By Bob Harris
The newsletter of the Holliswood Civic Association warns members that there are no recycling collections when the collection day is a Monday and Monday is a holiday. However, regular garbage will be collected on the Tuesday after the Monday holiday. I know it is confusing, but that is the rule. If you do put out the recycling then it will remain on the curb for a week and you might receive a summons. You can call the Quality of Life Hot Line at 1-888-677-LIFE.
The newsletter of the Broadway-Flushing Homeowners Association alerts its members to the Rickert-Finley Covenants. These covenants were placed in the deed of houses, and stays with the house. The Rickert-Finley Covenant protects the neighborhood qualities which makes the neighborhood what it is. They say that no fence except hedges or shrubbery will be permitted within 20 feet of the front line or side street line of any lot. They mandate that buildings may not have flat roofs. No building may be erected nearer than 20 feet to the side street line. They mandate that out-buildings, like garages or tool sheds, must be set back 60 feet to the front property line.
The newsletter of the Kew Gardens Homeowners Civic Association warns its members that a private group is spearheading an effort to make New York City the host city for the 2012 Olympics. The city would be transformed into a huge sports center with a billion-dollar stadium in Manhattan, an Olympic Village in Long Island City and a water park in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. They propose to merge Willow and Meadows Lakes to create a body of water for rowing and canoeing. Parkland would be lost and a stand for 25,000 people would be built. When the Olympics are finished then NYC2012 would transfer these “improvements” to commercial concessions. Would the park end up like Cunningham Park where several commercial events cause wear and tear on the park but the money generated goes to the New York City budget and not for upkeep of Cunningham Park?
The Kissena Park Civic Association’s newsletter warns about “as of right” rules which permit community facilities of all types to be built in a community thus changing the community. The article explains that community facilities are schools, hospitals, medical offices, dental offices, houses of worship, day care centers, to name a few. In fact, a community facility can be granted a multiple of up to twice the allowable floor area. In a R1 or R2 area zoned for simple one family homes this can be a problem, as it can be in a R3-2 zoned neighborhood. The civic warns people that the community-facility law must be changed. With so many different people coming from so many different lands with so many different houses of worship, communities will be subject to many different facilities which are non-for-profit so they don’t pay property taxes. They ask their members to write to their legislators to change the community-facility law so there would be a fair community approval process.
INFORMATION. As of April 2, 2001 Sanitation workers resumed summer collection hours, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. This means you have to put out your garbage and recycling prior to 6 a.m. because they many come through your block.
GOOD AND BAD NEWS OF THE WEEK:
Lately there have been more and more stories about air pollution and asthma. For years this column has been telling people of the causes of pollution and the consequence, asthma. It seems that there are many causes such as car exhausts, truck exhausts, airplane exhausts, rat droppings, roach waste and droppings, cigarette smoke and particles, mold, dust, and stress. One published article discusses asthma in East Harlem. Another article asks for a study about air pollution in Maspeth due to car traffic, truck traffic, and smoke stack emissions. The Juniper Park Civic Association is concerned about these problems. It is good that there is discussion — but we need some solutions.
