Councilman Speaks Up For Queens Against Con Ed

Councilman Calls On Con Ed To Sell Queens Property, Not Hike Rates

A Queens City Councilman called on Con Edison Sunday to sell what he says is an expensive piece of waterfront property, instead of having customers foot the bill for rising costs.

In the wake of a five percent rate hike and another increase potentially on the way, Councilman Eric Gioia said the company should sell its 11-acre property in Long Island City, estimated to be worth a half-billion dollars.

"New Yorkers right now are tightening their belts, trying desperately to make ends meet, the price of food has gone up, the price of gas, and now the price of our utilities,” said Gioia. “Con Edison should be asked to make to run their company more efficiency before they look to New Yorkers to ask us once again to pay more for really lousy service."

The property is currently used as a parking lot, office space, and a training center for Con Ed workers.

Finally a Councilman doing what he/she is supposed to be doing.

Queens Mourns The Loss of Bowling Alley

Queens Bowling Alley Will Not Be Spared

Bowlers gathered at a landmark Queens alley Sunday for one final roll after a last-ditch effort to save the neighborhood fixture failed.

Woodhaven Lanes in Forest Hills closed for good Sunday after nearly 50 years.

Brunswick Bowling, the company which leased the lanes, wanted a rent cut but building management said mortgage costs were too high.

Rallies over the last couple of months to save the bowling alley struck out.

Efforts to keep the lanes open fell through when negotiations broke down on Friday.

"It's bittersweet. I'm sad you know," said bowler Donna Fazio."The owner is so greedy and he thinks he's going to make money in another way, but he's got a steady customer base here. This bowling alley was always so packed," said bowler Louis Molina.

Queens College Contractors Have A Bad Rep

Queens College hired dangerous developer

TROUBLED QNS. COLL. DORM FIRM
By YOAV GONEN, Education Reporter, NY Post

University of Connecticut dormitories built by the contractor tapped to erect a $72 million residence hall at Queens College have been plagued with costly fire and safety violations, The Post has learned.

Seven years after two of its dorms were built by the contractor, Alabama-based Capstone Development Corp., UConn is still bringing the buildings up to code, a university spokeswoman said.

She would not further discuss the trouble-plagued dorms, which were built in 2001 at a cost of nearly $55 million.

UConn was paid at least $1 million under the agreement.

Published records show that engineering consultants hired by UConn in 2004 identified dozens of building and safety-code violations at the dorms.

Queens College officials insisted yesterday that they operated with "due diligence" in selecting Capstone for the 506-bed residence, which is slated to open in August 2009.
Additional reporting by Angela Montefinise and Post Wire Services

Huge Drug Raid in Queens

Drug Raid in Queens

Prosecutors have charged 41 people, including several members of the Crips street gang, with selling crack and other crimes at a Queens housing project.

The Queens district attorney, and Police Commissioner announced the charges against the suspects, mostly men in their late teens or early 20s, on Friday.During a six-month investigation, undercover officers made 150 purchases of crack, powder cocaine, heroin and marijuana at the Woodside Houses, the authorities said.

Illegal Construction on Jasmine and Parsons

Dear Acting Commissioner LiMandri,

The ongoing construction and destruction of the once beautiful corner house at Jasmine and Parsons Ave.

(147-10 Jasmine Ave.) is presently undergoing the installation of the foundation for a 6 foot high concrete barricade that is intended to surround the entire property and has already caused the destruction of valuable City owned public street trees. Its completion will further allow degradation of the esthetic beauty of our neighborhood and the infringement on our quality of life and property values.

Upon studying the recently passed new laws regarding restrictions on fences:

Yards Text Amendment - Department of City Planning (Adopted On April 30, 2008)

The following is a modification added on March 24, 2008 to the now adopted 'Side Yards' zoning law taken directly from the City Planning web site:

New Fence height restrictions

Reduce allowable front yard fence and wall height in R1- R5 districts from 8 feet to 4 feet, except that on corner lots, permit a height of 6 feet where a front yard overlaps a side yard

Section 23-44 was clarified so that fence and wall height is measured from the adjoining grade and that on corner lots, a six foot high fence is only permitted in the area where a front yard overlaps with a side yard.

The 6 foot wall that the developer is presently installing around the entire property is clearly illegal. Note that clarification of Section 23-44 restricts the portion of the property where a 6 foot fence is permitted. The developer is now installing the foundation for a 6 foot barricade type concrete wall to extend along the entire perimeter of the property including both the entire side and front yards.

Strict enforcement of this new New York City regulation by the Department of Buildings is imperative and expected to help preserve our residential communities.

Joe Amoroso, KPCA Zoning Chair

QCC Zoning & Code Enforcement Co-Chair

The Dance Songs That Are Moving New York

Well its Friday and quite frankly today I couldn't give a crap about what is going on in the local news papers. It may be pouring outside, but here are the current beats you can hear on Pulse 87 (87.7).

This list is courtesy of Original Hot 97 .com

Lucas Prata—I Think I’m Falling In Love

Jennifer Lopez—Que Hiciste

September—Cry For You (Radio Mix)

Kat Deluna—Whine Up (album version)

Eric Prydz vs. Floyd—Proper Education (Radio Edit)

Cascada—Truly Madly Deeply (UK Club Mix)

Booty Luv—Boogie 2Nite (Seamus Haji Big Love Edit)

Get Far—Shining Star (Gianluca Motta Radio Edit)

David Guetta—The World Is Mine (F**K Me I’m Famous Edit)

Erasure—I Could Fall In Love With You (Monteverde Radio Edit)

Yardi Don vs. Frank Ti-Ana—One Love One World (Radio Edit)

Leonid Rudenko—Summerfish (Vocal Mix)

Edun—Put ’em Up (Radio Edit)

The Chemical Brothers—Do It Again

Bass Hunters - Now Your Gone

No other radio station keeps your work day or car trip moving as well as Pulse 87.

On a side note Star and Buck Wild are also pretty entertaining in the morning.

Queens College Signs Dorn Deal

Queens College signs dorm deal

Queens College (QC) will become the third member of the City University of New York (CUNY) to offer on-campus dormitory housing under a deal signed with Capstone Development Corporation recently.

The residence hall, which Capstone will also manage, will have 506 beds, and occupy the land currently used for outdoor tennis courts, which will have to be relocated.

The project is being financed by $72 million in tax-exempt bonds issued by the New York City Housing Development Corporation, and supported by a Letter of Credit issued by RBS Citizens National Association. RBC Capital Markets is underwriting the bond issue.

According to QC, both the bonds and Letter of Credit are secured by project revenues only - no public funds are supporting the project, which is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2009.

To ease community concerns about an already-difficult parking situation, 200 hundred parking spaces will be created, 89 below and adjacent to the building and the remainder elsewhere on campus, according to QC.

So it is finally official, it's nice to see something finally put into the works after hearing and talking about it for a little over a year now. This will finally bring a social life to QC, one that the consensus agrees is lacking.