LPC rejects Dulcken House

From DNA Info:

Local historians are campaigning to save a house in the neighborhood once home to a well-known musician and composer — but the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) says the building has been too significantly altered to warrant landmark status.

The Greater Astoria Historical Society submitted a Request for Evaluation to the LPC in March for the pale yellow 3-story house at 31-07 31st Ave. near 31st Street, which they say was home to Ferdinand Quentin Dulcken, a pianist, composer and music teacher.

The house was purchased by for nearly $1.4 million in 2015, records show. Its owner, George Hrisikopoulos, filed plans with the Department of Buildings in March to develop the site into a 6-story apartment building with a restaurant on the first floor.

He declined to comment when reached by phone on Friday.

Human Rights Commissioner got boyfriend a contract

From the Daily News:

The second-in-command at the city agency that goes after local businesses for bad hiring practices is resigning from her job after investigators looked into a sweetheart contract she gave her lover — a man once described as “quite possibly the sexiest man in New York.”

Melissa Woods, first deputy commissioner and general counsel at the Human Rights Commission, tendered her resignation following revelations that she had gotten her artist and singer boyfriend a no-bid consulting contract at her agency that paid him $12,750, according to sources.

Woods gave notice two weeks ago, but she is officially leaving in June.

Her resignation comes after the city Department of Investigation opened a probe into her actions on behalf of the Conflicts of Interest Board, according to sources.

Carl Heastie ties up anti-gang legislation

From the NY Post:

The Republican-led state Senate, for the fourth consecutive session, passed legislation to crack down on violent gangs — but Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie shot it down.

The bill comes amid a wave of violence by the MS-13 gang, which has menaced suburban Long Island and other areas.

The bill passed 48-13 — with all the no votes coming from New York City Democrats.

But it hasn’t even come up for a vote in Heastie’s Assembly.

The measure would increase sentences for gang-related felonies and create new felonies for individuals who participate or benefit from gang activity or recruit others to join gangs.

Heastie insisted longer prison sentences are not the answer.

“We support anti-gang initiatives. However, increased penalties are not necessarily a deterrent,” he said. “A better approach is to discourage people from engaging in gang activity in the first place, and that is where the focus should be.”

In fact, the bill offers anti-gang initiatives at the front end.

A new Criminal Street Gang Prevention Fund would be established to support a gang violence prevention curriculum in schools, for example.

Parks Dept dumps Vivaldi's

From QNS:

The historic Bayside mansion near the Throgs Neck Bridge that’s been one of the neighborhood’s most popular eateries through the years will be under new management later this month, a city agency said.

According to Parks Department spokesperson Meghan Lalor, the restaurant at 201-10 Cross Island Pkwy., a former mansion that silent film actor Rudolph Valentino and former Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia once called home, will begin operating as Vivo Mediterranean Grille on Wednesday, May 24. The site is currently operated as Vivaldi’s Ristorante by 123 Restaurant Group.

Gieto Nicaj and Paul Nicaj, two relatives who are also well-established in the New York City food and beverage industry, will run operations at the soon-to-be Vivo Mediterranean Grille. Paul Nicaj, who resides in Whitestone , operates Battery Gardens Restaurant in Manhattan.

Vivaldi’s will continue to operate at the site until May 23, and Vivo Mediterranean Grille will open the following day, ensuring that there won’t be any service disruptions, according to the Parks Department.

Kew Gardens apartment complex carries out tree massacre

"Dear Crappie,

This is what the management company did to the tenants of a garden apartments in Kew Gardens, without a word. The residents awoke to the sounds of chainsaws and they are in shock and can’t really believe it happened. Mature trees that were there for many years and provided a beautiful green space for the residents including the birds and squirrels were gone in a day.

Many of the people are mad but there is nothing they can do. They were given no warning or reasons for doing this. Were the large trees a liability from falling branches? They could have been pruned. Were they causing structural damage to the foundation? Only those trees should be removed. Were they causing the gutters to clog? They could install screens.

The plan they posted is to make a formal English Garden with shrubs and sitting areas. This is nesting season for birds, hopefully many of them will relocate to Maple Grove Cemetery." - Rich
_______________________________

Unfortunately, any nestlings in those trees who could not yet fly were most likely destroyed even though some of them fall under the protection of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. You may want to contact your local congress person. - QC

Sewer construction causes Whitestone debacle

From CBS:

Homeowners in Whitestone, Queens are dealing with a stinking mess after sewage backed up into their basements.

As CBS2’s Jessica Borg reported, residents on Tenth Avenue between 152 and 154th streets in Whitestone said they were living a nightmare during Friday’s rainstorm – as toilets turned into fountains and raw sewage covered basement floors.

And on Monday people like Jeanmarie Golden were still cleaning up. They were also still dealing with the stench.

Residents blame construction on their block for the sewage overflow. Crews with the city’s Department of Design and Construction are working on the street’s sewer pipes.

The department said the project is to “upgrade aging infrastructure.”

But resident James Martino said it is no upgrade. He believes the re-lining of the pipe caused the problem.

“It made the pipe circumference smaller, so it couldn’t handle the sewage that was being pumped,” Martino said.

Residents said they have had thousands of dollars’ worth property destroyed. The Kelly family had to throw away furniture, tools, and clothing.

The city said the project was completed earlier this month and there was simply too much rain for the sewer system to handle. CBS2’s Borg could not get answers when she asked how the pipes will handle future downpours.

Separating the cream from the crap

From BQDA:

​With the growth of new development and renovation in our boroughs over the past five years, our professional associations are excited to collaborate on this event tailored to professions of the built environment that we all share.

In its second annual celebration, the Brooklyn + Queens Design Awards (BQDA) was established to encourage excellence in architectural design, raising public awareness of the built environment and to honor the architects, owners & builders of significant projects. The AIA Brooklyn and AIA Queens Chapters now in collaboration with AIA Staten Island and AIA Bronx Chapters will honor and recognize the best architecture and professionals that Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and The Bronx can offer.

Ladies and gentlemen,

It's your opportunity to tell the architects out there who think they are hot stuff what you think of their designs by voting in the BQDA 2017 People's Choice Awards. Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island are represented in these entries. Here's a sample, but go to this page to vote.

The life of a trafficking victim

From the NY Post:

Sandra, 30, is one former sex slave helped by Sanctuary for Families. Kidnapped from her hardscrabble hometown in central Mexico and forced into the sex trade at age 19, she escaped her pimp-captor in 2011 and has received counseling, legal aid and health care from the group ever since. Wanting to protect her family, Sandra declined to provide her last name.

Here she tells her story:

On a good day, I’d only have to sleep with 30 men.

I always wore a tight, short skirt and stilettos. Alfredo was my “padrote” (pimp), and he arranged for different drivers to take me through Corona, Jackson Heights and sometimes Brooklyn. I would nod off in the car. I had a different driver every week.

On a bad day, when we left New York and went to Long Island or Connecticut, I couldn’t rest. One day, over the span of 16 consecutive hours in Boston, there were 80 men.

Alfredo beat me, refused to give me food or even water. The drivers he worked with advertised women on a “chica card” that they handed out to potential clients as they stumbled out of cheap nightclubs in Queens and Brooklyn.

I was also forced to hand out the cards to potential customers. Sometimes the cards had pictures of nude women. Other times they advertised children’s birthday parties. Everyone knew what the cards really meant; that the number on the back was to arrange deliveries of women.

We were delivered like pizzas.

Most of the men were day laborers. But some were well dressed, in suits. If they spoke Spanish, they paid $35 for 15 minutes, but if they spoke in English, the price went up to $45. For that price, the men could do whatever they wanted with me.

People think that prostitutes somehow enjoy what they do, but I can tell you that’s not true.

I had never been a prostitute. I did nothing wrong, but I was raped every day for the four years that I was a prisoner.

AirBnB hosts fined over ads

From the Daily News:

Two Airbnb hosts — one who was renting out a Trump Tower apartment and another who listed her affordable housing co-op for $446 a night — have coughed up $1,000 each in fines under a law banning listings for short-term rentals, according to the city.

“The state law prohibiting illegal rental ads is helping us stop those who turn homes into hotels,” City Hall spokeswoman Melissa Grace said.

“The city has started receiving payments of these fines — including by a homeowner in Trump Tower and a Lower East Side resident who frequently rented out a home specifically reserved as affordable housing for low-income New Yorkers.”

The two hosts are the first people to pay their fines under the law, which prohibits advertising the properties. It was already against the law in New York to rent out an entire apartment for fewer than 30 days if the owner is not also at home.

BDB still doesn't see why Corrections commissioner's trips are a problem

From CBS 2:

It was a simple question about Corrections Commissioner Joseph Ponte, and a scathing Department of Investigation report showing he drove his city car out of state, logging 18,500 miles — charging gas and tolls to the city as well.

“You have to live under a rock not to know it’s not proper to take a city car and use it for personal use, no matter what your guidance is, something should say to you, it’s not the thing to do,” CBS2 Political Reporter Marcia Kramer asked Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“The bottom line is, he’s not from New York City. He’s not used to the New York City government, he’s used to other jurisdictions, each jurisdiction has a different approach,” de Blasio said.

Maybe not Mr. Mayor.

CBS2’s Kramer did some digging, and found out that prior to coming to the city, Ponte ran the Department of Corrections in Maine where he personally approved the policy on the use of state-owned vehicles.

“Off duty use of state-owned vehicles is prohibited,” the policy said.

And.

“Under no circumstances are state-owned gas credit cards and electronic toll devices to be used for personal use,” it continued.

A different jurisdiction, but the same approach as New York City.

A few more points to up the BDB sleaze factor.

Council member's excuse is that Jamaica "has a dumping problem"

From Cleanup Jamaica Queens:

WHY is illegal dumping a challenge for the district? Well, that is the statement that Councilman I. Daneek Miller stated to NY1, “Illegal dumping is a challenge for the district”.

BUT why Mr. Miller, an all white area does not have an illegal dumping issue like Jamaica. Plus this is nothing new, this takes place all over the community and has been taking place for years and decades. But when you have elected officials, community leaders and church leaders who do very little to nothing for their community, when you have bad neighbors, like this sh!tty Family Dollar store, when you have a lack of enforcement, when you have a low amount for fines (this dollar store was fined a measly $100) and when there is not any kind of common sense (just put up a damn fence and install security cameras), this kind of sh!t will continue to go on and on and on in this community.

So Sanitation, elected officials and even this sh!tty neighbor dollar store all say “we are aware of the situation”. Well, that is the standard answer for all quality of life issues. The issue is the addressing and solving of the fucking problem. I love the line from the @sshole spokeserson for this sh!tty Family dollar:

A spokesperson for Family Dollar thanked us for bringing it to his attention. He says he’s gathering more information to quote “address this concern promptly.”

REALLY, F*CKING REALLY. I mean this is your damn property, you mean you needed NY1 to bring this to your attention and you need to gather more information. WHAT F*CKING INFORMATION. Your property looks like it is from some third world country, what more information do you need @SSHOLE?

It's all legal...technically

From Gotham Gazette:

When Rockland County Democratic Party Chair Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky fills out her annual state disclosure forms, she consults her husband for question six, which requires the listing of contracts held with a state or local agency held by the filer, filer’s spouse, or unemancipated child.

Evan Stavisky, a partner in the prominent Albany lobbying firm The Parkside Group, after checking with the firm’s lawyer, has told his wife that his company does not represent any government entities. So, for the past six years, Kristen has entered “none” for the question, according to the disclosure documents obtained from the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE).

At the same time, between 2010 and 2016, Parkside pulled in more than $1 million from representing quasi-public entities, including four foundations affiliated with city and state universities, three New York City-based public library systems, and a local economic development corporation, according to the lobbying firm’s disclosure filings that can be viewed on the JCOPE website.

One of these contracts, on behalf of the Queens Economic Development Corporation -- which is treated by state law as a public authority -- expired in 2010, so according to filing instructions, Kristen Stavisky was not required to declare it on her JCOPE form for that year. But the other clients -- foundations associated with the CUNY Graduate Center, Queensborough Community College, Queens College, CUNY Creative Arts Team, and SUNY’s University at Buffalo, as well as Brooklyn Public Library, New York Public Library, and Queens Public Library -- fall into an ambiguous zone, defined as local or state agencies in some statutes of New York State law, but not others.

Parkside’s government-affiliated nonprofit contracts picked up in 2009-2010, the last time Democrats held a ruling majority in the Senate. Toby Ann, a former social studies teacher, chaired the Senate’s Higher Education Committee that year.

At the time, Toby Ann, seeking an advisory opinion, wrote to JCOPE that though she was not required to, she would prohibit her son, but not his partners, from lobbying members of the Senate. Despite calls for a probe from ethics watchdogs, a 2009 advisory opinion from the state's Legislative Ethics Commission deemed the arrangement “appropriate,” the New York Daily News reported.

Inside crash pads

From Brick Underground:

People outside of the airline industry aren’t very familiar with crash pads, so the easiest way to explain it is it's like a crowded college dorm. Usually someone who owns an apartment in Kew Gardens—a popular spot for flight attendants since it’s equidistant from JFK and La Guardia—will run a crash pad and rent out beds. Probably nine out of 10 flight attendants and pilots that I know live in a crash pad. More often than not, it’s a few bunk beds per room in a fully furnished apartment, with everyone paying between $200 and $400 per month.

Many flight attendants and pilots commute to New York from other cities and spend this extra money monthly so they don’t have to rent a hotel when they have back-to-back trips. Hotels are only paid for by the airline when you’re on a layover. If you choose to live in another city and commute to a major-city airport—like NYC, Chicago, or Atlanta, for instance—then any overnight accommodations are on you. Most flight attendants get paid by the hour and only get a small per diem (about $2 per hour) when you’re working. For me, that just barely covers food.

Crash pads are technically illegal, kind of like an Airbnb, but I’ve only heard of one crash pad being shut down. Most people pay their landlord month-to-month and are not on a lease, but there is a little more trust since we all were vetted by our companies to work for airlines and crash pads aren’t posted on Craigslist. They're discovered by word of mouth, and there is a screening and interview process to get a place in one. That said, we didn’t all trust each other. Sometimes there are locked bins provided at the crash pad, but most people just take their stuff with them just to be sure no one would steal them while they were gone.

Nature wins out at the Ridgewood Reservoir

From QNS:

The city Parks Department recently took an important step toward preserving one of Ridgewood’s most beautiful places.

The Ridgewood Reservoir‘s status as a dam was reclassified by the New York City Parks Department after the agency completed a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) application, effectively lowering the site’s hazard rating from Class C “High Hazard” to Class A “Low Hazard.”

This new classification removes the need to create any breaches in the dam, allowing the Ridgewood Reservoir to remain as a natural treasure for all those who visit. Since the reservoir was taken off‐line as a water supply source, it has become a uniquely naturalized area in New York City, serving as an important ecological resource as well as a public recreation space.

The NYC Parks Department said it is fully committed to preserving the Ridgewood Reservoir as a natural open space for the community.

Avella Suspends Mayoral Campaign

"I will not stop fighting against the current Mayor, or anyone who tries to slow the progress of our great borough and city"

"When I started this campaign five months ago l knew that I was facing an uphill battle if wanted to topple an incumbent mayor with deep pockets. Though uphill, the battle was not impossible. If able to stay in this race the entire way knew that with my resume, coupled with the incumbent's disrespect, disregard, and disdain for the everyday New Yorker, my message could resonate with New York. Five months later, however, l have found that staying in this race without being beholden to dark money is becoming increasingly difficult. Therefore, it is with a somber heart that announce that as of today l am officially suspending my campaign for Mayor of New York City."

"Throughout my career in government l have prided myself on being an outsider who made it to the inside and got things done. Unfortunately, in a race like this, being an outsider doesn't get you much. These days, it seems, elections are won with dollars, not votes."

"When the election year politics end and this Mayor has to focus on governing we will see his flaws. As New Yorkers we will have to hope and pray that his mismanagement of the City does not run our city any further into the ground or slow our progress anymore."

"Suspending my campaign for Mayor is not the end of the road for me. I will continue to be the State Senator from Queens and represent the interests of Queens in Albany where was able to get 13 bills signed into law last year. I will not stop fighting against the current Mayor, or anyone who tries to slow the progress of our great borough and city. I will continue to pass progressive legislation, fight to make New York more affordable, and ensure that the government works for everyone."

Samaritan Village can't pay for Pan Am kitchens

From DNA Info:

The shelter provider at the former Pan Am hotel has gotten a six-year contract extension from the city — despite saying it can't build the mandatory kitchens for each unit because it can't get a loan to fund construction.

Samaritan Village Daytop's Boulevard Family Shelter got its extension bid approved by the city's Human Resources Administration on March 17, as well as an additional $10.5 million through the end of June — which includes $4.8 million for rent at the former hotel.

That brings the total contract amount for the shelter to $26,431,554 each year — but still doesn't include the cost of building kitchens in each of the rooms, which last year was part of the mandatory requirement before a contract extension could be approved.

The city said last year that it will pay for the renovations needed to turn the shelter into a Tier 2 facility, and Samaritan Village was required to lay out a timeline for the work.

Samaritan Village has been delayed since it hasn't been able to receive a loan "due to the lack of registration for this work," a letter states.

A Department of Homeless Services official said work on the 216-room hotel's kitchens will begin this July, with 100 units finished by July 2018. The rest will finish by 2019. it was not immediately clear where the money for the kitchen construction would come from in light of the operator's issues with getting a construction loan.

AG comes up with bogus reason for mall support

From the Queens Chronicle:

After the Chronicle mentioned that Schneiderman has received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from members of the Queens Development Group — a joint venture between Sterling Equities and the Related Companies — a Schneiderman spokesman, Doug Cohen, cited innocuous government interests as the real reason the Office of the Attorney General is involved.

“As the lawyer for the State, OAG is acting at the request of State [Department of Environmental Conservation] and the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which identified State interests related to future environmental clean-ups, and the proper uses of parkland,” he said.

City fines at an all time high

From AM-NY:

Fines for parking tickets, litter and other violations reached a record high of $993 billion in the 2016 fiscal year, according to a report released by the city comptroller Wednesday.

Since the 2013 fiscal year, when the city collected $811 million in fines, violations have been increasing, with parking tickets leading the way, according to the report.

In the last fiscal year, the city collected $545 million in ticket revenues. Quality of life violations, such as littering, building fines and noise complaints, were the second biggest category with $184 million in revenues.

DeBlasio: Noise near schools is A-OK

From the Daily News:

Mayor de Blasio is moving to gut a bill that would quiet down construction noise next to schools — a bill drafted in response to a building project supported by one of his big donors.

The bill is being pushed by parents at Public School 163 on the Upper West Side who are fighting a 20-story nursing home set to be built right next to their kids’ school.

The huge nursing home is backed by SEIU Local 1199, the health care workers union that has long supported de Blasio and wrote two $250,000 checks to his now defunct nonprofit Campaign for One New York.

Half of that money arrived shortly before de Blasio began siding with the nursing home builder against the interests of the parents, records show.

Those donations were part of a year-long investigation by the Manhattan U.S. attorney that was closed last month. Prosecutors decided not to bring charges, but made a point of saying they were able to establish that de Blasio had solicited funds from entities doing business with City Hall and in some cases intervened on their behalf.

Hideous LIC library experiencing delays

From Curbed:

Just when it seemed like Hunters Point’s zany library was on track for its opening this year, the project has been delayed yet again. This time it’s because the project is waiting on a glass shipment from Spain, where a workers strike has delayed delivery, DNAinfo reports.

The Steven Holl Architects-designed library was once set to open by the end of 2014. Budgeting concerns delayed the project and construction only got underway in March 2015. There’s been steady progress since, with the library being fitted with its concrete facade last fall.

Now this latest setback means the library’s opening could be delayed to the end of this year or early next year. A spokesperson for the city’s Department of Design and Construction told DNAinfo that the project is expected to be complete by September.

But the Queens Library will take another four months after construction wraps to actually get the library ready to open to the public. It’s not yet clear if this delay will also escalate costs on the $38 million project, but it wouldn’t be a first for big name-architect-designed project funded by the city.Just when it seemed like Hunters Point’s zany library was on track for its opening this year, the project has been delayed yet again. This time it’s because the project is waiting on a glass shipment from Spain, where a workers strike has delayed delivery, DNAinfo reports.