Collapsed Wdhvn. Bldg. To Finally Be Razed
Woodhaven residents will soon be rid of a partially collapsed building regarded as an eyesore, a Department of Buildings (DOB) official told the Woodhaven Residents’Block Association (WRBA) during the group’s meeting last Saturday, June 21, at American Legion Post 118.
Ken Lazar, a DOB community affairs liaison to Queens, updated the group on the partially collapsed building at 78-19 Jamaica Ave. which damaged theWoodhaven-Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps, located next door at 78-15 Jamaica Ave. The corps along with the Woodhaven-Richmond Hill Senior Citizens Center, which operated out of the site, were forced to relocate.
He explained further that following several injunctions granted by the court, “the judge put his foot down,” ordering the owner, 78-19 JamaicaAve. LLC, to begin repairing the building, demolish it himself or the City Department of Housing Preservation (HPD) and Development will have it razed.
He told the meeting that the “(DOB) commissioner finally ordered HPD to take down the building.”
“HPD has been ready to go,” Lazar said on Saturday.
“He realized we were serious. He saw we were serious about taking the building down,” Lazar said.
The building partially collapsed on Apr. 12, 2013 bringing several area Fire Department units to the site. It also damaged the building next door, which housed the Woodhaven- Richmond Hill Senior Center and the Woodhaven- Richmond Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
The WRBA had been using the building, at 78-15 Jamaica Ave., to hold its meetings.
TheWRBA organized a rally this pastMarch, advocating the collapsed building should be razed, and in the interim for the all-volunteer ambulance corps and senior center as well.
“I figure you should start to see action in the next three weeks, about the week after July 4th,” Lazar said.
Though Lazar told the group, “this is better news than I had in the past,” several members remained skeptical. One who voiced frustration was WRBA member Ed Wendell, who said he was not convinced the matter is closed.
“I would bet money we’re gong to be sitting and nothing has been done,” he said in response to the news.
Lazar tried to allay fears that the building owner will try to delay work on the site for as long as possible by dragging his feet on the construction or demolition.
“If he starts playing the game, HPD is an option,” Lazar advised.
“If hypothetically he goes in and puts up two beams and disappears, HPD will take the building down,” he added.
Lazar said the DOB will monitor that he is complying with the court orders, and that “if he stops, HPD is then again an option.”
“We will be monitoring him on a weekly basis,” he said.
“We are definitely going to be monitoring him to make sure he doesn’t stop,” Lazar added.
“How do we know this plan is going to be enforced,” WRBA member Steven Forte asked.
“Because there’s a judge involved now,” Lazar said.
“The demolition company is ready to go. He’s been given 100 chances, but I think this is the last one,” he said.
“The games are over, he played too many hands,” Lazar stated
The DOB lists 37 open violations at the property on its website as of Tuesday, June 24.
102nd Precinct update
P.O. Jose Severino of the 102nd Precinct Community Affairs Unit briefed the meeting on crime and scams in the area at Saturday’s meeting.
He addressed a “new scam that we are being told to notify the public about. Its pretty simple, but very sneaky.”
At ATMs and gas stations, crooks are placing tiny cameras that can read your card information.
“It copies the info on your card and they just make a dummy and make purchases,” Severino said.
Though the scam has become prevalent in the city, “it hasn’t really happened in the 102 in the last six to eight months,” he said.
There are 18 banks alone in the 102, Severino stated.
The banks check the devices two to three times a day, but during overnight hours customers are especially vulnerable, he advised the WRBA
“Of course if you find such a device, notify the police,” he said.
He updated the meeting on Vision Zero in their community as well. First the precinct handed out flyers, but in the last week, “there’s been enforcement,” he stated.
Severino believes the Vision Zero initiative is needed , “because we’ve had a lot of traffic fatalities in Woodhaven, Jamaica.”
“We did see a lot of police presence,” WRBA member Vance Barbour said. “A person was killed right there at the intersection (between Atlantic Avenue and 86th and 87th streets),” he added.
Barbour then asked if speed cameras would be coming to that stretch of Atlantic Avenue.
“Cars are being summonsed there all the time,” Severino answered. “It’s being implemented city wide (speed cameras). It’s just a matter of time.”
There were 123 traffic-related fatalities in the last year in Jamaica and Woodhaven combined, Severino reported.
Basement apartment petition
In the wake of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s push to increase the number of affordable housing units in the city, the WRBA has begun a petition against legalizing basement apartments. The group asked members to sign the petition at Saturday’s meeting.
Speaking generally of basement apartment, Lazar said some could be legalized.
“Illegal apartments in certain basement places can be legalized,” Lazar said.
“Certain ones can, certain ones can’t,” he said.
“The main thing with us is safety, (you) can’t live in a cellar,” Lazar stated.
Responding to a question about some basement apartments becoming legal, Lazar said, “there’s been no change in enforcement as of now.”
“There would have to be a change in the law, and that would go through the city council,” Lazar said.
The next Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association meeting will be held on Saturday, July 19 at the Emanuel United Church of Christ, 93-12 91st Ave, in Woodhaven, at 10 a.m.
