Board Seeks Demolition of Glendale Building

CB 5 Claims Multi-Family Home Violates Zoning

By Conor Greene

The local community board wants the city to force the owner of an occupied three-family home to dismantle the structure because it violates a host of zoning laws, wasn’t built in accordance with submitted plans and doesn’t have a certificate of occupancy.

Community Board 5 “decided to be quite proactive” in regards to the situation at 78-46 79th Place in Glendale, according to Walter Sanchez, chair of the board’s Land Use Committee. A garage serving the multi-family unit next door was replaced with a three-family building, which the board claims doesn’t conform to either the R5 zoning in effect prior to the March 2006 area rezoning or the current R4-1 regulations.

Sanchez reported at the November board meeting that District Manager Gary Giordano wrote a letter to the Buildings Department about the concerns, which include lack of parking, work without a permit and violations of front and side yard regulations. The board is “really concerned about the safety of the people inside” in light of recent fatal fires, said Sanchez, especially since it involved self-certified plans. “We want to put it on the record,” Sanchez said of the letter, which was copied to area elected officials.

“After additional review, our [committee] remains concerned and quite sure that the three family home constructed at the property in question complies neither” with the current or previous zoning, wrote Giordano. “To our knowledge, self-certified plans were filed... for the conversion of an existing two-family house to a five-family dwelling. In actuality, what has been done is to demolish the garage serving 78-44 79Place and build a three-story dwelling where the garage was.”

As a result, neither property now has off-street parking, which is required. Further, the garage was torn down without a permit, which the owner only obtained after receiving a violation, according to Giordano. A stop work order “related to this questionable construction” was issued in November 2008, and the property still doesn’t have a valid certificate of occupancy, wrote Giordano, adding that it is “very questionable” whether the property meets yard setback requirements.

The advisory board voted 38 to 0 in October in favor of having the building dismantled. Last week, a DOB spokeswoman said a stop-work order had been issued at the fully-completed building and that the application was being reviewed. When asked what course of action, including demolition, was possible, she said an inspector would visit the property and determine an appropriate course of action.

No updates regarding recent inspections have been posted on the DOB online records, and the department did not respond to a followup inquiry this week. On Wednesday, Giordano said he is still awaiting a response to his letter.

Residents Deal With Construction Woes

Issues Include Abandoned Work Site and Zoning Question

After years of virtually unchecked development throughout the city, it is not surprising that many residents have been left feeling the negative effects of projects on their block. In recent weeks, several examples of how a resident’s quality of life can be impacted by projects at neighboring properties were raised at community meetings and in interviews with The Forum. The following is a look at problems in Maspeth with a stalled construction site and vacant house and a question in Glendale over whether a multi-family building was completed in accordance with the area’s zoning.

Abandoned Maspeth Site Becomes Dumping Ground

Mary Ann Todzia has been living next to a vacant lot at 65-61 Hull Avenue for more than four years now. While the fact that work has stalled on the project is bad enough, Todzia says her house’s foundation was damaged during construction, and the vacant lot fills up with water when it rains. To add insult to injury, the site’s construction fence is in danger of collapsing and people have began dumping bags of trash on the sidewalk in front of her house.

In June, the city Department of Buildings issued a stop work order and five violations to the owner for having a defective fence, abandoning the site and failing to safeguard it. However, despite the summonses, the area continues to be neglected, said Todzia. She registered a complaint with 311 over the trash dumped on the sidewalk but was later told that an inspector didn’t find cause to issue a violation.

“It started four years ago in July, and right now they have more than 40 violations and this guy is nowhere to be found,” said Todzia, referring to builder American Construction of Ozone Park. Due to the damage caused to her property, Todzia was forced to hire an attorney and is waiting for a court date to be set. Previously, the property featured a one-family house on a double lot. The new owner demolished the house and proceeded with plans to build two two-family homes there, but has since just completed one building.

“It’s a dumping ground. For a while now, people just throw things over,” she said of the area’s current state. “It’s ironic because you can have the Department of Buildings issue permits, go ahead and build, have the property destroyed and no one is punished for it. They’re getting violations, but what comes from them? Nothing. The guy is still in business.”

Zoning Debate in Glendale

Community leaders are questioning whether a multi-family building constructed recently on 79th Place in Glendale was built in accordance with the area’s zoning. Gary Giordano, district manager of Community Board 5, said a public hearing is scheduled on the issue at the board’s October meeting.

Attorneys for the property owner “are now in the process of answering Building Department objections to their plans and the construction that already has taken place” at 78-46 79th Place, where a single-family house previously stood, said Giordano. “As we see it, the construction that has taken place there does not meet the zoning regulations. It certainly doesn’t meet the new zoning regulations after the area was downzoned [several years ago], and I don’t think it meets the prior zoning.”

According to Walter Sanchez, chairman of the board’s Land Use Committee, the owner has applied to be grandfathered under the new zoning since regulations in the area were changed several years ago. After the DOB rejected that request, the owner filed an application for a variance with the Board of Standards and Appeals, but has since gone back to the DOB for a new opinion, according to Sanchez.

Giordano said the main problems are that the building contains too many units, is too high for the area and doesn’t include parking provisions. He expects a hearing at the October 14 meeting so that the issues can be brought into the public. “There is certainly concern that the property owner and their representatives may try to get approval from the Buildings Department and avoid the need for a BSA hearing,” he said. “So we’re looking to bring this into the open air so to speak.”

The city DOB did not respond to a request for information about this property.

Vacant House Brings Down Neighborhood

At last week’s Community Board 5 meeting, Maspeth resident Dorie Wolt complained about the condition of a vacant house at 57-12 58th Place, which she said has fallen apart due to years of neglect. “It’s a disgusting eyesore,” she said, adding that weeds have grown as tall as she is, the roof has fallen in, the basement is filled with water and animals are living inside it. “We live [near] there and this is ridiculous.”

Public records show the property was purchased by the Greater Ridgewood Restoration Corp. from the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development in 2006 for $38,000. On Tuesday, GRRC President Paul Kerzner said the agency is “in the process of cleaning [the property] up.” He said a worker had been sent over to clear the property prior to the CB 5 meeting but didn’t do the job satisfactorily and promised that the land “will be cleaned up to the community’s standards.”

Regarding the future of the property, Kerzner said, “Unfortunately the zoning is so screwed up over there, it doesn’t even make sense to restore it. It’s unfortunate that the prior owner let it go to pot. We inebriated a monster over there, so it’s up in the air as to what we’re going to do with it, but obviously it will be cleaned up.”

Rezoning of Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale and Takes Effect

By Conor Greene

After years of watching as out-of-character developing threatened to destroy the area’s quality of life, community leaders breathed a sigh of relief this week as new zoning regulations finally went into effect for parts of Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village), who said pushing the rezoning through the Department of City Planning and the City Council was a top priority since she took office in November, gathered on 83rd Street on Tuesday to announce that the plan is now law.

The rezoning, which seeks to prevent overdevelopment on more than 300 blocks roughly bounded by the Queens-Midtown Expressway, Woodhaven Boulevard, Mt. Carmel Cemetery and Fresh Pond Road, was approved by the City Council on July 29. According to City Planning, the new zoning takes effect immediately, but was subject to a mayoral veto for five days.

Joined by Community Board 5 District Manager Gary Giordano, Juniper Park Civic Association President Robert Holden and CB 5 Land Use Committee Chairman Walter Sanchez, Crowley told reporters that years of unchecked development has “really hurt property values” and “brought down the quality of life” on affected blocks. She said it was a “painstaking and long” process that began years ago.

“For far too long, overdevelopment has been plaguing this community,” said Crowley, adding that fighting it has been “one of our greatest challenges.” While the formal rezoning rocess began in 2006, she said civic leaders ere calling for it years prior. “Protecting ur neighborhood’s character, the very aesthetic of our low density community, has remained a priority of mine since before taking office.”

Giordano called the occasion “a big day for us locally” and noted that the new regulations will help prevent one-family homes along quiet blocks from being converted into multi-family units. “We were getting very overcrowded” as a result of such projects, he said. “We are looking to preserve the beauty of these neighborhoods for as long as we can, and one way to do it is to reduce the size of the buildings you can build here,” said Giordano.

Like others present, Giordano expressed some frustration that the process took so long to complete. “I think some studies moved ahead of us but today is our day,” he said.

Holden called it a “great step forward” but stressed that the fight against over-development is long from over. Also frustrated by the amount of time that has passed since volunteers began going door to door to collect data on each neighborhood, Holden recalled kicking the effort off on May 20, 2004. “We have finally downzoned most of the area,” he said. “This is a good step forward but we are going to have some development.”

Sanchez, of Maspeth, said the rezoning is “probably one of the greatest accomplishments a community board can make” in its advisory role. “We said let’s take the bulls by the horn and try to be proactive against overdevelopment,” he said, adding that the community still needs additional protections to prevent units from being divided. “There is a lot of work to be done. The one-family designation is very important to us.”

While recognizing the delays that held the process up, Crowley boasted that the proposal went from getting the community board’s approval to being officially adopted in “record” time. “I think you have a lot of frustration here for not being a priority for City Planning,” she said.

At this point, only projects in which the entire foundation is completed are allowed to proceed under the previous zoning, which had been in place since 1961. The majority of the next plan replaces the old zoning “with newer, lower density and contextual zoning districts to more closely reflect the existing built form of the neighborhoods,” according to City Planning. Queens District of City Planning John Young told CB 5 that this particular effort is “very complex” and will eliminate a developer’s ability to tear down a one-or-two family home and replace it with a large multi-family building.

City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden noted that more than 4,200 borough blocks have been addressed “with finely grained contextual rezonings to protect the borough’s lower density neighborhoods from out-of-context development.” She said this effort will “bring comprehensive zoning protections to three of the most appealing communities in the city.”

One of the largest rezonings to date, this plan builds upon contextual zoning changes for 180 blocks in Middle Village and Glendale adopted in 2006, added Burden.

Too Little to Late for Cord Meyer? Maybe Not

By Steve Tiszenkel

It’s old news by now, but after years of panic by old-school locals, the charming Cord Meyer section of Forest Hills may have caught a major break. The story is familiar to any regular reader of Queens media. For decades Cord Meyer, a sizable chunk of the neighborhood starting north of Queens Boulevard and chopped off unceremoniously by the Grand Central Parkway, has been a bastion of middle-class serenity in a part of the borough often dominated by six-story brick apartment blocks, attached houses on tiny concrete lots and exhaust-choked thoroughfares.

It doesn’t look like Queens, and yet it looks exactly like Queens, a testament to the impressive variety of urban and suburban landscapes easily encountered in New York’s most diverse borough. Cord Meyer doesn’t look poor, but it doesn’t look rich, either. In the shadow of posh Forest Hills Gardens, which has the air of an exclusive Westchester or Connecticut town, it feels a little like a Nassau County suburb—one of the old inner-ring ones, maybe founded by Brooklyn émigrés in 1921 and home to generations of kids who left to become commodities traders and punk rockers. That’s sort of what Cord Meyer is, only with the subway at its feet and the feverish immigrant energy of a place like Corona just a couple of miles down the road.

When the mid-century woodframe houses — gorgeous in their simplicity and situated at the back of lawns that would make Daniel Stern as an adult Kevin Arnold wax nostalgic—started to come down, it was understandable that the people who had grown up in Cord Meyer panicked. The culprits were mostly Bukharians, immigrant Jews from Uzbekistan who had targeted Forest Hills and adjoining Rego Park as their refuge in a country, a state, a city, a borough, a neighborhood where countless of their coreligionists had come before. When they got there, like tens of millions of starry-eyed immigrants before them, they found that maybe the children and grandchildren of their forerunners weren’t quite as hospitable as they’d hoped. The sticking point was a cultural propensity that perhaps they hadn’t even realized they had back in their impoverished post-Soviet homeland: the desire to build huge, gaudy houses on modest lots, all gleaming metal gates and vulgar stonework, those Wonder Years lawns paved over in favor of gargantuan brick-and-cement driveways.

The Bukharians had the momentum, but the old-timers still had the power. Somehow, some way, they had to stop the teardowns. Some made noise of a historic district, but let’s be honest—it was a stretch to call Cord Meyer “historic,” no matter how many people made it a repository for their hopes and dreams. Finally the politicians came up with an idea so simple, it must have taken years to conjure up: They rezoned the area to favor homes smaller in footprint and height, with an actual yard, grass and all, required by law. It was a big, bold step that no Cord Meyer lifer could fail to admire. But was it too late?

Conventional wisdom said yes — the area was too far gone, the towering McMansions, now grandfathered into a city-mandated low-key neighborhood, forever scarring what was once a valuable slice of Americana, Queens-style. “Cord Meyer Area is a Lost Cause,” blared one representative subject line on my Queens Central forum. And when those zoning regulations got passed, I found it hard to get excited. Too little, too late, I thought — the city might as well have left the neighborhood to the bulldozers and paint-by-numbers architects, with their budgets so large and ideas so small.

But I took a long walk around Cord Meyer recently. You know what? It’s still beautiful. It’s still charming. And maybe, just maybe, now that their era is past, the big, ugly palaces add a layer to the neighborhood that make it more interesting and unique. Now that the McMansions are no longer Cord Meyer’s future, they’ve become more a part of its past and present. They remind us of the neighborhood’s history and the heated battles they inspired. What I found on my walk was that I love the area as much as ever—and if I don’t love the new construction, at least I don’t hate it anymore. Somehow, it fits.

Cord Meyer, the old Cord Meyer, was never going to be a historic district. Neither was the Cord Meyer of the newcomers’ dreams, the Cord Meyer that never was. But what we accidentally got, this fascinating blend of old and new, the awkward collision of two generations aspiring to find their American dream? One day, we might see that as history.

The writer is the host of the Website Queens Central. Log on to queenscentral.com to read more about Forest Hills and Central Queens.

No Objections Raised During Rezoning Hearing

By Conor Greene

There were no major objections raised Monday during a public hearing on the city’s proposal to downzone 300 blocks in Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale.

Community Board 5 members were expected to vote in favor of the Department of City Planning’s proposal, which is intended to prevent out-of-character development, at its meeting this past Wednesday. Borough President Helen Marshall was scheduled to hold her public hearing on Thursday, which would allow the proposal to then move on to the City Planning Commission for review before the City Council considers adopting it.

Residents and civic leaders have been frustrated that the downzoning effort, which required volunteers to survey the blocks property-by-property, languished for several years before the Department of City Planning (DCP) finally released it for public review last month. Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) said she hopes the new zoning measures would become law by early summer.

Once the City Council approves the rezoning, all new development projects would be subject to the updated zoning. Only projects in which the entire foundation is completed before the City Council vote would be allowed to continue under the current zoning, which has been in place since 1961.

The majority of the plan consists of replacing the existing zoning “with newer, lower density and contextual zoning district to more closely reflect the existing built form of the neighborhoods,” according to the DCP. At Monday’s hearing, Queens Director of City Planning John Young called this particular rezoning effort “very complex” and said it will eliminate the developer’s ability to tear down a one-or-two-family home and replace it with a large multi-family building, as is being done now.

“That was what was creating a lot of that overdevelopment pressure,” he said during the session in Christ the King High School. “The benefit for everybody... is that you can more clearly understand what should be happening on a lot.” While the measure isn’t going to prevent all future development, it will ensure that projects conform to what already exists on neighboring properties. “What comes there should look pretty much like the street that it’s on,” said Young.

An environmental assessment conducted by the DCP predicted that the rezoning will result in development on ten sites resulting in a net increase of 66 dwellings, along with a net increase of 13 square feet of commercial space.

The rezoning area is generally bounded by the Long Island Expressway to the north, Woodhaven Boulevard to the east, Forest Park and Mount Carmel Cemetery to the south and 59th Street to the West. City Planner Tom Smith explained that the project has been broken down into four smaller sections: eastern Glendale (20 blocks), western Glendale (90 blocks), Maspeth (125 blocks) and Middle Village (65 blocks).

Following the public hearing, CB 5’s executive committee discussed the proposal before voting 8-1 in favor of it. According to board member Robert Holden, a question was raised about the R5D zoning along Myrtle Avenue, which raises the allowable floor-to-area ration. Smith and Young told the board that the R5D zoning matches the buildings already existing along Myrtle Avenue.

In a statement, Crowley vowed to continue pushing for the rezoning to become law. “Before even taking office, I started working on downzoning because it is necessary for limiting overdevelopment; maintaining and strengthening the value of our homes and protecting the character of our community,” she said. “After three years, I am pleased that at my appeal the Department of City Planning has finally moved forward with the rezoning proposal.”

Specific details of the rezoning plan can be found on the DCP’s homepage by going to nyc.gov. In general, it replaces existing zones (R3-2, R4, R4B, R5, M1-1 and M1-4D) with lower density or contextual zoning districts (R3A, R4-1, R4A, R4B, R5B and R5D).

It also eliminates or reduces the depth of some commercial overlay zones to prevent commercial intrusion on residential blocks. In addition, several commercial overlays were added where appropriate to reflect current land uses and encourage retail continuity along prime shopping streets.

Graphic: A map shows the area included in the proposed rezoning (outlined in yellow), as well as the area rezoned in 2006 (outlined in blue).

Hearing Monday on Long-Awaited Rezoning

By Conor Greene

Residents will have a chance to voice their opinions on the city’s plan to rezone about 300 blocks of Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale at a public hearing on Monday.

Community Board 5 will hold its hearing on the Department of City Planning proposal, which is intended to preserve the neighborhoods’ character and prevent out-of-context development, beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Christ the King High School. The board will then likely vote on the rezoning at its regular meeting on Wednesday.

The effort began more than three years ago when community volunteers went door to door to survey the area’s existing housing stock. However, the rezoning was delayed several times until the department finally certified it late last month. Once it is reviewed by CB 5, it will go to Borough President Helen Marshall, the City Planning Commission and finally to the full City Council for a final vote.

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village) recently said she hopes to have the new zoning laws in place by the end of the summer. “Since day one in office, I have made rezoning a priority because it is necessary for limiting overdevelopment and to protect the character of our community. I look forward to attending the upcoming hearing and I will continue pushing the Department of City Planning and work… to ensure the rezoning plan is implemented as soon as possible,” she said.

The rezoning area is roughly bounded by the Long Island Expressway to the north, Woodhaven Boulevard to the east, Forest Park and the adjoining cemeteries to the south and Fresh Pond Road and 59th Street to the west.

The proposal’s goal, according to DCP, is to replace the existing, out-of-date zoning “with newer, lower density and contextual zoning districts to more closely reflect the existing built form of the neighborhoods” to ensure that future development “will be more consistent with its surroundings.”

The proposal includes two types of zoning changes: lower density zoning changes to better reflect the existing development and commercial overlay changes to “prevent commercial intrusion on residential blocks.”

On Wednesday, the board will hold its full meeting, also starting at 7:30 p.m. in Christ the King High School cafeteria. Aside from the likely vote on the rezoning, the meeting agenda includes a presentation for the respite center of the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council and a review of current alcoholic beverage license applications.

For more information or to register to speak in advance, call the board at (718) 366-1834. Details on the rezoning proposal can be found on DCP’s Webpage at nyc.gov.

Public Review of Downzoning Begins

The formal public review of the long-awaited rezoning of 300 blocks in Middle Village, Maspeth and Glendale began on Tuesday, meaning it could be approved by the fall.

The formal Uniform Land Use Review Process for the proposal began Monday, which gives Community Board 5 60 days to review it. It then goes to Borough President Helen Marshall, the City Planning Commission and finally to the City Council to be approved.

The proposed area to be rezoned is bounded by the Long Island Expressway, Woodhaven Boulevard, Forest Park, Mount Carmel Cemetery, Cypress Hills Cemetery, Fresh Pond Road and 59th Street and is adjacent to three rezonings completed in 2006. Much of the zoning within the area has remained unchanged since 1961 and allows a range of uses and housing types that can be inconsistent with the prevailing lower density character, according to the Department of City Planning.

“Since 2002, the Bloomberg Administration has rezoned 4,000 blocks in Queens to create a sustainable blueprint for the future, protecting neighborhood character and channeling development away from auto-dependent neighborhoods,” said City Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden. She said that this downzoning effort is one of the largest rezonings to date in Queens and will protect “three of Queens’ most attractive neighborhoods.”

The rezoning is intended to serve several purposes, including protecting the neighborhoods’ one-and-two family homes by implementing zoning districts that “ensure that new developments match the existing scale and density of surrounding houses.” It will also eliminate infill provisions, which allows for development at a higher density than would otherwise be allowed.

In addition, it provides “modest housing opportunities along Woodhaven Boulevard and Myrtle Avenue” provided that it is consistent with the three-and-four-story mixed-use buildings along those strips. Finally, it will update commercial overlays to reflect the current land uses and “support retail continuity” along shopping areas on Cooper, Myrtle, Flushing, Grand and Metropolitan avenues and Woodhaven Boulevard. Commercial overlays would be eliminated or reduced to prevent commercial intrusion on residential blocks.

“After three years, the Department of City Planning has finally moved forward with the rezoning…” said Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley in a statement. Since day one in office, I have made rezoning a priority because it is necessary for limiting overdevelopment and to protect the character of our community. I will continue [to push the DCP] and work with the Community Board and Borough President to ensure the rezoning plan is implemented as soon as possible.”

The effort began more than three years ago, when volunteers from the Juniper Park Civic Association and other residents went door-to-door collecting information about the type of development that currently exists. However, the effort then languished, leaving residents frustrated as they watched small modest homes being torn down and replaced by multi-family units.

“It should have started at least two years ago. Since then, almost every block in our neighborhood has been victimized by overdevelopment,” said Robert Holden, president of the JPCA.

Community Board 5 will hold its public hearing on the proposal at a meeting on Monday, May 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Christ the King High School.

Cord Meyer Rezone Clears First Hurdle

Attorney Objects on Behalf of Bukharian Jews

By Conor Greene

The rezoning of Forest Hills’ Cord Meyer neighborhood – intended to prevent out-of-character McMansions - cleared its first hurdle last week when the local community board overwhelmingly voted in favor of the plan.

Under the city’s proposal, the 32-block area’s zoning would be changed to R1-2A, a new zoning classification that restricts the height of single-family detached houses. The current zoning has been in place since 1961 and lacks a maximum building height, which has led many property owners, including some Bukharian Jews, to replace modest Cape Cod and Tudor style homes with huge houses.

Queens City Planning Director John Young said at last Wednesday’s Community Board 6 meeting that the new zone will provide “predictability” as to what can be built. The area has been under intense development pressure for the past decade, leading to “some concern in the community about scale,” said Young. The new zone will “keep what is good [while] creating a little more predictability.”

The Cord Meyer rezoning area is bounded by 66th Avenue to the north, the Grand Central Parkway to the east, 72nd Road to the south and 108th Street to the west. The majority of the homes were built on large lots between 1910 and 1940, giving the area a low-rise character that is in distinct contract with nearby blocks lined with mid-rise apartment buildings to the south and west, especially near Queens Boulevard.

Under the plan, the R1-2A zone would be implemented, which is similar to an effort underway in North Flushing. The zone would establish a 25-foot maximum perimeter wall height and a 35-foot maximum roof height. Under the existing zoning, building height is based on what is known as the sky exposure plane, which has resulted in houses as tall as 37 feet, according to DCP.

Attorney Albert Dayan spoke on behalf of the Bukharian Jewish community in Forest Hills, some of whom have spent a lot of money to buy large lots with the intention of building a home for several generations of family members.

“It’s not that we’re doing it to show off and display our wealth,” he later said in an interview. “We’re doing it because it is necessary for us to house families that on average have four children and then we have our parents live with us. We happen to be by tradition very humble people taught never to arouse envy, so we don’t do it for those reasons; we do it out of necessity.” Dayan said that the only aspect of the city’s plan his clients object to is the 25 foot maximum perimeter wall height.

“I think it is a fair compromise to say we can limit the building height at 35 feet, that’s fine, but don’t limit the wall to 25,” he said. “Everybody wins, they get their height restrictions and we can get more living space on the third floor.”

Several residents spoke in favor of the proposal at the hearing and said the current construction practices are destroying the neighborhood.

Enid Brownstone wondered why the large families with several generations don’t simply buy several modest houses within the neighborhood instead of paying as much as one million dollars to buy a large lot and tear down the existing house. “There might be some money around to buy some [smaller] homes and not disturb the conformity of our neighborhood,” she said to loud applause. “The zoning is adequate – the problem is, it’s been violated.”

Steve Goodman of the Association of Old Forest Hills stressed that the new regulations are not about keeping any particular group out of the area. “Personally, we welcome people moving in – they are certainly allowed to do that,” he said. “We just ask that they maintain the overall look of the neighborhood.”

However, Dayan said many of his clients only bought land in Cord Meyer because of the existing zoning’s flexibility, and accused the board of moving forward with the rezoning due to negative feelings towards the Bukharian community. “We want to build homes that reflect our tradition… We believe the source of this is negativity,” he said at the meeting.

In the subsequent interview, Dayan said the new zoning “takes away living space from us… without lawful justification.” He said he will discuss the proposal with Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, who reviews the plan now that the community board approved it. “This change is not for the benefit of the community. We are part of the community, but nobody wants to take our concerns into consideration,” he said.

If the City Council eventually adopts the proposal, Dayan said it is likely he will challenge it in court based on the argument that the government can’t take private property without due process. “Like I said, I think they are taking the property away from us without justification.”

Once Marshall reviews the plan, it moves on to the City Planning Commission and the City Council as part of the city’s land use procedure.

This marks the fourth rezoning effort in Forest Hills and Rego Park since 2002. In October, the community board threw its support behind the creation of a special district limiting building heights within ten blocks of Austin Street bounded by Queens Boulevard, the Long Island Railroad tracks, Ascan Avenue and Yellowstone Boulevard. The plan would also allow for residential uses along the popular shopping strip.

Under that plan, which will likely be voted on by the City Council later this month, building heights on the south side of Austin Street would be limited to about 40 feet, while buildings on the north side would be limited to 70 feet. Currently, there is no height restriction along Austin Street, and since the area is primarily zoned for automotive uses, some developers have sought variances that could allow them to build 20-story towers.

As a result of public input, one change has been made to the proposal since it was presented to the board: buildings along eight blocks on the south side of Queens Boulevard would be limited to 125 feet, instead of 150 feet as originally proposed, according to Young. “There were concerns at 150 feet because people felt they would get a lot of buildings that are too tall,” he said.

Hearing Set on Forest Hills Rezoning

Intended to Prevent McMansions in Cord Meyer Section

By Conor Greene

The city is moving forward with a plan to rezone the Cord Meyer section of Forest Hills, where many modest homes have been demolished and replaced with huge McMansions in recent years.

A public hearing on the proposal, which would limit the height of single family houses in a 32-block area, is scheduled for next Wednesday’s Community Board 6 meeting. Under the plan, restrictions would be put into place establishing a 25-foot maximum perimeter wall height and a 35-foot maximum roof height.

Under the area’s current R1-2 zoning, established in 1961, there are no firm limitations on building height, according to the Department of City Planning, which is pursuing a similar strategy in North Flushing. Some community residents and leaders have objected as many Cape Cod and Tudor-style homes have been torn down to make way for large, often ornate mansions – many of which featured paved-over front lawns.

Frank Gulluscio, district manager of CB 6, called the current zoning “outdated” and said that “over the past couple of years, what has existed there is changing… The prevailing scale and character has changed and doesn’t really reflect what the existing houses looked like,” he said. The formal public review process for the proposal began this week, giving the community board 60 days to review the plan.

According to Gulluscio, depending on the outcome of Wednesday’s hearing, a vote by the board is likely that evening. It will then go Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and the City Planning Commission for review before City Council considers granting it final approval.

The rezoning will be confined to the Cord Meyer neighborhood, bounded by 66th Avenue to the north, Grand Central Parkway to the east, 72nd Road to the south and 108th Street to the west. The area consists primarily of one-family detached homes, mostly built between 1910 and1940 on relatively large lots, according to city planning, which notes that the area’s low density and low-rise character is a distinct contrast with the character of nearby blocks lined with mid-rise apartment buildings to the west and south, especially near Queens Boulevard.

The rezoning comes “in response to community concern,” according to city planning, and was pushed by Councilwoman Melinda Katz (D-Forest Hills), who is chair of the City Council Land Use Committee. Katz did not return a phone message seeking comment on the proposal left at her office.

Many of the large new homes have been constructed by members of the area’s large Bukharian Jewish community, a trend that has been criticized by some in the community as being out of character with existing homes. City officials have reached out to the Bukharian community to discuss the rezoning plan, and Gulluscio said he thinks the proposal is a fair compromise. “Is there some opposition on both ends? Yes, but at the end of the day the city has proposed a decent compromise,” he said. “I think it’s a step to ensure the future is more predictable.”

Meanwhile, a separate project to rezone parts of Austin Street from Yellowstone Boulevard to Ascan Avenue is also moving through the land use review process. That plan would allow residential development along parts of the popular shopping district while placing height restrictions on new construction for the first time. The proposal has already been approved by the City Planning Commission and is scheduled for a hearing before the City Council zoning subcommittee in coming weeks.

Civic Gets Detailed Look at Downzoning

Effort Intended to Retain Area’s Character

By Conor Greene

Years after volunteers went door-to-door to survey the neighborhood’s existing character their efforts are starting to pay off, as a new zoning plan might be approved by the end of the summer.

A detailed look at the plan to downzone portions of Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale highlighted Juniper Park Civic Association’s meeting last Thursday in Our Lady of Hope. The rezoning, which has been underway for three years, is intended to preserve the neighborhoods’ character and prevent out-of-context development.

The plan could be certified by the Department of City Planning (DCP) as soon as April, meaning it would go to the City Council for final approval in late summer or early fall – which can’t come soon enough for residents who have watched as developers destroyed countless blocks with huge projects allowed under the existing zoning.

“Hopefully we will have our neighborhood back from these developers who build big homes,” said JPCA President Robert Holden, who has taken the city to task over the past few years as the downzoning effort languished in the DCP. “We’ve been waiting for three long years.”

City Planning representative Tom Smith walked the roomful of residents and officials through the plan, which covers more than 300 blocks within the three neighborhoods. He explained that the majority of the current R-4 zoning “really allows for a full variety” of housing styles, including one, two and three family units and apartment buildings as tall as four stories.

“The problem is it doesn’t necessarily match up with the existing character,” said Smith. In addition, the R-4 zoning is susceptible to “infill” projects, which allows development of greater density on land surrounded by previously developed parcels. “We went lot by lot, block by block… to really match [the new zoning] to what the building character is.”

The result in the majority of the study area is zoning that allows for one-and-two-family homes as tall as three-stories, according to Smith. The densest type of development would be in R5D districts along Myrtle Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard allowing three-and four-story buildings with first-floor retail space.

However, about 40 blocks that were included in the study area will not be rezoned under the current plan, said Smith. He said the “vast majority are row homes” in areas that “don’t fit into contextual zones.” Smith described these areas as “stable with very little development.” Since they are already built out, “it wouldn’t make any sense to add to these buildings or to take them down,” said Smith.

Still, Paul Graziano, a certified urban planner who assisted the JPCA with the downzoning effort, said he is concerned that such large swaths of the neighborhood are remaining R-4, which leaves them vulnerable to infill development.

“When you get areas that are rezoning, but have areas that are not rezoned, a lot of the development pressure goes there, even if it is not happening now,” he said in response to Smith’s assertion that the areas left untouched have not been targeted by developers in recent years.

Holden blamed infill development on many of the cases where developers replace a one-family home with a three-family building. “That’s what destroys our neighborhood – no parking, congestion,” he said. “The developers are controlling what’s going on here. We’re going to take this, but we’re going to fight [against] infill.”

Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Glendale) vowed to push the project forward and noted that the environmental review process, which takes about six weeks, is underway. “It really affects our quality of life day to day,” said Crowley. “It protects a lot of blocks.”

According to DCP, zoning for the area has remained unchanged since 1961 and this effort comes at the request of the community after portions of Middle Village and Glendale were rezoned in 2006. “The Department of City Planning’s blueprint for the area is intended to respect and reinforce the existing build character,” said a spokeswoman in a statement. “Last week’s meeting was an opportunity for the Department to share our draft proposal and build a consensus.”

Civic Group Concerned about Bar Opening

Update Also Provided on Stalled Downzoning at CB 5 Meeting

By Conor Greene

Progress on the long-stalled downzoning of Glendale, Middle Village and Maspeth, and concerns over a new bar opening in Ridgewood, highlighted the remainder of last week’s Community Board 5 meeting.

Downzoning Moving Forward

Tom Smith of the Department of City Planning and Walter Sanchez, chair of the board’s Land Use Committee, briefly discussed the stalled downzoning, which is intended to protect about 350 blocks from out of character development.

The effort has wallowed in the DCP since volunteers began the effort three years ago by surveying thousands of properties within the study area. Residents and civic groups whose members have put countless hours into the project have since waited for the DCP to certify the plan, which is needed before it goes to the City Council for approval.

Smith told the board that he is “confident” that the process is in the “final stages” of its DCP review. He said several changes were made as a result of input provided to the department several months ago when the plan was first presented to the Land Use Committee.

Among those minor changes were retaining commercial overlays in some residential areas, such as where corner stores already exist. “We don’t want to lose those small commercial stores,” said Smith. Examples of these types of overlays include portions of Metropolitan and Cypress avenues, he said. In addition, the department is taking another look at the area around Atlas Park in Glendale, which includes properties used for industrial purposes.

Concerns Over New Bar

During the meeting’s public comment period, board member Ann Maggio, also president of the Citizens for a Better Ridgewood, read a letter expressing concerns about a new bar and restaurant opening at 205 Cypress Avenue.

The location “has had a bad history in our neighborhood,” said Maggio, most recently due to La Nueva Tinaja, “which was finally closed down after many neighborhood protests.” A new application for a liquor license for that premises was recently filed under the name La Planeta Azul, which would be open from noon until 4 a.m. Monday thorough Friday, with weekend hours not specified, according to Maggio.

“We would like to meet with the new owners before a liquor license is approved to find out what their plans are,” she said. With several other “troubling establishments” already operating in the neighborhood, “this is not what we want in our area and we want to make sure that 205 Cypress is not the same type of establishment,” said Maggio.

“Citizens for a Better Ridgewood had to work for several years to get rid of La Nueva Tinaja, Equinoxio and the Belly Dancing Café. We don’t want to have to work to get rid of another problem; we’d rather stop before it begins.”

Councilwoman Diana Reyna, whose district covers a portion of Ridgewood, later vowed to look into the issue on behalf of the civic association.

Juniper Civic Hosts Holiday Party

Maspeth School, Stalled Downzoning Discussed at Monthly Session

By Conor Greene

The Juniper Park Civic Association’s 70th Anniversary holiday party featured food and prizes donated by local businesses and a parade of politicians who addressed the large crowd, which braved a driving rain to attend the meeting.

The civic group’s monthly session last Thursday began with sandwiches donated by Pioneer Supermarket and soda from Community Beverage as several hundred members filed into the auditorium of Our Lady of Hope in Middle Village. “We’re not afraid to come out in a storm,” joked civic President Robert Holden.

Despite the festive atmosphere, the evening wasn’t all fun and games – the civic association’s executive board updated the audience on a host of important neighborhood issues, including the city’s proposal to build a large school at 74th Street in Maspeth and the stalled downzoning effort in Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale.

Holden started the meeting by telling the audience that he is hopeful for the future now that the area has new representation on the City Council. “The cloud has been lifted from over the neighborhood,” he said, referring to Elizabeth Crowley’s victory in November over Councilmember Anthony Como, and to the end of former Councilman Dennis Gallagher’s time in office. “Now we have new leadership with new goals,” he said.

Proposed Maspeth School

The city’s proposal to build a combined intermediate and high school serving at least 1,000 students at Grand Avenue and 74th Street in Maspeth represents a “threat” to the area’s quality of life, said Holden.

Earlier this year, the School Construction Authority (SCA) unveiled plans for a 1,650-seat school at the site of the former Restaurant Depot to serve students in grades 6-12. Despite the need for a local high school, Community Board 5 overwhelmingly rejected the proposal due to concerns over the building size, increased traffic and congestion and the amount of students pouring onto local streets after dismissal, especially since there already are two schools within several blocks of the proposed site.

The SCA recently announced that it will present scaled back plans for a 1,000-seat building to CB 5 at its January meeting. However, SCA officials suggested to resi-
dents at the November 25 Community Education Council 24 meeting that it will seek City Council approval for the plan regardless of the reaction it receives from the community board, which acts only in an advisory role.

“Obviously this area needs a public high school – but there are two other schools there and this will potentially put 5,000 students [on the streets at dismissal time] if this is built,” said Holden. “This is going to be a big problem in the neighborhood, for the commercial district and for getting around – especially if it is not only for our kids.”

The issue of who the school would be zoned for has been a key part of the debate, as many who oppose the school claim they would support it if the city would guarantee that it would only be open to local children. However, that decision is ultimately made by the city Board of Education, so the SCA has been unable to make the promise.

“This is the way it works on our sanctuary city – areas like Middle Village and Maspeth get overrun,” said Holden, referring to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to prepare for an estimated one million more city residents by 2030.

A major problem with the proposed site, said Holden, is the limited routes nearby residents have to get in and out of the neighborhood, which is surrounded by the Long Island Expressway, railroad tracks and a cemetery. “It is hard to get around if a few streets are blocked, and 74th Street is an important route,” he said. “People will give up and start moving out. There are other locations for this school. They shouldn’t be on top of each other.”

Maspeth resident Manny Caruana called the proposal a “clear-cut example of over-development” and said that school-aged children already terrorize the neighborhood each afternoon. “These kids will knock you down so fast,” he said. “This is a bad, bad move. They [the SCA] could care less about the impact it is going to have on the community and on the quality of life for people living around these schools.”

Civic Vice President Lorraine Sciulli echoed the sentiment that a lack of city planning has left the area overrun by schoolchildren. “We’re going to have wall to wall kids in this neighborhood,” she said. “We have Mayor Bloomberg to thank for this with his sanctuary city.”

The SCA’s new proposal is scheduled to be presented to Community Board 5 at its January 14 meeting.

Elected Officials Stop By

Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills) opened his remarks by telling the audience, “congratulations, you all own three auto companies today,” referring to the bailout of the auto industry that was being considered at that point.

However, as Weiner was making his comments, the Senate was in the process of voting down the $14 billion legislation intended to help General Motors, Chrysler and Ford stay afloat during the economic downturn. Before that vote took place, Weiner argued that officials cannot allow those companies to fail due to the impact it would have on consumers and on the nation’s industrial sector as a whole.

“Nobody would buy a car from a bankrupt company,” he said, asking the audience members who have a warranty on an American vehicle to raise their hands. “We are left with bad choices and worse choices right now... I don’t know if it is going to work.”

Weiner noted that one third of all industrial jobs left in America are connected in some way to the auto industry. “The financial industry is somewhat stabilized” as a result of the $700 billion bailout passed to support Wall Street, said Weiner. However, “the jury is still out” regarding the auto industry’s health, he added.

On two more local topics, Weiner suggested that the SCA consider other options for the proposed Maspeth school. “Now that the market is softening... there are more options,” he said.

He also briefly discussed truck traffic, which is a major issue along Grand Avenue. He noted that one truck equals more than three cars. “The city is obsessed with everything except trucks,” he said, calling the area the “truck pass through capital of the entire city.” He suggested that portable weigh stations be used to bolster enforcement.

Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside)was introduced by Holden as the area’s “adopted councilman” because of his assistance to the civic after former Councilman Dennis Gallagher resigned and the area was not represented on the City Council.

Sporting an injured hand wrapped in an Ace bandage, Avella joked that he would like to be able to say he was hurt punching out the mayor over his refusal to send out the $400 tax rebate for homeowners. “I know you are all expecting it [but] Michael Bloomberg refuses to release it,” he said.

In response, Avella and three of his colleagues have filed a complaint in Supreme Court to force the mayor to release the rebate. A hearing on that motion was postponed at the request of the city’s counsel, said Avella. “He has no legal right to hold onto the money. It’s an absolute disgrace... I’ve already said I’m not going to go for that. We pay enough property taxes,” said Avella.

Avella closed his remarks by reminding the audience that, like Weiner, he plans on challenging Bloomberg next year. He took umbrage with Weiner’s earlier claim that he led the fight against the mayor’s congestion pricing plan earlier this year, which was passed by the City Council but ultimately defeated in Albany. “A lot of us fought that fight,” said Avella. “It wasn’t just one person.”

Councilman and Senator-Elect Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach)was introduced by Holden as a “terrific guy,” despite claims made to voters about him in mailers during his successful senate race this fall against Serf Maltese. “If you believe all that stuff [stated on fliers] you would think this guy is the worst guy in the world,” said Holden.

Addabbo, who is headed to Albany after two terms representing his district on the City Council, thanked those who supported him and vowed to win over those who didn’t. “Regardless who you voted for, I’m ready to work for you,” he said, urging constituents to contact him at his district office at (718) 738-1111 with any issues.

One of the biggest issues Addabbo was asked about while campaigning was the stalled effort to downzone several hundred blocks in Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale. The effort has languished in the Department of City Planning since volunteers surveyed the area two years ago.

After being asked about it so often, Addabbo contacted DCP Commissioner Amanda Burden to inquire about the project’s status, which he called “overdue.” He reported that DCP contacted his office last week about setting up a meeting to discuss the project.

Councilwoman-Elect Elizabeth Crowley (D-Glendale), who defeated Como in a November rematch of this summer’s special election to replace Gallagher, was the final official to address the audience. Holden noted that it is “great to finally, after three years battling our council member, to work with our councilwoman.”

Crowley, who grew up in Maspeth and lives in Glendale, said she has a “strong bond with the community” and is “honored” to represent it in City Hall. A key initiative, she said, is “making sure every homeowner gets the $400 rebate.”

She also said she is already working with DCP to ensure that the downzoning moves forward this spring. “Everyday, we are seeing one family homes come down and three families go up,” she said. “It burdens each and every one of us... It’s going to happen and bring better results for our community,” she said of the downzoning.

Parks, Roads and City Planning Discussed at Board 5 Meeting

By Conor Greene

This month’s Community Board 5 meeting last Wednesday in Christ the King High School was dominated by discussions about projects in area parks, but also included updates on a major road project in Maspeth, the stalled rezoning effort, and greetings from two recently-elected public officials.

Parks Projects

Steven Fiedler, chair of the board’s parks committee, presented finalized plans from the city Parks Department for upgrades at the south playground in Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village and Grover Cleveland Park in Ridgewood. Both projects are “fully funded and ready to go,” he said.

The $750,000 projects at Juniper Valley will revamp the eastern portion of the playground along Juniper Boulevard South at 74th Street. It will feature separate areas for toddlers and for children ages two to five years old.

The board voted to approve the design with two minor modifications: an area featuring ornamental grass will be eliminated to create more play space, and a sandbox will not be installed due to board member’s concerns.

At Grover Cleveland, a $1.3 million renovation will include the conversion of an existing asphalt court to a synthetic turf field. Eventually, the park will feature a softball field, two soccer fields and two volleyball courts. Construction is expected to take about six months to finish, and the design is expected to be completed this fall.

One change the board requested is that the gates be made wider so that an emergency vehicle can access the sports fields in case of an injury. The board also has the option of having the park locked at night, said Fiedler.

Several other parks issues were raised that evening. Fiedler announced that the city is preparing to move forward with phase two of the Elmhurst Gas Tanks project. Parks Department representatives are slated to present those plans to the community board in December, he said.

At the beginning of the meeting, resident Joseph Pisano requested that the board look into the possibility of creating an area for dogs in Juniper Valley Park. He noted that the park currently includes almost every type of sports field. “There is everything for everybody except a dog park for dog owners,” he said. The board agreed to look into the request.

Maurice Avenue Construction

The community construction liaison for a major project along Maurice Avenue and 54th Avenue updated residents on the effort, which includes reconstruction of the roadway and sidewalks and installation of new water mains and catch basins.

Construction community liaison Marie Antoinette Nader told residents to call her at (718) 416-3537 if there are any questions or concerns during construction. Work will take place along 54th Avenue between Maurice Avenue and 58th Street from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and along Maurice Avenue from 54th Avenue to 56th Avenue from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Residents should be aware that water in the area may be shut off during construction, with written notice provided ahead of time. Also, anybody whose property is damaged during construction should file a claim with the city Comptroller’s office within 90 days.

Anybody who wants to receive e-mail updates during the course of construction should send a message to HWQP171RR_CCL@verizon.net. The field office is located at 55-60 60th Street in Maspeth.

City Planning Update

Tom Smith, the area’s new representative from the Department of City Planning, provided a brief update on several projects. He reminded the board that a yard text amendment was adopted in April, which makes it illegal to completely pave over a front yard. “That has been a major concern in this district,” he said. “This finally makes that illegal”

Smith also told the board that the department is working on requirements for bike parking. It will mainly apply to residential buildings with more than ten units or commercial buildings larger than 7,500-square-feet, he said.

However, Smith initially did not bring up the issue that is on the minds of many board members and residents – the stalled effort to downzone 350 blocks of Glendale, Middle Village and Maspeth. When asked by a reporter at the start of the meeting about that project’s status, he refused to provide any details. When later asked by board member Cathy Masi of Glendale, he assured her that “It’s coming.”

That was not enough for Masi, who told him that not having the new zoning is “killing” the neighborhood. “This has been going on for years… Do we have a timeline yet?” Smith responded that it “hopefully” is on track to be certified by the department in the spring, which triggers the city’s land use process.

Elected Officials Stop By

Senator Elect Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), who defeated Republican incumbent Senator Serf Maltese in this month’s elections, thanked those who supported him, and vowed to win the trust of those who didn’t vote for him. He told the board he served on his local community board for ten years before being elected to the City Council, which he served on for seven years.

“I know the work that needs to be done at this level,” he said. “Having information flowing from the elected officials to the residents is of utmost importance at this time.”

Addabbo touched briefly on the mayor’s plan to centralize services at senior centers and the delivery of meals. “We’re not going to balance the budget on the backs of our seniors,” he vowed. He promised to fight for “fresh meals daily” and against the closing of any local senior centers. “He’s going to have to be convinced it is the wrong way to go,” he said of Mayor Bloomberg.

Elizabeth Crowley (D-Glendale), who defeated Anthony Como (R-Middle Village) to represent the 30th District on City Council, said she is “honored to serve” the community.

She said that she is already “available to start the dialogue” and said she is still looking for office space. “I know it’s not going to be at its current location in Middle Village,” she said to some applause, referring to the office space currently used by Como and previously occupied by disgraced former Councilman Dennis Gallagher.

Como Discusses Issues Over Breakfast

Schools, Rezoning, Historic District Among Topics Covered

By Conor Greene

Councilman Anthony Como discussed a range of issues affecting the 30th District during an informal meeting with several local reporters last week at his Middle Village office.

The discussion included complaints of overcrowding at PS 153, the stalled effort to downzone 350 blocks in Glendale, Middle
Village and Maspeth, the proposal to landmark several blocks in Ridgewood and a plan to convert under utilized space at PS 91 into a public park.

PS 153 Overcrowding

The opening of the school year has brought with it complaints about overcrowding at PS 153 in Maspeth. According to Como, the problem is a result of overdevelopment in the neighborhood, in particular the common practice of replacing a single-family home with a multi-unit building.

“When we talk about overburdening our infrastructure, this is it,” said Como. The school is currently attempting to serve
about 1,400 children, about 300 above capacity, said Como. His chief of staff, James McClelland, said there is “no doubt it is over-crowded,” but noted that there is a “discrepancy” as to how many students are currently attending the school.

The obvious solution would be to redraw the boundaries dictating who attends the school, but the councilman admitted that he “doesn’t know how feasible that is going to be,” as it would have ramifications on other area schools. He will have a better idea of possible solutions after meeting with the city Department of Education.

McClelland said that PS 153 serves students within a two-and-a-half mile radius, while most city schools have much smaller boundaries. “It may be possible [to redraw the lines], but a ripple effect might require a comprehensive rezoning of District 24,” he said.

Stalled Rezoning Effort

Como met with representatives from Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s office regarding the stalled effort to downzone much of Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village.

“It is something that probably should have happened a long time ago,” said Como, adding that residents should be frustrated with the lack of progress. “They assured us it would move forward… Everyone’s in favor of it.”

Fortunately, the area appears to have avoided any widespread flooding – often cited as one of the biggest effects of overdevelopment - during several heavy rainstorms over the summer. Como reported that his office “hasn’t been inundated with calls” and said he is meeting with the city Department of Environmental Protection regarding flooding within the district.

The rezoning effort, which includes 350 blocks, was spearheaded several years ago by residents of Maspeth and Middle Village. The volunteers, including many members of the Juniper Park Civic Association, went door-to-door, surveying thousands of properties. When they completed the process in October 2005, Queens Director of City Planning asked the civic group to wait for city certification until Glendale residents completed surveying that area.

Much to the JPCA’s frustration, the downzoning effort has since languished while the Department of City Planning has focused on projects elsewhere. At a JPCA meeting in June, a representative from City Planning said that an environmental assessment must still be completed, and said the effort should resume in September.

Ridgewood Historic District

Como said he supports a proposal to designate several blocks of homes in Ridgewood known as the Mathew flats. The proposal, which would protect 91 buildings from demolition or major alterations, is currently before the city Landmarks Preservation Commission.

If the commission landmarks the area, which is between Forest and Fairview avenues and Linden and Woodbine streets, the proposal would go to the City Council for final approval. Como expects it to be approved once that happens. “I don’t see it being an issue,” he said. “I think it’s tremendous and am definitely in favor.”

The homes were built between 1908 and 1911 by Gustave X Mathews, with each building containing six units. The building style, which was a radical departure from the notorious tenement houses on the Lower East Side, was displayed at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco.

A one-block section of Ridgewood on Stockholm Street between Onderdonk and Woodward avenues was designated by the city in 2000. Como said he is also interested in pursuing landmark status for the carousel in Forest Park and sections of Richmond Hill and Woodhaven.

PS 91 Playground Conversion

As part of the mayor’s “Schoolyards to Playgrounds” initiative, the outdoor space at PS 91 in Glendale is being converted into a public space open to all residents. However, according to Como, some residents living near the Central Avenue school are concerned about the proposal.

As a result of calls from a few residents on the block, Como met with officials from the city Parks Department, Department of Education, the PTA, Community Board 5 and the school principal. He said the concerns centered on issues such as the hours the park would be open, and aspects of the layout and design such as where the benches would be located. Once the concerns are resolved, Como said the project “would be a great asset for the community,” especially since the city would “come and put money into” the area.

Under the mayor’s plan, 290 schoolyards would be opened to the public between 8 a.m. and sundown and on weekends. The mayor plans on funding a total of about $111 million towards the project over the next eight years. The areas would be maintained by the DOE with assistance from non-profit organizations.

“The real issue is not that people on the block don’t want it fixed them what was going on,” said Como. “The parties are still talking, and there still are issues that have to be resolved.”

Como, a Republican who is being challenged this November for his City Council seat by Glendale Democrat Elizabeth Crowley, said he urges residents to stop by or call his Metropolitan Avenue office with any concerns. “I’m my own worst constituent,” he joked, noting that his office recently successfully pushed a local bank to clean graffiti from its fence. “I try to be proactive.”

Above: Nearly 100 homes in Ridgewood known as the “Mathews flats” are being considered by the city for landmark status.
Left: The city’s plan to convert open space at PS 91 into a public park has concerned some Glendale residents.

Maltese and Como Host Town Hall Meeting

Issues Include Truck Traffic, Reservoir, Crime and Flooding

by Conor Greene

Providing residents with a chance to air grievances about a host of city agencies and issues, Senator Serf Maltese and Councilman Anthony Como hosted a town hall meeting last week in Middle Village.

The session last Thursday in Our Lady of Hope auditorium attracted several hundred residents and touched on a wide variety of issues, including crime, overdevelopment, traffic woes and a school construction project being considered in Maspeth.

The meeting included representatives from many city agencies, including the Department of Transportation, the 104th Precinct, the FDNY, Sanitation Department, Finance and the Department of Environmental Protection.

“It will let you put a face to some of the people you talk to when you call the office or 311,” said Maltese (R-Glendale). “We want to hear what you have to say and direct it to the right person.”

Como (R-Middle Village) thanked the large crowd for coming out on a warm evening. “I know there are a lot more pleasurable things you could be doing right now,” he said. “You care about making sure this community goes in the right direction.”

After the city officials were introduced, the senator and councilman allowed residents the chance to express any complaints or issues they have.

Maspeth School Proposal

First up was Jerry Matacotta, founder of the civic group Communities of Maspeth and Elmhurst Together. He expressed concern about the city Department of Education’s proposal to build a 1,650-seat school at 74th Street and 57th Avenue in Maspeth.

While agreeing that “the school is necessary,” Matacotta said he “has some trepidation” about the students it will likely serve, including children from outside the area. “This is going to be a giant problem for us,” he said. “It is going to bring in a lot of things from other areas… It will be the end of this community, mark my words.” He said that the school should be “a special
high school for top students” only.

Como noted that Community Board 5 voted down the proposal. “We agree that a school of that magnitude will destroy the community,” he said. “We are on board with that.” He said that he is meeting in the coming weeks with officials from the Department of Education and School Construction Authority. “We’ve been unhappy with what they’ve told us,” he said.

Added Maltese: “It is absolutely unacceptable to us and we will not tolerate [a school that large] going into the community.”

Air Traffic Overhead

A resident who said she lives near Maltese asked what can be done about low-flying planes that pass over the neighborhood many times each day as they head towards LaGuardia Airport.

“Planes are flying very low over our houses every few minutes,” she said. “”We can’t sit in our yards anymore and read a book.” She expressed frustration that a phone call to Congressman Anthony Weiner proved fruitless. “He’s [too busy] running around on Larry King,” she said, referring to his mayoral campaign.

Maltese explained that “the problem is a federal problem” and the state and city officials “don’t have the authority to deal with the Federal Aviation Administration.” He noted that the same problem occurs in other neighborhoods around LaGuardia and JFK airports. “It’s definitely a problem, but I can’t promise we can address it with legislation or communications… but we will try,” said Maltese.

Juniper Boulevard Speeding

Resident Helen Steinhauer voiced what has become a common complaint from Middle Village residents: speeding along Juniper Boulevard North, especially between Lutheran Avenue and 80th Street.

“It’s unbearable to sit on my own stoop,” said Steinhauer, adding that the long flat stretch of road doesn’t have speed bumps or traffic lights and is used for drag racing. “I’ve come out to meetings every year and get no satisfaction.”

Maura McCarthy, Queens Borough Commissioner of the city Department of Transportation, said her agency will conduct a speed study along the boulevard to determine if traffic calming measures are warranted.

“We will analyze if we physically can put in [speed] bumps in this section of roadway,” she said, adding that it sounds like Community Board 5 would support that type of project. A traffic light and speed bumps were previously installed on Juniper Boulevard South, helping to cut down on speeding drivers there.

Local Crime Patterns

Crime is up so far this year within the confines of the 104th Precinct compared to the same time last year, with major incidents rising nearly 8 percent so far, according to statistics released recently.

A resident who said she has rented in Middle Village for the past few years expressed concern about several incidents that have taken place within a block of her home. She told Maltese and Como that she is now in position to buy a home, but is afraid to commit to the neighborhood due to increasing crime.

“It just seems like in the last two months, in a one-block radius, I’ve watched the crime go through the roof,” the woman said, adding that there has been a “deterioration of the neighborhood as whole. “Middle Village right now is the last place I’m looking,” she continued. “I’m afraid to purchase a home here due to criminal activity.”

She listed a home invasion shooting death and a large seizure of fireworks as two examples of recent incidents. An officer from the precinct said that crime is up a total of 65 incidents compared to the same time last year. The largest increases have been in robberies and burglaries, and the largest jump has been in grand larcenies.

The precinct recently had 14 additional officers assigned to the Ridgewood station house to help combat the rising numbers.

Street Fair Summonses

James O’ Kane, president of the Maspeth Chamber of Commerce, complained that 128 summonses were recently issued to the chamber, the Lions Club and the Kiwanis Club for advertisements for a street fair. He explained that Boy Scout volunteers had placed the filers on light poles around the neighborhood, not realizing that it is illegal to do so.

“They’re all volunteers who are dedicated and deeply involved,” he said. “To be issued this many summonses… I feel like they could cut us a break [since] we’re a not-for-profit.” He said that the fines ranged from $75 to $200, and tickets for each offense were given to all three organizations.

A representative from the city’s Department of Sanitation explained that anybody violating that law is given a ticket, regardless of whether it’s an individual, a business or a non-profit group. “We give everyone tickets, plain and simple,” he said. “We don’t give anyone slack – it’s against the law. Nobody gets exempt from that law.”

At that point, Jerry Matacotta of COMET interrupted, shouting at the sanitation representative about the lack of enforcement against illegal residents. “Meanwhile, you do nothing about illegals throwing trash everywhere,” he yelled.

Como, who closed his personal law practice when he took office, jumped in and said that he is representing the organizations pro bono and is hoping to have all three groups in court at the same time. He said that fining all three for the same offense “is wrong on its face” and promised that he “will get it straightened out.”

Ridgewood Reservoir Future

Ridgewood resident Tom Dowd asked about the future of the Ridgewood Reservoir, noting that city Comptroller William Thompson recently rejected a $3 million contract the Parks Department presented to a consultant as part of the plan to convert one of three basins into athletic fields.

“We don’t want a million yards of debris coming through the streets of Ridgewood for the next four or five years,” he told the officials, referring to the process of trucking materials to the park to fill in the basin.

Como called the property “the most amazing nature preserve in this district” and said it would make more sense to fix up existing ball fields in nearby Highland Park while leaving the reservoir “the way it is.”

Maltese had stronger words, calling the city’s plan to convert the natural area into ballfields a “complete waste of money... almost bordering on malfeasance.” He said the city “can’t afford to spend money paving over a reservoir that is a bird refuge.

“We have told the mayor and Parks Department in the strongest terms that we don’t want money wasted… We have a nature preserve in our backyard and we’re going to keep it,” he said, urging residents unfamiliar with the reservoir to visit it.

Flooding and Downzoning

Complaints that the city is taking way too long to downzone parts of Maspeth, Middle Village and Glendale have become commonplace at neighborhood meetings, as the effort has been delayed for several years. “It’s been promised to us, and [the delay] is destroying the neighborhood,” said Patrick Trinchese.

The issue of the stalled downzoning couldn’t be directly addressed because there were no representatives from the Department of City Planning on hand. However, an official from the Department of Environmental Protection tried to reassure residents that the agency is “keenly aware” of the flooding problems that hit Middle Village last August.

The DEP official explained that storms of that magnitude statistically “are only supposed to happen every 100 years,” and the city sewer system “is not equipped to handle that.” The city “would have to tear up every single street in the city” in order to install sewer lines that can “handle a storm of the magnitude that came down last year.”

However, the mayor has created a Flood Mitigation Task Force that is piloting new strategies in neighborhoods around the city that were most effected by flooding, including Middle Village.

Maspeth Truck Bypass Plan

Another stalled effort, a plan to force trucks off busy Grand Avenue, was raised by a resident. She noted that Anthony Nunziato had help devise the plan years ago, which would require trucks heading to Brooklyn to exit the Long Island Expressway at Maurice Avenue and use Rust Street instead of traveling through the heart of the neighborhood.

“There is no reason why trucks to Brooklyn are going down Grand Avenue,” she said, reminding the officials that a large dump truck recently overturned there, spilling piles of sand onto the avenue and expressway. “Does someone have to get killed before the DOT says okay?”

McCarthy, of the DOT, acknowledged that the project has been delayed, but said it is moving forward, with the help of $500,000 provided by Congressman Anthony Weiner. “I guess it’s going to sound like I’m making excuses, and maybe I am, but it has taken a very long time,” she said. “I know it’s not as quick as you would like, but we are moving forward.”

Parking Woes

Another familiar complaint was raised towards the end of the evening by Thomas Murawski of the Liberty Park Homeowners Association – vehicles left on the street for weeks or months, making the neighborhood’s parking situation tough. “We have cars parked in the neighborhood for days, weeks, months, even years, taking up the same spot.”

He said that in one case, a burnt out car was left on the street for several weeks. Despite calls to the precinct, it was not removed until the day a letter to the editor about it was published in a daily newspaper, he said. “I don’t know if it was a coincidence or not, but that was the day it got towed.”

Community Affairs Officer Tommy Bell of the 104th Precinct said the vehicle was towed after the precinct received the complaint. “It had nothing to do with the Daily News,” he said.