Oure neighbors need our help.
http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2012/7/collegepointschooldebate_wt_2012_02_16_q.html
College Point residents have repeatedly voiced their desire to have a middle school in the isolated neighborhood, but members of the city Department of Education have said in recent meetings that the statistics do not necessarily support a new building.
College Point parents have expressed their frustration at how far away middle schools are for their children. Specifically, they have complained about the discontinuation of yellow bus service for middle schoolers this year.
In years past, youngsters boarded the hulking yellow machines in the morning and were whisked out of the neighborhood to middle schools in adjoining communities: JHS 194 at 154-60 17th Ave. in Whitestone, or JHS 185 at 147-26 25th Drive in Flushing.
For College Point parents, the long, pre-dawn commutes on public transportation have made the distance between students’ homes and their middle schools painfully apparent. It has driven the College Point Civic Association to step up advocating for a middle school within the neighborhood, which is a peninsula isolated from the rest of the borough by the Whitestone Expressway.
“We see the need for a middle school to be built in College Point,” said Andrew Rocco, a member of the civic’s education committee. “We are geographically isolated.”
To bolster his argument, he cited large tracts of undeveloped land and vacant factories that could serve as a site. In addition, he said City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott mentioned in a speech late last year that he wanted to build 50 new middle schools across the city.
“The chancellor wants new middle schools. We want a new middle school. What’s the problem?” he asked.
But according to DOE officials, the problem is that the existing middle schools zoned for College Point students are not overcrowded.
At a Community Education Council District 25 meeting Feb. 1, District Superintendant Danielle DiMango told Rocco that JHS 185 and JHS 194 are operating at the designed capacity. She questioned what would happen to those schools if some of their students were siphoned off to go to a new middle school, leaving 185 and 194 underused.
According to documents from the state Department of Education, which evaluates the size of each school in New York, average class sizes in the four major study areas have decreased from the 2007-08 school year to the 2009-10 school year and hovered between 26 and 30 students per class.
At JHS 185, average class sizes have remained steady at 30 over the same time period.
Both middle schools were given a “B” grade in their progress reports, according to documents from the city DOE.
But Rocco was not convinced.
He cited the recent development of condos at the end of College Point Boulevard, which hundreds of new families could begin to occupy once they are completed.
“Where are these kids going to school?” he asked.
Rocco also pointed out that the two elementary schools in College Point, PS 29 and PS 129, have had to install auxiliary trailers in order to teach students, which he takes as a sign of a growing student population, although construction is also being done at one of the schools, he saidThe new condos, he said, will only compound the problem.
But the agency that is in charge of building new schools, the city School Construction Authority, cannot simply build based on speculation, according to Monica Gutierrez, who presented a yearly update from the authority at a CEC District 25 meeting in December.
If the authority used money to build a new school based on future housing, the agency could be left holding the bag if the units do not sell, she told a group of concerned College Point citizens.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
Malba Gardens Civic Dedicated to the Safety and Preservation of our Community.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Whitestone Development site worries community
A 13-acre property in Whitestone is up for grabs — the largest single parcel of land for sale in Queens — and it’s attracting the attention of developers but also causing concern among community leaders.
The former industrial site, located at 151-45 6th Rd., was re-zoned for 52 one-family homes in 2008. The waterfront property comes with an additional five acres that is submerged underwater.
Local leaders worried about overdevelopment in the community said they are concerned that a new owner could build many more homes or even multi-family dwellings.
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said the community wants the buyer to stick to the original plan for 52 one-family homes. “If a developer intends to do something else, they can expect to get a huge fight,” he warned.
The property hit the market in early December after the owner ran into financial difficulty, said real estate agent Stephen Preuss, of Massey Knakal Realty Services, who is handling the site.
“It’s probably going to be a few months before we have any type of sale,” Preuss said. But “it’s one of the most desirable areas to live in Queens.”
Prospective buyers must submit overviews of what they plan to build on the site, Preuss said. He added it will “probably sell for a very deep discount.”
Marlene Cody, vice president of the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association, said she’s concerned that a large influx of new residents could overburden the area’s infrastructure.
“We have to be careful what they want to put there,” she said. “The community’s being overbuilt.”
Nelly Andrushenko, owner of Power Realty in Whitestone, said the land is worth about $40 million — but it won’t be an easy sale.
“It’s very difficult to tell the value of this property because the developers don’t want to touch it right now,” she said. “In order for [developers\] to build the luxury homes that were intended, they need to spend $600,000 minimum to build each house.”
Whitestone homes typically sell for about $1 million, she said.
A nearby shopping center, anchored by a Waldbaum’s, was sold to the New Jersey real estate company Onyx Equities for $17.6 million on Dec. 27. It is located at 153-01 10th Ave.
“We want to improve the physical quality of the center,” said Onyx Senior Vice President Steve Sullivan. The company also wants to improve “the quality of the existing tenant roster.”
ctrapasso@nydailynews.com
The former industrial site, located at 151-45 6th Rd., was re-zoned for 52 one-family homes in 2008. The waterfront property comes with an additional five acres that is submerged underwater.
Local leaders worried about overdevelopment in the community said they are concerned that a new owner could build many more homes or even multi-family dwellings.
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said the community wants the buyer to stick to the original plan for 52 one-family homes. “If a developer intends to do something else, they can expect to get a huge fight,” he warned.
The property hit the market in early December after the owner ran into financial difficulty, said real estate agent Stephen Preuss, of Massey Knakal Realty Services, who is handling the site.
“It’s probably going to be a few months before we have any type of sale,” Preuss said. But “it’s one of the most desirable areas to live in Queens.”
Prospective buyers must submit overviews of what they plan to build on the site, Preuss said. He added it will “probably sell for a very deep discount.”
Marlene Cody, vice president of the Greater Whitestone Taxpayers Civic Association, said she’s concerned that a large influx of new residents could overburden the area’s infrastructure.
“We have to be careful what they want to put there,” she said. “The community’s being overbuilt.”
Nelly Andrushenko, owner of Power Realty in Whitestone, said the land is worth about $40 million — but it won’t be an easy sale.
“It’s very difficult to tell the value of this property because the developers don’t want to touch it right now,” she said. “In order for [developers\] to build the luxury homes that were intended, they need to spend $600,000 minimum to build each house.”
Whitestone homes typically sell for about $1 million, she said.
A nearby shopping center, anchored by a Waldbaum’s, was sold to the New Jersey real estate company Onyx Equities for $17.6 million on Dec. 27. It is located at 153-01 10th Ave.
“We want to improve the physical quality of the center,” said Onyx Senior Vice President Steve Sullivan. The company also wants to improve “the quality of the existing tenant roster.”
ctrapasso@nydailynews.com
Monday, January 9, 2012
Whitestone Memorial day Parade fund raiser
We would like to invite all members of the Whitestone community to attend the Dinner Dance Saturday January 28th at 7:30 to 11:30 being giving by the Dwarf Giraffe Athletic League to help support The Whitestone Memorial Day Parade.
This will be a fun way to show your support and help our Veterans with funds they need for the parade. Tickets are $50.00 per person and may be purchased at our building located at 149-50 15th rd in Whitestone Monday thru Friday from 6 to 9 pm. Space is limited and no tickets will be sold at the door. Please show our Veterans that we as a community are always there for them. The Dinner dance will include Buffet,DJ & Open bar.
Thanks again for your support.
This will be a fun way to show your support and help our Veterans with funds they need for the parade. Tickets are $50.00 per person and may be purchased at our building located at 149-50 15th rd in Whitestone Monday thru Friday from 6 to 9 pm. Space is limited and no tickets will be sold at the door. Please show our Veterans that we as a community are always there for them. The Dinner dance will include Buffet,DJ & Open bar.
Thanks again for your support.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Franco shrinks White House
http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2012/1/whitehousefolo_wt_2011_12_29_q.html
The architect who plans to renovate Joe Franco’s White House restaurant in Whitestone released a statement last week describing scaled-down plans to reinvent the ageing eatery.
Earlier this year Franco, who previously ran Caffe on the Green, received a zoning change to renovate the restaurant, at 10-24 154th St., after his team described the plans for the restaurant before various community bodies and eventually the City Council and Department of City Planning.
After he received the zoning, he was free to build anything allowed by the commercial overlay yet had already painted a picture of the new White House to the community.
The statement released last week was in response to a TimesLedger Newspapers article which pointed out discrepancies between what Franco described to the Council and plans for the restaurant filed with the city Department of Buildings.
Those plans were ultimately rejected by Buildings, which the architect, Christopher Papa, said was what he had intended in the first place.
“The plans that were filed were filed only as an upgrade of the existing conditions and solely to gain an analysis of egress requirements and to serve as a preliminary basis to obtain contractor bids for the construction,” Papa said in a statement. “These plans were never intended to be approved nor to reflect the final product.”
Egress requirements stipulate that people inside the building have to be able to get out with a certain degree of ease.
A spokeswoman for the DOB said that egress requirements are available in the city’s building code, a set of laws that govern the construction of new buildings.
Papa paid a fee to have his plans electronically entered into the Buildings database and reviewed by the department, a process that the department’s website depicts as usually resulting in the eventual construction of what was submitted. The plans were rejected due to incomplete information.
But Papa said he and Franco are still hashing out a vision more modest than Franco’s original, which had involved renovating the second floor of the building and turning it into a catering hall.
“Currently, Mr. Franco and I are working together to design a more conservative, cost-economical structure that is more fitting with the current economy,” Papa said.
The plan is now to scrap any renovations of the second floor. Instead, the cellar banquet room will be renovated and its occupancy will drop from 238 to approximately 100, according to Papa.
The first floor will function for catering and restaurant uses. Its occupancy, too, will fall from 324 to 200, according to Papa.
That would bring the occupancy for those two floors to 300 people, the number repeatedly described by Franco’s team as the occupancy for the renovated eatery, although the rejected plans submitted to Buildings pegged it at 705.
The second floor will only be used for storage and office uses, according to Papa.
Papa and Franco had originally described providing 110 parking spaces for the proposed catering hall, but in the scaled-down version they will provide 75 instead.
Franco also dropped plans to expand the footprint of the first floor, which Papa said will ensure the driveway will remain in the same place and not encroach upon a neighboring property.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
The architect who plans to renovate Joe Franco’s White House restaurant in Whitestone released a statement last week describing scaled-down plans to reinvent the ageing eatery.
Earlier this year Franco, who previously ran Caffe on the Green, received a zoning change to renovate the restaurant, at 10-24 154th St., after his team described the plans for the restaurant before various community bodies and eventually the City Council and Department of City Planning.
After he received the zoning, he was free to build anything allowed by the commercial overlay yet had already painted a picture of the new White House to the community.
The statement released last week was in response to a TimesLedger Newspapers article which pointed out discrepancies between what Franco described to the Council and plans for the restaurant filed with the city Department of Buildings.
Those plans were ultimately rejected by Buildings, which the architect, Christopher Papa, said was what he had intended in the first place.
“The plans that were filed were filed only as an upgrade of the existing conditions and solely to gain an analysis of egress requirements and to serve as a preliminary basis to obtain contractor bids for the construction,” Papa said in a statement. “These plans were never intended to be approved nor to reflect the final product.”
Egress requirements stipulate that people inside the building have to be able to get out with a certain degree of ease.
A spokeswoman for the DOB said that egress requirements are available in the city’s building code, a set of laws that govern the construction of new buildings.
Papa paid a fee to have his plans electronically entered into the Buildings database and reviewed by the department, a process that the department’s website depicts as usually resulting in the eventual construction of what was submitted. The plans were rejected due to incomplete information.
But Papa said he and Franco are still hashing out a vision more modest than Franco’s original, which had involved renovating the second floor of the building and turning it into a catering hall.
“Currently, Mr. Franco and I are working together to design a more conservative, cost-economical structure that is more fitting with the current economy,” Papa said.
The plan is now to scrap any renovations of the second floor. Instead, the cellar banquet room will be renovated and its occupancy will drop from 238 to approximately 100, according to Papa.
The first floor will function for catering and restaurant uses. Its occupancy, too, will fall from 324 to 200, according to Papa.
That would bring the occupancy for those two floors to 300 people, the number repeatedly described by Franco’s team as the occupancy for the renovated eatery, although the rejected plans submitted to Buildings pegged it at 705.
The second floor will only be used for storage and office uses, according to Papa.
Papa and Franco had originally described providing 110 parking spaces for the proposed catering hall, but in the scaled-down version they will provide 75 instead.
Franco also dropped plans to expand the footprint of the first floor, which Papa said will ensure the driveway will remain in the same place and not encroach upon a neighboring property.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Whitestone eatery plan breaks Franco’s pledge
After part of a block was rezoned over the summer to accommodate the expansion of the White House restaurant in Whitestone, plans submitted to the city for the new eatery showed the maximum occupancy would be twice as large as the developer had told the community.
Despite receiving new zoning for the restaurant at the local and City Council level, the design plans were rejected by the city Buildings Department and the ambitious undertaking by restaurateur Joe Franco, former proprietor of Caffe on the Green in Bay Terrace, remains in limbo.
After the contentious rezoning was passed in June, which gave Franco the legal right to expand, architect Christopher Papa filed plans for the improved restaurant and catering hall with the city Department of Buildings. The plans were ultimately rejected, but the information supplied by the architect contradicted what Franco’s team said in public hearings.
One of those documents showed the maximum capacity would increase from 562 to 705.
But during a hearing by the Council Committee on Zoning and Franchises, Jessica Loeser, a lawyer representing Franco, said the new certificate of occupancy would not “come anywhere close” to exceeding the 562 in the previous certificate, according to transcripts from the hearing.
In addition, a lawyer for Franco had said the occupancy of the new restaurant would be around 300 people when he presented the plans to Community Board 7, according to minutes from the meeting. Franco’s representatives told the City Planning Department the capacity would remain unchanged at about 300 people, according to a report.
Franco and a lawyer who represented him, Steve Sinacori, both declined to be interviewed. Papa, the architect, did not return repeated requests for comment.
City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said the plan is not a perfect one, but it could help the blighted block. The maximum occupancy in the plans does not necessarily mean that Franco would want to cram 700 people into the restaurant, he said.
According to state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) , who opposed the plan, Franco may or may not use the whole capacity. But nothing would be legally stopping him or anyone else who bought the property from doing so if the plans had been approved, he said.
Other people familiar with the development doubted the structure could physically hold that many people.
The inconsistencies do not represent any illegality, Nevertheless, Brian Garry, who lives next door, said it shows how Franco pulled a fast one on the neighborhood.
In another inconsistency, Garry did not want his home and property to be commercially zoned along with the restaurant.
But in-between the final public hearing and the final vote, the commercial overlay was extended to include a 5-foot strip of Garry’s property along the border of the White House without an explanation.
Garry said it was zoned that way to circumvent a requirement of an 8-foot buffer between a residential property and a commercial property. This was confirmed by a spokesman for Halloran.
Buildings ultimately rejected Franco’s plans in August because they were missing a substantial amount of information.Franco did not show how he would provide adequate parking for the restaurant, according to Buildings.
In the presentations made by Franco and his team, he had said he would create 110 parking spaces using an underground garage in another lot he owned behind the restaurant.
No plans were submitted to Buildings for that parking garage, the department said.
Franco also had said he would give up a cabaret license for the establishment. The city Department of Consumer Affairs could not locate a license for the White House at all. The last cabaret license at that address was for Moana Kai, which predated the White House, and expired in 1990.
Franco now plans to scale back the renovation and not add the expansive second floor that caused the uproar in the first place, according to Halloran.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
©2011 Community Newspaper Group
Despite receiving new zoning for the restaurant at the local and City Council level, the design plans were rejected by the city Buildings Department and the ambitious undertaking by restaurateur Joe Franco, former proprietor of Caffe on the Green in Bay Terrace, remains in limbo.
After the contentious rezoning was passed in June, which gave Franco the legal right to expand, architect Christopher Papa filed plans for the improved restaurant and catering hall with the city Department of Buildings. The plans were ultimately rejected, but the information supplied by the architect contradicted what Franco’s team said in public hearings.
One of those documents showed the maximum capacity would increase from 562 to 705.
But during a hearing by the Council Committee on Zoning and Franchises, Jessica Loeser, a lawyer representing Franco, said the new certificate of occupancy would not “come anywhere close” to exceeding the 562 in the previous certificate, according to transcripts from the hearing.
In addition, a lawyer for Franco had said the occupancy of the new restaurant would be around 300 people when he presented the plans to Community Board 7, according to minutes from the meeting. Franco’s representatives told the City Planning Department the capacity would remain unchanged at about 300 people, according to a report.
Franco and a lawyer who represented him, Steve Sinacori, both declined to be interviewed. Papa, the architect, did not return repeated requests for comment.
City Councilman Dan Halloran (R-Whitestone) said the plan is not a perfect one, but it could help the blighted block. The maximum occupancy in the plans does not necessarily mean that Franco would want to cram 700 people into the restaurant, he said.
According to state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) , who opposed the plan, Franco may or may not use the whole capacity. But nothing would be legally stopping him or anyone else who bought the property from doing so if the plans had been approved, he said.
Other people familiar with the development doubted the structure could physically hold that many people.
The inconsistencies do not represent any illegality, Nevertheless, Brian Garry, who lives next door, said it shows how Franco pulled a fast one on the neighborhood.
In another inconsistency, Garry did not want his home and property to be commercially zoned along with the restaurant.
But in-between the final public hearing and the final vote, the commercial overlay was extended to include a 5-foot strip of Garry’s property along the border of the White House without an explanation.
Garry said it was zoned that way to circumvent a requirement of an 8-foot buffer between a residential property and a commercial property. This was confirmed by a spokesman for Halloran.
Buildings ultimately rejected Franco’s plans in August because they were missing a substantial amount of information.Franco did not show how he would provide adequate parking for the restaurant, according to Buildings.
In the presentations made by Franco and his team, he had said he would create 110 parking spaces using an underground garage in another lot he owned behind the restaurant.
No plans were submitted to Buildings for that parking garage, the department said.
Franco also had said he would give up a cabaret license for the establishment. The city Department of Consumer Affairs could not locate a license for the White House at all. The last cabaret license at that address was for Moana Kai, which predated the White House, and expired in 1990.
Franco now plans to scale back the renovation and not add the expansive second floor that caused the uproar in the first place, according to Halloran.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566.
©2011 Community Newspaper Group
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Whitestone property brings overdevelopment fears
http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2011/50/wtpropertyhitsmarket_wt_12_15_q.html
From Whitestone Times;
Whitestone residents are wary after a prime piece of real estate hit the market last week that offers developers a crack at the largest residentially zoned vacant property in Queens, but a lawmaker set up legal barricades to guard against overdevelopment years ago.
The 15-acre property, at 151-45 6th Road, is approved for 52 single-family homes, according to Stephen Preuss, of Massey Knakal Realty Services.
Pruess’ company is currently accepting offers on the site and has received dozens of bites from both local and national developers, he said, although he would not divulge how much the original mortgage was worth.
The area was formerly a trucking depot that was also used to store industrial materials, according to Preuss, and somewhere along the line the soil was contaminated and the area was declared a brownfield site.
Bayrock Group, a Manhattan-based developer, was the last owner of the site and performed remediation on the toxic soil.
Bayrock still has a rendering on its website from 2005 showing the 52 homes and public park it planned to build before a bank began foreclosure proceedings on the property several years ago, Preuss said.
Bayrock Group’s development plan for the property, which it estimated carried a pricetag of between $100 million to $200 million back in 2008, was approved by Community Board 7, Borough President Helen Marshall and ultimately the City Council Land Use Committee.
But Alfredo Centola, president of the Malba Gardens Civic Association, said now that the property was on the market, he was concerned about increased traffic in the neighborhood and the impact on local schools, which he said are overcrowded as it is.
“As we speak, there is a need for another school or an expansion,” he said. “What’s going to happen with all these new developments going on?”
Centola hopes that any developer that moves in builds responsibly.
Luckily for him, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) also had concerns about the impact of development on the community when plans were first proposed to build on the property several years ago.
Avella was a councilman in 2008 and sat on the Land Use Committee, where he oversaw the successful rezoning of the area for 52 homes when developers wanted to build more.
One plan pitched to him called for 400 units in multi-family dwellings.
Avella called the decision to go with single-family homes, which would complement the neighborhood’s existing character, a move that would set the precedent for the other projects down the line.
“We felt the end result was a landmark decision that would influence future developments,” he said.
Because of what Avella called a hard-fought battle to keep the housing stock less dense, he said any developer that purchases the property with ulterior plans should take heed.
“If they want to change that plan, they will get a huge fight from the community and from the [Department of City Planning],” he said
By: Joe Anuta
Now more than ever,with the probability of 52 new homes in our community. We need to re acquire the remaining CYO property and build the fields so despeately needed. For the current children of the community as well as those that will come with the ne homes. The community needs to be involved and all impact studies must be made accessible to the public. How are the traffic issues going to be remediated? Stay involved, this is our community.
From Whitestone Times;
Whitestone residents are wary after a prime piece of real estate hit the market last week that offers developers a crack at the largest residentially zoned vacant property in Queens, but a lawmaker set up legal barricades to guard against overdevelopment years ago.
The 15-acre property, at 151-45 6th Road, is approved for 52 single-family homes, according to Stephen Preuss, of Massey Knakal Realty Services.
Pruess’ company is currently accepting offers on the site and has received dozens of bites from both local and national developers, he said, although he would not divulge how much the original mortgage was worth.
The area was formerly a trucking depot that was also used to store industrial materials, according to Preuss, and somewhere along the line the soil was contaminated and the area was declared a brownfield site.
Bayrock Group, a Manhattan-based developer, was the last owner of the site and performed remediation on the toxic soil.
Bayrock still has a rendering on its website from 2005 showing the 52 homes and public park it planned to build before a bank began foreclosure proceedings on the property several years ago, Preuss said.
Bayrock Group’s development plan for the property, which it estimated carried a pricetag of between $100 million to $200 million back in 2008, was approved by Community Board 7, Borough President Helen Marshall and ultimately the City Council Land Use Committee.
But Alfredo Centola, president of the Malba Gardens Civic Association, said now that the property was on the market, he was concerned about increased traffic in the neighborhood and the impact on local schools, which he said are overcrowded as it is.
“As we speak, there is a need for another school or an expansion,” he said. “What’s going to happen with all these new developments going on?”
Centola hopes that any developer that moves in builds responsibly.
Luckily for him, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) also had concerns about the impact of development on the community when plans were first proposed to build on the property several years ago.
Avella was a councilman in 2008 and sat on the Land Use Committee, where he oversaw the successful rezoning of the area for 52 homes when developers wanted to build more.
One plan pitched to him called for 400 units in multi-family dwellings.
Avella called the decision to go with single-family homes, which would complement the neighborhood’s existing character, a move that would set the precedent for the other projects down the line.
“We felt the end result was a landmark decision that would influence future developments,” he said.
Because of what Avella called a hard-fought battle to keep the housing stock less dense, he said any developer that purchases the property with ulterior plans should take heed.
“If they want to change that plan, they will get a huge fight from the community and from the [Department of City Planning],” he said
By: Joe Anuta
Now more than ever,with the probability of 52 new homes in our community. We need to re acquire the remaining CYO property and build the fields so despeately needed. For the current children of the community as well as those that will come with the ne homes. The community needs to be involved and all impact studies must be made accessible to the public. How are the traffic issues going to be remediated? Stay involved, this is our community.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Burglaries on the rise in Whitestone.
Dear Community Members,
The 109th Precinct has experienced an increase in burglaries. We urge you to read and share the information below with your civic members, community groups, neighbors family and friends.
1)Residential Burglaries
Whitestone and North Flushing Area
These burglaries are occurring during the day time between 11am and 3 pm by forced entry into rear windows and doors. Perpetrator is a male Hispanic, approximately 30 years old, medium build, 6 ft tall and possibly wearing gloves.
Recent Incidents
27Avenue/165 street
154 Street/ 25 Avenue
29 Avenue/ 168 Street
150 street/ Bayside Avenue
2)Commercial Burglaries
Offices/business - Flushing Area
Burglaries are occurring after close of business and over night.
Unknown Perpetrator
Method of Entry- Force/ entry door
Recent Incidents
33 Avenue/ 146 street
147 Street/ Sanford Avenue
3) Contruction sites/Factory/Warehouse Burglaries
Flushing/College Point Area
These burglaries are occurring in the evening and overnight.
Perpetrators- 3 male blacks/ 30-35 years old/ driving a black van in search of copper and metals.
Recent Incidents
120 street/ 31 avenue
28 avenue/ 120 street
How you can help and what you can do to protect your home and property
1) Call 911 for suspicious persons
2) Construction sites must secure their materials and tools in an enclosed area
3) If possible, a security guard should be used for large construction sites
4) Alarms and security cameras should be utilized for all residential homes and commercial places of business
5) Use extra locks and interlocking latch guards on all entry doors to prevent the door from being pried open.
6) Commercial properties should have plenty of lighting around the property.
The 109th Precinct has experienced an increase in burglaries. We urge you to read and share the information below with your civic members, community groups, neighbors family and friends.
1)Residential Burglaries
Whitestone and North Flushing Area
These burglaries are occurring during the day time between 11am and 3 pm by forced entry into rear windows and doors. Perpetrator is a male Hispanic, approximately 30 years old, medium build, 6 ft tall and possibly wearing gloves.
Recent Incidents
27Avenue/165 street
154 Street/ 25 Avenue
29 Avenue/ 168 Street
150 street/ Bayside Avenue
2)Commercial Burglaries
Offices/business - Flushing Area
Burglaries are occurring after close of business and over night.
Unknown Perpetrator
Method of Entry- Force/ entry door
Recent Incidents
33 Avenue/ 146 street
147 Street/ Sanford Avenue
3) Contruction sites/Factory/Warehouse Burglaries
Flushing/College Point Area
These burglaries are occurring in the evening and overnight.
Perpetrators- 3 male blacks/ 30-35 years old/ driving a black van in search of copper and metals.
Recent Incidents
120 street/ 31 avenue
28 avenue/ 120 street
How you can help and what you can do to protect your home and property
1) Call 911 for suspicious persons
2) Construction sites must secure their materials and tools in an enclosed area
3) If possible, a security guard should be used for large construction sites
4) Alarms and security cameras should be utilized for all residential homes and commercial places of business
5) Use extra locks and interlocking latch guards on all entry doors to prevent the door from being pried open.
6) Commercial properties should have plenty of lighting around the property.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Whitestone stop sign fight about the kids
http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2011/46/whitestonestopsign_wt_2011_11_17_q.html
Alfredo Molinari (far r.) stands with parents and just a portion of the kids who play on the block in front of the intersection he says cars speed through. By Joe Anuta
Alfredo Molinari is second-generation — as in the second generation of residents to fight for a stop sign on a Whitestone block teeming with children.
Molinari has taken up the helm of a two-decade battle to get a stop sign on the corner of 23rd Avenue and 157th Street, which he said will go a long way to protect the roughly 30 children that play there after school and on weekends.
“I want a stop sign only for the fact kids are playing outside and I want them to be safe,” said the father of three.
But the city Department of Transportation told residents that the intersection does not have enough traffic, nor accidents, to warrant a stop sign.
Molinari has lived his entire life on the block and said that cars shoot from Francis Lewis Boulevard down 23rd Avenue to get to the heart of Whitestone and vice versa. After getting off the boulevard and encountering two stop signs, Molinari said the two-block length before the next one becomes a dangerous mix of drag strip and playground.
“They speed down the block,” he said, adding that he sometimes has to take matters into his own hands. “I threw a ball at some guy’s car.”
The avenue runs across the entire neighborhood, and out of 12 standard intersections — where a two-way street intersects another two-way street at a 90-degree angle — it is the only one without a stop sign or stoplight.
The intersections on either side are a cookie-cutter match to 23rd Avenue and 157th Street, but even the older residents who had petitioned the DOT 20 years ago for one of the red octagons were unsuccessful..
But Molinari said children should be taken into account instead of just accidents.
“The most important of all is the population of children under the age of 15 or 13 that reside on both blocks,” he said.
On Monday evening, Molinari summoned the children out to the corner in question to demonstrate how many of them play in the area.
More than 20 youngsters emerged from houses along the street, carrying balls and gliding along the sidewalk on bikes and scooters.
There were accompanied by many parents who shared Molinari’s concerns.
Molinari has circulated a petition to the households surrounding the intersection and collected a lengthy docket of signatures.
Although this is the third time he has tried, he will submit the petition to Community Board 7 and ask, once again, for the city to put up the sign.
“We’re not going to rest and give up until something happens,” he said.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail januta@cnglocal.com or by phone 718-260-4566.
We at the Malba Gardens Civic extend our support and offer our help in this endeavor. Mr. Molinari is correct, the CHILDREN, must be taken into consideration. DOT needs to step up and protect our children.
Alfredo Molinari (far r.) stands with parents and just a portion of the kids who play on the block in front of the intersection he says cars speed through. By Joe Anuta
Alfredo Molinari is second-generation — as in the second generation of residents to fight for a stop sign on a Whitestone block teeming with children.
Molinari has taken up the helm of a two-decade battle to get a stop sign on the corner of 23rd Avenue and 157th Street, which he said will go a long way to protect the roughly 30 children that play there after school and on weekends.
“I want a stop sign only for the fact kids are playing outside and I want them to be safe,” said the father of three.
But the city Department of Transportation told residents that the intersection does not have enough traffic, nor accidents, to warrant a stop sign.
Molinari has lived his entire life on the block and said that cars shoot from Francis Lewis Boulevard down 23rd Avenue to get to the heart of Whitestone and vice versa. After getting off the boulevard and encountering two stop signs, Molinari said the two-block length before the next one becomes a dangerous mix of drag strip and playground.
“They speed down the block,” he said, adding that he sometimes has to take matters into his own hands. “I threw a ball at some guy’s car.”
The avenue runs across the entire neighborhood, and out of 12 standard intersections — where a two-way street intersects another two-way street at a 90-degree angle — it is the only one without a stop sign or stoplight.
The intersections on either side are a cookie-cutter match to 23rd Avenue and 157th Street, but even the older residents who had petitioned the DOT 20 years ago for one of the red octagons were unsuccessful..
But Molinari said children should be taken into account instead of just accidents.
“The most important of all is the population of children under the age of 15 or 13 that reside on both blocks,” he said.
On Monday evening, Molinari summoned the children out to the corner in question to demonstrate how many of them play in the area.
More than 20 youngsters emerged from houses along the street, carrying balls and gliding along the sidewalk on bikes and scooters.
There were accompanied by many parents who shared Molinari’s concerns.
Molinari has circulated a petition to the households surrounding the intersection and collected a lengthy docket of signatures.
Although this is the third time he has tried, he will submit the petition to Community Board 7 and ask, once again, for the city to put up the sign.
“We’re not going to rest and give up until something happens,” he said.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail januta@cnglocal.com or by phone 718-260-4566.
We at the Malba Gardens Civic extend our support and offer our help in this endeavor. Mr. Molinari is correct, the CHILDREN, must be taken into consideration. DOT needs to step up and protect our children.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
PS 209 to get One Way
Hopefully this will make it safer for the children.
http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2011/46/cb7novmeet_wt_2011_11_17_q.html
One-way street OK’d by CB 7 near PS 20
Community Board 7 voted Monday night in favor of a one-way street conversion in Whitestone that would alleviate traffic congestion around an elementary school but also curb in appropriate behavior on the part of parents.
The proposal, which would be implemented by the city Department of Transportation, would convert 16th Road between Utopia Parkway and Willets Point Boulevard into a one-way, westbound road.
The idea is that by eliminating east-bound traffic, cars will more easily flow past PS 209, at 16-10 Utopia Parkway, which is on the eastern half of the road.
Residents like Wanda Young, who lives on the street, are in support of the plan. In fact, seven out of nine households on the block gave their support to the conversion, with the remaining two households not responding to a survey.
Each morning chaos ensues on the street outside PS 209, she said, speaking before the board.
School buses, parents and commuters converge on the street, she said, providing all the ingredients for a traffic nightmare.
“When there are no more legal parking spots, then parents will start to double park, block the driveways of the houses and even park in front of hydrants,” she said, urging the board to pass the measure.
Frustrated motorists, faced with the impasse of parents and buses, even pull U-turns by hopping the curb and driving on the sidewalk, she said. Young captured the mayhem in a video she posted on the Internet to prove her point.
The situation can be a dangerous one for children trying to cross the street, but it can also be a perilous one for educators and parents, according to Jacqueline Diaz-Fernandez, who works at the school.
“Our principal has been spit on, our assistant principal has been cursed at and parents have gotten into fights,” she said of the temporary turf war that breaks out as parents vie for parking spaces, park each other in and try and maneuver their cars and kids around the road.
The board overwhelmingly voted in favor of the proposal, which does not currently have a timeline for implementation, but some board members groused that making a street one way does nothing to change the bad behavior of parents.
Warren Schreiber voted in favor of the proposal because it only affected one block and the majority of the houses asked for it, but said he did not believe the conversion would completely alleviate the frustrating and possibly dangerous situation outside the school.
Another member foresaw double-, tripe- and even quadruple-parking by parents, who if given more space to flaunt traffic laws will expand into the unused portions of the road.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566
Now if only, they can help us on 5th avenue.
http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2011/46/cb7novmeet_wt_2011_11_17_q.html
One-way street OK’d by CB 7 near PS 20
Community Board 7 voted Monday night in favor of a one-way street conversion in Whitestone that would alleviate traffic congestion around an elementary school but also curb in appropriate behavior on the part of parents.
The proposal, which would be implemented by the city Department of Transportation, would convert 16th Road between Utopia Parkway and Willets Point Boulevard into a one-way, westbound road.
The idea is that by eliminating east-bound traffic, cars will more easily flow past PS 209, at 16-10 Utopia Parkway, which is on the eastern half of the road.
Residents like Wanda Young, who lives on the street, are in support of the plan. In fact, seven out of nine households on the block gave their support to the conversion, with the remaining two households not responding to a survey.
Each morning chaos ensues on the street outside PS 209, she said, speaking before the board.
School buses, parents and commuters converge on the street, she said, providing all the ingredients for a traffic nightmare.
“When there are no more legal parking spots, then parents will start to double park, block the driveways of the houses and even park in front of hydrants,” she said, urging the board to pass the measure.
Frustrated motorists, faced with the impasse of parents and buses, even pull U-turns by hopping the curb and driving on the sidewalk, she said. Young captured the mayhem in a video she posted on the Internet to prove her point.
The situation can be a dangerous one for children trying to cross the street, but it can also be a perilous one for educators and parents, according to Jacqueline Diaz-Fernandez, who works at the school.
“Our principal has been spit on, our assistant principal has been cursed at and parents have gotten into fights,” she said of the temporary turf war that breaks out as parents vie for parking spaces, park each other in and try and maneuver their cars and kids around the road.
The board overwhelmingly voted in favor of the proposal, which does not currently have a timeline for implementation, but some board members groused that making a street one way does nothing to change the bad behavior of parents.
Warren Schreiber voted in favor of the proposal because it only affected one block and the majority of the houses asked for it, but said he did not believe the conversion would completely alleviate the frustrating and possibly dangerous situation outside the school.
Another member foresaw double-, tripe- and even quadruple-parking by parents, who if given more space to flaunt traffic laws will expand into the unused portions of the road.
Reach reporter Joe Anuta by e-mail at januta@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4566
Now if only, they can help us on 5th avenue.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Francis Lewis Park to get some sort of traffic help
The following is a letter we recieved from the Queens Department of Transportation Commissioner. While we are appreciative of the actions they plan on taking, we feel more needs to be done. For example Speed Humps in front of the park would be helpful, especially since they were promised years ago. Also, what about the intersection of the Whitestone Expressway Service road and 3rd avenue. We would like to see Crosswalks painted white, with signage "Yeild to Pedestrians" on both intersections and the center entrance of the park.
Again, we would like to thank the DOT Commissioner and hope she consider our suggestions for a safer passage to OUR park, for OUR children, and OUR families.
Bellow is the letter recieved. Baby steps are a great start.
Alfredo Centola
Just recieved this letter. Baby steps are a good start.
malbagardenscivic@hotmail.com
Dear Mr. Centola:
This is in response to your July 8th e-mail regarding the traffic controls at the intersection of 147th Street and 3rd Avenue.
We completed our analysis last month. Factors such as vehicular and pedestrian volumes, vehicular speeds, visibility and signal spacing were all taken into consideration in making our determination. Based upon our evaluation of the data collected, it is our judgment that Multi-Way Stop controls are not recommended at this time.
However, we have issued orders to install Pedestrian Crossing signs on 3rd Avenue to enhance motorist’s awareness of pedestrians at the intersection.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
Sincerely,
Maura McCarthy
Queens Borough Commissioner
MM:mj:ch
November 16, 2011
Mr.
Again, we would like to thank the DOT Commissioner and hope she consider our suggestions for a safer passage to OUR park, for OUR children, and OUR families.
Bellow is the letter recieved. Baby steps are a great start.
Alfredo Centola
Just recieved this letter. Baby steps are a good start.
malbagardenscivic@hotmail.com
Dear Mr. Centola:
This is in response to your July 8th e-mail regarding the traffic controls at the intersection of 147th Street and 3rd Avenue.
We completed our analysis last month. Factors such as vehicular and pedestrian volumes, vehicular speeds, visibility and signal spacing were all taken into consideration in making our determination. Based upon our evaluation of the data collected, it is our judgment that Multi-Way Stop controls are not recommended at this time.
However, we have issued orders to install Pedestrian Crossing signs on 3rd Avenue to enhance motorist’s awareness of pedestrians at the intersection.
Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
Sincerely,
Maura McCarthy
Queens Borough Commissioner
MM:mj:ch
November 16, 2011
Mr.
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