A Crappy Christmas To All

Forest Hills now has second arsonist

From DNA Info:

Three small dumpster fires — including one in front of the 112th Precinct station house — erupted on Austin Street in one night, deepening anxiety in a neighborhood recently targeted by a fire-starting "ninja."

All three dumpster fires set late Wednesday night into Thursday morning were lit along Austin Street, a major commercial strip in the neighborhood, fire and police officials said.

FDNY spokesman Frank Dwyer said in an email that the fires “are suspicious and are being investigated by Fire Marshals and the NYPD.”

Police have released surveillance video of a suspect wanted in connection with the dumpster fires.

A spokesman for the NYPD said Friday that the two patterns appear to be unrelated and the suspect does not match the description of the arsonist being sought in connection with the other arson pattern in the neighborhood.

Police fear this is a copycat.

Alley Pond dumpster saga continues

Thanks for the post the other day about the overflowing dumpster at Alley Pond Park.

I would like to report to everyone that maybe the Parks Department got the message, sort of. The problem isn't the overflowing dumpster anymore. Now they just leave the garbage for days in front of the park house. WTF is going on with these guys?

JP

Eyesore at Alley Pond

Hi Crappie, please post this photo and help me get some support for both a garbage corral and a better location for this garbage dumpster at the park. Presently the dumpster is located at 79-20 Winchester Blvd at the entrance to Alley Pond Park. It's the first thing you see when you enter the park. Why would the Parks Department want their garbage dumpster located within feet from the main entrance to the park? This dumpster has been an ongoing issue for years. It's an easy fix. They just have to spend a small amount of our money and build a corral to hide the overflowing garbage can. Thank you.

JP
Bellerose, NY

A leopard cannot change its spots

Here's an update from one of my favorite John Ciafone properties:

Not only have the signs multiplied, but now there's some new shadiness to report.

First of all, there may be some action soon with regard to the illegal sign complaints.

Then there is an illegal gas hookup that was discovered in 2006, but never followed up on.

But the latest bust comes due to a complaint about illegal excavation of the basement.

So that's why this dumpster full of concrete and dirt was out front!

Guy lives in converted dumpster

From Huffington Post:

Normally, you wouldn't think of a trash receptacle as a viable living space, but if you ask Gregory Kloehn he'd disagree. Featured On HGTV's "You Live In What?," when this West coast resident visits New York, he stays in his Brooklyn home: A retrofitted commercial dumpster that he bought for $2,000.

Asbestos in Grand Avenue dumpsters

Developer thinks water-filled dumpsters improve LIC

From the NY Times:

ON a recent afternoon the view across Court Square, in eastern Long Island City, Queens, took in an auto body shop and parking lots, and aging factories beyond. The Citicorp Building and other office towers cast shadows across streets. Places to shop were nonexistent.

That view is about to change. The Rockrose Development Corporation has started construction on a 42-story rental tower with 709 apartments that is expected to be among the largest residential developments in the area — and one of the tallest buildings in the borough — when completed in 2013.

The apartments in the tower, which will be called Linc LIC, at 43-10 Crescent Street, will range from 450-square-foot studios to 1,400-square-foot three-bedrooms. They will have parquet floors and “Rockrose standard” flecked granite counters, and in many cases, washers and dryers, said Justin Elghanayan, a principal of Rockrose, which is led by his father, Henry.

The rents will be about 25 percent below those for comparable apartments in Manhattan, brokers say. They average $1,750 a month, for studios, and $4,150 a month for three-bedrooms, or about $38 per square foot.

“I think it’s about to pop,” Justin Elghanayan said of the Court Square area, as he gave a tour of the work site. Indeed, a bustling after-work social scene will be critical to attracting the younger renters whom Rockrose covets, said Mr. Elghanayan, who for similar reasons staged a sort of multiweekend pool party on a lot near his new building last summer. Called the Palms, the party featured three Dumpsters filled with water to splash around in, alongside beach chairs, and beer. “That’s the kind of energy neighborhoods need,” he said.

Mental note: LIC needs more noise and dumbasses serving liquor without a valid license...

St. Saviour's saga takes strange turn

A day after the St. Saviour's site was shut down for failing to adhere to a partial stop work order, it was opened up again, but then shut down again for failure to provide excavation plans. So I guess that means the inspector that had showed up Thursday about the retaining wall failed to notice that this activity was also going on. But several neighbors reported that the inspector that was there Friday stayed the entire day, watching the workers, and then at the end of the day slapped the SWO notice on the wall. (You'll note that Friday's SWO was partially rescinded the same day...) Interestingly, the orginal violation said FINES DUE at the end of Thursday, but by Friday that tidbit of information disappeared from the website. Perhaps the fine was paid. Perhaps pigs have learned how to fly... Something told me to screenshot it though:

Now, another reader sent in this photo of the dumpsters on the lot. He informed me that DSNY ordered the dumpsters to be removed from the site this week and that one had already disappeared. But he noted that there appeared to be pipe insulation in one of the dumpsters, which could possibly mean the presence of asbestos. Fun, fun, fun!


During this entire time, the elected officials have been extremely quiet. I thought they said at the rally that the thing to do was pressure the owner? So where are they? Dreaming about the open CD9 position? When the going gets tough, the electeds scram. Way to protect your constituents!

College Point dumpster is rats' playground

"Hello Crapper,

The correct address for this photo is 119-14 28 Ave College Point. This dumpster has been on the street for weeks. It has rats running in and out of it. Dept of Sanitation has been contacted many times. They come down shake their heads and leave. FDNY was here and recently gave them big fine for stored improperly fuel tank. Something needs to be done." - The Pope of College Point

Well, I checked DOT's Active Street Construction system and found this:


So they do have a permit for the dumpster. And you have 10 more days to enjoy the rats. Here's more dope from the Pope on this situation:

"That property has an illegal transfer station. That is an M1 zone not M3 needed for a transfer station. It would need to get a special permit from City and approved by our friends (tongue-in-cheek), CB7. The DOB is dragging its feet with this. CM Avella has been working on this. I think DOB is trying to stick it to CM Avella. We all know there is no love lost. The civic sent letters and the neighbors also sent letters to DOB but they just ignore the people. This smells like Bloomie...

They (Montauk) are renting that spot. Tom (the son) owns Montauk. The parents, Edward and Francis, own the property. There's another company involved (construction) that brings in the debris. They separate the metal in the yard. He parks the trucks sometimes on the street over night behind the dumpster.

DOB has been working against us for quiet a while. Vallo Bus company (on 23rd Ave between 129th and 130th Streets) is in a residential area. We contacted CM Avella's office, Sen Padavan's office they both said it's illegal. We got tired of the bull by DOB so we contacted the Public Advocate's office. We were told we have a case. DOB has been putting up a lot of smoke only to get the Public Advocate's office pissed. CB7 in the beginning was a little lost on this but are starting to come around." - The Pope of College Point