Albert Road Reconstruction Stirs Ozone Park Residents by Patricia Adams - Forum News

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City Begins Land Acquisition Process


Ozone Park property owners turned out in full force on Tuesday evening for what was originally billed as an emergency meeting of the Ozone Park Civic Association. The meeting was called after a “boiler plate” letter was sent to more than 500 residents who live on streets within the confines of HW411B, the street and sewer reconstruction of the Albert Road area.

Inclusion of the term eminent domain the letter sent a wave of panic through many residents who feared they may lose their property. Thankfully, despite the initial stress caused by the letter, there are no cases where a home or any other significant land parcels are in danger of being lost.

Department of Design and Construction fell under criticism because it failed to send details advising individual homeowners about how their property would be affected, if at all. “They [the city] could have spared the community this hysteria had they done their due diligence,” explained Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

But despite his criticism of the agency’s dissemination of information to the public, Ulrich says he is confident that the project will now move ahead. “I believe that construction will start as early as 2012. The acquisition process has begun and the project is fully funded. It will move forward.”

Ozone Civic President, Howard Kamph said at the end of the meeting he was happy with his decision at the last minute to allow the crowd to interact directly with the agency personnel. Kamph expressed concern over some additional provisions of the project which he said would include bike lanes and the return of Cohancy Street to a two-way. “If this project ever gets done, it will be a miracle,” Kamph said. “I’ve been hearing about it since I got here in 1981 and I have the DOT letters to prove it.”

Complete lists detailing the project were made available to all residents in attendance on Tuesday evening. Representatives from DDC reviewed individual properties with residents and advised them of any changes intended at their location. All homeowners were especially relieved to be informed that no residences were in jeopardy and that only a handful of structures, namely garages or sheds, are involved. The major alterations will be comprised mainly of residents losing some footage at curbside and other instances such as small retaining walls installed by homeowners. In all instances where the city would be acquiring property not already owned by them, financial compensation will be offered.

The original estimate to begin construction is early in 2013 and is expected to continue for approximately one year.

Residents Seek Answers on Ozone Park Sewer Plan by Bryan Yurcan - Queens Chronicle

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Residents pack the Ozone Park Civic Association meeting Tuesday to speak with officials from the city Department of Design and Construction on the HWQ411B sewer project. PHOTO BY BRYAN YURCAN

Hundreds of residents came out to the Ozone Park Civic Association meeting Tuesday looking for answers about potential eminent domain proceedings in the Centreville area.

About 500 Centreville residents received letters last week from the city Department of Design and Construction regarding the long-proposed HWQ411B sewer project. The letters stated that the city might need to use eminent domain to acquire some property in order to complete the work.

Civic Association President Howie Kamph said he was flooded with calls from concerned homeowners, and decided to invite DDC officials to the meeting to speak to them directly.

Rather than conduct the meeting in a traditional manner, DDC representatives set up seven different stations, and — according to their address — residents went to the proper table to find out what, if any, property the city might need to take.

“This was the best way to do it, this way the DDC can have a one-on-one conversation with every homeowner,” Kamph said. “It’s better than an open meeting with everyone screaming.”

Originally proposed 30 years ago, the HWQ411B plan calls for the replacement of several water mains and sanitary sewers in the area, along with the additions of new storm drains, which would help alleviate the community’s long-time flooding problem.

According to Narayana Venugopalan, an assistant commissioner with the DDC, about 150 properties in the neighborhood will be affected.

He said homeowners will lose no more than five to 10 feet of property, mostly curbs and sidewalks in front of their residences.

“It won’t be more than a sliver,” he said.

A public hearing on the $40 million project is scheduled for Nov. 30. Venugopalan said work on HWQ411B will begin either in late 2011 or the spring of 2012.

“We are finishing this project,” he said of the long-delayed plan.

Ozone Park resident Anna Quarto was one of many who received the eminent domain letter and came to the meeting with concerns.

Quarto said she found the session to be informative and was glad to discover that no one will be losing their house.

“I think people in general got scared when they read that their property might have to be acquired,” she said.

Her husband, Lenny, said he is glad the project appears to finally be moving forward.

“It will definitely make Ozone Park better,” he said.

Centreville Street Project Still Stalled by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle

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When members of the Ozone Park Civic Association meet next Tuesday evening to discuss — yet again — the ongoing saga that has become Centreville’s HWQ411B street construction project, President Howard Kamph will not be holding his breath for good news, or much news at all.

Throughout his civic career, Kamph has endured 25 years of start-and-then-stop action when it comes to the project, which calls for the reconstruction of all streets, sidewalks, curbs and pedestrian ramps along 28 blocks in Ozone Park.

Since 1984, the Departments of Design and Construction and Transportation have provided myriad explanations for why the project has not been started yet, including difficulty acquiring property in the area and the latest excuse: that the residents on Bristol Street do not want their road redone. Kamph says excuses are not good enough.

“I call this the ghost project of the DOT,” he said. “We’re frustrated with useless meetings and projects that never get done. All I can say is: if they were working for Donald Trump, they all would have been fired.”

Residents and community organizers say the area’s streets are dangerous and neglected. HWQ411B, which calls for the replacement of water mains and sanitary sewers, also includes plans to construct new storm sewers, an urgent fix in a neighborhood that suffers from an overwhelming flooding problem.

“I’ve walked down each and every one of those streets during the last 15 years at different times of the year and that area is a complete abomination,” said Democratic District Leader Lew Simon. “There are potholes that would make it impossible for a mother to get around with her carriage. And when it rains, the water stagnates there — there’s nowhere for it to go.”

Like Kamph, Simon doesn’t expect much to come out of another community hearing with representatives from the DOT, DDC or mayor’s office, all of whom are expected to attend the meeting. The best hope, he said, is to convince the city to, at the very least, go forward with minor construction projects to make the streets safer.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), a former Community Board 9 member, has been involved with the project for several years and said he hopes next week’s meeting will provide more than just a temporary solution.

“Capital Project HWQ411B has been stuck in a logjam for far too long,” Ulrich said. “I remain optimistic that we can finally make progress on this issue.”

State Sen. Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) said that, although it’s unacceptable for the DOT and DDC to sit on the issue for more than two decades, it isn’t uncommon. While serving as councilman, Addabbo undertook Project 176E, a 20-year-long plan that eventually resulted in the reconstruction and enhancement of streets and sidewalks in Tudor Village. A more pressing issue, he said, is the rising cost of the initiative. “With every year that passes, the cost of the project goes up,” he said.

Four years ago, the cost leapt from $24 million to $40 million. Addabbo said he is worried that, with the economic downturn, residents will receive news that project funding is no longer available.

A lesser, but existing concern to be addressed at the meeting is the DOT’s decision to halt an upcoming Green Street project in the area until the HWQ411B project is completed. The Ozone Park Civic Association encourages residents to attend its next meeting, which will take place on Tuesday, June 16 at 8 p.m. at 97-14 135th Dr., to address any concerns they have with the project’s delay.

NYRA Selling Vacant Land by Patricia Adams- Forum News:

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Residents in the Centerville area who live adjacent to vacant properties owned by the New York Racing Association received letters from David R. Malts & Co. on March 25, informing them that NYRA “has decided to liquidate certain assets that are not part of its core business strategy.” The letter also informed residents that they had to remove any structures, fences, pools or items stored on the NYRA property.

The letter indicated that David Maltz & Co. would be conducting an auction of the land on May 13th. David R. Maltz & Co. Inc. is an auction company that specializes in sales that are debt related. Since those letters were sent out to residents it appears the auction date has changed. According to the auctioneer's website, it is to take place at the racetrack on June 10th.

The 64 tax lots are all located in the Centerville area and are presently vacant land. All are zoned R4 which allows only for residential development. According to the auctioneer, lots/assemblages Range from 2,000 - 75,000 Sq. Ft.

At the Community Board 10 meeting two weeks ago, NYRA Vice President Liz Bracken and NYRA's Community Relations Manager, Joanne Adams, were present, but provided little information as to on how local residents whose properties abut the lands to be sold could participate in the auction. The Board requested that such information be provided.

The land now in use by the Ozone-Howard Little League is not among the parcels to be sold. The Little League will continue to operate on the NYRA owned land it uses.

Lots reported to be included in the planned sale are lots 1,7, and 129 on Block 11535; lots 18,21,22,25,26,and 27 on Block 11551; lots 30,21,35,36,37,39,41,85, 91, 94, 95, and 100 on Block 11552; lots 7, 16, 30, 38, 40, and 42 on Block 11555; lots 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 19, 23, 25, 30, 32, 33, 35, 38, 45, and 60 on Block 11559; lot 11 on Block 11560; lots 1, 3. 5. 8, 12, 22,35, 36, 37, and 122 on Block 11561; lots 140, 152, 153, 157, 175, 179, 188, 200, and 202 on Block 11562.

Some community residents maintain they were not aware until now that NYRA intended to sell off the 64 surplus lots it doesn’t utilize. But the sale of the parcels has been brought up at the Ozone Park Civic Association meetings as well as at the Community Board and other area meetings many times over the last few years.

According to NYRA Chief Administrative Officer John Ryan, “The New York Racing Association has been wanting to sell these properties for years.” NYRA had sought approval to sell them in 2005 as part of its effort to stave off bankruptcy proceedings, but that sale did not advance.

Most proceeds generated from the planned sale are to go toward NYRA's debt, including an outstanding IRS bill estimated to be around $25 million and a state tax bill for back taxes in the amount of $1.4 million. A small portion will be set aside for capital improvements.

State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said he is seeking information from NYRA as well as Gov. Patterson’s office concerning the upcoming auction. “What we have to realize here is that the residents of this community will have to deal with whatever is built here for a long time,” Addabbo said. “That mandates that we carefully review every detail now.”

Following a meeting with NYRA last week, Sen. Addabbo has requested a map to physically see the layout and contends that he will push hard for current homeowners to have the first shot at purchasing adjacent properties. “Certainly we want to see people who live here have an opportunity to buy land parcels that are connected to their homes and not have developers come in and take that away from them.” Maps of the area and the lots planned to be sold was provided to Addabbo, Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer, and Community Board 10 Chairperson Betty Braton by NYRA at later meeting with NYRA President Charles Hayward and other NYRA staff.

Sen. Addabbo also stated that there are problems with some parcels of land because they could “disappear” as a result of a slated city project, 411B, which will serve to widen streets in the area. “There are parcels included in the auction package, such as some on Bristol Street, that could be lessened by at least a third of their size due to their physical location when 411B begins.”

According to the senator, although 411B has been talked about for nearly 15 years it will definitely come to fruition, and when it does there are lots on certain mapped, as yet unconstructed, streets that run right through the center of the project. All of the lots NYRA plans to sell are located within the HW411B project area.

Addabbo isn’t the only elected official that is promising constituents a watchful eye. State Assembly member Audrey Pheffer says she plans on closely monitoring NYRA’s sale. Stressing the importance of keeping residents informed, Pheffer said, “This process must be run in an extremely open fashion. The residents must know exactly what to expect. She said that because the properties in question are all subject to zoning restrictions, all new construction would have to be similar to existing structures throughout the area.

NYRA has indicated that it will provide more information as soon as it becomes available.

Catering Hall Fails to Get License to Dance by Stephen Geffon - Queens Chronicle

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Community Board 10 rejected a cabaret license submitted by Ozone Park catering hall Infiniti 80. (photo by Stephen Geffon)

There will be no dancing at Infiniti 80, an Ozone Park catering hall, if Community Board 10 has its way.

Board members last week rejected an application for a cabaret license at the hall, located at 96-25 Rockaway Blvd., submitted by owner Selena Archambault, on the grounds that it would increase traffic congestion in the residential area.

Representing the business and its owners, Archambault and her sister, architect Dan Austin made a presentation before the board outlining the work done and money spent to get the business in shape.

“I have the utmost faith in these young ladies and I think that they can pull it off,” Austin said, adding that the co-owners took an old building, formerly the Villa Marcello catering hall, and turned it into a usable space.

The catering hall would essentially be a mom-and-pop community establishment, Austin told the board during its monthly meeting last week.

Board Chairwoman Betty Braton said C.B. 10 received three letters from community residents supporting Infiniti 80 and its request for a cabaret license. It also received a letter from the Ozone Park Civic Association opposing the application, Braton said.

After discussing the catering hall’s application, the civic association came to the conclusion that approving a cabaret license would cause a number of problems in the community, according to the letter. Such a license would not set a good impression for children in the residential area, the civic association wrote.

Additionally, Infiniti 80’s location is in close proximity to six schools and there are no parking facilities to accommodate the business’ patrons. The civic also noted that Rockaway Boulevard is already heavily congested with traffic and claimed approving the application would likely worsen the situation.

According to the city Department of Consumer Affairs, any business that sells food or beverages to the public and permits patron dancing must have a cabaret license. C.B. 10 member Peter Granickas asked Infiniti 80’s owners why they would need a cabaret license, which is not required for family parties with a DJ and dancing.

On behalf of the owners, Austin explained that the reason they were seeking a license is because the catering hall’s predecessor, Villa Marcello, had one. In response to that, Braton said the previous business had a cabaret license, but it was unnecessary because it was operating as a catering hall, not a dance club.

Granickas also noted that the board had bad experiences in the past when they approved cabaret licenses.

The board voted unanimously to turn down the application for a cabaret license, but Braton told Austin and Archambault they could still operate their business as a catering hall and could apply for a cabaret license again at a later date.

Kiwanians Honor a South Queens Legend by Peter C. Mastrosimone - Queens Chronicle

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His name and his legacy will forever be a part of south Queens, and now a plaque has been installed on Cross Bay Boulevard to honor Arthur Panzarella — the attorney, realtor and philanthropist who helped shape the Howard Beach and Ozone Park residents know today.

[Among those gathered to remember Arthur Panzarella were his family and members of the Kiwanis Club. (photo courtesy of Dino Bono)]

The sign was posted Oct. 11 by the Ozone Park Kiwanis Club, which Panzarella served as president more than 40 years ago, on a small green space the organization maintains just south of Pitkin Avenue.

Known as Art or Artie, though his proper name was Atillio, Panzarella was a major force in the development of south Queens and the establishment of several community groups here, most notably the South Queens Boys Club, now the Boys and Girls Club.

As the Ozone Park Kiwanis president, he guided the founding of the Howard Beach Kiwanis Club, and was a key figure in the Ozone Park Civic Association, the 106th Precinct Youth Council and the Howard Beach Chamber of Commerce. Panzarella’s contributions also helped create the Hamilton Beach Ambulance Corps.

“Through his personal efforts, with his time, his funds and his knowledge as an attorney, he gave us a better quality of life in the area,” said longtime friend Sal Mossa, one of several speakers who honored Panzarella at the plaque dedication. “He was very forceful, he was generous, he donated his personal time and energy.”

Panzarella opened his first office in Ozone Park in 1953 and moved into Howard Beach in 1958.

He shared his office for a few years with Marjorie Centrone, then a brand-new attorney, who still practices law in the area. Centrone recalled Panzarella as one of a few figures who developed Howard Beach, then a hilly swamp, and got sewers installed for the homes that were going up.

But he always made time for the community, and the Boys Club was “his baby,” Centrone recalled.

“If you knew Arthur, you appreciated him,” she said. “He didn’t smile too much, but if he could help you, he would.”

One of nine children, Panzarella was born in 1919 and moved to New York in 1931. He stayed here until the late 1970s, when he retired to Arizona, where his son, Arthur Panzarella, remains, and from which he still controls the shopping center and office complex his father built on Cross Bay Boulevard.

Atillio Panzarella died in 1995 at age 75. His family, comprising four children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren — as well as numerous nieces, nephews and other more distant relatives — “continues his legacy, in New York and Arizona,” his son said.

Certainly south Queens will always remember him.

Upcoming Debates in the SD-15 Race Between State Senator Serf Maltese and City Councilman Joe Addabbo

Upcoming Debate Schedule in the SD-15

Date: October 2nd
Ridgewood Property Owners & Civic Association Debate
Time: 7:30 - 8:15
Location: Intermediate School 93, Forest Ave near Madison Ridgewood

Date: October 7th
Our Neighbors Civic Association of Ozone Park "Meet the Candidates Night"
Time: Meeting starts at 7:30pm
Location: Christ Lutheran Church 85-15 101 Avenue Ozone Park

Date: October 14th
Forest Hills Community and Civic Association "Meet the Candidates Night"
Time: Meeting starts at 8:15pm
Location: American Legion Hall 107-15 Metropolitan Avenue Forest Hills

Date: October 21st
Ozone Park Civic Association "Meet the Candidates Night"
Time: Meeting starts at 7:30pm
Location: Ozone/Howard Little League Club House, 97-45 135th Drive Ozone Park

Community, 106th Precinct Discuss Ozone Park Issues by Sari Zeidler - Queens Chronicle

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The streets of south Queens are becoming cleaner and safer, but, according to residents in attendance at a meeting held by the Ozone Park Civic Association on Tuesday night, finding easier ways to navigate them remains an issue of concern.

The actions of tow truck drivers provided a broad range of complaints among Ozone Park residents. Grievances aired at the meeting ranged from those inconvenienced by habitual disregard of no-standing laws to monetary theft.

"They are out-of-their-mind lunatics, these tow truck drivers,” said Lt. Joseph Salvato, special operations lieutenant for the 106th Precinct. He recently uncovered a scam by a tow truck company attempting to steal money from unsuspecting residents.

The tow truck driver, whom Salvato declined to identify, posted fake tow away zone signs at a Duane Reade drugstore on Liberty Avenue and then charged an illegally high sum for retrieval and pocketed the extra money.

According to Salvato, discovery of the scam has led to a police crackdown on towing companies around Queens, who have been caught speeding and stealing cars for scrap metal.

Residents called for more sewers, more curb cuts to provide easier maneuverability for the handicapped and an end to the use of traffic cones to reserve parking spots on commercial streets.

Residents also fear that construction related to highway project 411B, a $60 million project to improve the Nassau Expressway near Kennedy International Airport, may present a challenge to getting around, especially for the elderly and handicapped.

To make sure the project runs smoothly and creates as little disturbance as possible, City Councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr., who addressed the crowd, suggested the creation of a task force made up of community and civic members to meet weekly with contractors to address community concerns.

Both Salvato and Addabbo were pleased to predict that Queens may see cleaner streets with the recent arrest of notorious graffiti vandals “Sum” and “Z.”

Republican District Leader Eric Ulrich claimed that the vandals, who turned out to be a 35-year-old man and his 22-year-old girlfriend, were responsible for spray painting their tags in cemeteries and on city and federal property.

According to Salvato, the pair are expected to confess to additional charges on Wednesday. Ulrich said a community graffiti cleanup is being planned for the end of fall to ensure a clean holiday season.

Addabbo lauded recent police activity and added that he hoped an increase in police funding would allow the city to recruit a larger force. Despite a raise in the starting salary for NYPD officers — now more than $42,000 per year — Addabbo warned that a weakening economy will not leave Queens untouched as Wall Street woes equate to less overall revenue in the state.

“We want to maintain a certain level of living in the city, but how do you do that without revenue?” Addabbo asked.

He also spoke of his opposition to Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposals to consolidate or close city senior centers to save money. “The idea of freezing a senior’s meals for a week is a problem,” he said, adding that a daily visit to deliver meals is more important than the meal itself, as it provides the only regular source of human contact for many seniors.

“As a city we tighten our belt,” Addabbo said “and we get through these rough times together.”

He also discussed mayoral control of schools and term limits. Legislators in Albany will vote next year to decide whether city schools will remain under control of the mayor or be governed by school boards and a city board of education— a decision, Addabbo said, that should be made by local residents, not state legislators.

“People leave a community because of our schools or stay in a community because of our schools,” he said. “Our community would change drastically,” based on the outcome of this vote.

Addabbo announced he will hold town hall meetings in local communities to determine attitudes regarding the school system.

He also hopes the issue of term limits for elected officials did not distract from issues more pertinent to the daily lives of citizens.

Photo Caption: Lt. Joseph Salvato of the 106th Precinct at the Ozone Park Civic Association meeting. (photo by Sari Zeidler)

HB Civic Reports Good News by Aliza Moorji - The Queens Courier

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The Howard Beach Civic Forum held its monthly meeting on May 27. Members discussed several issues, including an update from the 106th Precinct, Community Board 10 report, local politician’s reports, and other new business and community concerns.

President Stella DiMatteo announced the first speaker, Frank Gulluscio, Community Board 6 District Manager. Gulluscio said the Community Board participated in the “Woodhaven Boulevard study,” which overlooks the amount of traffic and congestion in that area. He said the study is “moving along rapidly because it involved the community.”

“With the onslaught of people moving in, it [traffic] will only get worse,” he added.

Gulluscio also mentioned that there will be changes to the bike paths on 156th Avenue.

Additionally, Officer John Dombrowski of the 106th Precinct attended the meeting to report on the crime rates in the Howard Beach area. He said there has been a distinct drop in home invasions on 160th Avenue during the last few weeks, which residents were concerned about in their previous meeting.

Dombrowski also reported that there will be more patrol around P.S. 207 during dismissal times due to double-parked cars. But there has not been any other new trouble with P.S. 207. In regard to the students, he also said his command post will be keeping up with park regulations and make sure that children are not in the park after 9 p.m.

Residents, along with Treasurer Lenny Safarino, raised questions about the youth’s safety in the park. Dombrowski said that his command does give leeway but will not accept anyone “hanging around” up to 10 or 11 p.m.

However, a few residents complained to Dombrowski that there have been several incidents of speeding and reckless driving around the 159th Avenue area. Complaints were made that some drivers speed at over 60 m.p.h. and nothing is being done about it. Dombrowski took note and said he will have his command on alert in the area.

Other speakers included Eric Urlich, Vice President of the Ozone Park Civic Association, who urged residents to become registered voters. The meeting ended with an announcement by DiMatteo that board elections will be held at their next monthly meeting on June 24.