Community Board 5 voted 32-8 last Wednesday in favor of a rezoning plan that would allow the famed restaurant to construct a second story. The additional space would contain a banquet hall that fits up to 140 people.
Under the proposed plan, the height of O’Neill’s would increase from 14 feet to 25 feet with the addition of the second floor. In order to build higher, restaurant ownership is seeking to rezone the plot of land from an R4 to an R5D district with a C2-2 commercial overlay.
The rezoning pitch also includes a handful of other area lots to bring them into compliance with city code.
CB 5’s Zoning and Land Use Committee recommended the full board vote in favor of the project, a vote of support the committee’s chairman, Walter Sanchez, said came with the “full understanding” that parking is a challenge in the area.
In an effort to alleviate some of those concerns, O’Neill’s submitted letters from various businesses and organizations in the area, including Babco Inc. and Action Tire Services, which they said will allow cars from O’Neill’s to park on their premises.
The restaurant’s management has also committed not to build apartments above the restaurant, even if a future zoning change may allow it, according to Sanchez, who said O’Neill’s has a good track record in the community.
How would that work? The city is enforcing deed restrictions now? Why would you ask for a change in residential zoning only to restrict what you can build? This is a bit strange.
Above is a map of where the proposed valet parking lots are. (O'Neill's is marked in red.) I've seen restaurants use a lot around the corner, across the street or down the block, but I ain't never seen anything proposed quite like this. How would this even work? Are these places authorized to park non-customers' cars in their lots? How does insurance work?
This sounds an awful lot like the White House Restaurant story. After convincing CB7 that he needed a zoning change in order to build a catering hall, the owner instead tore it down and replaced it with a large piece of Queens Crap. (Coincidentally, O'Neill's hired the same lawyers.)
23 comments:
We all know what goes on at O'Neill's. If they cared about the neighborhood parking situation,they would have made these arrangements when they rebuilt after the fire.
Now the kids want to triple the value of their property so they can cash out.
All this talk about how great they've been to Maspeth is a joke. They called us all racists a few years back for not wanting to put up with their shit and never took it back:
Another problem is vandalism in overnight hours, including graffiti, smashed windows and damaged cars. According to the residents, the majority of the problems occur late on Monday nights, when O’Neill’s restaurant and bar is filled with customers, including many teenagers, enjoying their weekly hot wing special. “They just completely wreck the neighborhood,” said one resident.
Said another resident: “We know that George O’Neill has to make a living, but the feeling among people living here is that he has the cops in his pocket. Nothing is done about the drinking and the 18- and 19-year olds speeding off.”
On Tuesday, restaurant assistant manager Melissa Meadows said that no underage patrons are served alcohol and expressed doubt that the vandalism is caused by O’Neill’s customers.
“We are aware of the situation and had a couple of friends in last night to keep an eye on this,” she said. “The worst part about it is, the complaints we are getting are due to the fact that they [the customers] are of a different color other than Caucasian… The neighborhood people don’t like the fact that we have n-----s and s---s in our neighborhood.”
“I wouldn’t want a bunch of underage kids sitting on my stoop waiting to eat wings, but it’s a very prejudiced neighborhood,” continued Meadows. “We are part of the community, the place has been here since 1928. We’re not looking for a bad reputation.”
Now they want a favor from us?
I like the guy complaining that the commercial vehicles parked in people's driveways is the main cause of why there is no street parking. The most blatant is the van parked at the O'Neill house across the street from the restaurant, which alternates between that driveway and the hydrant in front of the place.
Don't trust O'Neills. They are in bed with the city and community board. With so many problems facing Maspeth, why so much undivided attention to this "deal"? Yes. That's what it is. This is a blatantly shady one.
O'Neill's sold awhile ago I believe that they are just using the name -- still a horrible place - overpriced and nasty people.
They took out a $1.6M mortgage on a property they already owned. So...
That night parking at Babco & Action Tire Services wont last long when those property owners have to mop up puke and piss every morning. Great fun in the winter when the puke & piss freezes to the asphalt. There is also a high risk liability issue when alcohol is involved. They need to be crazy to agree to such a deal.
Its a bad deal because if O'Neill's gets this rezoning everybody will want it. The city will rubber stamp every one of the requests rather then have massive legal fights over discriminative procedures. Because several local politicians used O'Neill's, other landlords wanting zoning changes will win.
This rezoning is a Trojan horse.
Maspeth is about to become a new area sought by hipsters and yuppies who want to corner an upcoming real estate market. Face it NYC is running out of affordable nabes even for aspiring well off trust fund kids.
You heard it first from me. The restaurants, trendy spots , "the arts" have been eying Maspeth for its close proximity to Manhattan.
In about 10-15 years, it will be littered with hipsters. The trick to real estate investment is to get in on the ground floor and call a nabe before it becomes expensive. Buy low and sell high. That's how everybody gets a boost up the ladder.
Not for nothing, but Babco literally has 4 parking spaces on their property. Action Tire has trucks in its lot 24/7. Pat's Service Station can fit something like 5-7 cars. Martin Luther High School and St. Mary's are both in residential zones where commercial parking lots are prohibited, plus they are both not-for-profits. I can't see their attorneys and accountants giving the nod to this. No one is falling for this.
Walter Sanchez has zero business steering a community board to vote in favor of this since he publishes ads in his rag of a paper from O'Neill's and should have recused himself from this all together.
Watch the residents on the Plateau head for the exits once this goes through. Why didn't O'Neill's expand the property when they were rebuilding after the fire? George O'Neill is up there in age. When he goes, watch his kids cash in. The Community Board vote was fixed because many of the board hang out at O'Neills. The guy at Pat's Auto stands to make money by parking cars at his business. He's a regular at O'Neill's. It's hard watching a beautiful neighborhood being destroyed. O'Neill's built their business on the backs of the hard working people of our community. It's a shame that O'Neill's will pay the community back by destroying it.
I said 6 weeks ago Maspeth or Corona would be the next Queens Riviera, Mussolini Joe people snickered and called me names.
And now you have it !!
Look at the good side, many of those slobs living on the taxpayer dole will be priced out. Those run down building's in Polish ally will be cleaned up and a better class of people will reside. Just think, a former inferno turned hipsterdom, no more bartenders but "mixologists. --not to bad
Clubs, live music, dog-walking business more bodegas and even knits, matching sweaters for the dogs during winter. Canoeing, bars and water taxis on the canal like on front street St.Thomas USVI harbor. I recently went canoeing in that canal, the water is clear lots of fish swimming its really nice you cant believe you in NYC
I think gentrification will no doubt be a boon for the long term resident homeowners and their children who stuck it out.
Gentrifiers can make life better for locals in many ways, what you get is more of a think-tank. When professionals move to an area, they know how to get things done. They put that useless 104 pct and city on wake up mode in no time.
BTW: A annoying they may be, hipsters help the poor. Their vintage shops and craft-beer bars generate lots of jobs, commerce and taxes.
Try to have an open mind, who do you want 3rd world slobs & vagrants from all over the country or a young energetic, professional populate with lots guaranteed estate trust money coming in every month?
Sounds like time to buy a small dump cheap in Maspeth soon !
I think that politician, bad drunk rapist Dennis from MV liked to hang out and get loaded, place sports bets at O'Neills. That bar on Metro also, I think all the local politicians do !
This back room zoning deal was a slam dunk shoe in, I wonder if the mayor had something to do with this also. It, lack of 104 pct representation and the homeless shelter headaches must all be revenge for booting Crowley.
Hipsters don't move to where there's no subway. And a catering hall won't change that. You folks sound like you are smoking something.
Please get off your high horse. At the initial CB meeting at the CB office, even their competition, from across the street, said the proprietor is a gentleman and had no issue with the proposal.
The proprietor/competitor doesn't live there. And George O'Neill, the gentleman, hasn't been around for quite some time. Nice try.
Hipsters a better class of people??? Remarkable
Gotta give it up to Ms. Zoe, for she laid out a brutally honest social upheaval description, complete with xenophobic and racist targeting, that p.r. fiends like Berlin Rosen and other predatory developer p.r. groups only insinuate with their press releases for speculative/fabricated vibrancy of towns they plan to disrupt that de Faustio gleefully parrots.
Hipsters are just as bad as illegal immigrants when it comes to crowding an apartment and even pollution as Areas like the East Village and even Williamsburg still have tons of random garbage spread out on the streets.
I know the son in law & daughter owned it, the old man only showed up at very rare political events. Yeah, some other people own it now. The name is just for show, the same people that supported this change are the same dumb sheep, drunks & potato heads that gave us the Crowley's, Dennis Gallagher and daBlasshole.
The Irish will not use a catering Hall in Maspeth, after built they will cry "hardship" and get a variance for other use. Thats how they chip away and inch crap in
Xenophobic and racist targeting my ass !
I think people Zoe is referring to broke into this county to suck off us like leaches They also breed like no other jamming our schools wall to wall and throw garbage out the window. Hoot and call woman "boota" coming out the bank or walking down the street to get to work, Bunch of animals
Maspeth was never like this when I was a kid, illegals and foreigners ruined it and that's a fact. The schools were taken over by liberals, history math or science done away with creating a populate of brainwashed stupid voters. Most spineless hiding behind the curtain of political correctness. Neutered sissy passive timid cowardly keystroker good for nothings too scared to speak and fight.
Dumb, stupid and obedient to the hand that protects, feeds & waters is exactly how our dirty filthy corrupt politicians want them.
Another fact is fact is many of those home in Polish ally are run down to hell and filled with slob tenants. That's a fact, why call somebody xenophobic and racist for calling it what it is and speaking the truth?
I dont know, perhaps these dumb stupid politically correct do not deserve a community, city or home ownership.
"xenophobic and racist"
Oh stick it !
Ms. Zoe already said she was half Polish in another post.
This is another case of some liberal crying xenophobic racist because they didn't like the rather honest and actual comment.
Realize that I compared Zoe's lifestyle sales pitch to Berlin Rosen, the neoliberal p.r. firm representing the REBNY overlords giving the alleged commie liberal de Faustio his ideas.
As I wrote, I did admire her honesty because she described the true intent behind the divisive city planning that's been happening the past 17 years. Which has caused the homeless population to triple increase.
"the neoliberal p.r. Firm"
All liberals are "neo" and socialists sympathizers looking for new ways to tell lies, brainwash, destroy the country and install a one party socialist system. We have the mayors office and dirty media backing them as proof. This crowd would be flying the EU flag above all government buildings and banning old glory, the US Constitution including American history teachings if given the chance.
What we have now is no different then then Nazi Germany, including the spirited and artful strong psychological manipulation skills.
The only difference is the target of hostility is educated middle class who socialists like deBlasio view as a threat. He wants them all driven out or crushed into submission.
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