By Howard Koplowitz
“We members of Community Board 13 have the opportunity to distinguish ourselves as proud residents of a truly diverse community,” said CB 13 member Paul Rubenfeld, who drafted the resolution.”Hopefully, the results of this resolution would place us in the forefront of eliminating ethnic discrimination and maintaining our high quality of life.”The board unanimously approved the measure in a voice vote. CB 13 Chairman Richard Hellenbrecht asked that the board's district manager, Sally Martino-Fisher, prepare a letter about the resolution to Comrie and send it to Comrie's office.Comrie initiated a resolution in the Council that would put a moratorium on the “N” word.The board received an update on the ongoing renovations of the Bernard Fineson Center, which houses the developmentally disabled on the Creedmoor Campus in Queens Village. The project was needed because the buildings at Bernard Fineson are more than 70 years old, according to Larry Rozelle of Bernard Fineson. He said Phase I of the project, which consisted of demolishing two vacant buildings, an athletic field and an old grandstand structure, was completed and the project is now in the second and third phases. The second phase, Rozelle said, involves foundation work. He said all the footings for the four new structures are complete, while three of the four foundations have been put in.”We're going forward… and we're going to be right on schedule,” he said. “It's really coming along.”The construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.In the third phase, which is underway, utilities such as electric and telephone lines would be installed.After that is completed, the center will take bids for two separate general contractors Ð one to construct the six single-story structures containing 12 beds each and another for two two-story buildings to house 48 consumers.By mid-March, Rozelle said Bernard Fineson would take bids to build the new administration building.When construction is finished, the 215 people who live on the campus would be reduced to 120, with the remainder put into a community placement program outside of the center. Bernard Fineson's Howard Beach location, which it calls Howard Park, would relocate 65 of its consumers to the Creedmoor Campus over a two-year period.Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.
