Claim Garage Woes Contributed To Fatal Accident
An auto shop on Atlantic Avenue in Woodhaven may have contributed to the pedestrian fatality that occurred on the avenue Thursday, May 16, residents claimed at the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association (WRBA) last Saturday, May 18.
Cliff’s Auto Service Center parks cars on the sidewalk and street along Atlantic Avenue, causing traffic congestion and safety hazards, said WRBA president Ed Wendell.
Last Thursday, a 73-year-old man was killed after being struck by a passing car near the garage at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and 88th Street (see story below for details).
Wendell said he spoke with a witness who claimed the sidewalk was blocked by cars parked in front of Cliff’s, causing the victim to walk into the street to continue down Atlantic Avenue moments before being hit by a passing vehicle.
P.O. Jose Severino of the 102nd Precinct’s Community Affairs Unit said he could not comment on that detail, adding that the driver was travelling between 60 and 70 mph and was not found to be intoxicated.
Board member Vance Barbour said the shop often parks cars in the eastbound right lane of Atlantic Avenue, effectively making the area in front of the shop two lanes and creating a traffic bottleneck.
He said since the incident, the shop has stopped parking cars on the sidewalk. But, residents say the problem is perennial, and the parking issue may come up again.
“That area is a problem area all the time,” Barbour said.
The shop has been obstructing the sidewalk and traffic for two to three years, Barbour said.
Both Barbour and Wendell noted the WRBA has not filed any formal complaints about the shop. Neither knew anyone who had, they said.
There are no cars parked in front of the shop at night, according to Wendell, who added that a 24-hour laundromat opened across the street and has significantly increased foot traffic in the dangerous area.
Illegal auto dealers and shops
The auto dealership between 88th and 89th is also a problem, Barbour noted. He said there are 10 to 20 cars parked on the street at one time.
“It’s an easy bag for the NYPD, because there’s no plates on them,” he said.
WRBA member Maria Thomson said an individual on 85th street is selling cars with no or out-of-state plates.
The individual puts plates and a contact number on one or two vehicles, but is likely selling all of them, Thomson noted.
A resident also complained of an unauthorized body shop on 97th street and 2nd street.
Severino took down information about the various complaints and said the precinct would investigate the locations noted.
Mounted cops in Forest Park
Several residents, including Thomson, said the presence of mounted police in Forest Park has acted as a great deterrent against crime in the area.
Residents at the meeting expressed a desire to have the mounteds remain in the park permanently.
The mounted officers have been stationed in the park for the last two months-since reports of sexual assaults in Forest Park surfaced, Severino noted.
Mounted police are dispatched on a week-to-week basis, according to Severino. So far, the precinct’s requests for mounted cops have all been approved, he said, noting that he has no information about whether they might be stationed there on a permanent basis.
Assemblyman Mike Miller said the NYPD told him the mounted police will remain in the park “as long as they are needed.”
Kate Mooney, who represented City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley at the WRBA meeting, said Crowley supports the mounted police and is working to make them a permanent presence in the park. Mooney said Crowley’s office is working to move more Parks Enforcement Patrols to the area.
WRBA member died
Roger Hennin, the board’s third vice president and an active member of the community died last week, Wendell announced.
The board honored Hennin with a moment of silence before the meeting got underway.
Wendell said some WRBA meetings got contentious, but Hennin always kept a cool head and a sense of humor.
“He was a very good man and a good friend, and we’re really going to miss him,” Wendell said.
Add a tree form
The WRBA is helping residents tell the city where trees need to be planted.
Using 311, individuals can request that trees be planted on public land that would benefit from having the greenery.
The WRBA is facilitating 311 requests and tracking their progress.
Instead of calling 311 themselves, residents can give the location and their contact information to the WRBA, which will register the request with 311, Wendell said.
The WRBA will also track requests that residents have already made. Individuals need only to supply the WRBA with the tracking information given to them by the city, according to Wendell.
Updates from legislators
Several elected officials or their surrogates updated the association about their work in office.
Assemblyman Mike Miller said he has submitted a bill that would lengthen the waiting period for individuals in group homes who wish to enter the community.
He said the legislation came after Community Board 9 passed a resolution to extend the period to 90 days. The current period is 45 days, Miller noted.
State Sen. Mike Gianaris, who was redistricted into parts of Woodhaven, introduced himself to the WRBA. Much of his district lies in Astoria, Long Island City and Sunnyside, it was noted.
He said Woodhaven grapples with many of the same issues as other areas in his district, citing a declining police force and quality-of-life concerns like graffiti and out-of-state cars. Gianaris told the crowd he will represent Woodhaven equally with the rest of his district.
“They did a number on you,” he said, referring to the newly drawn district lines, which leave Woodhaven with three state senators repre- senting various areas.
“Another way to look at it is, you’ve got three senators to complain to when something is wrong,” he joked.
Gianaris said the chances are slim he’ll be able to open a satellite office in Woodhaven, but that he would try to find a place that would allow him to work from the neighborhood occasionally.
Wendell offered the WRBA’s offices as a temporary satellite office.
Neil Giannelli, a representative for State Sen. Joseph Addabbo, said the senator is working legislation to bring full-fledged gambling to casinos in the city.
He said city residents are losing potential revenue to neighboring states and upstate Indian casinos where table games are allowed.
Bringing full-fledged gambling to the city could create an economic boom for the city’s tourism industry, he said.
Giannelli also spoke in support of granting the Forest Park Carousel landmark status.
“Anything you people need-call us,” he said referring to the push to protect the neighborhood icon.
Mooney said the city is conducting a traffic congestion study on Woodhaven Boulevard.
* * *
The WRBA typically meets at 1 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month. Check www.woodhavennyc.org for June’s meeting location.
