As rain drops sprinkled 32nd Avenue in Flushing, residents wondered if the water would soon make its way into their basements.
Locals are enraged over what they feel is a poor repaving job along their street, which, according to them, has caused excess water to build up during rainstorms, running onto their lawns and eventually trickling into their homes causing structural damage, mold growth and other foundational issues.
“[The repaving done on 32nd Avenue is the] worst repaving job I’ve seen in a long time,” said Senator Tony Avella, who held a press conference on Thursday, January 26 to bring awareness to the issue. “We want the whole thing redone.”
According to Avella, the Department of Transportation (DOT) recently milled off an inch of old asphalt before laying down between three and four inches of new pavement. The new asphalt is now flush with the curb.
“[This poor repaving job is] systematic of how city services are breaking down,” said Avella.
Avella alleged that the paving work was unsuccessful because the original asphalt was not milled down far enough before the new layer was laid, raising the street several inches.
According to the DOT, before the most recent repaving job on 32nd Avenue, the road and the curb were flush with each other. While this work was done to restore the street to its original state, it also addressed the typical wear-and-tear that can lead to uneven, bumpy surfaces.
Paul Graziano, a resident, is upset by the situation he calls an “insulting and obscene” use of locals’ tax dollars.
Graziano, whose parents also live in the area and have experienced flooding in their home since the repaving was completed, alleged that the entire job was done in under three hours.
According to Avella, 32nd Avenue is not the only street in the area that has had recent repaving work.
“If they’re doing a bad job here, they’re doing a bad job somewhere else,” said Avella.
