Mayor Bloomberg's plan to redevelop gritty Willets Point in Queens is "doomed" unless the city guarantees it will not use eminent domain to take people's land, a majority of the City Council said in a letter Tuesday.
City Council members warn Mayor Bloomberg on Willets Point plan
The letter - signed by 30 of 51 Councilmembers - was sent to City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden on Tuesday afternoon - a day before the City Planning Commission holds a hearing on the controversial plan.
The council members said they were in "absolute opposition" to Bloomberg's plan and demanded the city take "eminent domain off the table."
"This is about when it is right for the government to take people's property," Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens), the letter's author, told the Daily News. "This speaks to the rights of Americans to hold property in America."
AMEN!!!
Melinda, Johnny, Peter & Anthony, where are you?
81 comments:
you forgot to add that hiram is bought and paid for by the WP landowners
and you forgot to say that claire shulman , helen marshall ,toby stavinsky are all bought by parkside who lobbys for mr billionaireburg. how can someone be bought when its your land your trying to protect ? what an ass! has to be a parkside-evan lap dog. like they all say - do as i say not as i do
WPIRA is not trying to protect their land.. They are trying to squeeze the highest price for the swampland dam the toxic waste and deplorable conditions... Let the employees continue to work in unsafe conditions.. As long as fodera and tully can "participate in the growth of WP"
And even if that were the case, what would be wrong with it? You'd be doing the same thing. If the city really wants to develop it, they'll pay whatever it takes to acquire it. The fact is that when you own something and the threat of eminent domnain is not on the table, you can demand whatever you want for it. Maximizing profits is not a crime.
what's wrong with it is precisely why eminent domain has been around for 1000 years.. So greedy landowners can't stand in the way of projects that serve the public good
Obviously, it's not for the pubic good, otherwise the council would not have issued this missive against it. This is why we have checks and balances; to prevent abuses of power by one branch of the legislature.
building 5000 housing units, retail centers and convention and hotel facilities serves the long term good of the public more than 70 landowners and 1200 employees continuing to occupy an unsate toxic sludge pit that pollutes our environment. And most of these xisting businesses and staff can be easily relocated at minimal LoNG term cost
I Ono you guys are flat against ANY development ANYWHEre but if all took that view we'd still be staring at 100 foot ash piles in queens
I'm sure the council took your arguments into consideration before signing this letter.
we also have lobbyists and special interests that pay off politicians for power plays
we also have lobbyists and special interests that pay off politicians for power plays
or they took new York Acorns campaign contributions and influence peddling
I'm sorry, but the city has hired the most entrenched lobbying firm in the area. If anyone can influence peddle, it would be them. They seem to not be doing a good job right now. Great job getting to the editorial board of Queens weaklies and profiling selfish Mets fans. But citywide coverage has been pretty good in revealing this as eminent domain abuse.
that's were we part.. This is textbook ED.. The place is blighted and the public Is served by development of the area
what cittywide coverage has called WP anything but blighted save for a few radical blogs and bought and paid fir politicians???
"WPIRA is not trying to protect their land.. They are trying to squeeze the highest price for the swampland dam the toxic waste and deplorable conditions"
And the City is trying to steal it for next to nothing. Forty plus years of neglect by countless administrations is the main reason WP is the way it is today. If NYC truly is interested in cleaning up this place then start by constructing the streets and sanitary systems those businesses have been paying taxes for all these years.
Bartering another man's property as a payoff to your developer friends is unethical.
Blighted or not, the owners of these properties have a right to fight and this land grab will not succeed.
Crapper, what do you mean "if the City really wants to develop" WP? Other than some of the anti-development wackos who comment here, everyone in the city wants to see that disgusting, stinking area cleared out, cleaned up and developed.
If we're anti-development wackos, why are you giving us the time of day?
Blight is the absence of what Peter can gain from Paul.
And the City is trying to steal it for next to nothing
so by "AND" you agree that They are trying to squeeze the highest price for the swampland dam the toxic waste and deplorable conditions? thats progress.. good
but your ASSUMPTION that the city is trying to "Steal the land fo rnext to nothing" is misinformed at best. ..the owners are being offered fair market value.. ask Sambucci who accepted the price..nad the few others who have in the early stages of this process.
the landowners obtained the property full well knowing there were NO sewers and drainage. except for Soni who claims he "had no idea there were no sewers before he moved in"
start by constructing the streets and sanitary systems those businesses have been paying taxes for all these years.
again.. you people dont seem to understand this.. the area has NEVER HAD sewers and drainage.. what about that is so hard to understand?? you dont pay taxes specifically for any item. You pay taxes based on the land you own. how do you know what these businesses have paid in property taxes over the years? and how do you know it is the same amount as if the area was always fully developed..
answer
YOU DONT.
and to the second poster who calls himself an idiot..
show me a link where shulman, stavinsky and marshal are all "bought by parkside who lobbys for billionaireburg"..
produce some specific evidence.
I showed a link that proved that hiram has received a SIGNIFICANT portion of his campaign financing directly from the WPIRA members..
if you cant do similar I suggest you take your innuendos elsewhere. your baseless claims add nothing to the debate and further proves your side to be a"anti development wackos" and conspiracists
If we're so misinformed and everyone else is on your side, why are you giving us the time of day?
Duh, that took 2 seconds - Willets Point I: Should Former Queens BP Shulman File As Lobbyist?
if you can only answer my questions with "nah nah nahnah nah", "i know you are but what am I" and "if were so wrong why do you continue to debate"
why dont you just admit you are wrong and say Willets Point is a blight and needs to be developed into something that will benefit the public use?
put a big post on your home page.
Why don't you admit I just showed you the connection between the city, parkside and willets? And why do you continue to post here if you find no intelligent debate here?
where is the reference to helen marshal the elected official receiving SIGNIFICANT Funds from party to this debate?
like Hiram cashes WPIRA checks
i also see no reference to Toby Stavisky (it'd be nice if you could spell the names correctly at least)
"Obviously, it's not for the pubic good, otherwise the council would not have issued this missive against it. This is why we have checks and balances; to prevent abuses of power by one branch of the legislature."
All of a sudden the crybaby is Mr. Law and order. Funny, how he does that when its in his favor.
Toby Stavisky is Evan Stavisky's mother. That's a no brainer. Helen Marshall is term limited and retiring after next year. She is doing this because she thinks it will be her legacy.
crapper.. if you dont understand the difference between an ELECTED OFFICIAL CURRENTLY IN OFFICE receiving SIGNIFICANT FUNDS directly from a party to a legal action and developing his opinion based on THAT contribution and a FORMER elected official receiving funds to lobby for a city supported initiative then maybe we cant get any further in this conversation..
feel free to continue to twist your own past words for whatever argument suits your current whims,.,
cut to the chase crapper.. who is driving the black helicopters around queens??
Do you really think the Parkside Group has not been contributing to elected officials currently in office to try to sway their votes on this?
Why did Parkside give Helen Marshall $1000 for her last campaign when she had no opponent? To sway her votes when their cases come to her. HELLO???
not that it really matters when its an insignificant amount of campaign contributions -- how about some real proof though.. that an elected official was BOUGHT AND PAID FOR just like Hiram is.. to be out front in the debate.. Helen Marshall - as YOU SAY - is doing this for Legacy reasons and has NOT been "Bought by parkside" as you or one of your alter egos contended in comment 2
.. but it doesnt change the base argument that you keep changing the topic on that Willets Point is BLIGHTED and needs to be remediated and redeveloped into an area that the public can actually use.
oh gee.. you got me now .. ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS.. thats not even close to what Tully laid out alone for Hiram's State Senate Campaign.
im sure Helen received a little more than $5,00 total for her reelection which would be the same percentage that the WPIRA goons have paid for Hiram.
Well, whaddya want? This contributing to get what you want is currently legal. As is the government taking private property and giving it to their favored friends (the ones who dumped loads of money into their campaign coffers, i.e. developers). Both are wrong and immoral and should be reformed. But that's the way it is right now.
Have a great night.
donating $1,000 to am unopposed relection campaign is a far cry from FUNDING A run for a higher office to the tune of 20% of one's outstanding contributions. especially when you are intially running as an underdog to one's political rival..although Hiram is now unopposed.
its influence peddling at its worse.
and ill say it again.. no one is TAKING anyone's land.
"what do I want?" i want you to present a clear and cohesive argument as to why willets point is NOT blighted and does not need to be redeveloped into an area that benefits ALL NYers and creats jobs..
i'd rather debate that than campaign contributions and the presence of black helicopters flying over your house.
get some rest.. you'll need it for the CDC Meeting tomorrow.. if you care to attend..or maybe you will just continue to spout invectives from atop your blog pedestal.
Why do you care what is posted on this blog so much?
simply because you are WRONG on your Willets Point arguments
its a filthy blighted mess and needs to be razed and redeveloped asap.
So what if I am wrong? What's it to you. You said yourself no one takes this blog seriously. So if no one does, then why do you?
"but it doesnt change the base argument that you keep changing the topic on that Willets Point is BLIGHTED"
Oh, and will lil unidentified spokesperson say why it is 'blighted'?
Who ALLOWED the carlength potholes in the sewer TO HAPPEN? ARE THERE CARLENGTH POTHOLES ON your STREET? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF THERE WERE?
QC has really riled your feathers. What a joy to watch these lil pissant minions try to respond to people that know Queens.
if you are admitting you are wrong on the Willets Point issue then put a BIG POST on your home page to that effect and you will be left alone as a non serious person who has no real opinions and just makes statements for comedic effect..
you can be anti development and agree that willets point is a complete cesspool and is blighted beyond simple repair.. NO ONE is that rigid in their beliefs
Oh, and will lil unidentified spokesperson say why it is 'blighted'?
ive gone thru that arguement in a previous post.. kindly take your ritalin and read a little before jumping into a conversation..
your Queens crapper just shit his pants and has no further answers to WHY willets is NOT Blighted.
Once again, everyone wants Willets cleaned up. The people who work there now don't need their land taken from them in order to do it.
most of the structures on 126th street, 127th street and WP blvd are shanty shacks that are part and parcel to the clean up..
they just need to go.. if its by smart bomb then fine .. just wipe it off the map.. no one wants to see these pictures in America as a representation of NYC.
mind you .. i dont advocate any people being in WP when it is blown to kingdom come and started over from scratch
Evan Stavisky gets paid by DC to loobby Moma Toby testifies at CB 7 hearing. hmmm Seems like aconflict foe me. Or how about the fcat that EDC gave 250,000 to the make up LDC that pays Claire to lobby for plan. Oh did we forget that both Claire Shculman and Helen Marshall appointed all the CB 7 members?? Hmmmm Conflict. And th Mayor doals out all the behind the scenc money that never is public. Lets be honest its a land grab for Bloomies rich developer friends. I dont care who WPIRA is giving money to!
No one should have their property taken by force for a Convention Center!!! Case Closed
'I don't like looking at WP''
What a tremendous argument for abrogating private property rights. Just bc SCOTUS farked up Kelo, doesn't mean that private proerty rights should be sacrificed to serve the interests of fatcat developers.
And pissant anon, your '1000 years of common law' arguments in favor of eminent domain dont wash here - not by a legal scholar nor even a plain Jane lawyer. Kelo set a new standard.
So which city councilwimp is yo daddy?
At least Napoleon "le Grande" Bonaparte had the guts to take sword in hand when he wanted to conquer new land and add to his empire.
Our pint sized maniacal monarch/mayor
thinks he can direct the stealing of private property and turn it over to one of his real estate pals from the comfort of an arm chair in his east side town house!
FLASH, MISTER MAYOR:
WE STILL LIVE IN A REPUBLIC
AND THERE'S THE CITY COUNCIL
(shabby as they might be at times) STILL STANDING WATCH!
You damn spoiled, senile little Boston brat!
Toxic though it may be,
IT'S STILL HAPPENS TO BE THEIR LAND!
It's not Bloomberg's, Shulman's or
Parkside's to give away to their developer friends!
We won't tolerate a land thief
getting away with this kind
of chicanery
in our American republic, "Anon #2"!
And "damn" is spelled with an "n".
It's not "dam" you ignorant ignoramus!
Crapper - What would you like to happen at WP? It sounds like your wacko anti-any development whatsoever stance wants to just leave the disgusting mess there as is. Sometimes you say "just put the sewers and streets in and it will clean up by itself", which is just plain naive and unintelligent. In order to properly remediate all the land and properly install the sewers and other infrastructure, much of that property has to be razed and completely re-done. It cannot be done with the existing businesses still there. If the city comes to agreements with 80-90% of the businesses but a small few just refuse to sell or make exorbitant demands to greedily hold up the city for a windfall, the whole project fails and the entire community loses. So how would you propose cleaning up the area?
Stealing privately owned land for the benefit of Muss, Wilpon etc.
IS NOT NOT FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD (either in the long or short term) you ass-wipe!
What if the city took your house or condo for the "benefit" of a private developer?
I guess that's another story!
MELINDA KATZ - MISSING IN ACTION?j
to all EDC workers alert!! the plan is dead go back and do something else besides trying to controll the media this is not russia . stop wasting our tax dollars on this nonsence if you all cared so much than were have you been the last 30 years when these people needed you? answer that honestly and with out your development spin. all of a sudden every one cares what a bunch of hipocytes
It's funny how when the suggestion was first made of invoking eminent domain proceedings to take the historic RKO Keith's Theater from the ownership of that notorious criminal Tommy Huang and create a performing arts/convention center that would benefit the public good,
Claire Shulman turned a deaf ear!
That wouldn't have been proper.
But now she's "gung ho" for outright land theft!
Like a wolf in sheep's garb:
"Grandma what big teeth you have"!
Anonymous said...
They are trying to squeeze the highest price for the swampland dam the toxic waste and deplorable conditions...
OH, REALLY?.. WELL I'LL CALL YOUR BLUFF,PAL BECAUSE YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.. AND THAT'S SAD.. I AM AN OWNER AT WILLETS POINT. I DON'T WANT 10 CENTS FROM NYC. I WANT TO RUN MY BUSINESS ON THE LAND I WORKED AND SWEAT AND BLED TO FEED MY FAMILY FOR. I WANT NO MONEY, TRUST ME.
WHY DOES THE DEFENSE OF YOUR POSITION ALWAYS END WITH 'WILLETS POINT IS TRYING TO SQUEEZE THE CITY FOR MORE MONEY'? NOT THE CASE. AND WHATS SAD IS, IF YOU KNEW THE FACTS YOU WOULDN'T MAKE A STATEMENT LIKE THAT.
anonymous (the proponent of eminent domain) seems to have WAY too much info, websites, case law and the like, right at his fingerprints. I suspect theres something a tad dishonest about who he REALLY is. The leaches, schnurers, and Claire and Co. have this person staying the course against the poor people of Queens and the business owners at WP
Anonymous said...
Crapper - ..... Sometimes you say "just put the sewers and streets in and it will clean up by itself", which is just plain naive and unintelligent. In order to properly remediate all the land and properly install the sewers and other infrastructure, much of that property has to be razed and completely re-done. It cannot be done with the existing businesses still there..
YOU DEMONSTRATE YOUR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE WITH THAT STATEMENT. ALL SEWERS, ROADS AND INFRASTRUCTURE ARE BUILT WITH EXISTING HOMEOWNERS AND BUSINESSES IN PLACE. DUH, REMEMBER DOWNTOWN AFTER 9-11? I KNOW YOU EITHER WORK FOR EDC OR ARE POSSIBLY GETTING FED THEIR KOOL AID, AS DEMONSTRATED BY YOUR RATHER INANE AND PATENTLY FALSE POSTURING.
Jerry Rotundi:
Great comment and logic!
Hard to dispute your facts, also.
Are you listening, anonymous?
i have an idea for all you pro developing wacko's, most of you i'm sure live in beautiful areas with lots of property why not start developing where you live if you are so for taking other's properties why not give up your own for the better of your own neighborhoods?
Hmm, no answer from Crapper. The only answer from anyone was to just leave things alone. Ridiculous.
Can the pro-blighted mess people here start making intelligent, truthful, arguments? This whole "why don't they take your property and give it to a developer" thing is just stupid. My property is not a disgusting, stinking nightmare.
Anonymous said...
”so by "AND" you agree that They are trying to squeeze the highest price for the swampland dam the toxic waste and deplorable conditions? thats progress.. good
And the City is trying to steal it for next to nothing
so by "AND" you agree that They are trying to squeeze the highest price for the swampland dam the toxic waste and deplorable conditions? thats progress.. good
No, I am also a property owner who sees the injustice of misuse of governmental power to seize land belonging to private citizens for the use of another private citizen or corporation. Why is the City of New York relying on eminent domain and “fair value” to have their way in WP? Why not let the owners decide if they want to sell and for what price? I doubt, as many of them have stated, that they are willing to sell but that seems to be lost on you since you insist that this is a money squeeze on their part.
“but your ASSUMPTION that the city is trying to "Steal the land for next to nothing" is misinformed at best.”
On the contrary, I’d say I am a very well informed citizen.
“the landowners obtained the property full well knowing there were NO sewers and drainage. except for Soni who claims he "had no idea there were no sewers before he moved in"
And as was the case in most of Queens, the sewers and roads were built to accommodate the residents as the land was developed. What is your point?
“again.. you people dont seem to understand this.. the area has NEVER HAD sewers and drainage.. what about that is so hard to understand?? you dont pay taxes specifically for any item. You pay taxes based on the land you own.”
They never had the infrastructure because the City of New York has short changed the property owners for years and now the owners want what is due them as taxpayers. Property taxes in NY State are used to provide schools hospitals roads and other infrastructure necessities. Tell me, where has the city been all these years? And what is their excuse for not providing for the common good of these taxpayers?
These property owners are not going to wilt and fade away as the city wants them to do. And as a property owner myself, I will fight to preserve the right of private ownership of land and the protection against the misuse of eminent domain.
As a citizen of NYC, I would like to see how my tax dollars were spent on the EDC's ridiculous vision for the area thus far. By their own admission, the traffic problems cannot be mitigated because the area has no room!!! Therefore, can someone explain how such a massive project for Willets Point is in the public interest? I wish someone would call for a Federal investigation. I want my money back!!!
PS Anyone hear how much it will cost to attend a Mets game in Citifield next year...if you can get a ticket in the first place????
These property owners are not going to wilt and fade away as the city wants them to do. And as a property owner myself, I will fight to preserve the right of private ownership of land and the protection against the misuse of eminent domain.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
amen,amen,amen thank you for standing up for whats right and not giving in to the thiefs
I'm so glad Crappy posted the letter to Amanda Burden including the CMs who signed(and didn't).
And Jerry:
I have a gut feeling with your determination the city doesn't stand a chance. Hopefully Bloomie can choke on his own vomit when he finds out he's lost yet another battle.
Bloomie - you are a failure in every sense of the word.
Check the rendering in this article: http://www.nysun.com/new-york/critics-supporters-of-willets-point-plan-to-meet/83771/
Now that would be blight removal and development for the public good! Thankfully the city is taking this seriously to get this done.
How can they have a rendering without knowing who the architect or developer will be and without having a survey done as to what can be built there? LOL Pie in the sky B.S.
What a rendering! How corporate looking. All I know is that I went to a day game at Shea Stadium in late July and it took almost an hour to get there by car and I live right off the Whitestone Expressway. After the game, we couldn't move our car for well over an hour. With the proposed convention center, thousand of residential units and large retail outlets, how is traffic supposed to be moved through the area? This is the junction of all the major arteries in the borough. This proposal will certainly not benefit anyone living in or traveling though Queens and is preventing an accurate assessment so that it can be cleaned up. As I mentioned earlier, it's time to call in the Feds...
Hey, who deleted my post!
crapper routinely deleted post here that he dowwn agree win
To the lndowners... You've had the land for 50 years and it's a stinking embarassment to NYC.. Time to move you out and start over.. Thanks to Bloomberg for finally getting this off the ground... A poster up high was right... The agencies should descend upon WP and start enforcing the numerous violations in the area and condemning the place
u landowners should be ashamed of yourselves for what you've created.....a blight on out fine city and a global laughingstock
Who deleted your post? Not me. I have been at work all morning. Now it's my lunch break. I guess you don't have a job since you can spend all day entering the same comments over and over and trying to play victim.
check your logs crapper... The force is growing..that was my first post today
give WP sidewalks, streets, and sewers. business thrives here and can continue for years to come. flushing doesn't need more housing, there's too many people as it is. how about just using eminent domain and tearing down all the houses in the ghetto on the other side of the stadium.
queens doesnt need housing because its too crowded.. that makes a hell of a lot of sense..
youve got two and three families crammed into apartments in corona and flushing..
Developers have been buying
city council members for years!
But they now hate it when they wind up being f----d in the ass by their own dirty tricks!
What goes around comes around!
Enjoy!
Who told Wilpon to build a stadium right across the street from a junkyard in the first place?
Did I buy my house adjacent to Fort Apache in the South Bronx?
Let the builder beware!
Now Mr. Mets thinks he can muscle out the land owners at Willets Point because he wants to beautify his investment without a fight?
He's behaving more like a mafioso than he wrongly accuses the businesses owners thereof!
Shulman's legacy will be:
Betrayer of the RKO Keith's and
gravedigger for the rights of private property!
That cud chewing Bovine bitch!
Anonymous said..
"To the lndowners... You've had the land for 50 years and it's a stinking embarassment to NYC.. Time to move you out and start over.. Thanks to Bloomberg for finally getting this off the ground... A poster up high was right... The agencies should descend upon WP and start enforcing the numerous violations in the area and condemning the place"
For someone who takes so much pride in New York City, you should really take a little more pride in your spelling.
There is no time limit on ownership in NYC or anywhere in this country. As long as you comply with the zoning laws, what you do with your property is your own business. As the largest slum lord in NY City, The City of New York should look to cleanup it’s own act before it starts throwing mud at legitimate small business that are the lifeblood of our city.
You wish to see the City of New York descend upon WP and start enforcing the numerous violations in the area and I am sure they will get around to it, just be patient. We all know that the are very overworked at the moment enforcing the myriad of violations on construction sites throughout the city.
I notice you use the term “blighted” often and loosely. Take some time and look around this city. Do you see blight anywhere else? Blight can be defined as a lack of sanitation, filthy or unpaved streets. But it also constitutes a general feeling of hopelessness or a loss of pride in your community. A feeling that our public servants no longer act for the public good. New York City does not have good representation and it’s leaders do not work for the public good. The use of eminent domain to acquire private property for private gain is immoral and not in the true spirit of America ideals. Think about it for awhile, you may not like what you see in WP, but the Bloomberg administration as well as administrations before it, are greatly to blame for the conditions that exist there. If the City of New York were really serious about cleaning up that area, what better way than to work with the business that are there and improve the environment. Eminent domain is not the way, most New Yorkers do not support it, most Americans do not support it’s use.
That last one sure smells (stinks) like a Parkside or Evan inspired post!
Well, you can't do an end run around the city council as easily as your low life family has tweeded ignorant voters all these years.
Everybody, in fact, is finally waking up to drooling Prince Evan's (Evita Peron in male drag) machinations.
Maybe, quite soon, the feds will be up his ass following in the wake of the Mc Laughlin/Gallagher fallout.
I think Chuck Apellian has a big headache and wants it all to go away
(quietly, of course)!
He's in on the fix!
cj--
Blight is very clearly defined by law.. It's has nothing to do with hopelessness..you just pulled that out your arse.
Perhaps you should read up a little more and comment less on peoples spelling
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