DeBlasio has illegal fence installed at Gracie Mansion

From the NY Post:

Mayor de Blasio failed to secure the proper permits to build his “privacy fence” around Gracie Mansion — and the Parks Department is now scrambling to file the paperwork after the fact, City Hall officials admitted Friday.

On Thursday, The Post exclusively reported that the mayor ordered the construction of a roughly 10-foot-tall fence inside an existing 6-foot brick wall to keep the public’s prying eyes out of his yard.

Officials couldn’t say whether any employees of the Parks Department, which handled the construction for the mayor, would be disciplined for building the barrier without first obtaining the alteration permits they needed.

City property owners are routinely levied hefty fines for such infractions.

Plans for the eyesore fence should have gone before the city’s Design Commission for review — but never did, a City Hall source also admitted. The job was finished in November.

City: Knockdown Center investors "lack good character, honesty and integrity"

The Knockdown Center has a long way to go to clean up its act, but at least they're off to a slow start. The tarp covering the derelict scooter sitting outside their property has disappeared (but the scooter hasn't). Also now gone are 2 of the 3 illegal signs that were hanging on the fence.

Anyway, the posts I have authored about the Knockdown Center up to this point have been focused on the behavior that has gone on at the location and its physical condition. This time, I'm going to tell you about the main investors in the property - Tony and Gina Argento, who also happen to be owners of Broadway Stages in Greenpoint. Here's how certain elected officials feel about them:

From the Times Newsweekly:

City Council Member Helen Sears...vouched for [Tony] Argento as a “responsible” individual who “cares for the area.”

From the Daily News:

“I have known the owners for a long time. They also do good philanthropic work.” - Council Member Elizabeth Crowley

From Brooklyn USA:

"AND OF COURSE, THERE’S THE SIBLING SUPER DUO BEHIND BROADWAY STAGES, TONY – AND AS TONY KNOWS, MY FAVORITE – GINA ARGENTO, WHO ARE BOTH SO DEDICATED TO BROOKLYN’S FUTURE." - Borough President Marty Markowitz

But the glowing praise offered by Council Member Steve Levin takes the cake:

"When you talk about who gives back, between Tony and Gina and Paul, you're talking about 90% of what makes this community work sometimes."

Levin was speaking on behalf of Chris Olechowski, present Chair of CB1, Brooklyn at a fundraiser hosted by those lauded. (When Vito Lopez' proteges are praising someone, watch out!)

However, the Argentos are not as saintly as our elected representatives would like us to believe. Here's a dose of reality:

Luna Lighting Inc Denial

In case you don't have time to sift through the entire document, allow me to highlight the most relevant sections:



Somehow, caring for the area, doing good philanthropic work, being dedicated to Brooklyn's future and giving back 90% of what makes a community work seem to be lacking here. It's more like "see what you can get away with before getting caught, and then attempt damage control." It's what happened with Luna Lighting, and it's what's been happening at the Knockdown Center.

Speaking of which, just last Friday, the KDC received their blessing from the Dept of Buildings for a 5,000-person Place of Assembly as a gallery/exhibition hall, after supposedly having "withdrawn" the application.

CB5 was allegedly told that the reason for the initial rejection of their alteration permit was because KDC underestimated the cost of the work at $10,000. When questioned at a public hearing, KDC manager Tyler Myers stated that it was an "erroneous error" and would definitely be correct on the resubmitted paperwork. Owner David Sklar stated within the first 30 seconds of the below video that renovations would likely cost anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000:


Yet the second cost affadavit estimated the work at a paltry $25,000.

1) The Cost Affidavit requires the applicant to attest to the accuracy of the applicant’s estimate of the construction costs, which is the basis for the fees assessed by the DOB in connection with the application.
2) As the home renovation blog "Beating Upwind" states, "Normally [the Dept of Finance] is limited in how much they can jump your property taxes, but when you do substantial improvements that is the one time they’re allowed to bump the taxes up substantially – but only by the amount of improvements to the property."

Say no more.

Despite the ridiculous discrepancy between what the owner estimated his cost to be at the CB5 hearing and what was submitted on paper, DOB approved the application. I guess when the mayor schleps all the way to the rooftop of the main investors' place of business to hold press conferences, the Commissioner of DOB poses with them for photos, and local electeds are fawning over them, they're probably going to get what they ask for from DOB.

Keep in mind that these are people Liz Crowley considers to be "good friends" and is actively working to help them obtain a liquor license to open a 5,000-person capacity rave center across the street from her constituents' homes.

Push for development company to clean up its act

From the Times Ledger:

A limited liability company called 151-45 Sixth Rd. Partners LLC was fined $150,000 in November by the state Department of Environmental Conservation for importing unapproved soil onto the site, on the waterfront near the intersection of 151st Place and 6th Road, as a part of the state’s Brownfield Cleanup Program.

The program provides incentives such as tax breaks to developers who clean up toxic properties by entering into an agreement with the environmental agency. The partnership did not abide by all of those regulations and is now in the process of removing a portion of the soil it imported.

That partnership includes Massachusetts-based Enviro Business, also known as EBI Consulting, which was appointed by a bankruptcy court to oversee cleanup of the property, and Barone Management, a Whitestone firm hired by EBI to actually replace the soil. EBI paid $75,000 of the fine, and when it removes the unauthorized soil DEC will waive the second half of the fine.

The new owner of the property, a company called Edgestone Group LLC, is seeking to renew a permit that will allow it to build 52 single-family homes on the plot.

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and civic leaders are asking the City Planning Commission to delay considering the application until the partnership cleans up the site.

“I respectfully submit that the above-referenced application be held in abeyance until such time as DEC has notified City Planning that the requirements of the Brownfield cleanup have been properly complied with, including the removal of all ‘unapproved materials’ that were wrongfully dumped on the site and all the fines have been paid in full,” Avella said in a Jan. 8 letter to the commission.

But Edgestone contends no construction can begin anyway until DEC determines that the site has been properly cleaned and issues a certificate of completion for the Brownfield Cleanup Program, and thus delaying the permit only delays an asset to the community.

“Edgestone is looking forward to building 52 beautiful, single-family homes and a 3 1/2-acre public open space,” said spokesman Bill Driscoll.

Bill Driscoll AND the Vallones are involved in this? Sheesh.

Who needs a permit?

Combatting fraud against immigrants

From the Daily News:

Fraudulent businesses in rogue storefronts in Queens often fleece immigrants hunting for jobs or immigration help by taking fees for services they don’t deliver, according to a report out Thursday.

Many agencies also break the law by posting misleading signs and not providing contracts, researchers with New Immigrant Community Empowerment and the Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center found.

They are urging the Queens district attorney to set up a special unit to target fraud against immigrants.

“Just walking down Roosevelt Ave., you notice the intensity with which services are targeting immigrants, said Valeria Treves, executive director of New Immigrant Community Empowerment.

“It’s very clear that there’s rampant substandard predatory practices by businesses in our community.”