By Bob Harris
CB 8 in Queens is a multiethnic overwhelmingly residential area with several local commercial strips. The 143,000 residents of the district are mostly middle class, some owning their own homes, co-ops or condos and others renting. All are concerned with quality-of-life issues, personal safety and security, education and maintaining their fair share of city services.Community Board 8 includes the communities of Briarwood, Flushing Suburban, Flushing Heights, Fresh Meadows, Hillcrest, Hillcrest Estates, Holliswood, Jamaica Estates and Jamaica Hills. Within its boundaries are major facilities such as Queens College, CUNY Law School, St. John's University, Queens Hospital Center, Cunningham Park and many public and private schools.The variety of residences within CB 8 is great, from one- and two-family homes and garden apartments to large apartment buildings such as the Fresh Meadows Development, co-ops such as Electchester and Hilltop, and Pomonok, a New York City Housing Authority complex.In regard to sanitation concerns, residents would like more attention focused on street cleaning: Streets that are not covered by street-cleaning regulations need to be cleaned regularly; malls: The paved center malls require year-round cleaning and seasonal weed-control; and pick-ups: Retain the five day-a-week pick-ups at public schools and extra pick-up at Pomonok Houses.Other sanitation needs include dumping enforcement: Sanitation police are needed for night patrol to discourage illegal dumping, particularly in Cunningham Park and along the highways; and commercial trash pick-ups: A CB 8-dedicated, seven-day-a-week pick-up truck should be provided for litter baskets in commercial areas as should be increased enforcement of sanitation regulations along commercial strips.In addition to sanitation, CB 8's green spaces require more attention, as well. One characteristic that has attracted residents to Community Board 8 is its suburban character, which is derived from the open space of its parks and street trees.The following are our park requirements: Hire personnel or contractors to maintain, prune and remove dead trees as well as plant additional trees both in the parks and on the streets; and employ more park maintenance workers to provide security and protect the city's capital investments in renovated playgrounds.Cunningham Park is CB 8's major park and as such it is very heavily used. Working in conjunction with the Friends of Cunningham Park, we have prioritized our requests for the rehabilitation of this area.CB 8 residents would like to see renovations to the tennis building and comfort station, with handicapped access and additional facilities for women provided; erosion control and landscaping throughout the core area, with shrubs, trees, hardy perennials and bushes; the relocation and reconstruction of the bocci courts; and reconstruction and restoration of ball fields 1-5 including backstops.Cunningham Park also requires the rehabilitation of the comfort station in the upper parking lot; the redesigning of the picnic area, including its signage; location maps and directional signs at major entrances, as well as additional flora identification signs for trees; seeding or sodding, or both, of the core area; and an underground irrigation system for the core area.In regard to the environmental protection in CB 8, the following is required: Hire sufficient personnel for regular catch-basin cleaning and repair work and increase funding for trench restoration and sewer reconstruction to repair impaired lines and streets.Community Board 8 also is concerned about the adequacy of fire protection, not only within its boundaries but throughout Queens. There is an urgent need to educate the public on fire prevention and expand the Fatal Fire Reduction Program and Mobile Fire Safety House. We support five-person staffing for all engine companies and the redeployment of fire marshals to Queens.Adequate staffing of police in our increasingly populated area also is required.CB 8 has consistently designated the funding of police personnel its top expense budget priority. An additional 20 to 30 officers are needed for the 107th Precinct. Not taken into account when police personnel are allocated is that CB 8 has more than 40 private and public schools and institutions within its boundaries, including St. John's University, Queens College, CUNY Law, Touro College, Rabbinical Seminary of America, St. Joseph's Hospital and Queens Hospital Center.We have many churches, synagogues, mosques and temples. When people go to worship on their holy days, they are entitled to worship in peace and know they are protected from terrorists. The population of CB 8 has greatly increased and additional officers are necessary. The telephone system is antiquated and a new system is desperately needed.There are 162 auxiliary police in the Auxiliary Police Program. They need a van as they assist in many events including National Night Out, events in our local parks, the Big Apple Circus and Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera performances.The 107th has been very effective in enforcing the laws regarding liquor sales to minors in bars and mini marts in the area. We commend the men and women who work so diligently and put their lives on the line every day on our behalf.Other safety requirements include those concerning Transit Bureau District 20: To keep our subways safe, we require an additional 30 to 40 officers and supervisors. New computers are requested for the roll call and administration areas, as are extra vehicles for specialized units.
