City wants to allow massage parlors in residential areas

From the Department of City Planning:

The Health and Fitness Text Amendment eliminates the special permit that is currently required for gyms, spas, and licensed massage therapy – referred to as Physical Culture or Health Establishments in the Zoning Resolution.

The proposed changes could apply to a range of health and fitness businesses such as gyms, martial arts studios, indoor cycling spaces, yoga studios and licensed massage therapy studios.

Gyms and spas would be allowed to open and operate in commercial and manufacturing districts around the city. (Learn more about Zoning Districts here.) Similar to other neighborhood services such as restaurants, drug stores, and dry cleaners, these businesses would be allowed along all local retail streets. In certain commercial districts generally characterized by smaller establishments, gyms and spas would be limited to 10,000 square feet.

Licensed massage therapy studios would be allowed just as are other health care practices licensed by the State, such as physical therapy or outpatient doctors’ offices. These are permitted in residential, commercial, and manufacturing districts.

Well folks, Big Bird's gone bonkers.

On his way out the door, BDB wants to legalize sex work so badly he is now encouraging massage parlors to open up next to your kid's school, on your quiet residential street and in your apartment building. The City already does practically nothing to close illegal spas and massage parlors located along commercial corridors. Lifting restrictions on gyms and martial arts studios makes sense, but why we're inviting sex trafficking to proliferate in residential areas now is mind boggling. To tie this latest push to "COVID recovery" is a bit of a stretch.

This is making its way through the community boards now so you might want to make your thoughts known to them and your elected representatives.

Shady Whitestone spa shut down

From the Queens Tribune:

A Whitestone spa that had sparked concerns among neighbors who suspected it was a front for illicit activity has shut down.

The spa was set up in the basement of a two-story house at 150-53 14th Rd. For months, its only designation that it was a business was a flashing “open” sign. In its final few weeks, there was a sign in the driveway advertising its business as “Kiki Spa.”

Neighbors who spoke to the Queens Tribune feared that the spa was a front for illegal sexual activity, citing a large number of men entering the building at odd hours, the lack of signage, reports of lingerie in the backyard and highly explicit ads that demanded “no law enforcement” posted on Backpage.com.

The Department of Buildings issued two violations for the spa on Oct. 5, claiming that it was operating illegally without permission from the city’s Board of Standards and Appeals. The violations are now listed as “resolved,” and compliance with the law was first noted on Oct. 26. A DOB spokesman said that compliance was noted after the spa was removed.

New term for those who work at spas

Ah, of course!

Weisbrod wants to change physical culture establishment law

From Crains:

All gyms, spas, martial-arts schools, massage studios and health clubs looking to set up shop in New York City must get something called a physical culture establishment permit, which was created in the late 1970s to stem the rise of seedy massage parlors in Times Square.

Today, however, that means companies hoping to expand quickly find themselves mired in red tape and lawyers' fees as they navigate the city's byzantine bureaucracy. The permits require companies to prove they will not have a negative effect on a neighborhood by divulging their business plans, filing applications with a host of agencies and answering questions at a series of public hearings, starting with the local community board.

On Nov. 8, 1978, Carl Weisbrod, then director of the Midtown Enforcement Project, testified before the City Planning Commission and urged it to adopt the permit, which would bring to an end a moratorium on new health establishments that had been in place for years. By excluding less-desirable businesses from the definition of a physical culture establishment—and then requiring the ones that did meet the requirements to be vetted by the Board of Standards and Appeals—he felt it would make it harder for illicit businesses to operate within the city's borders.

"Zoning has proved to be the most effective tool in closing down houses of prostitution masquerading as massage parlors," he was noted as saying in a commission report.

Now Mr. Weisbrod is head of the City Planning Commission and is taking another look at the law he helped create, spurred in part by a report from the Department of Small Business Services earlier this year that said the permits were needlessly burdensome and a hindrance to opening more health facilities (which the city could arguably use more of: More than half of adult New Yorkers are overweight or obese).

"Physical culture establishment permitting was very effective in addressing a problem that existed at the time," a City Planning spokeswoman said. "And consequently, we are working with our sister agencies to determine whether it should be eliminated or modified."

College Point being overdeveloped into oblivion

From Crains:

A sign that reads "Rough Road" at the entrance of a new 36-acre police academy in College Point could serve as a metaphor for the neighborhood, not just as a warning to motorists of the many potholed streets laid across former swampland.

"The more development you add to the community, the harder it is to get in and out," said state Sen. Tony Avella, who represents the area. "It's like putting 10 pounds of potatoes in a 5-pound bag—you can only stretch the bag so much. How much more can the College Point community [accommodate] in terms of traffic and congestion?”

Not much, some residents say. On a peninsula cut off from much of the rest of Queens by the 10-lane Whitestone Expressway and accessible only by car or bus, College Point has long had a reputation as a quiet, almost timeless hamlet across Flushing Bay from LaGuardia Airport.

That began to change four years ago, when the city started construction on the $750 million police training academy in the College Point Corporate Park. (The first class of 800 recruits entered in January.) When completed, the complex will feature indoor shooting ranges, training fields, parking and even a 100,000-square-foot mock-up city for practice simulations.

As many as 5,000 visitors will likely stream in and out each day. Such comings and goings—coupled with a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus depot across 28th Avenue from the academy, an NYPD vehicle impound lot nearby and several industrial plants—could wreak havoc on an already overtaxed infrastructure that has failed to keep up with the accelerating pace of development in recent years.

Adding to the challenge, the area has begun attracting young professionals and growing families eager to be near thriving Flushing—and to pay College Point's cheaper rents. Song Chen, a 35-year-old lawyer who works in Flushing, said he has seen the neighborhood's population skyrocket since he moved in five years ago. He often drives to work because waiting for overcrowded buses takes longer.

Another draw for both tourists and locals in recent years has been Spa Castle, a glitzy complex of pools, hot tubs, fountains and hydrotherapy baths on 11th Avenue in the northern end of the neighborhood.

Chris Androne, who owns a sheet-metal company nearby, said the traffic from the spa can be horrendous. He complains that it often takes him more than 15 minutes to drive three miles to his home in the more posh precincts of Whitestone to the north. His wife, Angie, who runs a lip-gloss manufacturing business above her husband's firm, said traffic has increased appreciably in the past three years alone.

“It's getting worse and worse,” she said, noting that many single-family homes have been converted to house multiple families.

Problems at both Spa Castles

From DNA Info:

A city health inspection of Spa Castle conducted after an elderly man died at the facility in December found the popular bathhouse dirty and unsafe.

Several pools at the 131-10 11th Ave. location lacked proper disinfectant, while too many bathers — eight, instead of five — crowded another pool. In addition, Spa Castle failed to notify the Health Department within 24 hours of 84-year-old Hock Ma's death on Dec. 28, violating city regulations.

Ma passed away in one of the spa’s pools of natural causes, the Medical Examiner ruled, and a bather, not staff, discovered his body.

The fact that Ma's demise went unnoticed by staffers prompted Queens state Sen. Tony Avella to ask Mayor Bill de Blasio to establish an interagency city task force that could better track ongoing violations of bathhouses and spas.

"There was no supervision. If they had the proper supervision, maybe he might have been saved," Avella said. "The fact that he had to be found by another client of the spa is disgraceful."

Health Department records show that during 2013 and 2014, Spa Castle's Queens location racked up 45 violations — including failure to provide an updated safety plan, lack of life-saving equipment and, like Avella cautions, not having an adequate amount of support staff.

And their Manhattan location was shut down:

Avella wants Spa Castle closed

From the Daily News:

State Sen. Tony Avella (D–Queens) is calling for the closure of College Point’s Spa Palace in the aftermath of a patron’s death on Sunday.

Avella says he’s been tracking problems at the hot tub mecca since 2008, when he claims he noticed mislabeled and blocked fire exits.

The popular Spa Castle, which recently opened another outpost in Manhattan to much fanfare, has been open in Queens since 2007.

Hock Ma, 83, died Sunday after being found by another patron unconscious in a Jacuzzi.

Avella claims the location in Queens has had 28 Health Department violations in the last two years, and should lose its special permit from the city.

“I am calling on [the city] to revoke the variance and close this toxic spa for good,” Avella said in a statement that called Ma’s death “the final straw.” “The city must take action to ensure no one else is hurt.”

Man dies at Spa Castle

From NBC:

An 84-year-old man died after being found submerged in a hot tub at a luxury spa center in Queens by another patron when she stepped into the water, the woman's friend and police tell NBC 4 New York.

Hock Ma, of Forest Hills, died Sunday evening after being pulled from the water of the rooftop hot tub at Spa Castle in College Point, police said. It wasn't clear how long he had been under the water or if he suffered some type of medical emergency before becoming submerged.

The Health Department says spa pools are required to be monitored on a regular basis by an aquatic supervisor, though it wasn't clear if any were watching the tub Ma was in. Pescatore said she didn't see staff members walking by regularly to check on people in the pools and that the area wasn't lit well.

Meanwhile, NBC 4 New York's I-Team found the 100,000-square foot spa in College Point has had 28 critical violations at its indoor and outdoor facilities over the last two years, including citations for inadequate life-saving equipment and lack of qualified pool supervisors, according to inspection data from the city Health Department.

Inspection records show the outdoor facility was cited in April 2013 for not having a developed and updated pool safety plan. The indoor facility was cited in April and September over inadequate life-saving equipment and lifeguard chairs, pool overcrowding and insufficient qualified supervisory staff on duty. The facility has also been knocked four times for "operations records not maintained/submitted monthly," records show.

The Health Department said the facility corrected all its violations at the time of the last inspection in September. It has A grades for the food service establishments in the facility.

The agency said it is investigating the facility, including its safety plan, following Ma's death.

Perps posing as police

From the Queens Courier:

A pair of phony police officers are wanted in three armed robberies throughout Queens after they were caught on video at a Woodhaven salon, cops said.

The suspects flash guns and shields to convince their victims they are police officers, then tie them up and steal cash and electronics before fleeing, officials said.

The two men first hit a Cherry Avenue business in Flushing on March 8, according to police. They then robbed the Body Works Salon on Jamaica Avenue in Woodhaven four days later, followed by the Charming Spa Salon on Steinway Street in Astoria on Tuesday.

College Point spa approved

From the Times Ledger:

The city Board of Standards and Appeals has approved plans for another spa in College Point, bucking opposition from both Community Board 7 and Borough President Helen Marshall as it granted the wishes of the developers.

The board issued its decision May 15, which gives the green light for owner Kwang Nam Park to build his two-story spa with rooftop pool in place of the warehouses and office space he owns in the College Point Corporate Park.

“We are very pleased with the ruling,” said Park’s son and business partner Irwin. “The first step of the process was to get this approved, and we are glad that we got it.”

Now that the city has given the project the thumbs up, Irwin Park said they will start planning on how and when to begin construction, although he did not have an estimate on when they would break ground yet.

KMI owner also owns College Point spa

From the Times Ledger:

Civic leaders are watching a proposed spa for College Point after a notorious hot sheets motel in Kew Gardens Hills owned by the developer was shut down last week in relation to prostitution charges.

The Queens district attorney announced last Thursday that two alleged flop houses were padlocked and five motel employees were arrested following a police raid. One of the hotels caught in the sting was the Kew Motor Inn, which belongs to Kwang Nam Park.

Park also owns a property in College Point that he has been trying to turn into a spa with the endorsement of state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside).

“Obviously, this concerns me greatly,” Avella said. “My support for the spa was on the condition that everything is done legally. If it is proved that this individual is connected to what goes on at the hotel, that raises serious questions.”

Avella specifically noted only employees have been charged at this point, and Park himself has not been implicated. Avella said he would contact Brown’s office to investigate.

Avella OK with College Point spa

From the Times Ledger:

The man who wants to open a new spa in the College Point Corporate Park got the backing of state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) last week, and the lawmaker questioned why the proposal was ever denied by both Community Board 7 and the borough president in the first place.

“I thought it was a good idea to begin with, and now having met with you and seeing the plans I still think it’s a good idea,” Avella said, speaking at a sit-down with property owner Kwang Nam Park and representatives from the Korean community. “I do not agree with the community board’s report nor do I agree with the borough president’s report.”

The meeting took place last Thursday at 131-23 31st Ave., currently a two-story warehouse and office space the owner would like to see turned into New York Spa of College Point.

Last month, Borough President Helen Marshall also recommended that the application should be denied, citing parking issues.

But Avella said recommending to deny the spa’s application after approving another gigantic development nearby makes no sense.

In 2009, the borough president and community board voted to approve plans for a $1 billion NYPD cadet training facility, which will sit on 35 acres of land and house 2,000 parking spaces when complete.

“I don’t see how the borough president could approve something like that and not approve a small business like you,” he said to the group. “I think BSA will approve this.”

Marshall says no to College Point spa

From the Times Ledger:

Borough President Helen Marshall gave two thumbs down to plans for another spa in College Point last week.

The borough president decided not to approve plans to build the New York Spa of College Point, a two-story relaxation hub envisioned by property owner Kwang Nam Park that would go up in the neighborhood’s corporate park.

The spa would be located in the two-story building currently home to warehouses and offices, at 131-23 31st Ave., which Park already owns.

After mulling over the plans for several weeks, Marshall ultimately denied the plans for the spa, which would include a rooftop pool and restaurant, on the grounds of inadequate parking.

In a Dec. 20 decision, she said first the spa would create more vehicle trips to and from the location than warehouses and offices. And because street parking is not allowed in that location, the spa’s parking plan would not be able to handle that increased traffic, Marshall said.

Second, the valet parking setup proposed in the plans would cause a backup of cars going in and out of the lot, according to the borough president’s decision.

College Point becoming spa central

From the Times Ledger:

Alan J. Sigman and H. Irving Sigman, representatives of the project’s developer, S&I Property Management, presented the New York Spa of College Point project before the [College Point Corporate] task force at its Sept. 15 meeting in the corporate park’s trailer on Ulmer Street.

Slated to be built in a 37,000-square-foot building at 131-23 31st Ave., within the special district created for the corporate park, the project would be a major addition to the growing spa industry in College Point and would feature spa pools, exercise programs and classes, therapeutic pools, a nail salon, eateries and more.

The Sigmans came before the board to ask that it make a recommendation to the city Board of Standards and Appeals that it grant the developer a special permit saying it supports the construction of a spa in the corporate park, thus allowing it to move forward.

The criteria for a developer to obtain such a permit under the special district established there requires that any business it plans to open there be “suited to a high-quality corporate park environment” and that it bring in revenues, according to Alan J. Sigman, who said he believes the proposed spa meets both criteria.

The task force sided with the developer, voting 8-1 to recommend that the BSA grant it the special permit application it seeks. Task force President Chuck Apelian cast the lone “nay” vote.

Spa Castle redefines "upscale"

Queens Crapper,

I know you normally don't like to reference World Star Hip Hop video on your site but I thought this was something quite extraordinary.

Spa Castle (formerly called InSpa IIRC) 131-10 11th Avenue, College Point, NY 11356 is the extra fancy Korean spa that arrived in Queens with much fanfare several years ago. There had been some neighborhood opposition to its opening that Tony Avella involved himself in but that seemed to subside after the business was up and running. My ex-wife is Korean and took me here about four years ago for my birthday. Place was very upscale and the crowd was predominately Asian and everybody was well behaved. I think it costs around $45 bucks for a day pass to use the facilities just for one visit.

From the video clip, it looks like ghetto hood rats have started patronizing the place. You would think it would be out of their price range but I guess not.Anyway, it's unbelievable what you see taking place in the video. Disgusting that these types seemed to have ruined this place. - anonymous

Locking up your valuables not enough

According to a detailed complaint posted online, you might want to leave your valuables at home when you visit Spa Castle...

Inside College Point's Spa Castle

From WNYC:

The Disneyland of spa resorts is right in our own backyard. From the outside, Spa Castle looks more like a suburban mall than a place to unwind. Once you enter the building in College Point, Queens, it's pure sensory explosion.

Huge spa complexes are common in Korea. They go full monty, so these places tend to separate men and women. However, there's a family vibe the unisex areas because, unlike most American spas, little kids can roam around with their parents.

This Asian import offers the usual fare: facials, massages, scrubs, etc. At five stories high and 100,000-square feet big, it's the sheer size of the place that never ceases to amaze. The only thing that’s missing is a moat.