Too many auto shops ruin Bayside

From the Times Ledger:

Several Bayside residents testified at a land use hearing last week to express their displeasure about an auto dealership being proposed for Northern Boulevard. They also decried the overabundance of shops and stores dealing with automobiles in the neighborhood.

The Land Use Public Hearing, which took place at Queens Borough Hall March 31, was presided over by Borough President Melinda Katz. The meeting included details on two items that had been considered by Community Board 11 at its monthly meeting in early March.

Helms Bros. Inc. applied to extend and amend the terms of its variance, which would let the company turn its auto repair shop at 207-22 Northern Blvd. into an automobile dealership. In addition, the owners of the Staples building at 209-30 Northern Blvd. wanted to make changes to the property’s parking lot. Both variances were approved by the community board with conditions, although 11 board members voted against the Helms Bros. variance.

Community residents Henry Euler and Mandingo Tshaka spoke in opposition to the change in the variance. Euler and Tshaka both testified that the immediate area was already overwhelmed with auto-related businesses, and Euler said the auto repair work currently done on the property had a low impact on the surrounding residential area. He was worried that an auto dealership would be far more burdensome on the neighborhood.

Bad zoning - is it a racial thing?

From a letter to the editor of the Times Ledger:

The New York City Board of Standards and Appeals (BSA) has a final say on land use issues throughout the five boroughs. They wield a lot of power over our communities. Too much power in my opinion. The BSA needs to be accountable to the taxpayers. The City Council should have the power to review BSA decisions and overturn those that harm our neighborhoods. Conditions adopted into BSA decisions have to be monitored by the Department of Buildings. From what I have seen, the DOB is highly ineffective.

In my neighborhood of Bayside Clear Spring, we have far too many auto related businesses that show no respect for their neighbors. Star Nissan parks more cars than permitted on their back lot. Despite repeated complaints, the Department of Buildings has failed to resolve the problem.

Helms Brothers built an extension of their building into the residential area through various loopholes, in coordination with the BSA and other city agencies. Did anyone in city government think of the residents?

The Getty gas station on Northern Boulevard near 204th Street neglected to renew their variance for years some time back. A letter was written to BSA about this by a civic association. The BSA’s executive director at the time wrote a letter to Getty giving them sixty days to renew or they would have to undergo the variance procedure all over again under the current zoning resolution. The sixty days passed without renewal. When Getty sought to renew, the BSA went back on their word and allowed Getty to get their variance renewal.

Why does my community have such an overabundance of auto related businesses? One does not see this degree of infiltration in adjacent areas. Does the city allow this because of the ethnicity of the people who live in my community? What else can one think but that African American neighborhoods are targeted for the least desirable businesses?

My people will not accept this treatment. We demand fairness and justice.

Mandingo Osceola Tshaka
Bayside