Kosciuszko Bridge replacement now delayed by feds

State officials plan to spend $630 million to demolish the traffic-choked Kosciuszko Bridge and replace it with two parallel spans, beginning in 2011, the Daily News has learned.

But the long-awaited project, already delayed six months by a squabble between state agencies, has been snagged by another bureaucratic roadblock - a maddening case of dejá vu for property owners affected by the plan.

The project has been delayed at least two more months by federal highway regulations, which the state Department of Transportation had originally thought would not come into play, officials confirmed.

Before the DOT can move ahead with the project, the feds must review its price tag and schedule, said DOT spokesman Adam Levine.

Kosciuszko Bridge replacement project hit with another lengthy delay

Cagey crap

That's some patio. Perfect for those with pet orangutans. This one's in Brooklyn along Bay Parkway.

Big unemployment jump in Queens

Workers, hold onto your hats – the stiff breeze of unemployment is beginning to blow.

And the unemployment rate is growing throughout New York City, most severely in Queens.

Queens Sees Jump In Unemployment Rate

The national jobless rate jumped to 5.2 percent in May, up from 4.8 percent in April, as employers shed jobs in many sectors and the economy continues to slump. The national unemployment rate has grown considerably over the last year, standing at 4.3 percent last May.

In Queens, the overall number of unemployed workers grew only slightly over the last year, but saw a sharp 3.7 percent rise between May and April of 2008, the largest such increase in any of the five boroughs.

The unemployment rate in Queens rose in the same period by 0.3 percent, which may seem tiny, but over a year could lead to a significant rise in the number of jobless workers. If this trend continues near the current rate, the county could see more than 3 percent growth in unemployment over the calendar year.

SJU trying to ditch Jamaica

Letter to the editor of the Queens Courier:

At the June 16 Jamaica Estates Civic Association meeting, the secretary of the board provided a report of a recent meeting between members of the association and the president of Saint John’s University (SJU), Father Donald Harrington. The purpose of the meeting was to address the community’s dissatisfaction concerning the SJU off-campus dormitory presently being built on Henley Road in the heart of our residential community. A series of questions from the membership ensued, which Mr. Joseph Sciame, Vice President of Community Relations at SJU, attempted to address.

One of the questions/comments posed to Sciame and Arthur Flug, Chair of the Association, was if the SJU Queens campus is located outside the perimeters of the Jamaica Estates community, why does SJU include in their literature that their “Queens campus is located in the beautiful Jamaica Estates community?”

Sciame was quick to respond, saying that because of SJU’s strategic plan they will no longer refer to the school as the Jamaica Estates campus but as the Queens campus because the word “Jamaica” carries a negative connotation, which could adversely influence the decision of out of town students.

I consider SJU’s plan insulting, elitist and racist. Saint John’s University is modifying their brochures and literature, not to correct an error, but to target a different audience that might find the name Jamaica offensive!

Write and share your outrage with Father Harrington at Saint John’s University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Jamaica, NY 11439.

Philip Ross
Member of the Concerned Residents of Jamaica Estates
Jamaica Estates Civic Association

Liu ignores violence against Falun Gong

Falun Gong practitioners brought some challenging questions to New York City Council Member John Liu on July 2. The session was arranged by Liu's office and held at the Flushing, Queens branch of the New York library.

Council Member John Liu Dodges Questions from Beleaguered Community

The discussion lasted over 2 hours and was attended by about forty Falun Gong practitioners and some media. It was the result of repeated requests by Falun Gong practitioners to meet with Liu since violent attacks against them began happening frequently on May 17.

A video was played for Liu by Falun Gong practitioners which showed an overview of some of what had happened. Most of the footage took place on Main Street of Flushing near the library. In the video, people who were not Falun Gong practitioners waved Chinese Communist flags, and shouted death threats, physically attacked, spit on, and cursed at Falun Gong practitioners.

Liu watched the footage quietly, and dismissed it as not showing anything significant.

Calls Made for Investigation of NY Councilman and Assemblywoman

According to two reports by pro-communist newspapers Chinese Press (Qiaobao) and Ming Daily (Ming Pao) , on June 28 New York State assemblywoman Ellen Young granted an audience to several members of the pro-communist mobs who allegedly assisted the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in their assault against Falun Gong practitioners in Flushing, Queens.

Young, while listening to their "complaints" during the meeting, also said that she would be working with New York council member John Liu to restrict the New York Police Department (NYPD) 109th Precinct from issuing permits which allow Falun Gong practitioners to hold rallies in the downtown Flushing area.

Experts are currently appealing to the U.S. government to investigate these two pro-communist media outlets as well as these two U.S. elected officials for allegedly helping the Chinese communist regime to incite spies and accomplices to assault Falun Gong adherents.

Onderdonk House burglarized by kids

Are you aware that the Onderdonk House was recently vandalized by adolescents who broke into the property and structure?

There's a police report on file and available for your perusal.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a profound patron of the arts and humanities. I'm sure he would be upset if the Onderdonk House, a valuable historical resource for New York City students and historians, would have to curtail its educational activities because of lack of security.

Onderdonk House burglarized by kids

I'm sure that great Queens preservationist, Michael Bloomberg, has lost a lot of sleep since this incident...

Ice cream war in Maspeth

Responding to a concerned phone call, the Queens Chronicle accompanied Price and his muscle-bound driver on their route through Maspeth last Friday. The reporter witnessed the harassment first hand.

Exposing The Harder Side Of Soft Serve Ice Cream

Although most of the afternoon was uneventful, around 4 p.m. the Mister Softee truck spotted Price and immediately pulled over. The driver was seen dialing a cell phone.

A few moments later, the Mister Softee driver approached Price’s Kool Man truck.

“What are you doing over here,” the driver asked aggressively. “This is my route.”

Price’s hired driver replied he wasn’t interested in the conversation.

“You don’t need to talk to me?” the Mister Softee driver said angrily. “You’ll be talking to my boss then.”

In these situations, Price explained, that “boss” often shows up in a green minivan to further harass him.

Bukharians on a Forest Hills crapping frenzy

“We like to utilize every single square inch of land, every inch of territory,” explained Rabbi Shlomo Nisanov, head of a Bukharian synagogue and community center in Kew Gardens Hills. “For some reason, people don’t appreciate it.”

Questions of Size and Taste in Queens

The Bukharian tendency to pave over everything is practical, he continued. Bukharians preferred a terrace or patio to a lawn, which he called “useless land.” A yard required mowing — “a waste of time,” he said.

“Exhibit A,” he said, gesturing to a brick row house on 76th Road. It had a verdant front yard that seemed to beg for mowing and pruning. “You see this?” he said dismissively. “What is this? What are we seeing here?”

He then pointed to the house next door. “Exhibit B,” he declared. The house was fronted by a well-swept terrace of red and black paving stones and enclosed within a five-foot-high wall that, he said, ensured some privacy. Any remaining green was an accent rather than a feature.

“You can eat outside, the kids have a place to play,” the rabbi said. “You have usage of the front of your house.”

“It’s nice, it’s beautiful,” he added. "What are you afraid of?"

Oh, little things like worsening pollution, the heat island effect, 3 feet of water in our basements...

More on Springfield Gardens nightmare

Rent Stabilized Complex consisting of 28 two-family buildings with 56 units now being subdivided into a real nightmare for Ground Floor Residents!!

This has to be the worst so called SUBDIVISION managed garden apartment complex in Queens!!!

Since spring of 2007 all safety and privacy rules have been axed. With no common management and multiple owners would this still be called a COMPLEX??

DOB violations for demolishing community garages without a permit and creating illegal parking lots. Can this be fixed?

Imagine yourself as a ground floor resident in this situation. Cars coming and going while children play, cookouts etc. Did I mention that there is a locked gate to prevent access, for resident security? Owners of certain buildings have keys and access from their basements to rear community yard which had been plowed down, removing every tree and bush, leaving the yards as you see them here. Notice that a back yard has been fenced off by one owner. Makes you think twice about the housing prospects of Queens. What are they thinking???? - anonymous

Congratulations to our newest Americans

They were born in 39 different countries - from Afghanistan to Jamaica to Guyana - but yesterday, they stood side by side in Manhattan and became Americans together.

IMMI-GREAT DAY TO BECOME A CITIZEN

Surrounded by friends and relatives who cheered and waved the Stars and Stripes, 122 men and women recited an oath of allegiance on the day before the Fourth of July and received certificates declaring them to be US citizens.

Many of the new citizens said they were motivated to go through the naturalization process - which includes a lengthy exam on American history - because of the upcoming presidential elections.

Ursula Melo, 31, who is from Peru, said she was going to register to vote immediately after the ceremony.

"The most important reason I wanted to do this was so I could vote. That's what motivated me the most," she said. "Peru was the place to see me born, but this is my home now."

They came here legally and are now legal citizens. What a wonderful thing.

Fighting terror in a red-white-and-blue boat

There is nothing else like it in any other American city. A $1 million lean speedboat – the newest weapon in New York City's war against those looking to do us harm.

NYPD Unveils Super Anti-Terror Patrol Boats

It's called a "TRACS" boat. Because of security purposes, CBS 2 HD can't reveal all of the equipment on board, but it has the unique capacity to detect even the most minute traces of radiation to prevent one of the city's top security nightmares – the smuggling of radioactive material that could be used to make a dirty bomb.

Babs advocates teardown

She's at it again:

Q I bought a home in Marine Park that I, after the fact, discovered had asbestos, water in the basement, a broken deck and a faulty aboveground pool. Am I better off renovating before I sell or finding a buyer who just wants to knock it down?

A You're a textbook example of why every buyer should spend a few hundred bucks to get a professional home inspection before they close.

Sorry Charlie - keep your money in your pocket and find a buyer who wants a teardown.

"A broken deck and a faulty aboveground pool" certainly are not reasons to tear a house down. Water in the basement probably means you need a new cellar door. Asbestos can be sealed up rather than removed for a fraction of the cost. These are things you would expect to fix when you buy an older house. As for Charlie, he sounds like a flipper and not someone who planned to live in this house. He also is a dimwit since he didn't get an inspection before buying.

An Astoria Boulevard ditty

You’re a grand old house
You’re a cute little house
But you soon may be sent to your grave

You're an emblem of
The borough I loved -
Now home to the tweeded and lame.

Ev'ry heart beat true
'Neath the red, white and blue
Now a different flag everyone waves

And since all our history’s being wiped out
Brace yourself now for more Queens Crap.

(with apologies to George M. Cohan)

Sinatra's American history lesson

Starring Frank Sinatra, this short ten minute film was given an honorary Oscar and a Golden Globe. Sinatra raises awareness for religious tolerance.

And for more education, the Queens Gazette has printed a history of the American flag.

Appropriate activities for today

The Declaration of Independence is on display at the New York Public Library from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. And if you can't go today, there's still plenty of time to see it before it leaves on August 2nd.

There's also an exhibit on political campaigns at the Museum of the City of New York. And their website says it's free today if you walk in wearing a campaign button.

Washington crosses the Flushing

Joseph Ardizzone, who has lived in Willets Point since 1932 and is the last resident at the site, criticized the city’s attitude towards the area for the past 30 years and its failure to put in sewers, roads and provide other municipal services for the neighborhood.

CB 7 OKs Willets Plan … with buts

“For the past 75 years the city has said no to me, why should I now say yes,” said Ardizzone, who dressed up like a colonial American and decried the city’s tactics as un-American during the meeting.

Here's a letter from a business owner:

At the Community Board meeting, the members started fighting over what they wanted to build on my land. This is land that has been in my family for years and that I pay taxes on and it is being fought over already? I could not believe what I was witnessing.

I looked around the room as Evan Stavisky, the lobbyist who was hired by the city, schmoozed with the board members trying to sway their thoughts and votes. I saw Claire Shulman, the woman who withheld basic services from Willets Point while she was Borough President, do the same.

I felt helpless and could not believe that these people did not care that we were being thrown off our land due to their long-standing neglect. They just want us out to preserve their legacy.

Facing the threat of losing your business and livelihood due to an eminent domain seizure is cruel. I have worked my entire life to build my nest egg and now it is going to be snatched away. No one at the Community Board meeting seemed to care about all the equity the city was trying to loot away from all the landowners by offering 50 cents on the dollar.

I thought about my father - how he fought in Germany to protect other people’s land. Now here I am fighting my city and country for the land my dad worked hard for to keep his American dream alive. My father died two years ago just as the city started its fifth attempt in 25 years to take our land.

And, of course, Grandma Shulman has weighed in on her blog:

Now in my travels around the borough and talking with our citizens, I have yet to find any significant opposition to this plan with the exception of the businesses on the site.

Everyone wants to get rid of the unsightly mess at Willets. Some Councilmembers and folks have different ideas on what should be developed there but most are negotiable.

Translation: "Evan, we need to throw more money at them."

Meanwhile, the Mets are begging for more tax money...

Brian blames it on booze

At a back booth in a coffee shop in his former Flushing district, McLaughlin politely nudged the conversation toward what he most wanted to talk about: his wife Eva, his family and the life he leads today. He talked about the rewards of returning over the past couple of years to blue-collar work as a sandhog, electrician and limo driver - and about saner hours and spiritual matters, with a backward glance or two at the ruin of his public life.

Former Assemb. McLaughlin pours himself into new life

"In my case alcohol was a factor in some of what I did," he said. With his public roles always keeping him away from home, he said, "you're out of touch with the emotional needs of your wife and family, those that matter the most to you, largely without recognizing it. And unable to recognize it, because every day your work schedule and your personal lifestyle kind of take on a habit and a culture of their own.

He speaks of having moved from one life to another. He suggests his fall from grace might resemble a bit the story of Michael Vick, who'd come up "from the neighborhood" but still hung out with the old group of "knuckleheads."

The next chapter on McLaughlin will be written in federal court, a little more than two months from now.

Roadside flags, Brooklyn-Queens edition

Grand Avenue LIE overpass with what remains of Sandy Falls.
Happy Fourth of July.
Stay safe out there.

Construction fence turned into art exhibit

Even with the cooling economy, there are a couple of things that New York City still has in abundance these days: artists and acres of condominium construction sites surrounded by wooden walls. On a recent night in Long Island City, Queens, the first found a mutually beneficial use for the second, called it a gallery and held an opening, with Cheez Doodles standing in for canapés.

The name of the makeshift and, in this case, legal street art space might sound a little awkward: Gallerie Pulaski. But it is honest. The exhibition of work by more than 20 artists, most of them graffitists in good standing, has taken shape on the scaffolding-shaded plywood walls around a rising condo, just yards away from the busy ramps to the Pulaski Bridge spanning Newtown Creek.

Construction Zone: Beware of Audacious Art

One reason why tweeding is easy

N.Y.'s Voter Turnout Among Lowest in Nation
By MARK GIANNOTTO, Special to the Sun

New York State has some of the lowest voter turnout numbers in America, according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau.

The report says only 37.6% of registered New York voters came out to the polls for the 2006 congressional election, the seventh-worst voter turnout percentage in America. The national average for voter turnout was more than 43%.

White non-Hispanics had the highest turnout in New York, with 45% casting votes in 2006.

The 2006 numbers show a steep decline from the more than 53% of registered New Yorkers who voted in the 2004 elections. In the 2002 congressional elections, 38% of registered New York voters cast votes at the polls.

In addition, the report says more than 64% of eligible New Yorkers are registered to vote, lower than the 68% national average for voter registration.

New Jersey, Utah, West Virginia, North Carolina, Nevada, and Texas were the only states with a lower voter turnout in 2006.

Bike lanes unwelcome on Skillman

The bikers form a very powerful lobby. The bike map for our neighborhood was made by the bike groups, led by Transportation Alternatives. Community Board 2 was totally bypassed, informed only after the map was done.

Save Skillman Ave.

Most important: bike lanes on Skillman and 43rd are dangerous for bikes. These are very busy commercial streets, with many stores, trucks making deliveries, cars, school buses from P.S. 150. Cars and trucks double park on both sides of both streets from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., 16 hours per day. If you "calm" Skillman and 43rd, and remove parking, how do we shop? How do stores get their supplies? How do we live? We have to suffer for the pleasure of a few sightseeing bike riders.

The bike lane on 48th Street makes no sense. 48th Street is a bus route, and much busier than 43rd Street. The bike lane should be on 43rd Street. The bike lane should use 39th Avenue from 48th Street to 43th Street, and across 43rd Street to join Skillman on its way to Queens Boulevard. At its June meeting, CB2 overwhelmingly voted for this arrangement, with only two opposed.

Just an idea of how narcissistic the bike rider lobby is, they mapped Vernon Boulevard, a principal Long Island City street, as a bike lane, not 11th Street, which is two lanes in each direction, and not as heavily travelled as Jackson Avenue. Why? "There is nothing to see on 11th Street. Vernon Boulevard is much nicer for bike riders."

There they go again! Save Vernon Boulevard! Save Skillman Avenue!

And as for bike parking, Commuter Outrage has an idea:

New York City Bike Parking

The city should also move quickly to expand its bicycle parking. They should finance it by charging fees for bikes similar to those for cars who use on-street parking.

...we would raise $11,268 per day from New York’s 28,170 bicycle commuters. Over the course of a 260 day work year, that would raise $2,929,680. (or if we want to make the bicyclists pay their fare share and give them no break on the price, we could raise $4,394,520 by charging the full seven and a half cents per hour) We should also consider that we will probably raise more fees than this since this only covers the 8-hour work day, and some people will work longer or do other things after work. That’s a lot of money to put toward expanding bicycle infrastructure in the city.

Great idea! Since bike activists love to come up with suggestions that force motorists to pony up our hard earned money, then why shouldn't they be subject to the same? Someone get Sadik-Khan on the phone, pronto!

Astoria church to be replaced with senior housing

Tearing down churches and replacing them with "senior housing" has been standard practice in Astoria for the past few years. The latest is HANAC's effort to raze the Presbyterian Church of Astoria at 31-30 33rd St. This article in a Queens weekly, makes it sound as though the neighborhood and elected officials can't wait to see the old place go. And with the price tag for the development, it's clear why.

Here's some background on the issue.

Concrete operations halted citywide

In recent months, New York City has been throbbing with the pulse of construction and the rumble and roar of concrete-mixing trucks. But the strike has all but halted work at scores of sites, from the Freedom Tower at ground zero to modest apartment buildings, idling thousands of construction workers and unnerving developers and contractors in all five boroughs.

Drivers’ Walkout Has Ripple Effect Across City

The union that called the walkout, Local 282 of the Teamsters union, is one of the most powerful in the region. Just a few hundred drivers are able to shut down most of the city’s multibillion-dollar construction industry.

In case you forgot:

Concrete is used not just for building foundations, but also for floors and walls — it is poured into plywood forms to shape it, with steel rebar used to strengthen it. Concrete is also used for highways and other public works.

Counterfeit ring busted in Queens

QUEENS -- A multi-million dollar counterfeit ring has been broken in Queens.
Among the items seized are bogus merchandise with Major League Baseball and NFL trademarks.

Two truckloads of counterfeit merchandise. That's what a raid in Queens netted. Among the items seized were caps featuring MLB logos, counterfeit shirts, sunglasses and toys. Even fake Duracell batteries were seized.

"As of Monday when we seized his books, he had registered $16 million in gross profits at that point," said Michael Vecchione with the Brooklyn DA's office.

The suspect, Jianfeng Guo pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges of trademark counterfeiting. Bail was set at $500,000.

The phony goods were allegedly shipped from China into New Jersey's Port Elizabeth and then trucked to a warehouse in Queens according to the DA's office.

(Other reports mentioned Ridgewood as the Queens location.)

Bus stop boondoggle in Howard Beach

"See, if this were the end of the year, I'd assume the shenanigans going on were a random way to spend the money in the coffers to ensure getting the same budget (or at least being able to justify it) for next year...

But it's July... we're only 1/2 way through the year. In your head, you're thinking of all the things in Queens that this applies to. Let me make it easy for you...

I live in Howard Beach. The Q11 runs by us and there are at least 3 stops I can think of off the top of my head that had bus shelters. The shelters were fine to begin with - save for the occasional punk or wayward car that would shatter at least one panel....

2 or 3 months ago I noticed that in their place were the newfangled bus stops... Basically the same thing as before... just new with some fancy new design that served really no purpose. Most still did not have seating (only the one by OLG church did). So whatever. I figured the MTA was installing new stops across NYC and wanted to re-do all of them or something...

Fast forward to now....all the new bus stops that were actually in good condition - having been installed only a few months ago and nobody's broken them yet.... were removed this past week. Not just the bus stops (and the seats in the lone bus stop that had them).... But all the concrete around them busted out as well. Nothing but a big square dirt hole where the bus stop was as of yesterday morning.

I ran out after I got home from work last night and what were barren holes ... now have the shells of new bus stops. I see in the photos that there seems to be a lot of cable routing under the bus stop . Apparently they ripped out the new stops originally installed 2-3 months ago... to re-install with electricity.

They raised my fare for this? WTF MTA?"

- anonymous

Gallagher threatens to sue victim

What will be his grounds for a countersuit? That she refused to consent to his groping? That she never boasted about how "great" he was? That she refused to beg for more?

DOB violates its own C of O

Some genius figured out how to fix the horribly Rube Goldberg-esque machine that is the New York City Department of Buildings. Their solution was to consolidate a half-dozen or so divisional tasks (Data Entry, miscellaneous Data Entry (don't ask), permitting, cashiers, etc...) and to create a new breed of Uber-clerks that do everything.

The Department of...You've Got To Be Shitting Me.

By my estimate the line these days exceeds 150 people, possibly closer to 200, and literally stretches to the commissioners' office door. It seems that some of the frustrated people that frequent the Manhattan DOB noticed that the temporary certificate of occupancy they run for this building, they being the Department of City Wide Administrative Services, only allows for 180 people on the floor. It also seems they registered complaints with the FD who were on the 3rd floor 3 times last week; word on the street is that the FD issued violations for over-occupying the floor. The actual number of occupants on the floor on a typical day is probably closer to double--if not more--than what the legal occupant load is.

This great link came courtesy of Curbed.

Weird tale from Brooklyn

When demolition began in May, the 1852 mansion possessed five stories. DOB knocked off the top two and was eating into part of the third when the owner went to court to have the wrecking ball halted.

Rebuilding the Half-Demolished 100 Clark Street, Brooklyn Heights

And there the poor old building stood -- bulging and creaking -- until last Wednesday, when a $25,000 repair job was approved by the Department of Buildings. As shown above, a new roof has been built on what used to be the ceiling of the third floor.

DOT brings their brand of idiocy to the Rockaways

Desolate and uninhabited blocks are strange places to build handicapped-accessible sidewalks - especially when they are soon to be bulldozed.

But that is exactly what the city has done in the Rockaways - and it's not the first time.

Wheelchair-accessible sidewalk corners were installed in May along a 20-block stretch of Edgemere Ave. in the Edgemere neighborhood.

Those barren blocks between Beach 35th and Beach 57th Sts. are part of the Arverne Urban Renewal Area and are slated to be made over as part of the 1,650-unit Arverne East megadevelopment starting next year.

Rockaway wheelchair cuts will be torn out by developers - again

Edgemere's new curbs - built in ramp-like fashion to allow wheelchair-users unimpeded access from street to sidewalk - connect crumbling and weed-infested sidewalks - or, in many places, no sidewalks at all.

Though few pedestrians walk along the deserted stretch, those who could be found said the new curbs were unnecessary, given the dilapidated state of the sidewalks.

Sky high crap pile

This thing, featured on Brownstoner, reminds me of the Queens Plaza Municipal Parking Garage on Miracle-Gro. 113 units in this. Yeech...

Queens Machine faces challenges

It could be a new test for the Queens Democratic Party, viewed as the strongest and most cohesive of all the boroughs. The party still wields considerable power, but has a spotty endorsement record - especially when it comes to citywide races.

Ballot race getting crowded with term-limited City Council members

"They are not omnipotent but they are still potent," said Doug Muzzio, a political science professor at Baruch College. "They have the troops and the wherewithal to make life miserable for a challenger."

The Queens party was key in selecting the past three Council speakers. Even though the last two - Gifford Miller and Christine Quinn - were from Manhattan, the party scored by getting key committee appointments for the Queens delegation.

And Muzzio said the party may be more interested in the most local races of all - the district leaders and judges.

"The key element is the selection of judges," Muzzio said. "That is the last great bastion of political patronage."

Illustration of the King Tweeder from the NY Observer

Helen wants Reservoir kept natural

Let me first begin by saying that I oppose the Department of Parks and Recreation’s plans to convert the historic landmark into ballfields. Rather, I am a strong advocate to preserve the unique and important ecosystems that have developed in Ridgewood Reservoir. Ridgewood Reservoir and Highland Park total approximately 142.5 acres of woodlands, lakes, wetlands, and picnic areas and is located on the Brooklyn/Queens Border within Highland Park. The Ridgewood Reservoir is an important area for resident, migratory and nesting birds and can serve as a place for environmental study, bird watching or simply just a place to enjoy the wonderful fruits that mother nature has to offer. In addition, the existing topography of Highland Park is not only permissible to scenic and serene walks, but if reconfigured and properly maintained, this area could serve for the site of many different sporting events, and help discount the need to build additional sports facilities. Unfortunately, Ridgewood Reservoir holds the distinction of being one of the eight “Underdeveloped Destination Parks” to be completed under Mayor Bloomberg’s Plan. To that end, I support and recommend the following:

(1) Creation of an ecology research center and museum which would be available to students in the surrounding areas

(2) Preserving all historic natural areas and ensuring that they receive the same treatment as historical landmarks

(3) Installation of security lighting, new fencing, rehabilitation of walkways and railing, and the creation of a security system to protect the reservoir from unauthorized entry; and

(4) Establishment of an ongoing maintenance program for existing sports facilities located on Jamaica Avenue in Lower Highland Park as well as the four baseball fields located in Upper Highland Park.

Full testimony here: Queens Borough President Testimony

Forest Hills gets Huanged!

The AJ's sale is closed, thanks to HowieMandel over on Queens Central for the tip. Looks like Sal is taking a permanent vacation and we can let the speculation begin.

About the buyer. Pay attention, this gets confusing and boring:

The company is listed as Broadway Enterprises at 36-09 Main St. Flushing, Suite 3A.

According to this document, 36-09 Main St. Suite 3A is occupied by a developer named Henry Huang.

Does It Mean A Thing If It Has Got That Huang?

Stop right there! Do you know who this is?

Life in 21st Century Middle Village

These horror stories were forwarded to yours truly:

"My mother, who is 96 yrs old, has lived in Middle Village for the last 69 yrs. About 8 yrs ago a single man moved next door. She had to endure his used car sideline and the multiple cars parked in the driveway and on the street. I think complaints from neighbors pretty much resolved that problem. Then he moved a man into his basement. When I referred to the man as his tenant he corrected me and said it was a relative. Well after a few years the "relative" moved out. Now it seems he is running his own SRO. He has two men living downstairs and occasional overnight guests. He lets them park in his driveway while he parks in the street across his driveway entrance. Of course the only way for them to get onto or off his driveway when he is home is to use my mother's driveway. They do this without permission. Finally she put up a barrier with planters and flower pots. Guess what? He is angry with her. He doesn't think she is a good neighbor. I would like to resolve the whole thing because it upsets her so much. She is too old to handle the stress."
__________________________________________

"There are two homes on my block in Middle Village that I am aware of that have multiple people living in each apartment.

At one of the addresses, 60-16 83rd Place there are 20 people living in the walk-in and 20 people living in the middle floor with beds all over the apartments and sheets between each bed. This was told to my neighbor who speaks Spanish by one of the men who lives there. The owner lives in the basement. The garage in front of the dwelling is horrendous and there are multiple bikes and strollers on the balcony visible from the street. There is a current epidemic of "bugs" and "rodents" right now. This is the second outbreak, and only weeks ago all the mattresses were put outside the home and all clothes bagged and left outside also. A friend who lives in the attached home next to them said she had roaches and never had them in the 20 plus years she has been there and that every day she finds toys, pencils and junk from these families in front of her basement door. The garbage situation is really bad and everyone who lives near this home is truly disgusted.

The same condition is happening at a house at 60-26 83rd Place down the street. There are so many people living there that I cannot tell you how many actually do live there. The neighbor said that he can see mattresses all over the floor from his apartment. There are many women with babies living in the walk-in and the basement as one big living shared space. I understand the owner, who used to live there, had torn down and rebuilt the home using illegals and was unable to sell it. His rent for the walk-in alone was $2,025 - and that was a few years ago when he was renting to a family with two boys and they informed me.

I am sure that the landlords are really raking in the bucks here at our expense. This block is very overdeveloped and there is hardly any parking. My son has to actually park on Eliot Avenue as there are really only driveways near our house due to the three new groups of attached three-story homes that have been built here over the last few years. This is also a real fire hazard and takes away from the quality of life we had known on this block that used to be just small one family homes."

Thank you, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for allowing a great area of Queens to be turned into a Sanctuary Cesspool. You make a great cover boy for this neighborhood magazine.

Como slapped by DOB - again

Congratulations Anthony Como!

What was it this time? Oh, endangering the health and safety of workers and your neighbors. Is that all?

At this rate you'll have that house finished by the time you are term limited out of office...

Surprise! CB7 votes for Willets Point plan

NEW YORK (AP/1010 WINS) -- A community board in Queens has voted in favor of a plan backed by Mayor Bloomberg to develop a 60-acre site into a new neighborhood of homes, shops, offices and entertainment.

Community Board 7 approved the plan 21 to 15 early Tuesday morning that would transform the gritty area known as Willets Point, near the Mets' new baseball stadium.

About 70 people spoke before the board at the meeting that began Monday evening and lasted into the next morning.

Willets Point land and business owners, along with hundreds of their employees, protested the meeting.

Among many concerns, including traffic congestion, the Willets Point Industry and Realty Association says the project lacks a developer or a formal plan.
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STATEMENT BY MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON FIRST PUBLIC APPROVAL OF WILLETS POINT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN

"The plan to clean up the environmental contamination at Willets Point and transform it into a vibrant, sustainable neighborhood first originated in community meetings, and tonight's vote by the Community Board is a major step forward in it becoming a reality. The plan will continue to evolve based on input from community members and local representatives - as the board has called for - but the approval tonight demonstrates a desire from the community that this area be remediated from the ground up to make way for more than 5,000 permanent jobs, 18,000 construction jobs, affordable housing and new parks. The next step in the public review process is the Borough President, and the plan goes to her office with the support of elected officials, community, business and labor groups, environmental advocates and now the local Community Board."

Well, as long as it's "vibrant"...

Here's Jeremiah's take on it.

Holding off demo for 90-day review

A preservationist group's proposal for a 90-day review period for demolitions of historically significant buildings that are more than 50 years old might have a new friend on the city council. City Council Member Tony Avella, an outspoken critic of big development who is planning a bid for mayor, said he likes the idea but still needs to review it thoroughly. "Clearly something needs to be done," said Avella, a Queens Democrat. "A slight delay before a building is demolished and the investigation of an alternative use can only be in the public interest." Meanwhile, the Real Estate Board of New York is on the other side of the debate and is sharply criticizing the idea.

Demolition review gains support

Mayor: Immigration Restrictions 'Insane'

By ELIZABETH GREEN, Staff Reporter of the NY Sun

America is "committing mass suicide" by putting restrictions on immigration, Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday.

He made the remarks after announcing an initiative that is aiming to lure Americans into the fields of math and science, which Mr. Bloomberg termed "the industries of the future."

Moving aside from education, Mr. Bloomberg painted immigration as a short-term way to lure engineers to America, where they could innovate and create new jobs.

"There are people around the world who want to come and create here and add jobs and excitement and innovation, and we're keeping them in Canada and in Europe and Asia and not letting them here," Mr. Bloomberg said.

He termed the restrictive policies "insane."

In the past, Mr. Bloomberg has strongly criticized efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, saying the American economy depends on immigrants to survive.

Obnoxious movie star wants Weiner

Hey, Ben Affleck is supporting Anthony Weiner. Which gives me even more reason not to. Although I will readily admit I enjoy reading his criticism of Bloomberg and his "lapdog press corps".

Time to license bicyclists

As the number of bicycles increases due to high gas prices, we as a nation should examine new ways to ensure that these vehicles (usually operated at 15-30 mph, and sometimes as high as 50 mph) are driven in a safe and responsible manner, and that collisions with motor vehicles, pedestrians, and other objects are minimized.

The goal is not to pass blame for the 770 bicycle deaths, but rather to save lives.

Since the invention of the automobile, federal, state, and local authorities have enacted a series of laws governing the licensing, registration, inspection, insurance, and safe operation of motor vehicles. A similar set of laws should be applied to bicycles and bicyclists.

In addition, bicyclists should pay their fair share of tolls and parking fees, as long as these fees are applicable to other motor vehicles.

Toward A New Bicycle Safety in America

As someone who was walking on a sidewalk and hit by a bicycle illegally riding on it, I wholeheartedly agree that this is a good idea.

Fake farm in LIC

From Curbed:

Long Island City already has a fake beach, so why not a fake farm?

I was going to say the exact same thing, but they beat me to it!

Big surprise: New WTC delayed

The World Trade Center's owner on Monday proposed scrapping the schedule and budget for the prolonged rebuilding of the site of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, saying nearly every project is delayed and over budget and that previous estimates "are not realistic."

Redevelopment of WTC facing problems

Christopher Ward, executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, didn't set new deadlines and budgets for the multibillion-dollar redevelopment at the destroyed trade center complex. He proposed that a committee of developers and government agencies involved in the project meet to set new, "clear and achievable timelines" by the end of September.

DEP negligence leads to Bklyn flooding

After the heavy rains on Saturday afternoon around three feet of rain collected on a section of Carroll Street, causing thousands of dollars in damages to a business and flooding several basements. The flooding was blamed on malfunctioning catch basins next to two developments that caused rainwater to cross 4th avenue and settle on the western corner of Carroll.

Over the Weekend, a Flood on Carroll Street

Green roof owners to get tax break

Both houses of the legislature approved separate bills related to tax benefits for installing solar panels and green roofs in New York City. The state’s “net metering” program, allowing those with wind-powered generating systems to provide energy back into the grid and get a credit against their own usage, will be expanded to include commercial customers. Stiffer “block the box” penalties have been enacted to help ease New York City gridlock. Additionally, construction of the Gansevoort waste-transfer station, in the works for more than three years, will finally move forward under an agreement between the city and the legislature.

Green Canopy in the Urban Jungle

Of the two tax-abatement provisions, it seems likely that the one rewarding installation of a green roof may get more takers at the moment. “Relatively speaking, if you have an appropriate roof, it’s easy to put on a green roof,” attorney Caroline Harris tells Real Estate New York. “And there are multiple benefits to doing so,” as compared to the solar panel, which only generates one benefit, albeit a substantial one: producing energy.

For optimal results, Harris says, green roofs should be installed “on all of the buildings in the neighborhood, to reduce the temperature on a neighborhood-wide basis. That would be fantastic for the environment.” Naturally, this would require somebody taking the lead after installing a green roof: organizing his or her fellow property owners to follow the example. “Community boards would be a good place for people to publicize green roofs and maybe get activities going on a community-wide basis.”

The Daily News has more.

Queenscape - too many meters

Holy crap. Talk about lack of aesthetics!
Was there no better way to attach these to the house?