F.H. Rails Against Train Revival
Civic, Pol Slam Brakes On Rockaway Plans
Restoring train service on the long-defunct Rockaway Beach branch of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) would prove disastrous to the quality of life of Forest Hills residents living near the line, a local legislator told members of the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association (FHCCA) at their meeting last Tuesday night, May 8.
City Council Member Karen Koslowitz informed residents in attendance at the American Legion Continental Post 1424 that she was against the proposed reactivation of rail service on the rail line which runs between Rego Park and Ozone Park, abutting or lying within properties in the portion that runs through Forest Hills.
As previously reported, legislators in southern Queens-FHCCA President
Barbara Stuchinski mentioned Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder as one proponent-have suggested reviving the branch, which was put out of service in 1962 and left abandoned and overgrown ever since.
Supporters of the project stated that it would help create an easier commute for southern Queens residents to and from Manhattan and would also be needed as part of the proposed construction of the nation’s largest convention center at Resorts World New York/Aqueduct Racetrack in South Ozone Park.
Koslowitz, on the other hand, argued that Forest Hills residents already deal with rail traffic along the LIRR’s Main Line and other forms of public transportation running through the community.
“I am coming out against it wholeheartedly because it will affect this neighborhood in a very, very bad way,” she said. “This will come through our neighborhoods and people’s backyards. … We have enough transit going through our community.”
“Fifty years ago, when the Rockaway line stopped running, people bought houses. We do not want their values of their houses to go down the drain, and that’s what’s going to happen,” Koslowitz added. “You’ll be hearing a lot from us over the next few weeks and months to make sure that this doesn’t happen.”
Stuchinski also denounced the plan, stating that the reactivation proposal seemed to be more about bringing visitors to and from the Resorts World/Aqueduct site than providing another transportation source for southern Queens and Rockaway residents.
“What they’re not telling you in these articles, just skimming it … this will not serve the Rockaways. They’re pushing it because of that Aqueduct casino crap,” she added.
Bringing rail service back to the Rockaway Beach line would also be incredibly costly, Stuchinski said, and “the casino’s not going to pay for it,” implying that the burden would ultimately fall on taxpayers. She noted that the project would also be complicated especially for the residents of the Forest Park Crescent apartment complex in the vicinity of Trotting Course Lane and Union Turnpike.
“If you look in the parking lot [of] the complex, those are the missing tracks for this link. Where’s it going to go? Are they going to rip everything up? No.” she said. “There’s no money to build it; there’s no reason to build it.”
“We will fight it. This is something that the civic does not endorse,” Stuchinski concluded.
The Rockaway Beach line has been eyed by other groups as a potential bike path or a linear park resembling the High Line in Manhattan. Community Board 6 Chairperson Joseph Hennessy noted that these ideas also offered security concerns.
“At the present time, we cannot maintain Flushing Meadows [Park]. We cannot maintain our small parks. We can’t secure them. This would be another burden for our Parks Department,” he said. “The bottom line is that if I had a home right outside there, whether its a train or a bicycle path, it’s coming in on my privacy.”
Predator near little league?
Police have increased their presence at the Forest Hills Little League’s Fleet Street ballfields over the last several weekends after a suspicious man reportedly approached two players last month, it was reported.
According to FHCCA Vice President J.R. Nocerino, a man believed to be in his 40s approached an eightyear old player, who was accompanied by another child at the ballfield. Reportedly, the man told the youngster that he had found dinosaur bones while digging nearby and offered to take him over to see them.
The two children walked away immediately and were not harmed, but the incident was only reported to police a week after it happened, according to P.O. Gigi Redzematovic of the 112th Precinct Community Affairs Unit.
In response to the report, Nocerino noted, additional members of the precinct as well as its Auxiliary Unit patrolled the ballfields during games over the last several weekends. No other incidents were reported as of last Tuesday’s meeting.
Stuchinski and Redzematovic noted that the incident served as a reminder that anyone who sees suspicious individuals or activity in an area should call 911 immediately.
Turning to other police matters, Capt. Ralph Forgione, the precinct’s executive officer, warned residents to avoid con games on the street. If approached by anyone offering a large sum of “lottery winnings” in exchange for a small payment made in good faith, residents should contact police immediately.
“They make it sound so good. Don’t give your money to any lottery scam,” he said. “If you’re a little leery, reach out to us, and we’ll find out if it’s legit.”
Forgione added that 10 new police officers have been added to the command.
Candidates stump for votes
Two Democrats running in the June 26 primary for the party’s nomination for the new Sixth Congressional District seat made their case to potential voters for their election.
City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley cited her previous careers as a painter and an advocate for a nonprofit business group in giving her an understanding of the importance of issues affecting working class people and small businesses.
“I believe we need to elect a Congressional member that’s going to protect the American dream that our middle class families believe in,” she said. “Why [do] we work hard every day? To make sure our kids have a better opportunity than we’ve had ourselves. We have to make sure that this is not the first generation that isn’t afforded that opportunity, and I fear that it may be.”
If elected, Crowley vowed to support Social Security and Medicare and oppose any efforts to privatize both programs. She also advocated increasing access to healthcare for women and job creation through public works projects.
Questioned by FHCCA member Chris Colett about her opinion regarding the Rockaway Beach line’s proposed reactivation, Crowley stated that while she supported the proposed convention center project at Resorts World, “I think we have to explore all options of getting people to and from there.”
“I’m not supportive of something that will disrupt people’s lives,” she added.
One of Crowley’s opponents in the Democratic primary, Assemblyman
Rory Lancman, stressed that he would work to “level the playing field” for working people. He touted his years of civic experience as a member of Community Board 8, a local civic organization in Hillcrest and in the New York National Guard prior to being elected to the Assembly nearly six years ago.
“If you look at Washington and at this country today, I don’t think that anyone would say with a straight face that the deck isn’t stacked against ordinary people,” Lancman said, citing high unemployment, a lack of private pensions, stagnant wages, student loan debt and protection of small investors as “the issues I’d like to focus on in Washington as your federal representative.”
Asked by a resident about the economic crisis of 2008 and the resulting massive government bailouts of businesses considered to be “too big to fail,” the assemblyman noted that “we’re at this point not by accident.” He pointed to two decades of “bad policies” enacted by both parties which led to a situation where a large financial firm failure could bring down the global economy almost overnight.
“In each of those areas, we can change those laws,” he said, adding that he supported recent financial regulation laws which have yet to be enacted “though they are well past their deadline.”
“If I was in Congress at that time I don’t know whether I would have voted for or against the bailout of the banks,” Lancman added. “But something is wrong when our economic system can get to the point where it could collapse like that.”
A third Democratic candidate for the Congressional seat, Assemblywoman Grace Meng, also stopped by to greet local residents. She previously spoke about her campaign at FHCCA’s April session.
Other news
Stuchinski invited everyone to volunteer at the civic group’s “It’s My Park Day” cleanup of Devoy Playground, located off the intersection of Union Turnpike and 71st Avenue, this Saturday, May 19 at 10 a.m. The organization will also have a table at the Forest Hills community flea market in the parking lot of Maspeth Federal Savings’ branch, at 101-19 Metropolitan Ave., the following day, Sunday, May 20.
The Forest Hills Memorial Day Parade is scheduled to take place on Sunday, May 27, beginning at 11 a.m. from the corner of Metropolitan and Ascan avenues near Continental Post 1424, Stuchinski added. The march will head west along Metropolitan Avenue to Remsen Cemetery Park, at the corner of Trotting Course Lane and Alderton Street.
Hennessy also noted that a public hearing will likely be scheduled at Board 6’s June session regarding a variance for the proposed renovations to the McDonald’s restaurant and parking lot at the corner of Metropolitan Avenue and 69th Road. The hearing had originally been scheduled for their May session, but was ultimately rescheduled by the franchise owner.
The next Forest Hills Community and Civic Association meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday night, June 12, at 7:30 p.m. at American Legion Continental Post 1424, located at 107-15 Metropolitan Ave.
