I am a Clearview Gardens resident and was interested in either writing an article about, or having one written about the gas station at 17-55 Francis Lewis Blvd.
This station has had more than 15 noise complaints in the past six months alone, and that is what I have gained from talking to my neighbors. Five of those calls have been transferred over to the 109th Precinct for drag racing and/or pedestrian endangerment. One resident told me he called 911 over the winter to report teenagers on snowmobiles who had made their home base at the station, chasing down cars that were driving past and throwing snowballs at them and playing chicken with them. He waited for moe than 45 minutes before abandoning his wait for the police.
As of late, the spot has been a home to as many as 30 teens and young adults per night, and myself and at least three other residents have seen copious amounts of smoking near the pumps and underage drinking. Furthermore, groups of two to five members sneak behind the gas station to smoke marijuana and have now started to park SUVs and vans on the side streets and smoke pot there as well.
Besides the loud music frequently playing there, there is also occasional racing along that strip. This is dangerous behavior and needs to be addressed immediately.
The owners of the station have tried a few tactics over the past year to help the situation. For a time last summer, there was police presence for as much as a week at the station, deterring this activity. The station also hired private security, but after a few weeks that was no longer affective. Finally, they set up rope barricades to limit how many cars could loiter there, but that has had virtually no impact on the teens and young adults congregating there.
To my knowledge now, four co-ops within a three-block radius of the station have been listed for sale in the past year. Clearly all the drinking, pot smoking and loud behavior is taking a toll on the community. With five 911 calls and 15 311 calls about this location — to my knowledge there could be more — why has nothing been done to protect the residents and vehicles in this area?
Andrea Clavell
Clearview Gardens
