonged to several prominent Dutch families, including the Brinckerhoffs, and dates back to the 18th century.
According to Avella, the state provided the Friends of Brinckerhoff with a $180,000 grant to purchase the property from the current owner, Linda’s Cai Trading, and restore and maintain it. But before any deal to sell the property was finalized, Avella alleges, Lancman allotted a higher sum of money for the city’s Parks Department to purchase and maintain the property in the capital budget—around $300,000. Now, Avella accuses Lancman of “political meddling,” undercutting his grant with an unnecessarily higher portion of taxpayer money that tempted the owner to pull out of negotiations with the Friends of Brinckerhoff.
“I’m furious at the city because, meanwhile, the property is in disrepair, overgrown, it’s a health hazard, it’s a safety hazard,” Avella said.
Requests to city agencies to clean up the property have been rebuffed since the city is in negotiations for the site. Avella added that if Lancman wants to use additional taxpayer money in a political move, then the money “should come out of his own damn wallet.”
Yolanda dela Cruz Gallagher, president of the Friends of Brinckerhoff, said that when the group approached the Parks Department about purchasing the property before Avella’s grant, the department appeared uninterested.
Lancman responded to the claims by accusing Avella of living in “a fantasy world.”
10 comments:
The politicians in Queens, unlike the other boroughs, are loath to have any group arise that are not under their complete control.
OF COURSE this cemetery will be under Party control - they can determine the message on how important our history and heritage is (hint: not important if it stands in the way of development.)
It provides patronage jobs to party loyalists - this will be yet another park to be neglected (sporadically attended to welfare work release shelter moms) and allowed to fall into ruin with a periodic headline of a politician ready to renovate it for a kings ransom of your taxes.
Queens is so tiresome and predictable. The only galling thing about this borough is the ability of politicians to always muster up perpetually duped constituents as a backdrop and as a voting base.
This will just drag on until just prior to the next election and some justification to reelect is needed...
But But But They still Vote those Brinkinhoffs
Just another lunatic in the lunatic city council.
Why isn't the slumlord property owner in jail or loosing that property? We have or (or had) forfeiture laws for situations and property owners like this. --Just take it
Lancman is a big bully. He's like the Harvey Weinstein of the city council. He likes to think he is a bigger deal than he is.
Lanan is a party jack ass wipe who hasn't done squat for his constituents. BUT....AND THIS IS KEY...he doesn't make any waves that the Dem Machine might capsize in. "He's a good little boy"'
Poor little Rory, with the small hands - always trying to act like a tough guy.
with a periodic headline of a politician ready to renovate it for a kings ransom of your taxes....
That capital budget is a payoff for union support during elections - its why we pay 2 or 3 times as much for something that if was maintained properly, or desgined well, would be a faction of the cost.
The grating thing is the people from the unions whom benefit live in the suburbs so the city never sees its spent here - and also let the city alone instead of getting Albany to clean it up because its a cash cow for them.
Making personal attacks by Rory is stupid - the larger question should be addressed to the council speaker and wannabe Van Bramer - why is city council wasting public funds to get into a pissing match with Avella, and perhaps city council should censor that little "peachcka"s totally unprofessional comments to a fellow legislator.
Of course, none of them will have the backbone to do these things but these charges should be publicly thrown in their direction.
Spineless bums.
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