Photo: QueensPost
May 27, 2010 By Christian Murray
Two Sunnyside residents complained to police about Associated supermarket’s recycling center on 44th Street (located between Greenpoint Ave. and Queens Blvd), at the police precinct meeting on Tuesday night.
Nina and Dan Farrey, who live near the supermarket, claimed that several men congregate around the recycling center, drink alcohol and then fall asleep on the sidewalk. They said it was particularly concerning, since many senior citizens and children live on 44th Street in private houses. The couple alleged that the men also urinate in public.
Farrey said the recycling center had become a hang out area for a large number of vagrants who are drawn to the first-rate recycling facilities. One recycler told the Sunnyside Post recently that the facility is attractive since it has two plastic machines, two glass machines and one can machine. “It’s all here,” a man said, in broken English.
They said that the manager of the store has been unreceptive to their complaints. The couple said that they have just sent an e-mail to council member Jimmy Van Bramer’s office to make him aware of the situation.
But the police said they were limited in what they could do. They said they could arrest people for drinking alcohol – but not for just being there. Furthermore, the police would suggest to the owner to move the recycling facility indoors– but the owner is not legally required to.
