Be grateful you don't live next to this

Hi Crappie,

A couple weeks ago, one of my neighbors here in Elmhurst decided to decorate his lawn with one of those illegal garbage bins. I guess this is legal because the bin is on private property, so Sanitation cannot remove it (?!- I have reported it to 311, to no avail).

To make matters worse, this neighbor is a slob to begin with (see the attached photo of his front lawn on a given day). The bin is ALWAYS overflowing, even though he claims that the company picks up clothing regularly. Ugh!

Signed,
OGCLE

Yearly inspections of catch basins now mandated

From the Queens Chronicle:

A bill passed unanimously by the City Council last week that would increase inspections and repairs to clogged catch basins is one step in fighting the problem of flooding in Queens, according to two borough councilmen.

The bill, introduced by Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn), would force the Department of Environmental Protection to inspect catch basins on a yearly basis rather than every three years. It would also require the DEP to report twice a year to the mayor and Council speaker about inspections, maintenance and repairs.

Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) said he fully supports the measure as another tool in preventing flooding. His district includes a part of Utopia Parkway that has a long history of severe floods due to heavy rainstorms and the topography.

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Lancman said he had been surprised to learn that the DEP only inspects catch basins every three years.

“It should be every year and this bill does that,” he said.

He pointed out that the public can call 311 to report a clogged drain, but sometimes debris and sediment are underneath and can’t be seen.

Holiday Inn coming to Woodside

From Sunnyside Post:

The western Queens hotel boom has not neglected Woodside, with an eight-story, 135-room Holiday Inn Express planned to go up on Queens Boulevard.

The hotel is going to be located at 64-06 Queens Boulevard and is being developed by Century Development Group, a Flushing-based company.

The project will include a restaurant, recreation room and office spaces, according to city filings. There will be meeting rooms as well as 39 parking spaces and 21 bicycle parking spots.

While most of the 135 rooms are standard guest rooms, some will be booked for extended stays only, no less than one month.

On its website, Century Development Group heralds the hotel’s proximity to LaGuardia Airport and Manhattan, as well as Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, the Queens Museum and Citi Field.

Raymond Chan Architect of Flushing is designing the building, according to records. Century Development Group estimates that the hotel will be complete in 2018.

Trib honors Caliendo

From the Queens Tribune:

Gerald Caliendo’s architecture business started with four employees, but has since grown into one of the premier establishments in the industry.

Caliendo was one of the honorees of the Queens Tribune’s third annual Business Achievement awards, held on Monday at Queens College.

The company, Gerald Caliendo Architects, started in 1994 in Briarwood, looking to get established in the architect business.

Since then, it has grown to about 45 employees and work on projects citywide.

In an interview with the Queens Tribune, Caliendo partially credits that growth to working with Phil Agusta, former commissioner of the Boards of Standards and Appeals.

He said that working alongside Agusta enabled him to learn the ins and outs of zoning and variance laws, something other businesses know little to nothing about.

You can click the tag below containing his name to see his proud Queens Crap history.

This is my favorite Gerry story of all time.

Fireworks coming back to East River

From LIC Talk:

The Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks extravaganza is finally returning to Long Island City this summer after a seven year hiatus. Four barges will be placed on the East River between 23rd and 37th Streets, so there will be no better viewing location than our own waterfront parks, balconies, terraces, and rooftops. For LIC, this will be where Mardi Gras meets New Years Eve in Times Square and the Superbowl of Christmases.