Bowne Park is a disaster

Hello Crapunzel,

It’s been awhile since I’ve felt the need to contact you. Recently in the blog you’ve mentioned North Flushing, sidewalks and street digging, and since I am a resident of the Bowne Park area of NF I figured you might have an interest in this.

The Department of Parks and Councilman Paul Vallone in their infinite wisdom have determined that Bowne Park should be ignored. We have made several requests for more trash cans on the 159th street side of the park, by the playground, where ice cream vendors ply their trade and parents allow their issue to drop litter, to no avail. Attached are photos of their solution, black plastic bags hung over fences.

We’ve also complained to Vallone about the pond. For OVER TWO weeks the fountains have been shut off leading to an algae bloom that is not only unhealthy for the fish and turtles in the pond but to the olfactory senses of the local residents. See attached photos.

Repeated calls to Vallone’s office have not alleviated this problem. Contacting the Parks department at the Overlook is a total waste of time, they do not care about one of their park “Jewels”.

Also, take a gander of the bocce court that the department added a couple of years ago for about $500,000...no one uses it.

Thanks for your attention.

Sincerely,

Philipe the pissed

Damaged sidewalks remain after 4 months

From CBS 2:

The huge slabs of concrete look like they belong at a construction site. Instead, the slabs are at the corner of 32nd Avenue and 168th Street in North Flushing.

Residents say the sidewalk has been destroyed since March when the city removed the trees damaged by winter storms, but never fixed the sidewalk.

Cease and desist list now in effect

From the Times Ledger:

A cease-and-desist list targeting unwanted real estate solicitations went into effect with the new year, allowing residents of northeast Queens to opt out of receiving fliers and door-to-door visits.

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who fought to have at least part of an expired cease-and-desist zone restored, reminded residents of Auburndale, Bayside, College Point, Malba, Murray Hill, North Flushing, and Whitestone to add their addresses to the list on the Department of State website.

“There may be 1,033 houses already on the list, but there is always room for more,” Avella said. “The Department of State will continue to accept new submissions and will update the list monthly.”

The cease-and-desist list established by the Department of State emulates a zone covering all of Queens County that was established in 1989 and expired in 2014. At three public hearings, residents and civic associations blasted the real estate industry for tactics they considered aggressive and complained of fliers littering their communities.

According to the Department of State, “no licensed real estate broker or salesperson shall solicit the sale, lease or the listing for sale or lease of residential property from an owner of residential property located in a designated cease-and-desist zone if such owner has filed a cease-and-desist notice with the Department of State indicating that such owner or owners do not desire to sell, lease or list their residential property and do not desire to be solicited to sell, lease or list their residential property.”

The new list will expire in 2022, but the IDC senator is hoping to get a law passed in the state to ban real estate solicitations in Queens indefinitely.

Developer walks away from project

"FYI, the front construction fence around this house has (finally) been taken down, and there is activity (people going in and out):

On 11/13/15: APPLICATION HEREWITH FILED TO RESTORE EXISTING GAS SERVICE TO DWELLING." - Anonymous

Disgusting shitbox to no doubt replace tasteful North Flushing home

Hey Crapper,

Must wanted to make your North Flushing readers aware that the house at 161-16 33rd ave is scheduled for demolition. Below is the NYC DOB job approving the demolition. This is a beautiful center hall dutch colonial and there is no need to tear it down. It was sold on 4/10/15 for $960,000.

Link to DOB.

Here is a link to some photos of the home.

- anonymous

Ridgewood roofer posts illegal signs in North Flushing

"Mysterious unwanted construction and roofing advertisements have been appearing all over North part of Flushing, Queens in tree lined and quiet residential parts of the neighborhood.

The DOT should be aware as well as any other pertaining authority to bring this "company" to the point of being fined and demand for the removal of these eyesores.

It's a terrible sighting when a person wake ups in the morning, check out thru the front window and the first thing they'll see is this terrible sighting.

Shame on these crooks who come in the middle of the night to deface our communities offering their unwanted services damaging the trees by using screws on trees and in some instances placing their ugly adds side by side on the same tree.

One is placed in front of 146-35 25th Rd., Flushing, NY 11354 and another in front of 151-07 26th Avenue, Flushing, NY 11354. The owners of these two houses should remove them and send them in a parcel to this shady company as a message not to mess with their street." - anonymous

A happy ending in North Flushing

Dear Queens Crapper,

Instead of complaining, there is some very good news to share about a recent story about illegal parking in North Flushing. I am very happy to report that after an inspection by the Department of Buildings, the homeowners have removed the paver stones covering the green space in front of their home where cars were being parked illegally. In addition, the homeowners have planted a very lovely garden in front of their home. I am attaching “Before” and “After” photos.

We want to thank the homeowners at 165-12 Crocheron Avenue for being good neighbors and removing the illegally parked cars in front of their home. Their new garden has made the neighborhood even more beautiful for everyone. We especially want to thank the Department of Buildings and Councilmember Vallone’s office for their diligence and support in resolving this problem in North Flushing. Grateful homeowner in Broadway-Flushing.

Thank you,

-Maria

Bowne Park set for upgrade

From the Queens Courier:

After years of issues with garbage, dead wildlife and a lack of maintenance in Bowne Park, the green space in Flushing is set to receive a $2.45 million facelift.

Councilman Paul Vallone, whose district oversees the park, allocated $1.45 million in discretionary funds to upgrade the water fountains and filtration system in the pond of the nearly 12-acre park.

Residents complained in the past of the grimy pond, in which dead turtles reportedly have been found. The funds will also go to restore the asphalt pathways and lawn areas.

Borough President Melinda Katz will allocate an additional $1 million from her budget to the park to upgrade the playground, installing new play equipment with safety surfaces and benches.

“$2.45 million dollars will go a long way to restoring the natural resources of our precious park for wildlife, residents and neighborhood children alike,” said Robert Hanophy Jr., president of the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association.

North Flushing plastered with illegal signs overnight

Crappy -

On Monday night, a huge swath of North Flushing from College Point Boulevard to Murray Street / 28th to 35th avenues was hit at almost every intersection with these signs. They say "Cash for any Car" with a phone number below.

The problem is that the asshole that illegally put them up used *industrial strength adhesive* to attach them to the poles and signs...it's almost impossible to take them down without damaging them unless we can find a solvent. Sanitation and NYPD are useless, as are our lousy Councilpersons (Vallone & Koo).

Senator Avella has already been made aware and reached out to the agencies in question, but they haven't done anything to remedy the situation, much less give violations to these bastards.

Help!

- North Flushing Resident

code: E15
boro: 4-Queens
street: 35th Ave
between: College Pt Blvd Murray
request: Illegal Poster Violation Service Request
location: Telephone Pole
sign_description: On Monday night, a huge swath of North Flushing from College Point Boulevard to Murray Street / 28th
sign_number: 516 232-0007

Contractor nails advertising sign to tree

Last week I noticed that contractors were redoing the sidewalk and curb at the corner of 148th Street and Bayside Avenue.  They did a reasonable job, and left their calling card: a large plastic sign affixed to a street tree with a nail.  You stay classy, Valenza Contractors! Crappy, I hope you can get the Parks or Sanitation Department to give these bastards a fine for this.

- North Flushing Resident

Service Request #: C1-1-972688591
Date Submitted: 05/24/14 1:55:13 PM
Request Type: Illegal Tree Damage
Details: Trunk Damaged
Thank you for contacting New York City 311. Your Service Request has been sent to the Department of Parks and Recreation for action.

Memorial Field looks kind of trashy

A few years ago, the baseball fields just north of the Flushing High School Track and Field (around 26th Avenue and 149th Street) were renovated for the first time in a half century at a significant cost. The fields were actually closed off and locked for several months, even after they were completed. About two months ago, the gates opened. The place has remained pretty empty, which is pretty nice.

What's not nice is the increasing trash piles along the fence - as per the Bloomberg administration's "solution" to household trash being dumped in park trash cans, there aren't any! The "bioswale" that was built along the east side of the field is pretty well designed, but part of it is now becoming a dumping ground for garbage...it also looks like the Parks Department is dumping branches and tree limbs on a newly planted area, which doesn't seem very bright.

Two days ago, I approached a Park worker cleaning up the south end of the Park at Bayside Avenue. I mentioned that there was an increasing amount of trash in the fields up by 26th Avenue and that people were about to contact the elected officials, 311 and the media. He sighed and thanked me for letting him know...and two days later, the trash is still there.

Crappy, please work your magic to get the Parks Department to do their jobs?

Thanks!

- North Flushing Resident

Service Request #: C1-1-972695462
Date Submitted: 05/24/14 2:47:40 PM
Request Type: Maintenance or Facility
Details: Garbage or Litter
Thank you for contacting New York City 311. Your Service Request has been sent to the Department of Parks and Recreation for action.

Update on creepy sign

"The creepy poster referencing terrorism has been removed from the building at Crocheron Av & 162nd Street." - The Flushing Phantom

North Flushing parking fiasco

Dear QueensCrapper,

Some months ago there were postings on Queens Crap about cars being parked on the sidewalks in Queens. It saddens me to send you some photos taken over the last twelve months, the most recent photo taken a couple of days ago, of cars being parked in front of a multi-family home at 165-12 and 165-14 Crocheron Avenue, North Flushing, Queens. Although the attached homes have driveways on either side, there are cars parked in the front yards and sidewalk every day. Most of the time the cars are parked on “private property” and they have probably escaped being issued parking violations by the Police Department. On other days, the cars are partially blocking the sidewalk. You will also notice in the photos that one of the homes has paved over their small “green space” while the other half of the attached home allows parking on overgrown weeds in the spring/summer and mud bearing tires marks in the fall/winter months. It may interest you to know that a gracious one family Tudor style home was torn down some years ago to construct the current multi-family dwelling that allows cars to be parked in their front yards and sidewalk. It is my opinion that not only is the homeowner(s) breaking the law by allowing cars to be parked in the front yards and sidewalk, but they are being disrespectful and inconsiderate to the community of North Flushing, whose residents take pride in maintaining their homes and property. I wonder, is the homeowner collecting “rent” from these cars? All of these cars belong parked in the street and driveway and not in front yards and sidewalks!

I strongly urge the Department of Buildings to please inspect this property and all other properties in Queens that face a similar situation.

Thank you –

Concerned homeowner in North Flushing

Creepy sign in North Flushing

"Ragazzi Gallery Antiques...Crocheron Av & 162nd Street...sporting this sign...former Rickert Finlay Real Estate location." - The Flushing Phantom

Does anyone out there have any idea what this sign says or means?

Motorcycles illegally riding on the paths in Bowne Park

Pavement not built to last

"Both 150 Street and 149 Street were re paved in November 2010 and April 2011, respectively. But the areas around many of the manholes were not flush. So DOT chopped up 3 foot squares around them and threw down some cold patch asphalt. As we all know cold patch is not smooth, and does not last. So they keep going back constantly throw down a shovel or two of more cold patch. They need to use hot asphalt and hot tar for the seems and where it meets anything like utility grates and manhole covers.

What happened to that "miracle machine DOT touted last year on the news, which fixes pot holes and sections of asphalt road repairs that are flat, smooth and are supposed to last." - Frustrated in Flushing

149th Street down the sewer

"In late 2010, at the intersection of 149th Street and 33rd Ave in North Flushing, four of the sewer catch basins on my corner were replaced, reason unknown, and by August 2011 the grass and dirt between the curb and sidewalk collapsed and created a large enough hole for someone to fall all the way down into the bottom of the catch basin, especially when the metal curb piece shifts away.
It was reported by my neighbor 3 times and myself 2 times. In January 2013, a car with "Premier Utility Services" showed up, blasting Latin music, to mark up the street, curbs and some sidewalks on all 4 corners and intersection in red and yellow paint marking electric and gas lines. The workers told me it was to fix this corner's catch basins. Nothing more has been done yet, as of this writing. Let's see what happens.

BTW, this street was repaved in April of 2011, after these basins were installed. So now the newly paved street will probably get torn up and have a patch." - Frustrated in Flushing

Airplane noise is bad, but could be worse

An older flight map (l.) shows Flushing Airport just west of LaGuardia Airport, and its reserved airspace extending farther west over Queens. A later map shows the same airspace without Flushing Airport. Maps courtesy FAA

From the Times Ledger:

Many northeast Queens neighborhoods have complained recently about increased aircraft noise, but it could be worse.

Airspace regulations for a long-shuttered borough airstrip are actually keeping planes from flying closer to residential rooftops over parts of Whitestone, north Flushing, Bay Terrace, Douglaston and Little Neck, according to flight maps.

These maps are used by pilots to show where they can and cannot fly, and one place off limits to commercial aircraft leaving LaGuardia Airport is called the Flushing Exclusion Zone, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

This zone stretches from the site of the shuttered Flushing Airport — in-between Whitestone and College Point just west of the Whitestone Expressway — across the top portion of Queens. Over the areas of Whitestone and north Flushing, aircraft must stay above 1,200 feet, while above parts of Bay Terrace and northern Bayside, they must stay above 1,500 feet, according to the FAA and flight maps.

If the Flushing Exclusion Zone did not exist, the FAA would have the ability to fly aircraft as low as it wanted in these areas, although officials from the agency said at a recent meeting that they never route a plane lower than 1,000 feet above residential blocks.

The exclusion zone was created in the 1970s when airspace regulations were modified, according to the FAA, although Flushing Airport had been open since 1927.

The corridor was created as a pathway for smaller planes to get access to the airport through airspace normally used by larger commercial jets traveling to and from LaGuardia, the FAA said.

Revised redistricting maps even worse

If you go to this link, you'll download the revised version of the NYC Districting Commission's proposed City Council district maps.

To summarize:

The Districting Commission's role is supposed to be to maintain communities of interest, which includes ethnic as well as well-defined neighborhoods with long-maintained boundaries. After the initial maps were drawn, the Commission came under great scrutiny for not doing very much at all and making all sorts of decisions that seemed contrary to their stated mission. They assured the public - and the elected officials - that the first map was "just a draft" and there would be great opportunity for the public to help to shape the process.

The maps as proposed by the Commission are quite damaging for Queens neighborhoods. Not only were certain areas not corrected as had been suggested, other areas that have always maintained cohesiveness within one district or another have been dramatically divided.

Here's a sample of what's wrong:

Mitchell-Linden - After putting the area west of Union Street into the 19th Council District, the Commission made a motion to place it back in the 20th, as per the wishes of the community. However, now the part of Mitchell-Linden east of Union Street has been placed in the 19th.

North Flushing - North Flushing north of 33rd Avenue west of 150th Street was placed in the 19th; groups had requested all of the R2A area, which includes a number of blocks between 33rd and 34th Avenues, again to keep the neighborhood intact.

Broadway-Flushing - Instead, the Commission dragged the 33rd Avenue boundary all the way to 169th Street, dividing Broadway-Flushing in two. Also, at 169th Street, the District line makes a right angle south all the way to Flushing Cemetery, severing off the most eastern blocks of Broadway-Flushing as well. It is scarcely believable that Broadway-Flushing, which has a clearly defined boundary at Northern Boulevard, has been divided in this fashion.

Station Road - Similarly, the Station Road area was previously divided north and south, mostly by Northern Boulevard. This is one of the few civic areas that straddles Northern Boulevard due to the entire area being zoned R2 or R2A. Now the area has been divided east and west at 169th Street, again with little rhyme or reason.

There are many council members who are unhappy with the way the lines were drawn. But if the council doesn't vote to reject this map by December 7th, the lines are accepted as is and will stay that way for the next 10 years.