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THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 27, 2002
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Wants To Buy City Land
Illegal Dumping On CB 6 Medians
by Michael Efthimiades
Community Board 6 endorsed the sale of city-owned property in Forest Hills to a gas station owner during last Tuesday’s meeting.
However, the advisory board included the following stipulations for the sale of 92-09 Metropolitan Avenue:
•It must always be clean and free of debris;
•Vehicles must be kept on the property and not on surrounding streets or sidewalks;
•No chemicals or liquids can stored on the property;
•The property can not be subleased; and
•There must be a 10-year deed restriction requiring that it be used solely as a parking lot.
CB 6 Zoning Committee Chair Steven Goldberg said that the mixed commercial and residential property is next to a gas station, K & R Auto, which has been leasing the property to store cars. K & R wants to buy the site and continue using if to store cars.
Several nearby residents complained that cars are in full view of many houses and that parked U-Haul trucks frequently stick out into the sidewalk, forcing pedestrians into the street. Others claimed that vehicles traveling along Metropolitan Avenue can not see the intersection because it gets blocked by the U-Hauls.
One resident said that K & R officials had promised to make the property look nice, but never did.
K & R representative Robert Flahive said that his client took over the service station in 1990 and replaced old tanks, cleared out the lot, removed debris and put up a new building. Flahive also claimed that the U-Haul operation had been eliminated, and now it is mainly a gas station and auto repair shop. He also guaranteed resurfacing and security lighting.
K & A owner Keith Piacente said that he has spent $1.2 million in site improvements. He added that the property lot is fenced off.
Dumping grounds
CB 6 District Manager Kathleen Reilly reported that the medians along Queens Boulevard from the Horace Harding Expressway to Union Turnpike are filthy and filled with debris. These are the new dumping grounds, she said, and the garbage blows around with the wind.
The worst area is from 65th Avenue to Union Turnpike, she said, but Ascan Avenue to 73rd Road is also very bad.
“When you drive down Queens Boulevard, what you see is disgusting,” she said. “Now is the time for a letter-writing campaign to elected officials and city agencies.”
Reilly had been informed that a contractor was going to put up fences around the medians over Thanksgiving, but nothing has happened yet. She has contacted the commissioners of the Transportation and Sanitation departments.
Police issues
Guest speaker John Puglissi, first vice president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, stated that the PBA strives to create a bond between police and communities.
“Sometimes things happen, and we get involved,” he said. “Our job is to represent members regardless of the incident. There are two sides to all stories.”
In general, police enjoy a good relationship with the CB 6 community, said Puglissi.
A CB 6 member asked about the NYPD spending $20 million on recruitment efforts. Puglissi responded that cops are leaving for other jobs that pay better in surrounding areas and about 10,000 cops will retire in the next few years. However, he would rather use the $20 million to raise salaries as that would attract more people.
Puglissi noted that the Las Vegas Police Department comes to New York City to recruit NYPD members.
CB 6 Chair Joseph Hennessy said that police officers are asked to put their lives on the line, yet in New York City they don’t make enough money. The City Council did not hesitate in giving themselves a pay increase, he pointed out, but police are on their own.
Nuclear danger, dirty streets
During public-speaking time, David Levner of the Green Party Central Queens Club told the board that the most dangerous thing a terrorist can do is attack the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. He urged CB 6 to consider a resolution to close down the upstate plant. He said that county legislators surrounding the plant have passed such resolutions as have some local community boards.
A resident complained about the cleanliness of 63rd Drive and its surrounding area. He said that it has deteriorated and there must be better ways for Sanitation to enforce the rules. He said that some commercial storeowners use public trash cans illegally to dispose of their garbage.
Hennessy responded that unfortunately it is difficult to create a merchant association in that area because the large department stores don’t want to get involved.