By Alex Ginsberg
A Brooklyn Supreme Court judge heard oral arguments last Thursday on the fate of Engine Co. 261 in Long Island City but said he would make his decision at a later date.
The judge, James Starkey, ruled July 2 that the city violated its charter when it closed the firehouse at 37-20 29th St. That decision was based primarily on the fact that the city failed to notify representatives of Roosevelt Island, for which Engine Co. 261 is partially responsible. The purpose of this latest hearing was to determine what the appropriate remedy should be.
Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Sunnyside), who led the fight to keep Engine Co. 261 open and argued the case before judge Starkey in June, has suggested reopening the firehouse as the only equitable remedy.
It was not clear when the judge would issue his decision, but a spokesman for Gioia said it could take as long as one or two months.
