Queens Community Board 5 held its first meeting of the year at Christ the King High School in Middle Village on Jan. 14 that featured a plethora of announcements concerning both politics and community events. Attendance was light due to the frigid winter conditions, so if you missed it in-person or didn’t catch the free livestream, read below for any announcements that might be of interest to you or your family.
Affordable Housing Bills in the City Council
To start the meeting, Board Member Daniel Heredia, chairman of the Zoning and Land Use Review Committee, took some time to alert community members about several bills former Mayor Eric Adams vetoed before leaving office and the subsequent City Council vote to override and pass them into law. The first bill Heredia noted is the Community Opportunity Purchase Act (COPA), which limits the time for a private owner to sell a building with four or more units to another private developer, allowing nonprofits the opportunity to purchase it. The second bill pertains to affordable housing, requiring a certain amount of studio and 1 bedroom apartments be included, but excluded affordable housing for families, leading to Adams’ veto.
The third bill mandates 50% of affordable housing be dedicated to those still making above $100,000 a year, which Heredia says drew contention in the district for not being affordable enough for those living in the area. The City Council will vote to override Adams’ vetoes later this month, so anyone interested in sharing their opinion with Council Member Phil Wong or their other representative in the council should reach out immediately.
“There’s so many developments that are being built that are not affordable for the communities that they’re being built in,” Heredia said. “So if you have any opinions, I’m happy to talk more about it with you… but this is something that is very important and your local council members will be making this decision within this month.”
Ridgewood Happenings
The Friends of Ridgewood Library, the volunteer organization that works closely with Queens Public Library (QPL), is hosting a book sale and will be accepting donations on Jan. 31 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. A member of the group said anyone with books they’re not reading or interested in new material should stop by the library located at 20-12 Madison St in Ridgewood.
Looking for a way to socialize and exercise? Ridgewood Rides, the community bicycle group, has already had its first group ride earlier this month in Flushing and will be having its next on Jan. 24, riding 18 miles into Manhattan to the High Line and checking out the iconic pigeon statue, known as “Dinosaur.” The group is open to everyone, including their general membership meeting this Jan. 19 held in the well-known Windjammer Bar in Ridgewood, located at 5-52 Grandview Ave., where they discuss bike advocacy, plan for the year and meet with neighbors.
Council Member Jennifer Gutierrez’s office will be helping constituents apply for both Social Security and welfare for those who are unemployed. Forms 210 and 214 can be difficult to navigate, and members of the office are standing by to offer them assistance, as well as any individuals interested in applying for affordable housing or those who were impacted by the Madison St. fires. Gutierrez is also looking for volunteers to assist with trash pick-ups in and around Ridgewood. Those interested in helping or reporting areas that could use some TLC can visit her website.
Words from officials
A representative of Queens Borough President Donovan Richards announced the office will be holding an online seminar for residents of Queens to go over the Housing Connect portal, where those seeking affordable housing can send in applications, on Jan. 20. In February, the president will be hosting two events at Queens Borough Hall: a celebration for the Lunar New Year on Feb. 23 and one in honor of Black History Month on Feb. 25.
Applications for the community board will be open until Feb. 13, and Chairman Walter Sanchez stated all interested parties should submit their applications as soon as possible. New applicants must complete a 10 minute phone interview and members who are at their term limit of two years will need to reapply. More information about the upcoming events and the applications can be found on the Queensborough President’s website.
Council Member Joann Ariola’s Ozone Park office has officially closed due to difficulties with the landlord. As of now, the staff will be working out of their office located in Rockaway at 114th Street. and Beach Channel Drive. In the meantime, there will be mobile office hours in the area at the Woodhaven library on Tuesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. and the Ozone Park library on Fridays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The New York City Council will not allow us to stay with the conditions in the building or continue to pay rent there. We are currently looking for a new space and will inform everyone once this is open,” said Ariola’s representative.
Council Member Wong is hosting a business resources fair at the Community United Methodist Church in Middle Village on Jan. 22, where business owners can connect with city agencies and learn what programs can help them start and grow their own small businesses. To follow up the resource fair on Feb. 5, representatives from the Department of Business (DOB) will come to the district office, located at 58-38 69th St. in Maspeth, to answer small business owners’ questions, so anyone with recent violations or general questions can meet directly with representatives for more information.
District Manager Gary Giordano’s Report
Giordano opened with well wishes to two longtime board members on leave due to medical issues: Kathy O’Leary, who survived her bypass surgery and is currently in rehab, and Edward Lettau, who suffered a stroke and will begin rehab soon, whom Giordano stated “sounded wonderful” despite the complication. Illegal dumping continues to plague the district, with hotspots in the west Maspeth industrial area, St. Felix Avenue in Ridgewood along the railroad tracks, and near Palmetto at Onderdonk Street. underneath the M train. Residents who witness any illegal dumping actions can report those responsible to 311.
“A lot of this is people dumping on their own neighborhood and of course the overflowing litter baskets that would look like a horror on the commercial strips if they weren’t being collected six or seven days a week,” Giordano said.
Good news for the residential district, pedestrian deaths within New York City are down 9%, according to NYC Department of Transportation (NYC DOT). QCB 5’s Transportation Committee has been working diligently to curb the deaths at “uncontrolled” intersections in and around Ridgewood based off of specific requests from residents. According to Giordano, intersections have been managed as best as possible at the present moment, and the committee’s latest order of business is “civilizing” drivers and install speed reducers (speed bumps) on streets that require them also based off complaints from locals. Giordano also thanked Columbia student Will Harlow, who has been collecting and analyzing traffic and pedestrian data around community board 5’s jurisdiction, for making recommendations as how best to improve pedestrian safety.
