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The public will have another two weeks to submit written comments on Long Island City-based Plaxall’s Anable Basin rezoning proposal after the Department of City Planning extended the original deadline. The agency will accept comments on the plan to develop 15 acres along the East River waterfront until the close of business Jan. 19.

A rezoning is necessary to allow for higher residential and commercial density than is currently permitted by the city.

U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) reviewed the draft scope of work proposed by Plaxall that within 15 years would bring a 65-story tower; 5,000 residential units spread out over eight buildings, with 25 percent set aside for affordable housing; manufacturing and office space; and an esplanade to make Anable Basin accessible to the public.

“Anable Basin is currently a gloomy industrial area with limited roads, limited access, sparse public transportation and very little retail,” Maloney said. “We have seen the success of Queens West and Hunters Point South in Long Island City and in Northern Brooklyn. And it is time for that trend to reach Anable Basin — an extraordinary area with magnificent views of Manhattan and the East River. This rezoning has the potential to create another great neighborhood, if it is done right.”

While Maloney is pleased that Plaxall is proposing to give the city a lot at 11th Street and 47th Avenue for a 728-seat, five-story school, the model provided appears to have no outdoor playground space.

“The school is not yet designed,” Plaxall spokesman James Yolles said. “It’s certainly possible that the school could include outdoor space. The city would both determine what type of school it is and design the school.”

Maloney is also pleased to see the retail component of the plan.

“Neighborhoods need basic things like grocery stores, barbers, convenience stores, shoe repair stores, dry cleaners, restaurants and other important providers,” Maloney said. “Retail uses ensure that the streets become lively and that people have reasons to come to the area.”

Maloney is worried, however, about logistics.

“Street access to Anable Basin is inconsistent,” she said. “It is striking to see that no thought is being given to mapping additional streets to connect the street grid in this new neighborhood. That needs to be remedied.”

Yolles said Anable Basin has been inaccessible to the public for its 150-year history.

“Our plan revolves around opening up the Basin to the public — via a new bi-level esplanade that wraps around it, and six public pedestrian lanes that will provide connections to the Basin from the north, south and east,” he said. “Connectivity and public access really lie at the heart of our plan for a cohesive district.”

Maloney is worried about accessible transit.

“I am concerned that there is insufficient planning for the transportation and infrastructure needs of this new community. The subways closest to Anable Basin are a considerable distance away and are already overburdened,” she said. “The 7 and E trains are among the most overcrowded in the city.”

Yolles said the new NYC Ferry stop on the Astoria line is located at the southern edge of the Basin and will provide a “convenient transit option for all those living and working around the new Anable Basin.”

Maloney likes that the rezoning plan includes an incentive for arts and cultural uses as well as 135,000 square feet of open space and that the development could be a “great complement” to Long Island City’s existing supply of commercial office space to cater to startups from future graduates from Cornell Tech on Roosevelt Island. But she did have a warning for Plaxall.

“During Superstorm Sandy, all of Anable Basin was flooded,” she said. “The city’s inundation maps show flooding all the way to 11th Street and in some areas even farther east. Vernon Boulevard was under water from just before 43rd Road all the way south to 46th Road. Clearly any construction at Anable Basin must take into account the area’s propensity to flood. Better drainage and more resiliency are critical to making this development a success.”

Plaxall is well aware of the flooding that occurred during Sandy. The company offices are on 46th Avenue just off Vernon Boulevard.

“By raising the esplanade, our project will provide important flood resiliency infrastructure — both for the buildings surrounding the new Anable Basin and the neighborhood beyond,” Yolles said. “We appreciated Congresswoman Maloney’s feedback. We are in touch with her office and look forward to working with her as we refine and improve our proposal.”

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

College Point residents are concerned about a potential new hotel.

State Sen Tony Avella (D-Bayside) has written a letter to city Department of Buildings Commissioner Rick Chandler after College Point residents expressed concerns over a proposed six-story hotel at 14-61 127th St. According to Avella, at his request DOB will conduct an audit of the plans. He has also requested a meeting with DOB officials to discuss the building plans for this site.

The state senator said he believes a six-story hotel located in an M1-1 zoning district is totally inappropriate.

Plans for the hotel show that it will be constructed at the site of a single-story building. Avella said he found it amazing that DOB would approve an alteration of a one-story building which is not a hotel into a six-story hotel. He pointed out that the traffic situation in College Point is already ridiculous due to the narrow streets.
“To think that College Point could assimilate the additional traffic flow from a hotel is absurd,” Avella said. “How much more development can the residents of College Point take?”

Joe Femenia, president of the College Point Civic and Taxpayers Association, was upset that the community was not notified and was worried that the hotel could be another “sneak it in” development.

“How did this happen without community involvement or knowledge?” he asked. “No one notified the College Point Civic and Taxpayers Association. We are talking about an M-1 zone now having a 60-foot building constructed where a one-story building for industrial use was. This is 2017, not pre-1968. Why doesn’t the current zoning apply?”

Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said his effort to have Manhattan’s LGBT Community Center funded by the 2017 budget was a success, with $100,000 providing for immigrant and career coaching programs through the organization.

More than 75 career coaching sessions were held with the money, as well as three cycles of immigration leadership group sessions, which Avella said reached about 325 LGBT members of the immigrant community. About 40 members were able to attend four workshops on legal immigration.

“I was extremely happy to be able to allocate this funding for the LGBT Community Center during the budget process, but when they told me recently how this funding was able to transform their programming, I was astonished,” Avella said. “The work that the staff at The Center does for our state’s most vulnerable is unparalleled, and I am honored to have helped them in any way. I look forward to working with The Center in the future and cannot wait to see the way their work impacts our city, state, and nation.”

Avella said the money accomplished more than expected by the end of 2017.

“Senator Avella has been an unwavering advocate of the LGBT Community Center and the community at large,” said Glennda Testone, executive director of the LGBT Community Center at 308 West 13th Street in the West Village. “His work securing $100,000 in funding to support our career development and community support work has been instrumental in allowing us to expand these much-needed services.”

Testone said that broadening immigrant support services — career coaching sessions, and cultural and social programming — helps “some of our most vulnerable community members.” Enhancing the center’s Immigration Leadership and Empowerment Group, she said, helps to provide “an affirming space for community members to network, share resources and find support.”

The LGBT Community Center has been helping community members succeed through professional support, such as career advancement for women, as well as health and wellness programs and arts, entertainment and cultural events.

The LGBT Center also provides help for recovery from substance abuse for youths and adults. It offers assistance for members of the LGBT community in adopting children and starting families, and it has other resources for those who have already started a family.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

The Port Authority launched an investigation into the water pipe break that occurred at JFK International Airport Sunday afternoon that caused flooding and the evacuation of Terminal 4 and the temporary suspension of international flights.

Sunday’s incident added to the misery experienced by travelers since Thursday, when Winter Storm Grayson caused hundreds of flights to be canceled or diverted and the airport struggled with a backlog of flights in the midst of record low temperatures all weekend long.

“What happened at JFK Airport is unacceptable, and travelers expect and deserve better,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said. “While the water pipe break that occurred appears to be weather-related, we have launched an investigation into the incident to determine exactly what occurred and why an internal pipe was not weather protected and whether any other failures contributed to this disruption. The Port Authority is committed to providing the highest caliber of service to all travelers and we will hold those responsible accountable for any shortcomings we find.”

Domestic and international flights are in operation, but with delays and passengers, as well as those meeting flights, are encouraged to check with their carriers for any changes in flight schedules.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

A blaze in a Bayside Hills home ended with the death of a woman who family said was in recovery from cancer before the attached dwelling went up in flames.

The fire, which started around 11:19 a.m. on Sunday, started in the upstairs storage room of the house, according to family, and proceeded to torch the rest of the second floor as well as part of the neighboring attached house before it was quelled by firefighters, two of whom were injured, according to the FDNY.

Jose De Jesus said he remembers his cousin, Rita Rolon, 60, as someone in the family with a positive demeanor.

“She was a very friendly person, very outgoing,” De Jesus said. “She was always laughing… We didn’t think she was going to go like this. Maybe cancer, but not like this.”

De Jesus flew in from Florida to help Rolon’s husband clean up the wreckage of their home, and said the majority of the damage was in the room where the fire started, but had spread to the next rooms on that floor.

Family friend Bobby Lopez said he had lived in the home for some time and was told by FDNY an electrical malfunction was the cause, although the fire department could not confirm that at this time.

What was not scorched on the ground floor had water damage from when the FNDY was containing the fire, De Jesus said.

The FDNY said over 60 firefighters responded to the scene and had the fire under control by about 12:16 p.m.

Rolon was transported to North Shore-LIJ where she was pronounced dead.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Gina Martinez

TimesLedger Newspapers

Police were searching for a man suspected of robbery in Flushing.

Authorities said the suspect entered the Flushing Motel, located at 34-50 Linden Place, on Sunday, Dec. 24, and approached the front desk, where he asked a 21-year-old male clerk if there were any available rooms.

The suspect then left and returned with a suitcase which he asked to store in the back, police said.

The man then simulated a gun and demanded cash, and the clerk complied with his demands, according to authorities. The suspect then fled the scene with $580, police said.

There were no reported injuries following the robbery, according to police.

Police described the suspect as a black male who was last seen wearing a dark colored hooded jacket, light colored pants, a black hat and had a scarf covering his face.

Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477

Reach Gina Martinez by e-mail at gmartinez@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4566.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Bill Parry

TimesLedger Newspapers

Police were looking for a man who allegedly broke into a Woodside apartment last week and stole jewelry and a tablet.

The incident occurred just before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 27, when a suspect entered the front door of a three-family building near 55th Street and Roosevelt Avenue and proceeded to the third floor apartment, which he entered by unknown means, according to the NYPD.

Once inside, the suspect removed jewelry and a tablet from the bedroom, police said. The suspect wore dark pants and a dark jacket, a grey hooded sweatshirt and a baseball cap, according to police.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.

Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4538.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Mark Hallum

TimesLedger Newspapers

The reputed Bonanno family captain Vincent Asaro, 82, was sentenced last week to eight years in prison for torching a car as retribution for a road rage incident in Howard Beach.

Asaro, who was previously acquitted of taking part in the 1978 Lufthansa heist and of choking a police informant to death with a dog chain, was indicted in March. According to prosecutors, the crime boss ordered four underlings, including John Gotti’s grandson, to start the 2012 car fire after the driver had cut Asaro off in Howard Beach.

Brooklyn Federal Judge Allyne Ross said that in sentencing Asaro, she had given weight to the charges on which Asaro was acquitted, The New York Times reported. Asaro’s lawyer, Elizabeth Macedonio, had requested that her client’s acquitted conduct not be taken into consideration in the sentencing, according to the Times. Macedonio said that sentencing Asaro for crimes that he was not found guilty of could “turn the American justice system on its head.”

Macedonio was confident that the indictment was actually revenge for Asaro’s 2015 acquittal in the Lufthansa heist, in which nearly $6 million in cash, precious metals and jewels was stolen from the German carrier at Kennedy International Airport. It stands as one of the biggest thefts in state history.

The sentencing follows a series of indictments and convictions of organized crime figures in south Queens.

Ronald Giallanzo, 46, was charged in March with racketeering, extortion and attempted murder in crimes that spanned 20 years in the Howard Beach area, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn. Giallanzo was one of 10 people charged.

The younger Gotti, then 23, was sentenced to eight years on drug charges. Gotti, whose grandfather John headed the Gambino family, was estimated by Queens District Attorney Richard Brown to have had an average income of $1.6 million a year while peddling oxycodone and other prescription medications in Howard Beach and Ozone Park.

Howard Beach police stopped the Gotti grandson’s car in June for having windows tinted beyond the legal limit. He was found to have an expired driver’s license and a Gucci bag containing more than 200 oxycodone pills.

Queens native and Bonanno member Christopher Boothby, 37, was charged alongside Giallanzo in March. Known as Bald Chris, Boothby had also been indicted with Gotti and Asaro in the car arson and in Hobbs Act robberies and firearms offenses a week before.

Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhallum@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4564.

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Source: Times Ledger

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By Naeisha Rose

TimesLedger Newspapers

Whoever replaces Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña, who announced her retirement as the head of education in New York City before 2017 came to a close, will have a tough year ahead when it comes to helping failing schools thanks to President Trump’s tax bill. She will be stepping down once her replacement is chosen.

During Fariña’s tenure 14 schools were closed, including two from Queens, which were on the Renewal Schools list.

The Brian Piccolo Middle School (MS 53) located at 10-45 Naemoke St. in Far Rockaway and the Robert Vernam School (PS/MS 42) at 488 Beach 66th St. in Arverne were on the chopping block, according to the chancellor.

Shortly after Fariña’s resignation announcement, City & State, a policy and politics news site, said industry insiders in the education field have mentioned Queens College President Félix V. Matos Rodríguez as a possible candidate.

Rodríguez started his tenure as president of the CUNY School in 2014 and was the former secretary of the Dept. of Family Services for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (2006-2008), according to Queens College. He has a PhD in history from Columbia University and has taught at Yale, Northeastern University and City College.

Industry insiders have also circulated the name of Rudolph “Rudy” Crew, who was the former schools chancellor in the late ‘90s under the old New York City Board of Education system was also a viable candidate.

Crew has been the president of Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn since 2013 and has worked as a educator in Florida, Oregon, Massachusetts, and California, according to the school. He is also the recipient of the NAACP Educational Leadership Award.

One of Charter School CEO Eva Moskowitz’s suggestions was David Steiner, the executive director for the Institute of Education Policy at John Hopkins and the former commissioner of the New York State Education Department (2009-2011).

As commissioner, Steiner headed the $700 million Race To The Top program, which redesigned the state’s standards in assessing students’ education and teacher certification requirements, according to Moskowitz.

“Mayor de Blasio and I have had profound disagreements about how best to educate our children,” Moskowitz said. “But we share the deep belief that we need the best possible person leading our schools.”

As Schools Chancellor, Fariña headed up the Renewal School program.

The Renewal Schools program received $500 million to help turn around low performing schools across the city, according to the Dept. of Education.

The program has seen mixed results, but some of the successes include August Martin High School, PS 111, Flushing High School and Martin Van Buren High School in Queens, the state DOE said.

These schools are no longer on the struggling schools’ list.

However, with Trump’s tax bill capping property taxes, which accounts for 45 percent of public school funding, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, it could get harder for whoever replaces Fariña to help struggling schools going forward. Renewal School Programs are funded with taxpayer money.

Reach reporter Naeisha Rose by e-mail at nrose@cnglocal.com or by phone at (718) 260–4573.

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Source: Times Ledger