Board 5 Also Eyes Waterfront, Libraries
Sidewalk repairs, the future use of the city’s waterfront and proposed cutbacks at the Queens Borough Public Library were hot topics at Community Board 5′s meeting last Wednesday night, May 9, at Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village.
District Manager Gary Giordano informed board members and residents that the city’s Department of Transportation is currently conducting sidewalk replacement at a host of locations around Board 5’s confines. The majority of these sidewalks, he said, were cited in violations issued by the DOT to property owners in previous years, some of which date as far back as 2007.
If a violation is issued to a property owner for a defective or cracked sidewalk, the owner is responsible for making and paying for the necessary repairs, provided that the damstory age was not caused by a nearby street tree. Should the repairs not be made after a given period of time, the city will hire a contractor to replace the sidewalk, then bill the property owner for the work.
“We’ve been in touch with the Department of Transportation with regard to those sidewalks where people believe the violation was not deserved,” Giordano said. “But if the violation was issued in 2007, it’s kind of hard for us to make a decent argument.”
Giordano suggested that anyone who believes their sidewalk was damaged by the roots of a nearby tree should report it to the city’s 311 hotline, then get the complaint number and follow up with the community board. If the city determines that the sidewalk was damaged by a street tree, it will make the repairs at no cost to the property owner.
The district manager noted that as part of the project, the DOT recently completed sidewalk and curb replacement at Frank Prokop Square, located at the corner of Fresh Pond Road and Cypress Hills Street in Ridgewood.
On the waterfront
Tom Smith of the Department of City Planning (DCP) reviewed with board members the city’s Waterfront Revitalization Plan, which aims to serve as a guideline for the reuse of properties along rivers, bays and creeks throughout the five boroughs.
Little waterfront area exists within Board 5’s confines, as only a southern section of the Newtown Creek in a heavily-industrialized portion of Maspeth runs through the area. The plan, Smith noted, removes one landlocked block south of Metropolitan Avenue in Ridgewood which had been previously considered as part of the waterfront; the area is actually occupied by a scrap metal shop and a concrete processing facility.
Regarding the Newtown Creek, Smith explained that the DCP, through the waterfront plan, aims to find “activity zones” in the Long Island City and Greenpoint areas where parkland or boat launches may be formed for recreational use. The plan does not change the current zoning of any areas along the creek.
“It’s kind of a prescriptive measure,” Smith said. “This is for the future. We wouldn’t be doing anything immediately.”
Giordano questioned if the plan would allow for the development of a barging area at the waste transfer station along Review Avenue in Long Island City, which is being expanded to haul additional household waste by rail.
“We have a situation where we are whelmed with freight rail traffic. We have suggested that we would like, for instance, barging done from the Review Avenue site-which is in Community Board 2-of more of the garbage that’s going to be delivered there,” he said. “There’s only one freight rail line coming to Long Island, and they’re all coming into Glendale, Middle Village and Ridgewood.”
Smith replied that the waterfront plan would allow for such facilities in an industrially-zoned area and would encourage the creation of a barging station.
Libraries in need
Kristen Kuehl of the Queens Borough Public Library called on board members and residents to help fight a proposed $26.7 million reduction in city funding for the library system, which she said would lead to branch closures and severe service cutbacks.
Should the reduction proposed in the mayor’s executive budget released earlier this month be approved, Kuehl stated, over 600 Queens Library employees would be laid off, 18 branches would be shut down and as many as 30 other locations would be closed between four and five days a week.
“Queens Library is more important to the social fabric of our community than ever before,” she said, noting that each branch offers a wide variety of free educational and afterschool programs serving thousands of residents every day.
“If these cuts were to go through, the impact would be great,” she said. Kuehl distributed postcards and petitions urging the public to help the library prevent the proposed reductions from going forward.
Other news
Prior to the start of the meeting, the board observed a moment of silence for the late Lois Arcuri, wife of Board 5 Chairperson Vincent Arcuri, who recently died following a long illness.
Giordano encouraged board members to march with Board 5 at the Maspeth and Ridgewood/Glendale Memorial Day parades later this month. He stated that their participation would serve as a fitting tribute to all those who gave their lives in defense of the nation.
Dmytro Fedkowskyj, a board members who also serves as the Queens representative on the Panel for Educational Policy, announced that Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott is considering altering the school funding formula regarding special education students.
While the change calls for more special education students with individualized educational plans (IEP) to be moved into community zoned schools, Fedkowskyj stated, the revised formula would provide some funding to the schools for “declassification services,” but not the proper funding required for the education of these students.
Public Transit Committee Co- Chair John Maier stated that the MTA plans on beginning in June its station renewal project at the Fresh Pond Road, Forest Avenue and Seneca Avenue stations on the M line. The project, which is expected to take 22 months to complete, would result in 14 weekend service disruptions along the route, Maier said, citing MTA officials who attended the May 3 meeting of the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association.
By a unanimous vote, Board 5 voted to recommend approval of a sidewalk café license application for Phillies Pizzeria, located at the corner of Eliot Avenue and 74th Street in Middle Village.
Demolition notices
Walter Sanchez, Board 5’s first vice chairman who presided over the meeting in Chairperson Arcuri’s absence, announced that the board has received demolition notices properties located at 70-20 67th Pl. and 79- 77 77th Rd. in Glendale; 57-55 Mazeau St., 73-33 Grand Ave. and 73-38 53rd Rd. in Maspeth; and a garage at 66-20 79th Pl. in Middle Village.
Board members were advised to keep a careful eye on work at each site and to report questionable activities.
Liquor licenses
It was also announced that the board has received the following liquor license applications for its perusal:
– New liquor licenses for Full Guard Inc., d.b.a. Outlaws, at 61-08 Flushing Ave. in Maspeth (formerly Hickey’s Pub); Joseph R. Felle Corp. for a business to be determined at 59- 30 Grand Ave. in Maspeth (formerly Anchor Inn); Drunken Fish Inc., d.b.a. Drunken Fish Sushi and Lounge, at 52-35 Metropolitan Ave. in Ridgewood (formerly M2 lounge) and 1563 Decatur Café LLC for a business to be determined at 1563 Decatur St. in Ridgewood.
– Liquor license renewals for AJPW LLC, d.b.a. Kredens Restaurant, at 66-36 Fresh Pond Rd. in Ridgewood and California Pizza Kitchen Inc., d.b.a. California Pizza Kitchen, at The Shops at Atlas Park, 8000 Cooper Ave. in Glendale.
– A new wine and/or beer license for Americo J. Duran, d.b.a., Duran Deli Grocery, at 766 Seneca Ave. in Ridgewood (formerly Pepito’s Deli and Grocery).
– Wine and/or beer license renewals for 55-26 69th Street Corp., d.b.a. Rosa’s Pizzeria, at 55-26 69th St. in Maspeth; La Playita Restaurant Corp., d.b.a. La Playita Restaurant, at 811 Seneca Ave. in Ridgewood; Puntiel Restaurant Corp. at 689 Seneca Ave. in Ridgewood; and Sakura IV at 64-19 Myrtle Ave. in Glendale.
Those who wish to comment on any of the above applications may do so by calling Board 5’s office at the number listed at the end of this article.
Nominations
Board 5 also held its first round of nominations for officers on its Executive Committee for their annual election in June. Chairperson Arcuri, First Vice Chairperson Sanchez, Second Vice Chairperson Michael Hetzer, Treasurer Kathy Masi and Secretary Margaret O’Kane were all renominated to their respective posts.
The four at-large members of the committee-Robert Cermeli, Patricia Grayson, Fred Haller and Ted Renz-were also renominated to the posts, while Peter Comber and John Maier were nominated for election to at-large seats.
Nominations for the committee will once again be accepted prior to the board’s election next month.
(Editor’s Note: Hetzer was not in attendance at the meeting. Due to his May 3 arrest for larceny, his status as a board member is not known at this time. For more information on Hetzer’s arrest, see the story on Page 10.)
The next Community Board 5 meeting is scheduled to take place on Wednesday night, June 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Christ the King Regional High School, located at 68-02 Metropolitan Ave. in Middle Village. For more information, call Board 5’s Glendale office at 1-718-366-1834.
