Pols oppose jail at Fort Totten

From the Queens Tribune:

State Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside) and Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) said that they are opposed to a proposal to create a new city Department of Correction training facility at Fort Totten.

Braunstein said that, according to a document his office received that was dated Sept. 26, the city has moved to re-use a portion of Fort Totten to create permanent home for a city Department of Correction training academy. In 2015, the city’s Fire Department—in collaboration with the city’s Office of Management and Budget and Design and Construction Department—initiated the first of two consultant studies on the proposal. An analysis of requirements for the site is expected to be completed this month, according to the document.

“I strongly oppose the creation of a new DOC training facility at Fort Totten and find it outrageous that the city is secretly considering this proposal, which could have a detrimental impact on our parkland,” Braunstein said. “Recently, Community Board 7 notified my office that DOC was considering a facility at Fort Totten. Upon receiving this information, my requests to various city agencies have failed to result in any substantive information. It is absolutely unacceptable that a proposal of this magnitude was not shared with elected officials and the community board for over two years.”

Braunstein called on Mayor Bill de Blasio to abandon plans for the facility at Fort Totten, while Vallone added that Bayside was the wrong community in which to locate such a facility.

From QNS:

In a letter addressed to Mayor Bill de Blasio on Jan. 11, state Senator Tony Avella raised concerns with the city’s “serious lack of information” in reference to certain project propositions by the Fire Department and Department of Corrections (DOC). The FDNY has proposed building a wind turbine at the Bay Terrace location, while DOC considers using it as the site of its new training academy.

After an alleged runaround from city agencies, Avella has filed a Freedom of Information (FOIL) request for documents pertaining to both proposals.

“What are you hiding?” Avella writes. “I would appreciate a full briefing on your plans by all those involved.”

Fort Totten — formally an active U.S. Army installation in the Bay Terrace section of the neighborhood — is currently used by the U.S. Army Reserve, NYPD and FDNY. Certain portions are designated public park areas.

For FY 2018, DOC allocated $1.1 billion to fund a “New Jail Facilities” project, prompted by Mayor de Blasio’s push to close Rikers Island and create neighborhood-based and decentralized jail sites. Avella questioned whether DOC’s interest in Fort Totten pertained to this move.

“I hope this is not a hidden plan to place a jail on the Fort,” Avella writes. “Such an attempt would be fought vigorously by the whole community.”

Waterpointe is being watched

From the Times Ledger:

DEC released a letter in September entitled “Explanation of Significant Differences” explaining why changes to the soil fill had been allowed in the remediation plan. Cervino said the switch from Track 2 residential soil to Track 4 commercial soil will negatively affect future owners in this development. He pointed out that in order to build a house a chemical citeria must be met that guarantees a safe toxicity level for children to play in the yard and for plants to grow there.

According to Cervino, when the board asked for data about the soil, it was estimated that at least 40,000 tons of soil was recontaminated after the site was cleaned up around 2010. Cervino is asking for proof that the 40,000 tons of soil was cleaned up since then because the board was never given data to prove that it was.

“Now we hear that there was this agreement that this property was recontaminated and now they’re going with commercial standard,” he said. “It is now eligible for Track 4, which means the Brownfield cleanup and consent order was not adhered to. I want to know why they were given lax restriction to original agreement.”

Cervino speculated that most of it was left on site. He thinks DEC only cleaned some of the soil out.

CB7 Chairman Gene Kelty said it is out of the board’s hands and can only be handled at the state level. DEC will be voting in two weeks for a certificate of completion. CB 7 said it wants to stall development from moving forward until the board gets clear answers on why the track was changed and the levels of contamination of the soil. CB7 agreed to write a letter to DEC asking state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), state Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D-Bayside) and Assemblyman David Rosenthal (D-Flushing) to hold a hearing.

Residents protest taxes on co-ops and condos

From the Queens Tribune:

Residents of Bellerose’s Parkwood Estates condominium complex and members of the organization Politics Reborn turned out on Friday to protest city property taxes on condos and co-ops in front of Assemblyman David Weprin’s (D-Fresh Meadows) office.

The protesters accused the assemblyman and city of lagging on a bill aimed at capping co-op and condo assessments.

“He’s the one dragging his feet,” Alice Christy, a Parkwood Estates resident and member of Politics Reborn, said of Weprin.

Christy noted that Weprin is one of the sponsors of bill A00354A, which would cap co-op and condo assessments at 8 percent in any one year and 30 percent in any five years. The bill’s author is Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside). It is identical to a bill in the state Senate sponsored by state Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Flushing).

“[The bill] just languishes there,” said Christy.

She added that 30 percent is still a big increase, “but it’s better than what we would have. Our community is middle-middle class. We can’t afford homes in the area, yet we have too much money for affordable housing. We need this to pass. The city commissioner of finance is just kicking this down the road. I’m not giving up. I’m a tiger.”

The condominium has a large senior population. Christy, who is a senior, said that with property taxes rising, her fees have risen as well. She added that the funds seniors receive from the city’s STAR program have not increased.

Christy and fellow organizers at Friday’s protest went door to door, persuading residents of the condominium to sign more than 250 letters urging Weprin to push the legislation.

Bayside curb repairs taking forever

From the Times Ledger:

Three years after city snow plows destroyed the curb in front of All Saints Episcopal Church in Bayside, the Department of Transportation still has no plans to repair the damage, even after the intervention of a higher power — the neighborhood’s assemblyman.

During the series of blizzards in the winter of 2013–2014, snow plows from Department of Sanitation battered the curb by the church into gravel, grinding some sections down to little more than a sliver of rough concrete. All Saints, located at 214-33 40th Ave. reached out to state Assemblyman Edward Braunstein (D–Bayside), who spoke with DOT about repairing the curbs. The agency made him wait a year for a response.

“My office contacted the NYC Department of Transportation in 2014 regarding curbs that were damaged at All Saints Church by the Department of Sanitation,” Braunstein said. “On Feb. 13, 2015, DOT notified me that All Saints Church would be added to its ‘curb database for repair under a future curb repair contract.’ In light of the fact that the curbs were damaged by a city agency, DOT should commence with the repairs as soon as possible.”

But nearly two years after committing to fix the damage, the DOT has not yet scheduled repairs.

“NYC DOT is aware of the curb condition at this location, which has been added to the agency’s curb database for repair under a future curb repair contract when resources become available,” a DOT spokeswoman said.

Big turnout at Broadway-Flushing rally

Hi Crappie,
Here’s a photo from our rally yesterday. It was well attended with about 200 people, Senator Avella, Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, Paul Graziano and many representatives from our neighboring civic associations.

Broadway Flushing has been seeking help from the Landmark's Preservation Commission for 10 years and have been met with continual and unwarranted disdain. We continue to enforce restrictive covenants in order to protect our community from development that is not covered under New York City zoning or building ordinances we currently have the strictest zoning in NYC and it is not protecting us. We are an excellent example of early to mid Century development of a suburban enclave within an urban setting along with our sister community, Douglas Manor, which was landmarked in 1997. The last few years, we have been under attack from developers who are preying on our large lots, tearing down houses and trees all the greenery that goes with it and building large brick boxes. We must break this pattern of destruction immediately or we will lose the very reason we all live here. We all bought into Broadway Flushing because of its architectural integrity and stately, suburban character.

-Janet McCreesh
Flushing

NY1 report

Queens Chronicle report

Taking too long to fix Douglaston streets

From the Queens Chronicle:

The mean streets of the Douglaston Manor Historic District, where much of the pavement is little more than rubble, sidewalks are collapsing and Belgian blocks separating stately homes from the roadways are in disarray, don’t look likely to see the needed repairs anytime soon.

The problems are that the damage is so extensive, the streets need complete reconstruction and the money has not been allocated to do it, according to the city Department of Transportation.

Now two of the area’s elected officials, Councilman Paul Vallone (D-Bayside) and Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) are pressing the city to add the funding — $260 million — to its mid-fiscal year capital plan.

The $260 million does not include an unknown amount of money that would be necessary for the Department of Environmental Protection to upgrade underground infrastructure that also would likely need to be done, according to a letter Vallone received from Department of Transportation Queens Commissioner Nicole Garcia.

Well, at least they did something about Shore Road.

Vallone stands alone in support of new school

From QNS:

A meeting with Councilman Paul Vallone and education officials on Monday couldn’t quell the concerns of Bayside residents still adamantly opposed to a school proposed for the former Bayside Jewish Center.

Vallone was only a few minutes into his introductory remarks when the audience interruptions began. The councilman pointed out that, as the Bayside Jewish Center and the School Construction Authority (SCA) had already entered into a contract, he thought it unlikely that plans for the school would be squashed at this point.

“I’m more of a realist than someone who’s going to stand on the corner and say it’s not going to happen,” Vallone said over the grumbling of audience members.

The councilman added that the situation was delicate and would likely draw criticism from residents no matter which site was chosen, and that he believed the SCA site selection process in general should be changed to increase transparency. Vallone also noted that his constituents in Community Board 11 have often commented about a dire need for school seats in the area.

In a joint letter sent to SCA President and Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Grillo on Tuesday, Congresswoman Grace Meng and Assemblyman Edward Braunstein asked that the SCA rescind its contract with the Bayside Jewish Center due to the lack of support from the Bayside community.

“The process that the School Construction Authority (SCA) uses to purchase property for siting new schools is flawed, and does not offer the residents, the community board, or elected officials any opportunity for input until after the contract negotiations have begun,” read the statement.

State Senator Tony Avella previously opposed the plan, holding opposition rallies outside the center in recent months.

From the Queens Tribune:

Addressing his disgruntled constituents, Vallone argued that the proposed school was a deal between two private parties and that it wasn’t in his power or anybody else’s to stop it.

“We go along with this journey as it happens,” he said, “We can’t stop it.”

Chadney Spencer, who opposed the school, said Vallone had taken a different stance when a high school was proposed in Whitestone.

“You ran around defending Whitestone to get the vote,” he said.

The SCA abandoned plans for the Whitestone site, at 150-33 6th Ave, after Vallone and other community members protested and petitioned.

The Queens Tribune reported in April 2014 that “Vallone personally delivered more than 500 signatures against the plan to [SCA CEO Lorraine] Grillo.”

Vallone said in a statement at the time “I never stopped pushing the SCA to commit to abandoning this plan.”

A Vallone staffer said the Whitestone site had not progressed as far in the sales process at the time that Vallone opposed it, and that Vallone had been acting as a private individual to protest the site, as he was not an elected official at the time. The staffer also said the Whitestone site had been a more inappropriate site than the Bayside one.

Isn't it interesting that this Vallone staffer is anonymous in this story and that he/she doesn't seem to know that Vallone assumed power on January 1, 2014 and the school was nixed April 2014?

Broadway-Flushing rally roundup

There's lots to read:

Op-Ed Queens Tribune

Article Queens Tribune

Queens Examiner

Queens Chronicle

Times Ledger

Queens Courier

NY1

State bill outlaws most clothing bins

From the Queens Chronicle:

A state bill aimed at eliminating clothing collection bins from fake charities and introduced by Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) has been passed by both houses of the Legislature.

The measure, which prohibits placing bins on public property, goes a step further than city law by forcing the owners to disclose whether they are operated by a nonprofit group or a for-profit business.

In addition, the owner must reveal whether a bin is operated by a for-profit business partnering with a nonprofit group, a practice known as rent-a-charity.

The owners are subject to fines of up $500 for violations and must meet maintenance requirements.

Whitestone rally features defensive architect

Vallone makes some grandiose statement of how he "negotiated with the architect and developer" but never would have let the people at the rally know that architect Joe Sultana was even there, except for the fact that he freaked out and verbally attacked Paul Graziano. Fun times!

Is someone looking at the nephew?

Ed Braunstein previously worked in Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's Manhattan district office.

From the Daily News:

In an only-in-Albany moment, Brian Meara, a veteran lobbyist and longtime friend of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, was publicly revealed to be cooperating in Bharara’s case against the speaker a day after his nephew, Assemblyman Edward Braunstein of Queens, attended a news conference of Assembly Democrats supporting Silver.

Braunstein attended a nearly two-hour meeting of Assembly Democratic members hours after Silver's arrest. Afterward, several dozen of Silver's members came out for a press conference to say they support keeping Silver as speaker.

That widespread support began to erode over the weekend, leading to Silver to cut a deal in which he will turn over control for now of the chamber to five veteran Assembly members as he fights the criminal charges against him.

Meanwhile, Meara, who has been close with Silver for four decades, is cooperating with U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's case against Silver.has been cooperating as a “fact witness” as part of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's investigation, sources told The News.

Frustration over illegal signs

From the Queens Chronicle:

Street spam is all over Northern Queens and there’s nothing appetizing about it.

Also known as vertical litter, street spam is illegal signs glued to utility poles, bridges and other public areas. Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) wants something done about it.

In a survey made by his office, a total of 150 signs and stickers were discovered in Braunstein’s district. “They are insulting and trash our neighborhoods,” the assemblyman said. “And once they are on your radar, you can’t help but notice how many there are.”

He reported the locations to the Department of Sanitation and so far is happy with the agency’s work to remove them. Officials at Sanitation tell residents not to take down the signs themselves, but to call 311. The city then notifies the agency to photograph the location, remove the sign and try to fine the perpetrator.

But collecting fines can be problematic. According to Citizens Against Ugly Street Spam, a website dedicated to the removal of the illegal signs, many of the perpetrators use unlisted mobile phone numbers, called bandit numbers, and are hard to trace.

If the signs are placed too high or the adhesive is too strong to remove, Sanitation refers the locations to the Department of Transportation or the MTA if a train trestle is involved.

Dave Fischer, spokesman for Braunstein, said he is following up with the DOT on removals. Fisher added that the worst offender is “cars for cash” signs, “which are everywhere throughout the city.”

Braunstein believes Sanitation is doing its best to remove the offending signs with limited resources. He wants to lean on City Council members to get involved in the issue and possibly conduct a sting to locate and fine the offenders.

City taking its sweet time to fix Bayside curb

From the Queens Chronicle:

Members of All Saints Episcopal Church in Bayside have been waiting two years for the city to repair their damaged curbs, but Department of Transportation officials say if they’re unhappy to sue the city.

It all started about two years ago, according to member and community activist Jack Oshier, during the winter when Department of Sanitation trucks plowing snow got too close to the curbs and damaged them.

There is no parking around the church, located at 214-35 40 Ave., allowing the plows closer access to the curbs than usual. Oshier said further damage was inflicted last winter.

He has reached out to city agencies and elected officials with little success. “We finallly sent a letter to the city comptroller putting in a claim but that could take years,” Oshier said.

Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside), who used to live across the street from the church, also got involved and was last told by the DOT that the curbs would be repaired, but the agency was unable to say how long that would take.

A spokesman for the DOT told the Chronicle there is no outstanding Notice of Violation or sidewalk conditions at the property, although the agency did receive notification of this condition, which cited snow plow-related damage to the curb.

Liu finally admits he lost

From the NY Observer:

John Liu’s comeback bid is over.

The former city comptroller and mayoral candidate formerly conceded to State Senator Tony Avella this morning, acknowledging that a gap of 568 votes was too great to overcome with paper ballots.

“Public service, to me, is a calling, not a career, and this race was always about the opportunity to continue to serve our community,” Mr. Liu said in a statement. “While we may have fallen just short in the voting booth, our message resonated loud and clear – the people of this district want a true Democrat who will stand up for our progressive values and we will hold our elected officials accountable by their actions, not just their words.”

The Queens Democratic Party, led by Congressman Joseph Crowley, coaxed Mr. Liu into running in a Democratic primary against Mr. Avella earlier this year. Drawing on the support of local elected officials, a bevy of unions and a significant fund-raising advantage, Mr. Liu came last week within 5 percentages points of knocking off Mr. Avella, according to unofficial Board of Election returns.

But it was always an uphill slog for Mr. Liu in an oddly-shaped eastern Queens district where Mr. Avella, despite his alienation from the political establishment, remains popular. Mr. Avella’s win came as he crushed Mr. Liu in the heart of the district–the 26th Assembly District, including the neighborhoods of Whitestone, Bayside, Bay Terrace, Little Neck and Douglaston–by nearly 1,000 votes. Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, one of many Queens Democrats to back Mr. Liu, represents the district.

Apelian and Vallone support never ending variance

Dear Civic Leaders:

The Station Road Civic Association is asking for your help in opposing a variance renewal request for Utopia Realty located at 167-02 Northern Blvd. The matter is on the CB 7 meeting calendar for Monday September 8, 2014 at 7:00pm. (at the Union Plaza Care Center located at 33-23 Union Street) The variance request is for extension of the term of variance for a one story building that is occupied as a real estate office. The April 18, 1990 extension included a provision that states “there shall be no change in ownership or operating control without prior application to and approval from the Board”. The provision was continued in the 1999 variance renewal. The applicant now requests that this provision be removed. We have been informed that the provision was inserted due to the location of the property within an area covered by the Rickert-Finlay covenant.

The current operator of Utopia Realty is the son of the owner of the property, Paul Luciano. He has no ties to the community and currently lives in Sag Harbor. Though he professes no intention to immediately sell the property or business, the sale will undoubtedly occur within the next few years. He is looking to the removal of this clause and the renewal of the variance for as long a time as possible as a means to maximize his inheritance.

We believe the restriction should be maintained to give the community a means of control over the next occupant and to make that occupant aware of and accountable for the restrictions placed on the property from the inception of their occupancy/ownership. We do not oppose the granting of a 10 year extension so long as the clause remains.

The opposing argument, proposed by Chuck Apelian, is that the cost of a variance is a burden on a property/business owner and should be a one- time event, that once obtained, continues in perpetuity. This variance renewal would be that one time event. We estimate the cost of a variance over its entire duration is about $100/month.

Why the Community Board vice-chair is concerned with the financial welfare of an heir or a successor owner, who if due diligence is done before the purchase will know that the property comes with the extra expense of a variance is beyond logical reasoning.

There is no reason why the Community Board, Borough President or the BSA should be willing to give up their power to regulate and oversee businesses to make them better community members. Once one applicant receives such a “forever” variance, every other applicant will want one too.

Hypothetically, once a business obtains a “forever” variance it is a small step to then request a change in zoning. The theory would be that I have a perpetual variance, so why not just change the zoning to make it legal, there really would be no difference, except for the opportunity to change the type of business and size of the premises, which is actually a really big difference. Mr Apelian contends that the businesses coming in want the re-zoning so they will exist in an area with a commercial overlay. It is a back door way to negate the zoning changes that were approved by the Community Board, Borough President and City Council only a few years ago.

This is a step that would have catastrophic consequences for northeast Queens and the entire city. The entire area along Northern Boulevard from 162 Street to 192 Street and beyond in both directions would be vulnerable to dramatic up-zoning that would render the area unrecognizable over time. Any increases in building size and density would then be requested by owners in adjoining areas.

To date we have met with Assemblyman Braunstein and Senator Avella and have spoken to Paul Graziano, all support our position and will attend or send representatives to the Community Board hearing. Councilman Vallone has not agreed to meet with us prior to the hearing.

Please support our position at the September 8th meeting. Please attend and sign up to speak. It is time for Northeast Queens civics to unite as one voice to acquire greater political clout. It is the only way we will be able to retain the physical integrity of our communities and our way of life against the onslaught of real estate development interests.

Thank you.
Rhea O’Gorman
Station Road Civic Association

The Vallone banner in the top photo has now been replaced by a John Liu banner. And this sign is in their front door:

Braunstein to introduce clothing box legislation...in January

From WPIX:

They’re popping up all over the city, even though they’re illegal and appear to be a scam. One legislator, however, has vowed to eliminate clothing drop boxes, or at least make it much more difficult for the large, metal, cube shaped receptacles to be left on sidewalks in New York’s five boroughs and around the state. For many New Yorkers, the new regulations can’t come soon enough.

The announcement by Assemblyman Edward Braunstein about a new bill in to more quickly remove the clothing bins was made in front of Lawrence Cemetery in Bayside, Queens. The quarter acre burial ground is named after the Lawrence Family, which settled in Queens in 1644. Now, however, settled right next to the historic cemetery’s fence, is a bright pink, metal clothing drop box.

Under the bill being introduced by Braunstein, a Bayside Democrat, the illegally placed clothing boxes would be treated more like illegally parked cars — where big action is taken, fast. In the case of the boxes, they’d be confiscated after just a few days of citation.

However, there’s one caveat. “[The legislature is] off session in Albany, but I’ll introduce the bill as soon as we get back in January,” Braunstein told PIX11 News.

A less tall wall in Little Neck

From the Times Ledger:

Northeast Queens lawmakers announced Monday that the E. Gluck Corporation has agreed to modify a 36-foot gray wall that has become the source of dozens of complaints from Little Neck residents.

The wall was erected in April after construction began on the property, at 60-15 Little Neck Parkway, as the watchmaking company prepared to relocate from Long Island City to the new warehouse in northeast Queens. After several weeks of pressure from state and local representatives, E. Gluck has agreed to lower the wall, which faces 262nd Street, by 14 feet and will also add nearly 100 trees and plants to soften the look of the warehouse’s exterior.

Little Neck residents want wall to come down

From the Queens Chronicle:

The wall is up, the people are angry, and, according to state Sen. Tony Avella, “a stop work [order] is going into effect.”

At the center of the controversy is the construction of a new 35-foot-high building, which would sit atop a hill that is already approximately 10 feet above curb level, in the middle of a tree-lined residential neighborhood in Little Neck.

Nearly 100 area residents, along with Avella, Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside) and Councilman Mark Weprin (D-Oakland Gardens) and representatives of Community Board 11, gathered at the corner of 262nd Street and 60th Road on Tuesday morning to protest the construction.

“The moment I saw this, looking at the wall, I felt I was back in the concentration camp,” said a woman who identified herself only as Margret, a Holocaust survivor who lives on the corner across the street from the site. “It is very depressing. I sit at my table and I have to look at this wall.”

The wall, from most accounts, seemed to have been erected overnight.

Watch manufacturer moving to former Leviton site

From the Queens Chronicle:

The Queens Chronicle has learned that E. Gluck Corp., now located in Long Island City, has leased the former Leviton site, which was the corporate headquarters for the firm that makes electrical wiring devices and motion sensors. Leviton officials moved its operation to Melville, LI in 2009 and the property at 59-25 Little Neck Parkway has remained vacant since then.

The 6.7-acre site was bought by Steel Equities, a commercial real estate developer, and the only usage at the site had been storage for a car dealer in Great Neck.

Susan Seinfeld, district manager of Community Board 11, said that Gluck officials had met with area elected officials, including Assemblyman Ed Braunstein (D-Bayside), to discuss their plans.

Gluck applied to the city for $12.8 million in tax breaks, which was granted, according to Comptroller John Liu’s office. His office had no issues with the subsidies.

Plans call for Gluck to add 81,000 square feet to the building. The property is zoned for manufacturing so the project is as of right.

The company employs 348 workers and intends to add 45 additional employees within three years, according to the firm’s application under the city’s industrial incentive program..

Weekend voting proposed

From Bayside Patch:

Three elected officials representing northeast Queens at the state and federal level are calling for Election Day to be moved from a Tuesday to a weekend.

U.S. Rep. Steve Israel, D-Great Neck, has joined state Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, and state Assemblyman Edward Braunstein, D-Bayside, in calling for Election Day from the first Tuesday to the weekend after the first Friday in November.

Israel said moving the day would make it more convenient for voters and increase voter turnout.

“Many eligible voters won’t exercise their right to vote due to the inconvenience of Election Day falling on a Tuesday,” Israel said. “Our democracy will be best served when our leaders are elected by as many Americans as possible.”

Congress initially decided in 1845 that voting on a Tuesday made sense because it made it easier for farmers to get to the polls.

The Weekend Voting Act would allow for national polls to be open from 10 a.m. (Eastern time) on a Saturday to 6 p.m. on Sunday.