Southeast Queens City Council Member Nantasha Williams is calling on Mayor Adams’ office to support the establishment of a Downtown Jamaica Neighborhood Task Force.
Williams sent a letter to the Mayor’s office last week asking for his leadership in developing the task force to address persistent quality-of-life issues in downtown Jamaica, Queens.
According to Williams, the task force would address these persistent issues to ensure that the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan, an extensive initiative designed to promote the sustainable development of Jamaica Queens, is appropriately implemented over time.
Launched in May 2023, the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan encompasses over 300 blocks in and around Downtown Jamaica. It aims to support the development of additional housing, create jobs across various industries, enhance public spaces, and invest in local infrastructure. Developed in collaboration with local community members and organizations, the plan emphasizes community participation for a shared vision for the neighborhood’s future.
Williams explained to QNS that the Downtown Jamaica Neighborhood Task Force would mirror the successful Gowanus Oversight Task Force. The Gowanus Oversight Taskforce works with New York City agencies to advance the timely implementation of the commitments of the 56 Points of Agreement (POA) and community goals outlined in the Gowanus Neighborhood Plan.
The initiative would unite key city agencies, including the NYPD, Department of Transportation(DOT), Department of Sanitation(DSNY), Department of Housing Preservation and Development(HPD), the NYC Small Business Services (SBS), New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), and New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC).
The task force would also focus on community input, including 12-15 community members and a representative from Queens Community Board 12, which an independent coordinator would guide. Public meetings would be held quarterly to monitor and implement solutions for issues.
Williams projects that the task force would run for about 15 years, spanning multiple mayoral cabinets and city council representatives. The total cost would be approximately $250,000 per year.
“I want to make sure that no matter who’s in office in the council seat, who’s in office in the mayoral seat, that there is a community-led accountability apparatus that would ensure and hold accountable that the public commitments made to the Jamaican Neighborhood Plan are implemented, um, and done in a transparent expedient as possible way,” Williams said.
Some of the most persistent quality-of-life challenges Williams said downtown Jamaica residents face are illegal dumping, homelessness, public safety concerns, and the disproportionate concentration of shelters in the area.
Williams provided recent examples of public safety issues, including petty crime and arrests of Latin King and Trinitaro gang members, as well as a mass shooting outside of Amazura nightclub on Jan 1. Additionally, she said that she received news from the NYC Parks Department that syringes were found in the bathroom of Rufus King Park, located at 150-29 Jamaica Ave.
Williams continued by saying that the task force pinpoints downtown Jamaica as a large swath of the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan covering that area. Task force priorities Williams outlined in a Feb 7 press release include ending the usage of hotel shelters and transitioning to purpose-built emergency housing by 2036, increased coordination among social service providers to address quality of life issues, the development of a comprehensive parking and traffic management plan, and the enforcement of illegal dumping and sanitation issues.
Williams aims for the plan to be implemented as soon as it is voted on and approved by this fall. Williams added that she hopes that members of the community advisory council that aided in shaping the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan could subsequently move to the oversight task force.
The council member believes that funding from the Adams administration will directly support the implementation of the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan.
“ The Southeast Queens community, through the Jamaican Neighborhood Plan, is our way of playing a small role in the housing crisis. We expect investments that improve the overall success and vitality of the community, and that really requires investments by the administration and the support of the administration,” Williams said. “To work with my office to establish this task force and give resources so that the task force could be sustainable over a decent amount of time.”
As of January 2025, the Jamaica Neighborhood Plan is preparing to enter the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP process). The Department of City Planning is expected to certify the plan in March 2025, which will formally initiate the ULURP review. This certification will set in motion a series of reviews and public hearings that will allow for community engagement and feedback as the plan moves forward to implementation.
