Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-15) is calling on city officials to crack down on illegal vendors in his district.
Addabbo penned a letter to the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY), the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT), the NYC Department of Health (NYCDOHMH), the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) and the NYPD on Thursday, Nov. 14.
According to Addabbo, much of the illegal vending is concentrated on Jamaica Avenue and Liberty Avenue. Additionally, he said that the significant increase in unlicensed vendors and licensed vendors operating outside of city regulations has caused problems for his constituents and local business owners.
Addabbo’s district includes the neighborhoods of Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Maspeth, Middle Village, Rego Park, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Richmond Hill, Lindenwood, South Ozone Park and South Richmond Hill.
Addabbo told QNS that the complaints about illegal vendors range from the usage of propane tanks and open flames to the selling of fruits and vegetables without a permit, practices he said are “totally illegal.”
“I have gotten a complaint… a vendor on Liberty Avenue selling fish out of a van, no refrigeration, just selling fish, out of a van,” he said.
He added that the vendors are not following New York City laws, often selling stale or over-ripe fruit or parking their carts in front of grocery stores. “I get the angry store owner coming in saying, I pay a high rent. I pay salaries. I pay utilities. I pay taxes, and here’s a guy selling bananas for a dollar,” he told QNS.
Addabbo explained that he decided to send the letter after going back and forth with other city agencies to handle the issues, which would ultimately refer him to DSNY. “It got frustrating; sanitation [DSNY] can’t do it by themselves, it’s impossible,” Addabbo said. “We got a proliferation of illegal vendors and legal vendors going overboard. So I said, it’s about time in a complex city to pool our resources.”
In the letter, Addabbo urged the agencies to enforce and collaborate on targeted sweeps of licensed and unlicensed vendors to protect local businesses and enhance the quality of life for residents in the surrounding neighborhood.
“I am writing on behalf of my constituents, who are increasingly concerned about the negative impact of illegal vending has on our local economy and neighborhood safety,” Addabbo wrote. “It is crucial that we take decisive action to follow the current laws of our city and support our legitimate business owners. I urge the city agencies to collaborate on a series of targeted enforcement sweeps to address this issue head-on.”
Addabbo proposed that the agencies’ enforcement operations be scheduled within the coming weeks. He requested that licensed vendors violating city law be issued summonses and fines on the spot during these sweeps. Furthermore, unlicensed vendors would face immediate fines, confiscation of goods, and a warning to vacate the area. Additionally, he is pushing for monthly enforcement operations to continue monitoring the situation and upholding adherence to city regulations.
Addabbo said that he is taking a swift approach to curbing illegal vending before it becomes an even greater problem in his district. He referenced the ongoing illegal vending issues on Roosevelt Avenue as a problem that “got out of hand.”
“Now they’ve got to play catch-up, and it’s hard. I don’t want to see that happen,” he said. “And the way you do that is you address it now.”
Addabbo believes that the initiative would send a strong message.
“All we’re asking is people play by the rules, that’s it. If you want to get a permit, we’ll help you get a permit. If you already have a permit, let’s play by the rules,” he said.
Addabo is one of a handful of elected officials who have raised awareness of the increase in illegal and unlawful legal vendors in South East Queens.
Council Member Joann Ariola (D-32), whose district overlaps with Addabbo’s, has also taken action.
In late October, Ariola posted on Facebook that her office was alerted about an illegal vendor on Jamaica Ave and Woodhaven. Her office then alerted the 102 Precinct, and the culprits were issued two summonses and took down their set-up.
Ariola told QNS that illegal vending has been a years-long problem in Southeast Queens and that her office has had considerable success in combatting it. “I’m constantly calling NYPD, DSNY, consumer affairs, and any other city agency that will listen to get rid of these vendors. It’s not fair to the brick-and-mortar establishments in the area, and it has a negative overall impact on the local economy by diverting sales away from those merchants trying to do things the right way,” she said. ” I’m glad to see that a state official is now finally joining the fight against this issue.”
