Queens grounds are parched

 

 Queens Chronicle

With the borough just recovering from the latest heat wave (and bracing itself for the next one), it may not be difficult to fathom that Queens is in a moderate drought — or at the very least, is approaching one.

The U.S. Drought Monitor says that Queens County is in a moderate drought, and, in parts of southern Queens, a severe one. College Point environmentalist and visiting scientist and faculty member at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution James Cervino characterized it as “the worst ever” in Queens.

That is barely an exaggeration — Matthew Wunsch, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told the Chronicle that between June 1 and Aug. 28, the area surrounding JFK Airport received 5.14 inches of rainfall. That’s the area’s second lowest level since 1949 for that period. The area surrounding LaGuardia Airport has gotten 8.09 inches of rainfall over those 12-odd weeks, the 14th lowest since 1940.

But the New York City Department of Environmental Protection has not gone so far as to declare an official drought.

“Things are certainly dry here in New York City. We have not had a lot of rain this summer — the ground is brittle and everything is pretty brown,” said Ted Timbers, the DEP’s communications director. “But New York City gets its water supply from protected reservoirs in the Catskill Mountains in the Hudson Valley.” Those, he said, have an “ample” amount of water in them, adding that the agency is monitoring the supply and the forecast closely.

But as the borough prepares for hurricane season, the first since Hurricane Ida took 11 lives in Queens and damaged countless homes a year ago to the day, the drought may be cause for concern, and may lend itself to flooding.

“You’d think that because the ground is dry, that it can actually absorb more water,” Wunsch said. “But dry ground, it actually becomes less porous, and more likely to have runoff, especially if a lot of heavy rain happens at once.”

Or, as Cervino put it: “Drought leads to cracks, desertification, floods and erosion.”

 

Bowne Park ain't what it used to be

Ah, a lovely stroll through one of Queens' premier parks on Sunday afternoon. But there's literally trouble in the air and water.

So the pond is contaminated and you should avoid exposure to it, yet the mist from the fountain was hitting yours truly in the face for a good 1/4 of the looped path around the body of water.

Dead turtles were seen floating on the surface.

This guy was still alive and kicking but with the shape that water's in, it might not be for long.

This cool stand of trees caught my eye but the grass is in serious need of cutting. The lawn is unkempt.

The pond walls have issues as well.

Hopefully these little guys sprout wing feathers soon and get the hell out of this mess!

The Whitestone Bridge is leaking big time

CRAPPY,

THIS STORY MIGHT INTEREST YOU AND YOUR READERS.

Back in the beginning of April we sent an email to MTABT and DOT regarding a serious flooding issue on the side of the Whitestone Bridge. Ever since they completed construction, the flooding has become much worse.

The DOT referred it to DEP. The MTABT stated that there was no issue and that ONE home along the route has drainage holes (AT LEAST 12 INCHES ABOVE THE GROUND) may be the cause.

So We sent pictures of the water marks and dirt marks from the runoff. NO RESPONSE.

Then this morning with a little rain we took more photos and video of the water runoff and the amount that now falls onto the road. In our opinion this has extremely exasperated the severe flooding issue.

The Whitestone Bridge is a proud representation of our community. To have the managers not take responsibility is an insult to the community. NOT TO MENTION THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE OF THEIR GRASSY AREA AS OF LATE. We take pride in our community and expect our neighbor the MTABT to do the same.

And of course let us not forget the mosquitoes and West Nile issues this brings.

Thank you.

Alfredo Centola
President
Founding Member

Major crappification comes to Elmhurst green space

This spot on 57th Avenue in Elmhurst, just east of 80th Street, was a green oasis for decades. It was a mapped street for a very long time, owned by the city. I personally used to play in that lot when I was a kid, even though it probably wasn't a good idea. But it was open space, and friends and I loved running around in it. Unfortunately, the city demapped the property and sold it.

And this is what is there now. The entire property has been denuded of trees and is in the process of crappification.

I expected 2 or 3 family homes, but it's worse than that. There will be seven 4-family houses here (which means there will likely be 5 or 6 families in each).

The green space was owned by the city, and it wouldn't have killed them to allow neighborhood kids to turn it into a community garden. But as someone here points out regularly, we're in Queens, we can't have nice things.

Forest Hills apartment complex has seen better days

Horticulturally challenged apartment building 67-70 Yellowstone Blvd. [the Ethan Allen], between 67th Drive and 68th Avenue, previously mentioned in Queens Crap with regard to cemented-over tree pits on both sides of the building, seems to be continuing in the same vein with its recently installed “Keep Off the Grass” signs. It looks as though they’ve [kind of] planted some sad shrubs, complete with tags attached, in the dusty and trash-strewn soil. We don’t seem to detect any “grass” on these areas, nor has the property had more than some tufts for years thanks to its neglected state. The signs have left many a pedestrian scratching their heads and taking photos, as have the cemented tree pits. We’re wondering who’s directing this pathetic “beautification” project.

The entire property, complete with beverage containers, discarded fruit, cigarette butts, dog waste and other gems, remains a blighted disgrace, in harsh contrast to its surroundings. Rocky debris covers all would-be "lawn" areas, most likely the result of a poorly executed 2013 facade project. [Neighboring buildings were treated to dust, dirt, and trash and garbage as a result of unsupervised masonry workers dining al fresco.] And while it's one of the few buildings in the area with a spacious yard, it's been allowed to deteriorate into a decaying and graffiti-covered embarrassment, with broken benches, crumbling concrete, a non-level, tarred surface with filled-in cracks on display, and tarred-over tree roots attempting to free themselves. [Torturing trees seems to be a motif at this address.] There’s a not-surprising notice regarding rat bait on the yard fence.

67-70 Yellowstone workers make a very loud, almost daily show of blowing leaves around but, apparently, not doing much else. What’s evident to all passersby seems to escape their notice. Deflated helium balloons have remained snagged in low-hanging tree branches for months, while other detritus has rotted in place for even longer periods. Broken windows adorn the property at cellar level on all sides. Cable wires, dead and alive, snake past apartment windows and fire escapes. A stroll up to the entrance reveals gaping fissures in the concrete path, cracked, rusted lamp bases, and an arrangement of cracked and broken bricks badly in need of replacement as a “step” at the entry. Dirty street-level screen doors and entrance areas don't exactly call out, "Great building, fill out an application."

The property didn't even have a legal sidewalk on the 68th Avenue side until last year. [The tree pits were cemented over as part of the "facade renovation."]

And now comes the 67-70 Yellowstone Blvd. version of landscaping. The owners seems to think that putting up a few signs, when they obviously couldn't care less about the condition of the property themselves, is the key to discouraging bad behavior. Signs might be effective if everything about the property didn’t currently suggest: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."

A shout-out to the owners and crew of this disaster area for pretending not to notice that almost every other building in Forest Hills offers an example of what basic property maintenance looks like, not to mention beautification, and it ain't this. If we do find any clean, healthy grass or even some genuine soil at 67-70 Yellowstone, we’ll be sure to "Keep Off."

- Forest Hills Wanderer

The Overlook has seen better days

Located here and here.

Dead grass abounds, long since replaced by patches of dirt and rocks. The uneven terrain has proved a potent trip hazard. And then there is the mud puddle that has been present almost every day of the summer. A wonderful breeding ground for mosquitoes that make the park a sorry place to be at dusk.

- Ted, Kew Gardens

Bowne Park update

From 10am until sundown on Friday after the original Bowne Park post was put up, I received reports that parks workers were there in droves addressing the nasty conditions present. Here is an update:

Hi Crappy –

Well – they’ve mowed the lawn and emptied the trash.

Here are some pix.

Decaying tree branches providing a much-needed tripping hazard – check!

Inaccessible garbage pail out of reach within the fenced-off area, surrounded by garbage chucked over the fence – check!

Unnecessary second bocce court construction project on target for mid-2014 completion – check!

Scummy, dirty broke-down pond – check!

Gee - mowing the lawn did not entirely eliminate the neglected, sorry atmosphere at Bowne Park – go figure!

To Quote Bette Davis (and Elizabeth Taylor) - "What a Dump!"

Regards,

Flooshing Rezident

Haggerty house needs help

From the NY Times:

In the gilded, leafy confines of Forest Hills Gardens in Queens, the house on Greenway North and Puritan Avenue stands out for its shabbiness.

While nearly every other one of the Tudor homes in this stately enclave is meticulously maintained, and their English garden-style grounds extremely well tended, the large corner house looks as if it has been abandoned.

“Everyone says he keeps the house that way so it looks like no one’s home,” a neighbor said as she gazed out her screen door at the house on Friday.

She was referring to the house’s owner, John F. Haggerty Jr., the Republican political consultant currently on trial in Manhattan Criminal Court on charges that he stole $1.1 million from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and used much of it to pay off the house.

The lawn has apparently not been mowed for months, chest-high weeds have sprung up, and the path to the front door is littered with fallen horse chestnuts from the mammoth tree in front. Bricks have come loose from the porch, and a pair of neglected, dirt-laden cars snooze in the driveway.

I have no comment on this article except to say that if the point you are trying to make is that the house is a fixer-upper, then the photo chosen does not show that.

Parks Commissioner finds splendor in the grass

From the Daily News (no link):

Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall will cut the ribbon tomorrow on a new cricket field in Baisley Pond Park.

The natural grass field directs runoff water to an environmentally friendly drainage system of planted bioswales, or landscape elements that remove silt and pollution from water.

Parks officials said the new system allows for the planting of native trees, shrubs and wildflowers. - Nick Hirshon

Interesting. I thought we couldn't have grass sports fields anymore because they suffer too much wear and tear and are too troublesome to maintain. In fact, the commissioner sang a different tune to the NY Times in 2009:

Mr. Benepe also challenged the notion that artificial turf runs counter to the mayor’s vision of a leafier, greener New York, noting that a field made of recycled materials could be more environmentally friendly than grass, which requires pesticides, herbicides, aeration and millions of gallons of water.

“The so-called natural field leaves a large carbon footprint,” Mr. Benepe said. “You won’t find a lawn in nature.”

But now grass fields are environmentally friendly? Hmmm. This is one flip-flop I welcome. It's a shame you had to put the plastic shit in so many parks before you came to your senses. And we'll be expecting the same type of fields in all our parks from now on. What's good enough for Baisley Pond Park should be good enough for the rest of the city.

Photo from NY Times.

Maspeth gets two new green spaces!

Looks like Maspeth has finally gotten its wish - 2 new green spaces! I suppose this one on Flushing Avenue could host tree someday...
But this one is on 64th Street between Grand and Flushing Avenues. Since both a street light and a traffic light didn't survive the trucks making turns here, I doubt that a tree will. Not that those facts would stop the City from planting one here.

Unisphere sprouts some greenery

From the Daily News:

Global warming recently hit the South Pole on the Unisphere, where blades of grass sprouted through cracks in the steel around Antarctica.

City officials suspect that bird droppings and leaves collected in the base of the 12-story landmark, providing the perfect conditions for germination when seeds blew in and feasted on rain water.

"I've never seen such growth coming out of the Unisphere," marveled Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski.

The Parks Department, which learned about the vegetation when the Daily News inquired on Wednesday, had uprooted all the greenery by Thursday morning.

But locals who recalled the Unisphere as the gleaming centerpiece of the 1964 World's Fair wondered how the city let the unofficial symbol of Queens become a plant pot from May to August.

"If this was in Manhattan, the Unisphere would be pristine and it'd be polished every year," said Karyn Karmin, 46, of Forest Hills. "It's really sad."