Corey Johnson is fooling absolutely no one

Add CB7 to the list of community boards rejecting "Planning Together"... (love the racism angle)

CB7 response to Planning Together by queenscrapper on Scribd

So, let me remind you that the hearing is Tuesday, February 23rd at 10am. You can sign up to testify in person or submit written testimony here. Choose the following from the dropdown menu:

Ron Kim claps back at Cuomo

Governor Andrew Cuomo sends grovelling make up letter to Jeff Bezos.

 

AMNY

Just pathetic. And all these people actually were willing to put their names and reputations on this.

What, no mention of Gianaris removal from Public Authorities Control Board?

 "Come back Mr. Bezos! We got rid of Gianaris! Please baby come back!"

CBS NY:

In a stunning offer to get the Amazon deal back on track, Governor Andrew Cuomo joined dozens of business leaders, unions, and elected officials who published an open letter in the New York Times asking the retail giant to give the Big Apple a second chance.

Even though Jeff Bezos and co. may have landed a Valentine’s Day sucker punch, Iron Mike Tyson Cuomo isn’t close to throwing in the towel. He’s launched an all out campaign to woo the company back to Long Island City.

“You punch until you hear the bell, and the bell hasn’t sounded,” the governor said. “Until somebody rings the bell, I’m going to keep pushing.”

In addition to personally sweet talking top Amazon officials, Cuomo pledged to side step the elected officials who opposed the deal — primarily State Senator Michael Gianaris (D-12th) and Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-26th), who both represent Long Island City.

“At this point they are irrelevant because there are other ways that the state can get it done, and I told Amazon that,” Cuomo said.

I presume Andrew Amazon told them that in those initial secret meetings and Bezos still abandoned the city and notably the entire HQ2.

Well, well, well. There it is, Queens. The governor doesn't give a shit about the state senator and the city councilman's constituents. Which also happen to be his constituents too. This should show why the subways and highways are the way they are and how they got worse under Mario's arrogant son.

Read this as you wait for the feast

Below is the letter that former DOI Commissioner Mark Peters sent to the City Council about his dismissal by de Blasio.

STATEMENT FROM DOI COMMISSI... by on Scribd

Vallone "community letter" turns out to be political ad

"Hi Crappy -

I read "Paul vs. Paul getting really amusing" a few days ago and couldn't believe how hypocritical these so-called "community leaders" who support Vallone were in condemning the mailers from Paul Graziano...I remember what happened four years ago with Vallone's mail pieces - they were nasty and people got really turned off, and none of those people said a peep when it happened, but whatever, they want to say their piece now, so be it.

So imagine my surprise when I got a mailer on Saturday with the letter on one side and all of these elected officials on the other. What a crock! That letter was phony - Paid for by We Support Paul Vallone! Classic Queens Democratic Machine BS."

- anonymous in Bayside

So he tricked newspapers into printing a free campaign ad?
That's pretty lame.

Letter grades for food carts?

From DNA Info:

A Queens councilwoman wants food trucks and carts to display letter grades, just like city restaurants.

Karen Koslowitz introduced a bill in the City Council Wednesday, which she said would require the city’s Health Department to conduct inspections and give food carts and trucks letter grades of A, B or C.

“You go to a food cart, and you really don’t know its sanitary condition,” Koslowitz said in a statement. “Our current grading system works well for restaurants, and I believe it would be good for the City’s food carts as well.”

Letter grades have been given to restaurants in New York City since 2010.

Katz & Sliwa send messages to de Blasio about proposed Maspeth shelter

Melinda, sensing a community victory, suddenly comes out of the woodwork!

Melinda Katz letter to de Blasio re: proposed Maspeth shelter

And Curtis Sliwa attended the Maspeth shelter protest last night:






Meanwhile, NY1 reports that the city is still negotiating with the hotel owner.

Interestingly, a manager at the hotel, believed to be a relative of his, briefly spoke with protesters and was asked to relay a message back to him.



This gets more interesting by the day.

Thank you to Juniper Park Civic Association for the videos and letter.

Beware of latest mail scam

From CBS:

A fake pest control violation letter is circulating in the city and its asking its recipients to pay up big bucks.

On Friday, Henry Gelfand received the official looking letter claiming to be from the City of New York.

“They’re using the city logo on top, they’re using the city logo on the bottom,” Gelfand said told CBS2’s Tracee Carrasco.

Only problem? It’s not the city who sent the letter. The notice, which is printed on a fake New York City Department letter head, claims to be from the “Rodent Control Program Assessment.”

The letter demands immediate payment for an unspecified violation ranging from $120 to $280, to be mailed to “Vermin Control of New York.”

“The property address is missing, the lot number is missing, all the information that should be provided in a violation is missing,” Gelfand said. The letter reads “this violation cannot be contested or challenged.”

Melinda Katz: Where are you?

Schematic of what Steinway Mansion will look like once building project is complete

An open letter to Borough President Melinda Katz from The Friends of Steinway Mansion (Written September 2015):

Dear Madam Borough President,

The Steinways played a pivotal role in making New York as the center of arts and culture. In this spirit, the Friends of Steinway Mansion has proposed that the area around the piano factory and the mansion as a special business zone for the arts and artisans – a place for them to learn their craft and showcase their work.

As this article from a March 2014 edition of the New York Times examines, the arts community in our city is under increasing stress from harsh economics. Space is falling victim to rents. Collaboration is lost to commute times.

Entire segments of the art world in dance and theater are drifting away. Creative people still come here, but their goals of a life in the arts gets more elusive with each passing year.
What will happen to New York's role as a world leader in arts and as a tourist destination? What will happen if our city loses our arts community?

The Friends of Steinway Mansion calls for the Borough President to consider the Steinway Arts District and make the mansion a centerpiece of this dream. Those 11 ‘warehouses’? How about artist workspace?

Any other borough would jump at this opportunity. Why not Queens? Are you not a patron of the arts?

We would be happy to discuss this Madam Borough President. We are just a phone call away.

The Friends of Steinway Mansion
_____________________________________________

Letter to Melinda Katz (Written November 2015):

Dear Madam President,

I would like to make you aware of a disturbing decision made by the Landmarks Preservation Commission with regard to the status of Old St. James Episcopal Parish Hall, located at 86-02 Broadway in Elmhurst, one of the oldest and most historic buildings in Queens. Attached is the response from Mary Beth Betts, director of research at the LPC, to a request for evaluation submitted by State Senator Tony Avella at Newtown Historical Society’s request. In this letter, Ms. Betts cites the building’s alteration and “re-creation” in 2004 as the cause of rejection. This rationale is patently false and dishonest, as I will prove below.

Some background on the building: It was originally built in 1735 and was attended by some of the earliest families living in Newtown, such as the Moores and Seaburys. It was remodeled in 1883 and completely restored by the Landmarks Conservancy in 2004. A detailed history can be found on this website: tinyurl.com/oldstjames. A passage from this narrative:

In 1963, the Post Office wanted to buy Old St. James to tear it down for a new post office. The church rejected their offer. In a letter written that year, they cited the historic importance of the church. Today, the building is used as a community center, hosting meetings of groups such as the Boy Scouts, AA, veterans groups, and church services by smaller congregations.

In 2004, the church got a necessary restoration. The project, which cost $430,000, included a $150,000 loan from the Landmarks Conservancy. The building got a new rood, the cedar siding was restored, as were the wooden windows and the eaves and brackets. The 1883 decorative bracketing on the gables, which had been removed, was restored, as well, bringing the building back to its 1880s appearance. The project architect was Kaitsen Woo, and his general contractor was 53 Restorations, Inc. The Conservancy awarded the project with its Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award. Thanks to the stubbornness of St. James, and the desire by the Elmhurst community to preserve an important part of Queens history, this building is with us to enjoy today.

Once again – restored – not re-created, and almost entirely with taxpayer funds a mere 11 years ago. The minimum age for a building to qualify for designation is 30 years. Old St. James Parish Hall’s 1883 remodeling exceeds that by 153 years.

This rejection is a slap in the face to the NYS Historic Preservation Office, which not only has placed this property on the National Register of Historic Places, but reviewed, approved, and funded its $430K restoration, finding it met the Secretary of the Interior’s standards. Even if there is little 18th century fabric at the exterior, the 19th century fabric is nothing to sneeze at – especially since the asbestos shingle was removed and the trim restored (additionally, existing shingle siding, while not holding paint very well, IS the original 19th century shingle, and not a modern replacement).

And furthermore, even if this WAS a re-creation as claimed by Ms. Betts, there have been several other structures that were completely demolished and rebuilt yet still were designated NYC landmarks by the LPC – including the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace and Fraunces Tavern in Manhattan. Neither of these contains its original fabric and neither was rebuilt in the exact same style.

With the emphasis lately on expanding tourism in the borough and in light of the 50th anniversary of the Landmarks Law, it would be a shame to lose this engaging piece of Queens history that is appreciated by natives, immigrants and tourists alike. The rejection of one of the most historic sites in our borough by the LPC is an arbitrary and capricious action that cannot be taken lightly and we ask for your intervention to help save it.

Thank you.

Christina Wilkinson
President
Newtown Historical Society

There doesn't seem to have been a response from Borough Hall to either of these letters. But there's a lot of this being spread around:

State of the Borough: "The NYS Pavilion got a paint job, so the preservation of Queens is complete. Vibrant! Diverse!"

Jackson Heights residents concerned about gentrification

From Progress Queens:

The members of the Land Use Committee of Queens Community Board 3 have not responded to a letter submitted on behalf of the Jackson Heights community of residents, seeking comment about recent, major changes in commercial businesses.

The September 13 letter was sent by e-mail to the general e-mail account of Queens Community Board 3. The letter was signed by long-time Jackson Heights resident Susan Lippman and Louis Flores, the latter, who is the author of this article and the publisher of Progress Queens. In the past, Ms. Lippman has been a contributor to Progress Queens.

The letter sought to express concerns that have been growing in the community about changes in retail stores on 82nd Street, changes that community residents say may reflect upward pressure on commercial rents and a harbinger of gentrification.

A popular clothing store on 82nd Street closed and relocated to Junction Blvd., and plans were immediately made for the clothing store's former 82nd Street location to be replaced by a Banana Republic, raising concerns that the commercial landlord may be raising rents in order to attract expensive, chain store retailers.

Word is also spreading in the community that a 10-story hotel may be set to rise at 37-23 72nd Street near Broadway.

The e-mail transmitting the letter to Community Board 3 was copied to the office of Councilmember Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights), who also did not provide any response to the e-mail.

How to smackdown a politician

Anthony Del Mundo/Daily News

Dear Editor (Queens Chronicle):

Councilman Dromm: I was deeply offended by your accusation that “Some of those who are now arguing the conditions are not up to par in the facility are the people who were involved with the hateful, vitriolic language being aimed at the residents” in the article “‘Three-nied’: Stringer says no to Pan Am deal” (Sept. 3, multiple editions).

I am one of the many who have brought to light the horrendous conditions at the Pan Am shelter. However, I have never made “hateful, vitriolic language” against these homeless families.

In fact, I would like to understand what you have done for your new constituents, outside of handing out knapsacks?

Did you effectively handle the out-of-control garbage problem? The rat infestation? The roach and bedbug problems? Most importantly, have you done anything to support the installation of a kitchen in each unit so that these families are in safe and humane living conditions? The answer to this is no, as I am sure you would have called the press to toot your own horn if you did anything.

Therefore, if you have no intention of advocating for a kitchen in each unit in the Pan Am shelter, I urge you to focus on the horrendous graffiti problem in Elmhurst, the out-of-control trash all over the streets and sidewalks and the loud airplane noise that is plaguing our area so that you have something to show come election time outside of making inaccurate and unjust statements.

J. Ramos
Elmhurst

________________________________________________

Dear Editor (Queens Chronicle):

Regarding the Pan Am shelter, Councilman Dromm was quoted in your recent article “‘Three-nied’: Stringer says no to Pan Am deal,” as saying “Some of those who are now arguing the conditions are not up to par in the facility are the people who were involved with the hateful, vitriolic language being aimed at the residents.”

By making these remarks Dromm is calling the new immigrants of his district hateful and malicious while ignoring the efforts they have made to improve the living conditions of destitute families at Pan Am. It was Elmhurst residents who raised hell and embarrassed the building management to put in a trash compactor, forced state and city agencies to inspect the hotel, got rid of the rats next to the recreation area and forced the landlord to make the hotel habitable. They have accomplished all this with zero help from Dromm.

The Pan Am building currently has an expired certificate of occupancy, making parts of the building illegal to occupy. The building has various uncorrected violations and tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid penalties. The FDNY could shut down the building at its next inspection and yet Dromm is welcoming families and children to stay in this firetrap. There will be casualties at the next fire; just look at the violations for inadequate sprinklers and fire doors.

Warehousing four people into a single room with bunk beds and no desk is not the solution. These residents need a lease, rent subsidies and job referrals to start from scratch. Dromm’s handshakes and schoolbags are not enough to get them out of the system.

Victor Enriquez
Elmhurst

Will Meeks' decision kill jobs?

From the Politicker:

A group of state and city legislators from Queens today released a letter to Congressman Gregory Meeks urging him to flip his current stance and vote against the Trans-Pacific Partnership—a free trade agreement backed by the Obama administration but opposed by numerous labor and environmental groups.

State Senators Joseph Addabbo, Tony Avella , James Sanders and Leroy Comrie, along with Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages and Councilmen Daneek Miller and Donovan Richards—all Democrats representing districts that overlap with Mr. Meeks’—co-signed the missive attacking the deal, which would ease trade barriers and a host of regulations between the United States, Australia and several Asian and Latin American nations. President Barack Obama and Democrats and Republicans supportive of the deal in Congress have pushed a bill that would grant “fast-track” authority to the administration.

Such power would permit the president to present the trade package to Congress as a purely yes-or-no vote, with little debate and no possibility of amending the arrangement.

“We are writing to urge you to oppose fast track for the Trans-Pacific Partnership,” the letter reads, going on to criticize the closed-door dealings that have forged the TPP. “The agreement is being negotiated with a lack of transparency, but we know that the TPP will affect jobs, environmental protections, prescription drug prices, financial industry regulations, internet freedom, food safety and much more.”

Most Democrats oppose the deal, but Mr. Meeks is a co-founder of the bipartisan four-member “Friends of the TPP” caucus, and recently joined Republican Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin on a trip to Singapore promoting the pact. However, the state and city politicians alleged that the partnership’s impact would mirror that of the North American Free Trade Agreement signed in the 1990s with Mexico and Canada, and lead to the outsourcing of as much as 20 percent of American jobs—many of them from Queens.

Koo pushing for expanded developer air rights

From Crains:

A group of City Council members sent Mayor Bill de Blasio a letter this week urging him to allow owners of landmarked nonprofits to sell a combined 25 million square feet of their air rights, which would then be used by developers in a few selected areas across the city to build taller buildings.

Democratic Councilmen Peter Koo of Queens and Ritchie Torres and Fernando Cabrera of the Bronx argued in the Feb. 24 letter that such a system would allow 180 landmarked nonprofit institutions to cash in on their full property values. Under current rules, those unused rights can be transferred only to sites close by.

"As you know, many religious and nonprofit institutions housed in individually designated landmarked structures struggle to maintain their buildings while providing services to further their mission," the letter stated. Mr. Koo is chair of the Committee on Landmarks, Public Siting and Maritime Uses and Mr. Torres is deputy leader of the council.

The trio used concepts and numbers contained in a proposal advanced by a group called Iconplans, which is led by former real estate broker and grocery store executive Lawrence Daitch, and real estate investor Michael Lipstein. The duo first floated their idea years ago, during the Bloomberg administration.

Julissa wants 24/7 connection at Willets Point

From DNA Info:

The Long Island Rail Road should operate 24/7 at Willets Point as part of the governor's proposed AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport to help workers get to their jobs and minimize congestion, according to a letter sent by Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras.

Ferreras, who represents the area and was an integral part of the plan to redevelop Willets Point, sent Gov. Andrew Cuomo a note about his AirTrain plan with suggestions that can help the community.

Those suggestions include renovation of the bridge that connects the 7 train and the LIRR as well as 24-hour service at the LIRR station, which is on the Port Washington branch.

Council members want Clinton Foundation to stop using AirBnB

From Crains:

Nine members of the City Council are calling on the Clinton Global Initiative to end its partnership with controversial room-sharing startup Airbnb to provide accommodations to AmeriCorps volunteers.

In a letter sent Sept. 24 to Clinton Foundation CEO Eric Braverman, the council members claim that Airbnb is "the leading operator in the illegal hotel industry that is exacerbating the affordable-housing crisis in New York City." They urge Mr. Braverman to reconsider his group's partnership with the company, which was announced Wednesday during CGI's annual global meeting in midtown Manhattan.

"We believe in the Clinton Foundation’s guiding principle that 'we’re all in this together,' " they write. "But it appears Airbnb does not subscribe to this principle, as it is content to flout our laws, put tenants at significant risk, and deal a serious blow to our efforts to make this city more affordable for working New Yorkers."

The letter is signed by council members Helen Rosenthal, Daniel Garodnick, Corey Johnson, Ben Kallos, Rosie Mendez, Brad Lander, Mark Levine, Antonio Reynoso and Ritchie Torres.
An Airbnb spokesman dismissed the claims of the letter writers.

"We are proud to support AmeriCorps and more than 1,000 new corps members as they embark on their service in schools, health centers, parks and communities recovering from disasters across the country," the spokesman said, referring to the national service program launched during the first few years of the Clinton administration.

The tweeding never ends

From DNA Info:

In the past two years, two city councilwomen went to bat for nonprofits employing their family members, writing letters of support for the groups to city officials deciding on their proposals to develop public land, records show.

City Councilwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo and ex-city Councilwoman Diana Reyna each penned letters to officials at the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development backing affordable-housing proposals, records obtained by DNAinfo New York show.

Arroyo's June 14, 2013, missive supported a Bronx nonprofit that had hired her ex-convict nephew six months earlier, while Reyna's Aug. 27, 2012, note praised a proposal by a Brooklyn nonprofit where her mother-in-law worked as a director.

Council Members think upzoning and tax breaks will create affordable housing

From the NY Observer:

Nearly two dozen City Council members are calling on Mayor Bill de Blasio to dramatically shift the city’s current affordable housing model ahead of a major speech he’s expected to deliver later this week outlining his plan to create and preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next decade.

Twenty three members have signed onto a letter, which was sent earlier this morning, endorsing a model that would provide 50 percent market rate and 50 percent affordable housing in new housing developments—a far higher rate than the 80 percent market rate and 20 percent affordable model that is currently typical in the city.

“Replacing the ineffective 80/20 model with one that maintains a higher percentage of affordable units, like the 50/50 model, would create and sustain a much greater quantity of real affordable housing for low-income and moderate-income households,” they added. “It’s a smart, progressive reform that will give city taxpayers a better return on their investment in affordable housing while still enabling developers to reap profits and trade unions to access good jobs.”

Here's the key line from the letter:

The city should use up-zoning, tax abatements, subsidies, and other tools to strive for real affordability in every new housing development.

The only Queens Council Members to sign onto this are Crowley, Dromm, Lancman and Reynoso.

Meanwhile, DeBlasio's looking at a mansion tax.

Changes coming to restaurant inspection system

From NYC.gov:

City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the Health Department announced today they are releasing for public comment new restaurant grading rules designed to reduce fines and provide additional educational resources to help restaurants maintain their high health standards and succeed throughout New York City. In the last fiscal year, fines collected fell 23 percent from its peak in fiscal year 2012. Under the new rules, which include fixed penalties, restaurants will see a further reduction of 25 percent in fines, returning to pre-grading levels despite more frequent inspections. Restaurant owners will also have the opportunity to request a consultative, ungraded and penalty-free inspection to receive tailored advice about maintaining the best food safety practices at their establishment. This will help restaurants prepare for their next inspection and give them the information and tools to improve their chances to earn an A. Speaker Mark-Viverito and Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett were joined by Council Health Committee Chair Corey Johnson, Small Business Committee Chair Robert Cornegy, Council Member Vincent J. Gentile and Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer for the announcement.

In addition to the reduced fines and penalty-free inspections, the collaboration between the City Council and the Health Department will make the entire inspection process more transparent and inclusive of small business owners.

The City Council has worked extensively to reform the City’s restaurant grading system. In October, following comprehensive forums, hearings, and a citywide restaurant inspection survey conducted by the Council, the Council passed a sweeping legislative package to improve the oversight and the performance of the restaurant inspection system.

The legislation established a new position of ombudsperson in the Office of Food Safety to respond to restaurant complaints, and expanded the Department’s food safety advisory committee, which includes nutritionists, food safety experts, and representatives from the restaurant industry. This committee will provide an ongoing review of the letter grading program.

The Health Department also announced the implementation of two other changes negotiated with the Council. Restaurants whose scores become less than 14 points after adjudication on its initial inspection will not have to pay any fines for the remaining sanitary violations on that inspection. Additionally, the Health Department will not issue a violation for a structural problem if prior inspections failed to notice it and conditions have not been changed, though the restaurant will still be required to fix it.

Samaritan Village responds to elected officials' questions regarding Glendale homeless shelter

Samaritan Village Response

That's some roster of electeds representing Glendale. Expect a "compromise" plan to be put forth.

Grace asks judge to go easy on her pop

From the Daily News:

Queens Rep. Grace Meng is asking a federal judge to go easy on her father when he’s sentenced for a bribery scheme.

When Jimmy Meng was arrested by the FBI last year, his daughter was in the middle of a race for the congressional seat and never appeared with other family members at court appearances in Brooklyn.

But with Jimmy Meng’s sentencing scheduled for March 12, Grace Meng, a Democrat, is the most prominent letter writer to Federal Judge Allyne Ross seeking leniency for the ex-assemblyman.

“When I first heard about the arrest, my heart felt broken for him,” she wrote on plain stationery with no mention of the political office she holds.