Letter to John Liu - Re: Gang Violence

Dear Councilmember John liu,

Please look into this and keep me informed of whatever action you can take to help us resolve this dangerous situation. Your intervention will be greatly appreciated.

Joe Amoroso

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14323 Poplar Avenue. – Major problem since home is under new ownership.

Poplar Avenue, Flushing has always been known as a quiet and peaceful neighborhood composed primarily of people that care about their neighborhood and are willing to get involved to keep it a good family oriented area. The Kissena Park Civic Association worked hard to have the area rezoned from R3-2 to R2 on May 11, 2005 to help discourage excessive building and to preserve its quite single-family residential character. The home at 14323 Poplar Avenue was recently sold and the new owner has made extensive changes to the interior and also added a separate external rear entrance to the basement. See DOB permit # Work Permit Data .

On Friday, May 30, 2008 a group of unlawful young adults residents living in the recently renovated basement, which is possibly being used as an SRO, gathered outside the house and were confronted by another group of hoodlums evolving into a fight where both groups had knives in hand. Some threw a neighbor’s flower pot into the street while others damaged a nearby car belonging to a long time resident on the other side of the street. This incident started about 5 A.M. One of the neighbors called the Police but the gang members scattered as the Police arrived.

On Saturday, May 31, 2008 I called 311 to file the following complaints:

1.) New owner is illegally renting basement to possible gang members and yesterday’s incident of street fighting with knives in hand posed a threat to the safety of lives and property of local residents. Police report has been sent to local precinct via 311 with the following complaint number:

C1-1-402104348

2.) New owner has illegally converted basement to living quarters which is presently

being occupied by a large group of young adults. I was given the following DOB

complaint number for illegal conversion:

4355631

I hope that swift action is taken to help insure the safety and quality of life of all the residents of Poplar Avenue and our entire Kissena Park community. This type of activity will not be tolerated in this community!

Joe Amoroso, KPCA Zoning Chair

QCC Zoning and Code Enforcement Co-Chair

LIRR Neighbors Can Rest Easy

Hush hour on LIRR as horns KOd

Long Island Rail Road officials announced a plan last week to hush the blaring horns of commuter trains traveling throughQueens and on Lo

"I have heard the complaints of our neighbors along the LIRR's right-of-way loud and clear," said LIRR President Helena Williams.

"Now, we are doing something about it."

But local activists said the plan falls short.

Prior to the rule change, which went into effect this month, engineers were told to honk every time they passed through a station, even if it was not a stop on the route. Now, they do not.

Heh I think the train itself makes the most noise but thats just me.

A Stop Work Order Comes Just In Time

Thanks Joe For Keeping Us Updated!

A STOP WORK ORDER is in effect at 147-10 Jasmine Ave. because the alterations do not conform to the new Zoning Text. ( Including the 6 foot high barricade type 'fence' and destruction of City Owned street trees and several other issues.)

If anyone should see any construction activity please call 311.

Property Profile Overview

Overview for Complaint #:4350482 = RESOLVED

In addition one of the two newly built houses on the corner of 45th Avenue and 149th Street also has a stop work order due to a non-conforming lot size. ( 149-08 45th Avenue) resulting from the break up of the original tax lot.
This is preventing them from getting a C of O and selling this house. According to the original application both houses were built on a single tax lot under special provisions of the zoning resolution because the lot was not large enough to create two new legal building lots. This resolution requires that both houses must remain under a single ownership.

Property Profile Overview

I understand that both of these STOP WORK ORDERS are the result of our (KPCA) recent correspondence with both the City and Borough Building Commissioners and the Parks Department (Forestry).


Thank you,
Joe A

Willets Point Gets An Official Status

Official Status for Willets Point Project

Now that the Uniformed Land Use Review Procedure) (ULURP) has been issued by the City, the Willets Point project has an official status.



Therefore, I again talk about the development because of its importance to Queens and the City of New York.

The 60 acres in question are extremely polluted, mostly with the number 3 oil. The Feds will dredge the creek and the bay once the pollution is removed.

After the remediation, the City proposes 5000 units of housing - some affordable - a convention center, hotel, a school, some commercial and retail space and a park.

The ULURP will run for 180 days during which time everyone who wishes to testify will have the opportunity.

There is no question that the development of Willets Point will have a positive and profound impact on the communities of Flushing and Corona as well as the rest of the City.

That last line is key.

The School Built On A Toxic Wasteland

Mother claims school made daughter sick

BY STEPHEN J. BRONNER

Thanks Steven for sending this in!

For 12 years, the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has known about a potentially deadly chemical in the soil on a city-owned site less than two blocks from an Ozone Park public school - but cleanup plans have been snagged by red tape.

Now, the mother of a former student of Public School 65 is suing the city.

“I had no idea that the school was sitting on a toxic plume,” said Katie Acton, who believes her daughter developed chronic asthma while attending the 99th Street school, beginning in 1999.

“If I had known, I would have removed her long before the three years,” added Acton, whose daughter, Kaylyn is now 15. “When I did remove her, it made a big difference.”

“Back in 2002, we became aware of concerns from the school community about the soil and air,” said Marge Feinberg, a DOE spokesperson. “This has not been an issue since the indoor air was tested and found to be acceptable.”

Exposure to large amounts of TCE could cause asphyxiation, chronic health problems like cancer and long-term neurological disorders, according to The Risk Assessment Information System, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy.

“I don’t want another child to go through what my child went through,” she said.

This kinda scenario seems awfully familiar, Love Canal anyone?

NYPIRG - 10 Plagues Of The Subway

List compiles '10 plagues of the subway'

The New York Public Interest Research Group's Straphangers Campaign has released a "10 plagues of the subway" list to document problems faced by commuters.

The list, which includes overcrowding, flooding and dirty seats, documents common complaints from riders of the city's subway system, New York Newsday reported Friday.

"I've already been chastised for leaving out rats, cockroaches and subway preachers," said Gene Russianoff, a senior attorney for the Straphangers Campaign.

Russianoff said the perils of traveling with an infant also made it onto the list.

"It's dangerous to have a stroller with people running up and down the stairs," said subway rider and mother-of-four Rosa Lopez, 28. "And elevators are out all the time."

New York transit officials questioned about the list said they are always working to improve the subway.

"We have been, and continue to, work hard to provide the type of mass transit experience that the greatest city in the world deserves," said Charles Seaton, a transit spokesman.

Scattered Shots Kill Little Girl In Queens

Girl Is Killed in Queens as Shots Scatter Dancers

The teenagers were dancing before the squat backdrop of a housing project Saturday night in Far Rockaway, Queens, when the gunfire began. They all ran, until someone turned and saw that one girl was not running. She had dropped to the ground without a sound, a bullet hole in her temple.

As of Sunday evening, no one had been arrested in the shooting. Neighbors said two groups of young men — boys, even — from two different sections of buildings in the Redfern Houses complex had been feuding for so long that no one really remembered what the fight was about.

“It’s the front versus the back,” said Sonya Smith, 37. “These are babies, 12 years and up. They never say anything. They just start shooting.” Another woman, Keisha Brown, 20, said, “It’s just stupid.”

What a sad story, The New York Time also has a picture included. I was actually considering not blogging this story due to the sadness and the poor reflection of Queens would get from outside readers (if there are any). Overall I wish there could be something done about things like this that would bring some real change to certain areas where drugs and violence are everyday occurrences. I think its up to the elders of the community to speak out against this and perhaps talk to those involved especially the youth some of which may actually listen. There is no real answer to fix situations like this today, but with the right determination this doesn't have to be the future either.