DSNY Issues Scores Of Violations
Members of Brooklyn’s Community Board 4 are aiming to clean up the streets, it was noted during the board’s Apr. 17 meeting at Hope Gardens Senior Center.
Dog feces and general litter are two problems that need to be addressed immediately, board members stated.
District Manager Nadine Whitted told the board she recently met with representatives from the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) regarding dog feces on public sidewalks.
“I’m alerting you now that we have asked the sanitation department to pay special attention to this district, so please … pick it up,” Whitted said.
There is a $250 fine for not cleaning up after one’s dog, she added.
Whitted gave the DSNY specific locations that residents have been complaining about, and the department will begin focusing on those sites first, she noted.
“It’s a doggone shame that we who love animals don’t want to pick up behind them,” she said.
Whitted added the presence of dog feces adds an additional health risk for children who may not understand how unsanitary it is.
There is an overall sanitation problem, Whitted noted.
“The district is dirty,” she said, adding that in March, there were 1,135 violations issued by the DSNY. She said 264 were issued for illegal advertisement placement and 146 “dirty area observed” violations given to residents and business owners.
According to Sanitation Committee Chair Saul Rubio, the residential routing periods are between 8 and 9 a.m. and 6 and 7 p.m. Make sure garbage is where it needs to be and recycling is separated as it is supposed to be, Rubio said.
Residents should be especially careful to clean areas and only put trash out at the right times due to a growing rat population, said Rubio.
Flooding due to Hurricane Sandy drove a large number of rats above ground, where they have remained, it was reported.
“Obviously … if there’s trash out, there’s things for rats to eat,” Rubio said. “So, it almost becomes our responsibility to get some of those items that don’t usually get swept up- some of the items that just get pushed around when they do street sweeping. We need to start taking responsibility for our own cleanup.”
The DSNYoffers free tools for individuals and community groups that want to conduct neighborhood cleanups, Whitted said.
The department provides shovels or rakes, gloves and bags-interested individuals need to contact the department at least four weeks prior to the event, Rubio said. All the community needs to provide ismanpower, he added.
The DSNY also coordinates with local sanitation districts to facilitate debris pickup, according to information from the DSNY. Interested parties can call the DSNY’s Community Liaison Unit at 1-646-885-DSNY (3769).
Rubio also said the committee is planning a recycling event with Vanguard Recycling. They are currently looking for a host location and are considering the Bushwick Campus, P.S. 299 or the Food Bazaar parking lot on Gates and Wyckoff avenues, he said.
The event will help people throw out electronics and other environmental sensitive materials, like light bulbs, which cannot be thrown away with regular household trash. He said the committee is planning the event for late June or early July.
The next sanitation meeting will be 4 p.m. on May 20 at 1420 Bushwick Avenue.
Get a free tree
The NewYork Restoration Project (NYRP) is giving away free trees.
Homeowners, schools, commu- nity groups and community gardens can get free trees through the organization, Whitted noted.
The NYRP’s tree giveaway is part of a public-private partnership with PlaNYC, a Bloomberg initiative designed to improve parks and greenspace.
There are several upcoming dates for tree giveaways, according to the NYRP’s website. Giveaway dates and registration applications can be found at www.nyrp.org/Greening_ Sustainability/ MillionTreesNYC/Tree_ Giveaways/ Brooklyn_ Tree_ Giveaways.
According to Whitted, NYRP also owns and manages four community gardens in Bushwick. Recently, renovations were completed on the sites at Cooper Street between Broadway and Bushwick avenues and Decatur Street between Bushwick and Evergreen avenues, she said. The renovations added raised gardening beds for residents to plant in, she added.
According to Whitted, the other locations are Aberdeen Street between Bushwick Avenue and the dead end and Aberdeen Street between Bushwick and Broadway avenues.
Later in the meeting, representatives from the Bushwick Eco Action Network told attendees there will be a free workshop on tree care from 2- 5 p.m. onApr. 27 at Maria Hernandez Park. Interested individuals can RSVP to hollingertim@gmail.com.
Early learning childcare
Lizette Sing told the board that the Early LIFE Childrens Center 9, which recently opened at 1175 Gates Ave., is under-enrolled.
The program services three- and four-year-olds and is funded by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), which means the individual who applies on behalf of the child must have been working or going to school for at least two years, she said.
The program also services families on public assistance, she noted.
Ecuadorian leaders
Dent said she and Whitted attended a meeting of the Ecuadorian community representatives in Bushwick, Apr. 4, to meet with community leaders and tell them about the community board.
“I made a commitment with to attend the meetings that they will have so that we can share information as well,” Whitted said. “I offered one of the members an opportunity to join the [community] board, also, and I hope that he takes us up on that.”
Liquor license applications
The board voted regarding a number of liquor license applications.
– 1140 Myrtle Ave. was put on hold because the location in question is 3,000 sq. ft. and the applicant did not yet have a certificate of occupancy, according to Barbara Smith, chair of the board’s Public Safety Committee. The applicant requested a liquor, beer and wine license.
– Tandem at 236 Troutman St. sought a renewal, and Smith noted NYPD has received a number of noise complaints about the bar. The committee recommended approval, asking the owners hire a security guard to be present during open business hours to close at midnight on Sundays.
The applicants submitted to the record that they wish to stay open until 2 a.m., because they have high business volume between midnight and 2 a.m.-especially on Sundays, she noted.
– Christopher’s Palace at 258 Myrtle Ave. was conditionally approved if it adjusts its hours of operation to close at midnight on Sundays.
– Boobie Trap at 308 Bleecker St. was put on hold because the applicant wants to include an outdoor cafe, but did not have a specific plan. She needs to receive permission for the cafe from the Department of Consumer Affairs, according to Smith’s report.
– Mesa Azteca Corp. at 91 Wyckoff Ave. was granted the renewal of a liquor, wine and beer license.
– Cafe Bizarre, located 12 Jefferson St., was also put on hold. The applicant wants to include an additional property at 14 Jefferson St., but the board found the applicant had not submitted all the necessary paperwork, it was noted.
“We can not give support to a vacant space,” Smith said.
The applicant’s current license does not expire until Nov. 30, 2014, according to Smith’s report.
– Norbert’s Pizza at 1215 Myrtle Ave. was held. The applicant sought to add outdoor seating in the back of the restaurant, and stated patrons would have to walk through the kitchen to access the seating, Smith said. She stated the district manager and officials from the NYPD will visit the location to ascertain whether the path to outdoor seating impedes egress or otherwise poses a safety risk.”They’re not prepared to have their patrons walk through their kitchen to go outside to have a glass of beer or wine,” Whitted said. “They’re in the process of enclosing their kitchen.”
– Super Quality Meat Market Inc. at 692 Knickerbocker Ave. was approved for a beer only grocery store license.
