Conflicting asbestos controversy at upcoming homeless shelter in Glendale.

QNS


The city Department of Buildings (DOB) has confirmed that work on a defunct Glendale factory was not outside the bounds of the existing permit on the site, but Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) confirmation is still pending that no asbestos was disturbed during work on the building to convert it into an office building after a Tuesday morning inspection.

Multiple city agencies were investigating allegations that workers illegally removed asbestos material from 78-16 Cooper Ave., which was long rumored to be a potential homeless shelter.

That plan may be a step closer toward becoming a reality. In August, the owners of the building submitted an amendment to their application to include a “transient lodging house” which has not yet been approved, according to a DOB spokesman.

The DOB said they have not received specific floor plans for review on the amendment yet, but that the owners hoped to build a facility to accommodate about 100 beds.

Holden’s office, however, has said the DOB informed him of an issue with their records and this amendment goes back to August instead of January which the DOB confirmed.

Video surfaced on the Glendale Civic Association Facebook page on Monday night that depicted two individuals who claimed to be “from the community” confronting a worker who had been supposedly removing floor tile from the site.

 Last night, Glendale residents noticed workers at the property and expressed their concerns by contacting my staff and I, and submitting 311 complaints,” Holden said on Jan. 15. “One of my staff members went to the scene last night, and I stopped by the site this morning when NYC Environmental Protection was responding to the situation. After placing several calls to the commissioner’s office, the DEP has informed me that a stop-work order was issued until test results confirm whether or not asbestos was disturbed by the workers.”

Inspectors faked asbestos reports

From PIX11:

Seventeen city inspectors were arrested for allegedly exposing workers to a construction substance that can be deadly, and all for one motivation — cash.

"It’s about people putting their own financial gain ahead of the well-being and safety of New Yorkers," said Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon.

After two years of ground work and undercover sting operations Thursday, the Department of Investigation released their report and 17 certified asbestos inspectors were arrested.

"The going rate is between $250 and $800 per inspect," said Department of Investigation Commissioner Mark Peters. "So if you do what I think one person did, that’s a million dollars."

They worked in Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan buildings, including a hotel. In some cases they conducted no asbestos inspections at all. Other times they concealed that asbestos had been found.

Maspeth developer attacks police

From the Daily News:

Prosecutors have charged a Queens homeowner with hurling a brick at a cop during a brawl over renovation permits, authorities said Wednesday.

Edward Wysk, 51, allegedly struck NYPD Officer Randy Paulsaint with the brick on Maspeth Ave. near 59th St. in Maspeth around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Wysk is also accused of assaulting Paulsaint’s partner and a city Department of Environmental Protection agent who was issuing a stop-work order on his home because he didn’t have the proper paperwork to show that asbestos had been removed from the building.

Wysk was in the middle of gutting and renovating the Maspeth property when DEP Agent Michael Lateef arrived and told him he had to shut down over the paperwork issue.

Outraged, Wysk ripped the stop-work order and Lateef’s credentials from his hands and threw them on the ground, according to prosecutors. When Lateef called police, Wysk smashed the agent’s phone against a wall, authorities said.

When Officer Paulsaint and his partner, Officer Matthew Portales, arrived and approached the front door, Wysk allegedly hurled a brick from inside the home.

The flying brick crashed through a window and struck Paulsaint in the head. Portales ran in to arrest Wysk and injured his arm in the scuffle.

Responding officers took Wysk into custody along with two construction workers who were initially thought to be the brick tossers. The workers were questioned and released without charges, officials said.

Watching Elmhurst history slowly get destroyed

"Dear Crappy,

This home, built in the 1700's which the neighborhood of Elmhurst tried to save from demo, was denied by the LPC from being declared a landmark. The home last year right after Labor Day had two suspicious fires, and seemed destined for demo. A couple of weeks ago a fence went up around it. Right after most of it came down, the house would have been saved had a stop work order came in time due to the improper removal of asbestos inside. Thanks." - Elmhurst Resident

"It looks like the developers have intentions of building a multi family homes instead of preserving Queens historic home.

They purchased all surrounding homes are knocking them down.

It's sad." - Another Elmhurst Resident

Management company taken to task

From the Queens Tribune:

Residents from across seven Flushing buildings gathered at St. George’s Episcopal Church to voice concerns over recent actions by New Jersey-based development company Treetop Development, which owns the buildings in question. The corporation has been exploiting loopholes to raise rents and drive low-income residents out of their apartments in order to begin gentrifying the area, the residents argued.

The meeting was organized by the Flushing Rezoning Community Alliance. Faith in New York, an interfaith organization, was also in attendance. Andrew Hausermann, the director of Organizing for Faith in New York, explained that the organization had heard many complaints from residents in the seven buildings, which Treetop purchased six months ago.

“This company, Treetop, has a bad history,” Hausermann said to the hundred or so residents in attendance. “They have a history of buying rent-stabilized units in neighborhoods that they say are soon upcoming neighborhoods, might be gentrifying neighborhoods, and they’ll buy these rent-stabilized buildings, run out the low-income tenants and then sell the buildings for a big profit.”

Hausermann also said that the company was accused of similar practices in Williamsburg and Harlem.

Among the chief complaints raised by residents is what they say is a loophole in New York State law that allows for permanent rent increases in rent-stabilized units. Landlords can implement these raises to fund construction projects called major capital improvements. These MCI increases are problematic, Hausermann explained, because even after the project is funded, the rent increase can remain in place, which could drive low-income tenants out. When the rent reaches a certain threshold, it eliminates the rent-stabilization designation, Hausermann said. These concerns have been raised in the wake of a high level of construction going on around the buildings.

One building in question, 132-40 Sanford Ave., received a stop-work order after Councilmember Peter Koo (D-Flushing) voiced concerns raised by constituents. A June stop-work order complaint on the Department of Buildings website said that workers were “removing asbestos without protection” and cited debris in the hallway. Another complaint from July said that work resumed at the site despite the stop-work order.

College Point blockbusting?

"This home has been exposed for 1/2 month now with asbestos sticking out. I know DOB has been here and on March 7 they were turned down for a permit to build 3 stories.

This Chinese family bought it and had day laborers come tear off the siding and also told a fellow neighbor that construction will take a year. This family has called several homeowners and told the them they would buy their house with 1/2 cash down. This does not sound kosher in the least." - anonymous

Asbestos? PCBs? So what? Let's talk affordable housing!

From the Queens Chronicle:

Last week, Community Board 1 unanimously voted against the building proposal for development of Astoria Cove unless the developers agree to several conditions it laid out.

It was deemed a victory by many of the union workers and affordable housing advocates in attendance.

As it turns out, there was one factor that was left unaddressed, a possible investigation of a portion of the site for environmental law violations.

“In 2012, there were two ongoing investigations on the land, one conducted by the [Environmental Protection Agency] and the other by [the Department of Environmental Conservation],” Stephen Benavides, director of research for Laborers’ Local 78, said.

According to Benavides, the agencies were investigating Tri-State Cleaning Solutions, now known as ALR, the former owner of old buildings at the site.

The DEC investigation involves alleged illegal dumping of asbestos-containing material as well as use of the site at 801 26 Ave. in Astoria as an illegal transfer point for friable asbestos.

“The developers conducted a limited visual screening of the land,” Benavides said. “This does not provide an accurate idea of what is going on because it’s not only asbestos, there are PCBs and underground petroleum tanks that were closed in the 1990s. In my experience, these things leak.”

During a public hearing CB 1 hosted before voting on the proposal, a woman named Jeanie stood up and voiced her concern over the possible environmental and health risks. She was cut off due to time restraints but was adamant that Alma Realty and the rest of the Astoria Cove developers were making a mistake.

Alma Realty and CB 1 could not be reached for comment.

The DEC could not confirm the existence or status of the investigation.

Oh my, now that the cat's out of the bag, what will happen?

5 Pointz asbestos removal commences

There was some activity at the 5 Pointz site yesterday. Apparently, they are in the middle of asbestos removal in preparation for the demolition. From what I understand, the operation has been shut down at least once already.

That's a long time to be removing asbestos.

Asbestos in Grand Avenue dumpsters

A little asbestos never hurt anyone...

From the Forum:

Residents around an abandoned factory in Glendale say unsafe, un-permitted demolition is spilling over their fences and terrorizing them through nights, weekends and holidays.

For years, the industrial building at 70-20 67th Place sat fallow, but since November, it’s a hive of illicit construction activity, said Gary Jannazzo,who lives adjacent to the property.

Workers have already ripped off the building’s roof and are moving on to windows, all the while dumping debris straight off the roof and over fences and allowing dust, noise and particles to swirl, Jannazzo said.

On Jan. 11, Jannazzo and his next-door neighbor were at Community Board 5, making an open cry for assistance.

“We need help,” he said. “For weeks I can’t open my windows; my kids can’t play in the yard. I’m afraid that they’re going to be breathing in all this junk that they’re throwing off these buildings.”

Jannazzo works in the building industry in Manhattan,and his immediate concern was asbestoscoming out of this decade-sold building without proper abatement.

CB 5 has been aware of the building since 2003,when the board protested an application for constructionon the site, Vincent Arcuri, CB 5 chair,said. But in late November, Arcuri and the board got involved again.

CB 5 District Manager Gary Giordano and Arcuri observed workers violate a stop-work order from the Department of EnvironmentalProtection when CB 5 brought up concerns about asbestos.

When confronted by a DEP representative,workers harassed the inspector to the pointpolice had to be called and force work to stop,Arcuri said. But it didn’t last.

Pomonok in bad shape

From the Queens Tribune:

Pomonok Houses is a sprawling 60-year-old public housing development, and Eli Goldstein is one of its earliest tenants. When Pomonok creeps into the news lately, it is usually for the random acts of violence that plague any housing development, or in one instance, garbage that piled up on a handball court. Life there is generally free of the greater strife that plagues the more desperate, crime-riddled developments in the city.

Yet interviews with residents reveal a troubling truth. Life in Pomonok isn’t what it used to be, and relief is not around the corner. Mailboxes are ripped up and not repaired. Toilets are fixed, only to break again. Lolloway, who is unemployed like her husband, lives with her three children in her father’s asbestos-tainted apartment. They are supported by the money her brother brings home, the disabled veteran checks her father receives – he was awarded the Purple Heart – and his pension, which he earned as a retired postal worker.

“We can’t get answers,” Lolloway said. “The apartment looks like a bomb hit.”

St. Saviour's saga takes strange turn

A day after the St. Saviour's site was shut down for failing to adhere to a partial stop work order, it was opened up again, but then shut down again for failure to provide excavation plans. So I guess that means the inspector that had showed up Thursday about the retaining wall failed to notice that this activity was also going on. But several neighbors reported that the inspector that was there Friday stayed the entire day, watching the workers, and then at the end of the day slapped the SWO notice on the wall. (You'll note that Friday's SWO was partially rescinded the same day...) Interestingly, the orginal violation said FINES DUE at the end of Thursday, but by Friday that tidbit of information disappeared from the website. Perhaps the fine was paid. Perhaps pigs have learned how to fly... Something told me to screenshot it though:

Now, another reader sent in this photo of the dumpsters on the lot. He informed me that DSNY ordered the dumpsters to be removed from the site this week and that one had already disappeared. But he noted that there appeared to be pipe insulation in one of the dumpsters, which could possibly mean the presence of asbestos. Fun, fun, fun!


During this entire time, the elected officials have been extremely quiet. I thought they said at the rally that the thing to do was pressure the owner? So where are they? Dreaming about the open CD9 position? When the going gets tough, the electeds scram. Way to protect your constituents!

Environmental inspector pleads guilty

From Fox 5:

NEW YORK - An ailing environmental threat assessor has pleaded guilty to filing false reports that masked potential lead paint and asbestos hazards in New York City buildings.

Saverio Todaro entered the plea Friday in federal court in Manhattan.

The 68-year-old Todaro admitted his private inspection business submitted fictitious reports to federal and city officials between 2005 and 2008. The reports said several buildings were safe to occupy.

He said he sometimes never submitted dust samples to a lab. Other times, the inspections weren't even performed.

Todaro appeared in court with an oxygen tank and a walker. His wife says he suffers from emphysema.

He is free on $250,000 bond. He faces up to five years in prison.

No sentencing date was set.

Toxic-tower law passes

AP/NY Post:

The City Council has voted to bar building crews from performing demolitions at the same time as asbestos abatement.

The bill addresses problems discovered after the deaths of two firefighters responding to a 2007 fire at the condemned Deutsche Bank building, which was undergoing both demolition and abatement due to damage on 9/11.

Officials later said doing both made the building a death trap.

A little asbestos never hurt anyone

At 30-88 36th Street asbestos was being removed with out proper protection or asbestos abatement permit. The DEP approved the demolition of 30-88 as a NON ASBESTOS job. (Please see attachment). How could this happen? The asbestos at 30-88 was seen blowing from the rafters. Children, residents and workers were exposed. November 6th a number of Norwood residents called 311 and filed a complaint with the DEP. Nov 7th an asbestos sign was finally posted. To date, no fines are on file with the DEP. Asbestos removal continued Friday night, Nov 7th and through the weekend.



Hey, on top of that, guess what's replacing this one-family house?

8 units of crap!

Ah, screw electricity, schools and sewers. A Manhasset developer needs to milk Astoria. And that's what it's there for, right?

Illegal alien boss failed to pay workers comp

From the NY Times:

The owner of a Queens asbestos-removal company has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for failing to pay $1.6 million in required workers’ compensation premiums by saying that he had just one employee when he often had dozens, prosecutors announced on Tuesday.

Andrew T. Baxter, the interim United States attorney for the Northern District of New York, said the business owner, Chong-mun Chae, a South Korean, would be deported after serving his sentence of 46 months because he was an illegal immigrant.

Prosecutors said that when Mr. Chae applied for workers’ compensation policies, he often falsely claimed that he had just one employee, who worked as a receptionist. As a result, insurance companies charged him far lower rates than if they had known the true number of his employees and the hazardous nature of their work.

Mr. Chae sought to avoid getting caught by repeatedly changing the name of his company, prosecutors said. Its names included Charlie Brown Services, Top Ace Services and K-One Service.

Mr. Chae, 71, pleaded guilty to mail fraud and tax fraud, and was sentenced on Thursday in United States District Court in Binghamton.

State officials said Mr. Chae worked on asbestos-removal projects throughout the state and often used crews of Korean immigrants.

City Council passes 12 construction safety bills

From the Daily News:

Prompted by the fatal Deutsche Bank building fire, the City Council passed a dozen bills Monday increasing oversight at demolition and asbestos abatement sites.

The new laws require color-coded standpipes and an alarm system in dry standpipes during construction and demolition.

The bills also require special permits for high-risk asbestos abatement and prohibit simultaneous asbestos removal and demolition at most sites.

The new legislation does not apply to federal and state buildings, Deputy Mayor Edward Skyler said.

The mayor's office is pushing for legislation in Albany that would bring state buildings under the new rules, Skyler added.

Bell Park Gardens asbestos uncovered

From Queens Tribune Blog:

"Fabio Morales only took a few seconds to find the debris he was looking for. He photographed the crumbling, ashy gray material, bagged it and held it up before a Queens Tribune reporter."

Asbestos problems continue at Bell Park Gardens

From the Queens Tribune:

Huddled in the crawl space under one of Bell Park Garden’s units, Fabio Morales only took a few seconds to find the debris he was looking for. He photographed the crumbling, ashy gray material, bagged it and held it up before a Queens Tribune reporter.

“I’m positive this is asbestos,” Morales said. “If you test it, you’ll see.”

He turned the reporter’s attention to two heating pipes running the length of the ceiling, one with new white insulation, the other in crumbling disarray.

“They were supposed to put the new insulation on both pipes, but as you can see…” he said. “This is the situation going on all over the place.”

Bell Park Gardens’ board and property manager responded with assurances everything was up to par.

Previously: Asbestos mess at Bell Park Gardens?

Willets Point Headscratcher series, part 4

Here's an easy lesson in zoning for you. M3 zones are for heavy manufacturing. They are the only zones which allow for Group 18 uses as-of-right. What is Group 18?

- From the Department of City Planning's Zoning Text -
Use Group 18 consists primarily of industrial uses which:
(1) either involve considerable danger of fire, explosion or other hazards to public health or safety, or cannot be designed without appreciable expense to conform to high performance standards with respect to the emission of objectionable influences; and
(2) normally generate a great deal of traffic, both pedestrian and freight.

A. Manufacturing establishments
Asphalt or asphalt products
Beverages, alcoholic or breweries
Brick, tile or clay
Cement
Charcoal, lampblack or fuel briquettes
Chemicals, including acetylene, aniline dyes, ammonia, carbide, caustic soda, cellulose, chlorine, carbon black or bone black, cleaning or polishing preparations, creosote, exterminating agents, hydrogen or oxygen, industrial alcohol, potash, plastic materials or synthetic resins, rayon yarns, or hydrochloric, picric, or sulphuric acids or derivatives
Coal, coke or tar products
Excelsior or packing materials
Fertilizers
Foundries, ferrous or non-ferrous
Gelatin, glue or size
Glass or large glass products, including structural or plate
glass or similar products
Grain, milling or processing
Graphite or graphite products
Gypsum
Hair, felt, or feathers, bulk processing, washing, curing or dyeing
Incineration or reduction of garbage, offal or dead animals
Insecticides, fungicides, disinfectants, or related
industrial or household chemical compounds
Leather or fur tanning, curing, finishing or dyeing
Linoleum or oil cloth
Machinery, heavy, including electrical, construction, mining, or agricultural, including repairs
Matches
Meat or fish products, including slaughtering of meat or preparation of fish for packing
Metal or metal ores, reduction, refining, smelting or alloying
Metal alloys or foil, miscellaneous, including solder, pewter, brass, bronze, or tin, lead or gold foil or similar products
Metal or metal products, treatment or processing, including enameling, japanning, lacquering, galvanizing or similar processes
Metal casting or foundry products, heavy, including ornamental iron work or similar products
Monument works, with no limitation on processing
Paint, varnishes or turpentine
Petroleum or petroleum products, refining
Plastic, raw
Porcelain products, including bathroom or kitchen equipment or similar products
Radioactive waste disposal services involving the handling or storage of radioactive waste
Railroad equipment, including railroad cars or locomotives
Rubber, natural or synthetic, including tires, tubes or similar products
Sewage disposal plants
Ship or boat building or repair yards, for ships or boats 200 feet in length or over
Soaps or detergents, including fat rendering
Steel, structural products, including bars, girders, rails, wire rope or similar products
Solvent extracting
Stock yards or slaughtering of animals or poultry
Stone processing or stone products, including abrasives, asbestos, stone screenings, stone cutting, stone work, sand or lime products, or similar processes or products
Sugar refining
Textile bleaching
Wood or bone distillation
Wood or lumber processing including sawmills or planing mills, excelsior, plywood, or veneer, wood-preserving treatment or similar products or processes
Wood pulp or fiber, reduction or processing, including paper mill operations
Wool scouring or pulling

B. Storage or miscellaneous uses, open or enclosed
Coal or gas storage
Dumps, marine transfer stations for garbage or slag piles
Electric power or steam generating plants
Explosives storage, when not prohibited by other ordinances
Gas manufacturing plants
Grain storage
Junk or salvage yards, including auto wrecking or similar establishments, provided that such yard is completely enclosed on all sides by a solid opaque fence or wall (including solid opaque entrance and exit gates) of suitable uniform material and color, at least eight feet in height and constructed in accordance with rules and regulations to be promulgated by the Commissioner of Buildings
Lumber yards, with no limitation on lot area per establishment
Manure, peat or topsoil storage
Petroleum or petroleum products, storage or handling
Refrigerating plants
Scrap metal, junk, paper or rags storage, sorting, or baling, provided that any yard in which such #use# is conducted is completely enclosed on all sides by a solid opaque fence or wall (including solid opaque entrance and exit gates) of suitable uniform material and color, at least eight feet in height and constructed in accordance with rules and regulations to be promulgated by the Commissioner of Buildings

So as you can see, the shiny new condos and schools proposed for Willets Point would be adjacent to highly polluting businesses with a bunch of congested highways thrown in. A great place to live, especially if you have asthma. Does this sound like good urban planning to you? The Department of City Plotting strikes again!