By Madina Toure
A College Point trucking company has vacated the residential lot it was illegally operating after complaints from state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and residents, Avella announced Monday afternoon.
The company left the lot, located on 14-29 130th St., a day ahead of the Oct. 31 deadline mandated by the city Department of Buildings’ stipulation, Avella said. The company transferred all of its facilities to its commercial lot, the main lot located on the corner of 130th Street and 15th Avenue up the block from the residential lot.
“This situation has even been going on probably for a decade and I remember not getting a definitive answer from the Department of Buildings before leaving the Council and it was local residents that brought it back to my attention,” Avella said.
He praised the DOB for its swift action after concluding that the lot was indeed residential.
“I appreciate finally that the Department of Buildings took very impressive action on this,” he said.
After residents complained about the noise and pollution that TNP Trucking brought to the area, Avella reached out to state and city agencies such as the DOB, the city Department of Health and the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Although city agencies issued warnings against TNP Trucking for various violations, none of them had formally meted out violations against the company.
In 2013, the DOB conducted an inspection after receiving a letter from Avella’s office and concluded that TNP Trucking operated commercial vehicles on the property, which is zoned as a residential site. The DOB’s Padlock Unit found that the company was not legally authorized to operate on the site.
The company’s owner then had to attend a hearing, where he agreed to close the property by Oct. 31.
TNP Trucking declined to comment.
Reach reporter Madina Toure by e-mail at mtoure@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.
