LIC Residents Fear Clubs Bring Violence

After two fatal shootings inside of a month at Queens Plaza, Long Island City residents are again grumbling about the zoning regulations that permit large night clubs to exist in their neighborhoods, complaining that they attract noisy and violent patrons."Our streets are really theirs at night from 11:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m.," said Jerry Walsh, the president of the Dutch Kills Civic Association, regarding the plazas club goers.
Walsh, who lives a block away from Club Bliss, where the most-recent shooting occurred, stated that none of the customers come from the community. But, he added, that does not stop them from acting like they own the streets.
Disturbing The Peace
The mostly young crowd, he said, double- and triple-park their cars on Friday and Saturday nights in front of his apartment complex on 28th Street, often tailgating and publicly drinking alcohol until they enter the clubs at Queens Plaza. The civic president said that fistfights, booming car radios, littering and loitering are the usual elements of the late-night carousing.
He noted that parking meters on his street, which are in effect on the weekends, exacerbate the problem. Residents opt not to park there on Saturdays and Sundays because they do not want to wake up early and feed the meters. As a result, they are a prime parking location for club goers.
"They are abusing the area," carped Walsh about the customers. "Its not unusual to get two or three hours of sleep because of the noise."
Seeks More Security
He said he has also complained to management at Club Bliss about their patrons behavior on the streets, but he has not seen any changes. He thinks the club should have a larger security detail outside.
"The clubs should have security around the block, not just sitting out there in front," said Walsh.
In recent weeks, violence outside Club Bliss and another spot at Queens Plaza has led to two deaths.
In the early hours on March 21, a 21-year-old male was shot outside the popular night spot, located at 29-11 Queens Plaza North. According to police, the victim, whose name has not been released, had been with a group of males who had an argument with another group of males at the club earlier in the night.
After both parties left the club, the victim was killed by a single shot to the head. No suspects have been arrested yet, in connection with the incident. Police from the 114th Precinct would not comment further on the case but stated an active investigation is ongoing and an increased police presence has been patrolling the area on the weekends. Over the March 27th weekend, police had a TIPS van parked in front of the club, in hope that club goers on the night of the shooting would be returning and would come forward with information.
This murder follows a fatal shooting in Long Island City earlier in the month. On March 1, Eileen Acevedo, 34, a part-time stripper at Scandals in Long Island, was caught in the crossfire of gunfight near Queens Plaza South and Crescent Street.
Area Termed Dangerous
"Its dangerous," said Viviana Garbutt, a resident of Queensview, a co-op located at 33rd Road and Crescent Street, who has complained since 1998 that the slew of clubs and bars diminish her neighborhoods quality of life. "It really needs to be re-zoned."
Garbutts residence is a couple of blocks away from another night spot, Club DNA. Located at 24-22 34th Avenue, this large establishment, Garbutt said, attracts the same problems as those at Queens Plaza. She and a host of residents who live near this club spoke to The Queens Courier about its patrons parking illegally, blocking driveways, drag racing, blasting radios and littering in their streets.
Garbutt said community meetings have taken place in the past to deal with the club, but there have been no improvements in her neighborhoods quality of life.
"I thought with Bloombergs proactive approach to the quality of life regarding noise pollution and smoking in bars and restaurants, they would be more responsive," she said despondently.
According to Community Board 1 District Manager George Delis, Long Island City has been an attractive place to set up large nightclubs since 1994. At that time, while then Mayor Rudolph Giuliani pushed to have strip clubs and big night clubs removed from Manhattan, Long Island City was rezoned M1, a mixed-used designation that permits clubs of large sizes. As a result, many fled across the East River and decamped just at the base of the Queensborough Bridge and other areas in Long Island City, spanning from 34th Avenue to Queens Plaza North. Delis, who noted his board fought against the re-zoning at the time, said even if the neighborhoods could be re-zoned, it would be difficult to evict the existing clubs.