CB 6 Wants to Be Briefed by City Before DOT Proposes Bike Lanes by Joe Anuta - YourNabe.com

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A man rides down 108th Street in Rego Park, where bike lanes are scarce. Photo by Joe Anuta

Community leaders in Forest Hills and Rego Park are already preparing for a contentious addition to the neighborhood — bike lanes — though a single line has yet to be planned or painted.

On Feb. 10, the Community Board 6 sent a letter to city Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan requesting that “all proposals to establish new bicycle lanes on NYC streets shall be submitted to the affected Community Board(s) prior to their implementation.”

After the proposal, the boards would have 60 days to review the plan and submit an advisory recommendation, according to the resolution. In addition, the DOT would need to respond to any of the board’s concerns.

The measure was proposed by John Dereszewski, chairman of the board’s Transportation Committee.

“I am a bike lane supporter,” Dereszewski said. But despite his affinity for the roadside additions, which have sparked heated debate in other boroughs, he still wanted to be kept in the loop when and if the lanes ever come to the neighborhood.

Currently, the area is nearly devoid of bike lanes.

The DOT did not respond to questions about the bikes lanes.

The resolution, in addition to providing the board with information, was also designed to assist the DOT.

Several board members listed streets that might seem like good bike routes but pose specific problems for additional lanes. For example, Yellowstone Boulevard would be good for a bike lane, one member said, except for the area underneath the Long Island Rail Road tracks, where the road narrows considerably.

Other members wanted advance notice, claiming the lanes were painted without consulting anyone.


“The DOT is out there painting bike lanes without coming to any community,” said CB 6 Chairman Joseph Hennessy. “In fairness to the community, [the DOT] should have to bring it before the board.”

But Frank Gulluscio, district manager for the board, said the proposal is about the city and the community staying in touch.

“It’s all about communication from one agency to another,” he said. “As long as the lines are open, then you can’t say the good, the bad and the ugly.”

The proposal is not designed to be for or against the lanes.

Vornado Wants to Expand Rego Center by Joe Anuto - YourNabe.com

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The developers who built the Rego Park Center are proposing to build another shopping center across the street that would include housing and a school. Photo by Christina Santucci

The developer of a large Rego Park shopping center is planning to expand its footprint in the neighborhood.

Vornado Realty Trust has proposed to build a multiuse facility across the street from its previous addition to the area, Rego Center, on the corner of Horace Harding and Junction boulevards, according to members of Community Board 6.

But Frank Gulluscio, the CB 6 district manager, said the discussions with the developer did not get specific.

“Their discussion with us was preliminary,” said Gulluscio. “They didn’t present plans.”

The site is currently a vacant lot, which many large trucks use for parking. But those days — or rather years — are numbered.

The company is not planning on breaking ground for at least four to five years, Gulluscio added. In the meantime, it will work with the board and local officials to assess potential problems like traffic and parking.

“The bottom line is how is this going to affect the quality of life of people who work and travel around there,” Gulluscio said.

The new facility will include three floors of retail stores, residential housing and even a public school.

“The borough president wanted them to put in a school,” he added.

But before the school could be built, the city Department of Education would have to work with the developers to ensure the facility fits within certain parameters set by the city School Construction Authority.


The school would also need to be included in the department’s five-year capital plan, a document that outlines where education funds will be distributed.

The proposed school is not included in the current plan, which expires in 2014.

The plan also calls for residential areas, but Vornado never built the apartment complexes that were planned for its other shopping mecca, Rego Center.

Gulluscio said that the lack of housing was due to the recession.

“The footprint is still there. If the economy turns around tomorrow, then they’re going to build that complex,” he said.

Vornado already owns the vacant lot where the structure is proposed and does not need the board’s blessing to begin breaking ground.

When the Rego Center was completed earlier this year, members of the community took two disparate positions: Many were happy to have more jobs in the area, but others criticized the center for bringing traffic as well.

Gulluscio said that both consequences were important to consider.

“I’m always excited about jobs and expanding,” Gulluscio said. “But traffic patterns and bus routes between Queens Center Mall and Rego Park have to be done correctly.”

Forest Hills A Haven For Raccoons? by Rob MacKay- Forest Hills, NY Patch

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J.R. Nocerino knew things were getting out of control when he saw a family of five raccoons walking through Forest Hills in broad daylight. Although the species is nocturnal and at home in the wild, these critters were casually prancing down 68th Drive, showing no fear of humans or automobiles.

"They're getting bolder and bolder," he said. "One buddy of mine found a raccoon swimming in his pool."

A rarity 10 years ago, raccoons are popping up all over Forest Hills these days, it would seem. Recently, they have been sighted near the LIRR tracks, on the Forest Hills Little League baseball fields, on residential fences, in trees, and of course, in garbage cans.

"We're getting inundated," Nocerino said.

Though cute and cuddly-looking, raccoons can be vicious, especially if a mother thinks her brood might be in danger. They also, more seriously, present a rabies risk, although city data reveals that no rabid raccoons have been found in Queens this year. (Over 100 sick creatures have been trapped in Manhattan's Central Park, Brooklyn and the Bronx.)

On a citywide basis, raccoon-related 311 calls have increased by about 300 this year — as compared to the same time span last year — to roughly 2,400.

"They're just scaring the heck out of people," said Community Board 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio.

Locals point their fingers at the year-old Metropolitan Avenue Campus, which houses a high school and a middle school, as one reason for the recent spike. Some residents have claimed that the construction noise in the area made the critters move to quieter, more residential parts of town, especially since the school replaced the densely-wooded area where the nests would have been.

Residents also blamed city policy, noting that the NYC Department of Health will only remove a raccoon when it is sick or rabies is suspected.

City Council member Elizabeth Crowley, whose district includes Glendale, Middle Village and Woodhaven, has decided that enough is enough. She has introduced a bill that would force the NYC Health Department to remove raccoons from public and private property whenever a citizen makes a formal request.

If enacted into law, the legislation would require the health department to create a humane way to dispose of any unwanted raccoons, likely by capturing them and releasing them in areas outside the city.

In the meantime, Gulluscio encouraged locals to seal up their trash cans.

Lifelong Glendale resident Frank Kotnik Jr., who has patrolled Mid-Queens for decades as part of the 104th Precint Civilian Observation Patrol, said that a raccoon invasion might be the sign of better times. "The City of New York is becoming a friendlier place for animals," he said. "The air is cleaner ... and we have good restaurants."

Kotnik also reported that raccoons have run amok in Glendale for at least 15 years.

If the trend of wildlife migrating from his neighborhood to Forest Hills continues, he warned residents of a possible impending dilemna.

"I'm starting to see more possums near my house, " he said.

Forest Hills Tennis Stadium Up for Sale by Michael Cusenza - Queens Chronicle

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A crumbling, historic Forest Hills sporting and entertainment venue was recently put up for sale reportedly to make way for housing.

The West Side Tennis Club, which owns the land on which the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium sits, is looking to sell the 2.5-acre parcel of its 14-acre Forest Hills Gardens property in order to cover debts, according to a Wall Street Journal report published Monday.

The 15,000-seat stadium was home to the U.S. Open Tennis Championships from 1915 to 1978. It also hosted concerts by the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, the Who, Diana Ross and the Boston Pops.

The report indicates a letter was sent last week informing the membership that Forest Hills-based Cord Meyer Development Co. would purchase the land for up to $9 million. The famed facade of the stadium would remain intact.

An architect is scheduled to present the construction plan to club members at a meeting on Aug. 10, with a vote on the project expected Aug. 19. Two-thirds of the membership needs to approve the plans before the sale can move forward.

The Gardens is an R3-2 zoning district, which allows for a variety of housing types including one- and two-family detached and semi-detached houses, garden apartments and row houses.

“Whatever is built would have to, in some way, shape or form, conform with what’s already there,” said Frank Gulluscio, district manager of Community Board 6.

A spokesman for the club did not return calls seeking information on the sale. Requests for comment from Cord Meyer were referred to the public relations firm CJ2 Communications Strategies.

“At this point we have no comment,” said Judy White of CJ2.

Reaction to the potential deal from Forest Hills Gardens residents was mixed Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s part of our history,” said an elderly woman who has lived a block from the stadium for 12 years but declined to give her name. “I mean, we need to preserve something and not succumb to the greed of the big shots.”

Joe Kelly Jr., 32, who lives across the street from the stadium said, “If they build [houses], it ups my property value; if they don’t, it doesn’t. It’s not an eyesore to me, but to people looking to buy, maybe.”

A female member said she’s “all for” the sale, noting it involves a small portion of the club at 1 Tennis Pl.

But 30-year Gardens resident Don Muzich cited the stadium’s rich history before suggesting it be refurbished or a park be established instead.

“I don’t want any more large buildings with a lot of apartments,” he said.

Michael Perlman, chairman of the Rego-Forest Preservation Council, called the stadium “a historic site with local, citywide, national and international prestige,” and has been pushing for the city and state to officially landmark it.

“If any part of a legendary piece of history is touched and demolished, it does not look wise on the part of Cord Meyer or the West Side Tennis Club’s board of directors,” Perlman said.

Gulluscio said landmarking is a unique issue that calls for financial support.

“It has nostalgic value, but I don’t know about landmark value,” he said.

Perlman said the designation makes economic sense and would only open the door to monetary aid.

“It could be reused for smaller concerts and tennis matches, as well as other community events, such as fundraisers,” Perlman said. “It would usher in jobs, too, and help Forest Hills and neighboring vicinities out of a harsh economic climate.”

Leader-Observer - From Pin Boys to La Z Boys by Daniel Bush - Leader-Observer

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The former Woodhaven Lanes building is one step closer towards its transformation into a major discount furniture store.

An attorney for Woodhaven Realty, which owns the shuttered Glendale bowling alley at the intersection of Woodhaven Boulevard and Metropolitan Avenue, appeared before the City Planning Commission April 28 to apply for a special permit for the site.

The permit would allow for a retail store in excess of 10,000 square feet.

Last month, Bob's Discount Furniture announced plans to open a branch at the site, which is conveniently located near a busy shopping mall and comes with a large, 42-space parking lot. The chain furniture store plans to renovate the building's exterior before opening.

“We're seeking a special permit for a retail space,” Weisbard, the attorney for Woodhaven Realty, said after the CPC hearing. He said now it's a matter of waiting on the commission's decision. “They'll be voting” later this month, he said. “We'll find out more at that time.”

Community Board Six approved the project in March, even before knowing who would take over the 50,000-square-foot bowling alley, which closed in 2008 after a successful 50-year run. At the time, CB6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio said the site was ripe for revitalization.

A new store would bring “jobs, an economic base, and a tax base,” to the area, he said.

Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz is also supporting the venture.

“I look forward to the former Woodhaven Bowling lanes becoming a viable retail store,” Koslowitz said in a statement. “I am confident that the future occupants of the retail space will become responsible and respectful members of the community.”

Rego Park Journal - Outpost of Economic Cheer in Recession-Weary Queens by Joseph Berger - NYTimes.com

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Shoppers have flocked to the new Rego Center II in Queens, which features three midrange clothing and housewares stores. Yana Paskova for The New York Times

Worlie Steven Moore spent much of his working life selling stylish men’s suits in luxury stores like Saks Fifth Avenue. But in February 2009 he was laid off and spent nearly a year out of work, mostly catching up on reading because looking for employment in his field during a recession seemed futile.

“I thought I’d never get another job,” said Mr. Moore, a tall, genial man of 56 with a shaved Yul Brynner dome. “I thought I’d have to go to another industry.”

But he did get another job in his field. He is now selling Hugo Boss suits and other designer labels for Century 21 — if at a steeper discount than he was accustomed to — just a few blocks from his home in Lefrak City.

Mr. Moore is one of more than 1,000 people who have landed or will soon land jobs at a new six-acre mall in Rego Park, Queens. Where a parking lot once stretched, there now stands a streamlined shopping plaza, Rego Center II, shaded by a parachutelike canopy featuring three midrange clothing and housewares stores — Kohl’s, T. J. Maxx and Century 21 — and with a Costco on the way.

The mall, with its jobs for salespeople, cashiers, security officers, cleaning workers and managers, is a bright outpost of economic cheer in the gray sea of the recession. It is also a robust shot in the arm for a city that, according to Barbara Byrne Denham, chief economist of Eastern Consolidated, a Manhattan real estate investment services firm, has lost 167,500 jobs since the recession began. In Queens alone, 30,000 residents lost their jobs just in the 12 months ending February.

Shoppers, scouting out the wares in these fresh temples of merchandise near the Long Island Expressway, are excited, too. On a recent rainy Tuesday, Julia Spears, 29, who immigrated from Dublin eight years ago and lives nearby, in Middle Village, was searching for some outfits at Century 21 for her job as a commercial real estate manager. She said the new mall heightened her optimism.

“If the major conglomerates think they can do well in this type of environment,” Ms. Spears said, “you have to hope that’s the case.”

She offered one skeptical note about the mall, however. With unemployment still high, she asked: “Can the community support it? Is it sustainable?”

But to the scores of shoppers in the new stores in the mall on this routine workday, such questions were not uppermost.

“I love this place — I’m going to die here,” said Yanick Lochard, 60, a retired legal secretary who lives in the neighborhood and was visiting the mall for the second time. “It’s convenient. Everything is right here. You don’t have to go far. Everybody’s complaining that the economy is so bad, but I don’t understand. So many people are shopping.”

Rego Park, a patchwork of handsome apartment houses and single-family homes known for its Bukharian immigrants and the restaurants that sprout up around them, is part of a bustling shopping mecca. Together with the Queens Center nearby in Elmhurst and the original Rego Center, the neighborhood now has at least three malls with national chains like Macy’s, Sears, Marshalls and Old Navy, as well as dozens of smaller chain boutiques.

“Anybody who’s traveling from this end of Queens doesn’t have to go to Nassau County and Roosevelt Field,” said Frank Gulluscio, district manager of local Community Board 6. “Everything’s right there — parking, food and great retail. We’re not sending those jobs out to Nassau. We’re keeping them right here in New York City.”

When Kohl’s opened on March 3 and offered one-day sales, lines of shoppers snaked in front, waiting to enter. James Avellino, the store’s manager, who described its niche as “value oriented” and “family focused,” said that customers were drawn by the convenient store hours, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. For its part, Century 21 is offering the deep discounts on designer labels that shoppers would otherwise have to go to its Lower Manhattan store to get at that price.

Relief seems to be the predominant emotion among the workers within the new stores. Almost every one of them approached had spent considerable time unemployed.

Lindora Holmes, 57, another Century 21 salesperson, said she was jobless for more than two years, after she was laid off by an auto parts manufacturer in Long Island City.

“It’s good to be back,” she said.

Sales jobs at the malls generally pay $8 an hour — not much above the $7.25 minimum wage. But, Ms. Holmes said, “It’s better than not having anything at all,” adding, “If your manager sees how you work, it’s an opportunity for you to move up to the next level.”

Ana Vigniero, 37, a spirited saleswoman at Kohl’s, said she had been out of work for a year after losing her job as a restaurant supervisor.

“I was going to two or three interviews a day,” said Ms. Vigniero, a single mother of two. “Now, I’m very happy.”

Her colleague Jonathan Giraldo, 24, was without work for close to seven months after losing a construction job.

“It felt terrible,” he said. “The bills don’t wait.”

The older workers seem to be the most delighted at their good fortune. Some had despaired of ever getting hired again.

“I heard about the Great Depression,” said Mr. Moore, the suit salesman. “Now I know what it’s like to live through the great recession.”

Boards Rally Against Mayor's Proposed Cuts by Conor Greene - Forum News

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Funding Reduction Would Severely Impact Board’s Role

Members of community boards from across Queens gathered on the steps of Borough Hall on Tuesday to demand that the Bloomberg administration rethinks its plans to reduce the groups’ budgets again this year.

Under Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed $64 billion city budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, each of the borough’s 14 local community boards would face a funding reduction of more than $17,000. That comes after several budget cuts reduced each board’s funding from about $206,000 several years ago to $144,000, according to one district manager.

On Tuesday, more than 100 board members, residents and district managers joined Borough President Helen Marshall to get the word out about how detrimental these cuts would be. They were joined by several City Council members, including Karen Koslowitz (D-Forest Hills) and Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park), who both vowed to fight against these cuts as the budget process unfolds.

“There is no question that reducing the board to a fulltime district manager and one part-time individual will limit the board’s ability to perform their city-charter mandated functions,” said Marshall. “These boards help us to perfect democracy by bringing City Hall to neighborhoods directly affected by proposals that affect land use, city services, parks and a multitude of other issues.”

While the funding reductions are being necessitated by the economic crisis, there was also a feeling among some board members and district managers the cuts are part of an ongoing effort to reduce the board’s roles before eventually eliminating them all together.

Betty Braton, chair of CB 10, said there are “two undercurrents” to the decision to cut funds, and Frank Gulluscio, district manager of CB 6, agreed that “Money aside, there is a mission there.” Patricia Dolan of the Queens Civic Congress later said, “This mayor, for reasons we will never understand, wants to undermine neighborhoods, not just in Queens, but around the city.”

The Council members on hand indicated they wouldn’t let the boards’ budget be cut without a fight. “It’s a horrible situation when we have to fight for something that makes sense,” said Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), adding that it is “embarrassing” that the Bloomberg administration keeps targeting the boards for cuts.

Ulrich vowed that there is “no way the mayor can balance the books… on the backs of community boards.” He called it “ridiculous that we have to fight for peanuts so that we can serve our communities.”

Vincent Arcuri, chairman of CB 5, likened board members to “tribal leaders” who have their finger on the pulse of the local community. “We are needed – we are one of the most basic forms of government in the United States,” he said.

Gulluscio called the current funding levels “bare bones” and said budget cuts are impacting the board’s ability to perform duties such as community outreach, since there often isn’t money for necessities such as printing and postage. He noted that the Bloomberg administration’s handling of the boards is not consistent with a letter sent out by the head of the mayor’s Community Affairs Unit, Nazli Parvizi.

“Community Boards provide New Yorkers with a voice and the ability to be increasingly helpful and productive in their neighborhoods,” wrote Parvizi. “Whether advising on unprecedented land use reforms or fighting for crucial social services, Community Board members work to strengthen and celebrate this great city.” She goes on to note that the Bloomberg administration“ has long recognized the value of community boards as local experts within the larger structure of city government.”

Formerly known as “Community Planning Boards” and “Little City Halls,” the boards were strengthened when the 1975 City Charter was adopted, giving boards roles in neighborhood land use, preparation of the capital and expense budget and delivery of local city services. The role of the boards was reaffirmed in the 1989 charter. Each board has up to 50 members who serve staggered terms of two years on a volunteer basis.

Shuttered Woodhaven Lanes Bowling Alley to Become Bob's Discount Furniture Store by Nicholas Hirshon - NY Daily News

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Members of the Kings and Queens League bowl Friday nights at Woodhaven Lanes in Glendale. The bowling alley closed in 2008 and will soon be home to a furniture store. Stevens for News

A historic Glendale bowling alley that closed amid teary farewells in 2008 is slated to become a furniture showroom this fall.

Bob's Discount Furniture, a chain known for its ubiquitous and lively TV ads, is slated to open at the site in November with about 65 employees, said company spokesman Eric Montague.

The recently unveiled plan will outfit the brick box once known as Woodhaven Lanes - a pin paradise for 50 years - with arched entryways, metal roof panels and newly planted trees.

"Our plan is to take it, rehab it, make it very attractive for the neighborhood," Montague said, adding that plans also call for canvas awnings, split-face block veneer and windows.

He said the company's lease will run at least 10 years.

The renovations would radically alter the rather bland facade of Woodhaven Lanes, which hosted a nationally broadcast TV game show called "Jackpot Bowling" in 1959 and 1960.

The 60-lane alley soon became a community mainstay. It was still popular in 2008 when its operator, Brunswick, decided to focus on alleys in areas where the company already had a strong presence.

The hangout soon closed despite outcries from bowlers. The site's owner then met with the proprietor of a chain of bowling alleys in Brooklyn and on Long Island, but they failed to strike a deal.

Later that year, city officials rejected a bid to honor the site as the city's first bowling alley landmark - a distinction that would have protected the building from major renovations or demolition.

Bowlers are now raising cash for a historical marker by the alley, hoping to preserve its memory even if its facade changes.

"The exterior of the building is incredibly ugly," said Robert Corroon, an agent for the site's owner. "If anybody wants us to maintain that look for historical purposes, the answer will be no."

Jim Santora, a one-time Woodhaven Lanes regular, said he hated watching the alley close, but felt even worse as it sat vacant.

"It deserved better than that," Santora said. "At least it gets a new life now."

Barbara Stuchinski of the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association praised plans for 42 spots for cars and bikes at the site.

"It's wonderful, it's perfect and there isn't any furniture store around," she said. "It definitely is an improvement. It just finishes off that whole strip on Metropolitan Ave."

Woodhaven Lanes Could Get a New Tenant by Holly Tsang - Forest Hills Times

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After two years of being an eyesore, it looks as if the former Woodhaven Lanes building will once again be a boon to the Queens community.

Following several months of deliberation, Community Board 6 voted last Wednesday to approve a special permit application for a furniture company that has chosen to remain anonymous.

Despite the applicant’s unknown identity, CB6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio said the board did not feel uncomfortable approving the application.

“That piece of property has been vacant for some time,” said Gulluscio. “This will bring jobs, an economic base, and tax base.”

There was some concern regarding the impact on traffic, which is already congested in the area because of the popularity of Trader Joe’s, but the pros ultimately outweighed the cons. Gulluscio added that he hoped DOT would finally get its act together and work with the community board on a plan for the traffic-choked neighborhood.

According to Robert Corroon, a spokesperson for Woodhaven Realty, LLC, which owns the property, the proposed store will be a showroom only, with incoming truck deliveries only once a week from a warehouse in Connecticut. There will be 42 on-site parking spots for customers.

“I think it’s a very good use for this space because it has a low traffic impact, considered one of the lowest traffic impacts of any retail-type use,” said Corroon.

He said that the approximately 50,000-square-foot building would undergo minor renovations to the facade. Woodhaven Realty has already done some landscaping work in the parking lot.

“Certainly, it’s going to make the building much more attractive than what it is right now,” said Corroon. He added, “obviously it will increase sales taxes to the city; the sales tax revenue to the city will be much greater from this use than the bowling facility.”

The application now moves to the Borough President’s office and then the City’s Board of Standards and Appeals, said Gulluscio.

Lack of Parking Spots Plague Austin St. Retail Stretch; Community Members Search for Solutions by Nicholas Hirshon - NY Daily News

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Driving home a point, traffic agent arrives to check for meter tickets as Frank Gulluscio exults in having found parking spot. Farriella for News

The Austin St. shopping district acts like a siren - with its enticing stores, restaurants and movie theaters luring visitors into frustrating hunts for parking spaces.

There's no municipal lot for refuge. Private parking garages charge an arm and a leg. And leaving a car in nearby Forest Hills Gardens without a permit earns a boot and a fine.

"Even to drop somebody off, I cringe," said Barbara Stuchinski, president of the Forest Hills Community and Civic Association.

Experts wince, too.

"Oh, man, I've spent 25, 30 minutes looking for a parking place there," groaned AAA New York spokesman Robert Sinclair.

Civic leaders long have tried to address the scarcity of spaces near the Austin St. retail stretch - centered at 71st-Continental Ave., a block from the subway.

But the "Queens Parking Crunch" series is renewing calls for solutions so locals can awaken from their spot-search nightmare.

In interviews with Queens News, locals suggested everything from angled parking to making Austin St. one way to erecting a municipal lot close by.

But resolving the vehicular vexation first requires an understanding of why finding a spot in Forest Hills has become so difficult.

Customers frequent the Midway Theatre on Queens Blvd., Barnes & Noble and a diverse mix of eateries and clothing stores that line Austin St. from Ascan Ave. to Yellowstone Blvd.

If motorists venture south into Forest Hills Gardens, it compounds their stress because only residents of the private enclave and visitors with passes can park there.

On the other hand, crossing Queens Blvd. leads to stretches of apartment buildings, houses and offices where the demand for parking outweighs the supply.

"It's a major concern in the district - very frustrating riding around the block looking for a spot," said Frank Gulluscio, manager of Community Board 6.

Chris Collett, who owned a collectibles business in the area from 1983 to 2002, recalled patrons constantly telling him, "I'd love to shop here, but. ..."

Their sentences invariably ended with parking gripes. "It has only gotten worse," said Collett, who serves on the community board. "There's no easy solution."

City Councilwoman Karen Koslowitz vowed to consider several potential solutions, some of which she explored during her first Council stint from 1991 to 2001.

She suggested weekend bus trips between Austin St. and the Borough Hall lot on Union Turnpike. "It would be good for business," she said - before adding that funding may be hard to obtain.

She pledged to "look into" Forest Hills Gardens allowing nonresidents to park there during the most popular shopping hours, but she added she was "not optimistic."

Koslowitz also said the city should mull buying property near Austin St., should it become available, and constructing a "small," one-level municipal lot.

In the meantime, some stores that belong to the Forest Hills Chamber of Commerce offer patrons reduced parking rates at the Allied Austin lot by 70th Ave.

"We're trying to eliminate, also, employees and owners taking up spaces," said chamber President Leslie Brown. "It helps."

A Transportation Department spokesman would say only that the city is "happy to work with CB6, elected officials and other civic groups to address their concerns about parking in Forest Hills."

This is the second in a Queens News series highlighting neighborhoods and shopping districts where the parking shortage has become chronic and crippling. The goal is to find solutions -- simple or innovative. To suggest trouble spots or ideas, e-mail QueensNews@nydailynews.com with "Queens Parking Crunch" in the subject line.

Rego Center Debut Delayed Until February by Anna Gustafson - YourNabe.com

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Rego Center is slated to open in February after being in the works for years, but some Community Board 6 members are worried the mall that will house such anchor stores as Costco, T.J. Maxx and Kohl’s will create heavy traffic congestion in the area, CB 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio and CB 6 President Joseph Hennessy said this week.

“The opening has been pushed back after the holidays to February,” Gulluscio said. “People are still concerned about the traffic patterns.”

Vornado Realty Trust in 2005 announced plans to develop a 6.6-acre site located directly behind the Rego Park Mall, which includes an Old Navy, a Sears and a Bed Bath & Beyond. The site is managed by Vornado but owned by Alexander’s Inc.

Rego Center comprises the entire block bounded by the Horace Harding service road, 97th Street, 62nd Drive and Junction Boulevard.

Initial groundbreaking on the site began in October 2006 and actual construction began in May 2007.

According to a Nov. 2 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the development will be a 600,000-square-foot shopping center on four levels and will include a parking deck with about 1,400 spaces. As of October, there had been 138,000 square feet leased to Costco, 134,000 square feet leased to Century 21 and 132,000 square feet leased to Kohl’s.

Gulluscio and Hennessy said Vornado officials told them T.J. Maxx had also signed a lease.

“We’re very concerned about the traffic situation,” Hennessy said. “We don’t feel it’s been addressed properly. There’s no entrance to the center at the 62nd Drive subway stop and the traffic is going to be emptying into 62nd Drive.”

Hennessy said board leaders are hoping to meet with Vornado officials as well as the city Department of Transportation to discuss ideas to mitigate the impact of traffic on the neighborhood.

The CB 6 chairman added that while board members believe Century 21, Kohl’s and Costco will be good stores, he is concerned Costco will “bring a different type of shopper than Home Depot would’ve brought.”

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Vornado had originally planned for The Home Depot to occupy the area now leased by Costco, but the construction supply store pulled out of the development earlier this year, Hennessy said.

“With Costco, you’ll get more traffic,” Hennessy said. “Home Depot gets traffic early in the morning with the construction people and lighter traffic in the afternoon. I’ve seen the Costco in Long Island City and it gets crowded and people are inside longer because they’re buying things in bulk. They’re not in and out in 15 minutes.”

Rego Center Still Looking for Retailers by Lisa L. Colangelo - NY Dailt News

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The long-awaited expansion of the Rego Center is expected to open as early as February, but it might take some more time for it to fill up with retailers.

Costco and T.J. Maxx are the latest stores to sign on with the expanded mall. But the only other tenants currently booked for the massive red building off Junction Blvd. and the Long Island Expressway are two department stores - Century 21 and Kohl's - along with a Subway sandwich shop, an official from mall developer Vornado Realty Trust said last week.

While those stores fill the cellar and upper floors of the mall, the first floor is virtually empty except for the Subway shop.

"As there is a lot more activity in the center, we expect there to be more interest," James Bry, Vornado's senior vice president of development, told the members of Community Board 6 on Thursday night.

Costco will replace the Home Depot that was originally planned for that spot. Several months ago, Home Depot officials decided to pull out of the mall.

An existing Home Depot is located just a few miles away on Woodhaven Blvd.

"We tried really hard to make sure we got something in there that is a good fit with the center," Bry said. "This [Costco] may even be a better fit."

Construction started on the site, a parking lot for the former Alexander's department store, more than two years ago. The existing mall adjacent to the site features a Sears, Bed Bath & Beyond and Old Navy. That replaced Alexander's, whose red facade was a landmark of sorts on Queens Blvd.

Early versions of the plan, which has been amended, included two residential towers. Bry said the company still has permission to build one of the towers and hopes to do so if the housing market improves.

Costco is not expected to open until August 2010. In the meantime, the developers hope to close deals with other retailers and restaurants for the street-level space. Negotiations are ongoing, Bry said.

He also said a supermarket isn't out of the question. Resident have said a large food store is sorely needed in the area.

Community Board 6 Chairman Joseph Hennessy said he and other members were concerned about the traffic patterns around the new mall. He called for a meeting with Vornado and city Transportation Department officials.

"You have Junction Blvd. and Horace Harding [Expressway] there," Hennessy said. "It's going to be a mess, a mess."

lcolangelo@nydailynews.com

Readying of Rego Center...

It looks like the finishing touches are being put on the new Rego Center in anticipation of it's opening soon...

Click on image to enlarge...

Woodhaven Blvd. Changes Studied ... and Studied, As Locals Ask Why City's Taking So Long to Act by Nicholas Hirshon - Daily News

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TRAFFIC ANALYSTS are studying whether outfitting Woodhaven Blvd. with reconfigured intersections, more medians and a right of way for rapid-transit buses would curb backups and accidents, city officials said last week.

A city Department of Transportation report expected next year on the north-south thoroughfare will also consider signal-timing changes and restrictions on where drivers can turn, agency spokesman Scott Gastel said.

"This study is going to have a major impact long term," said City Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Rockaway Beach), who attended a closed-door meeting last Tuesday at which the city laid out its plans to community leaders.

DOT expects to host four more forums - some for the public, others just for community board members and elected officials - before pitching its final proposal to the boards in the spring.

Locals who attended last week's session blasted the city for dragging its feet on the study, which covers a 3.2-mile stretch of Woodhaven Blvd. from Queens Blvd. to Rockaway Blvd./Liberty Ave.

"They're procrastinating," said Mary Ann Carey, district manager of Community Board 9 in Kew Gardens. "It really is idiotic. I would like to see it move."

The leaders of community boards in Forest Hills, Glendale and South Ozone Park also questioned why the city - which began collecting the data in January 2008 - still hasn't finished.

"I was disappointed," said Frank Gulluscio, district manager of Community Board 6 in Forest Hills. He said he expected more from the meeting.

Gastel blamed the delays on expanding the scope and cost of the study to add intersections based on community pleas.

Still, Vincent Arcuri of Community Board 5 wondered why the city didn't include traffic-clogged Park Lane South in its investigation.

Views varied on rapid bus transit, which aims to speed up service with a dedicated right-of-way and curbside payment, but would take away lanes for cars.

Ulrich warned it could become a "very explosive issue very soon," while Community Board 10 member David Quintana stressed its public transportation value.

"It would free up so much space if people had a more effective and reliable way to get up Woodhaven Blvd.," said Quintana, 52, of Ozone Park.

Marshall Opposes Cuts to Community Boards by Anna Gustafson - YourNabe.com

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CB 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio (third from r.) and Borough President Helen Marshall (second from r.) rally at City Hall this week against proposed cuts to community board budgets. Photo by Anna Gustafson

Borough President Helen Marshall and representatives from Queens community boards convened on the steps of City Hall Tuesday with groups from around the city to rail against Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposal to carve $35,000 from each of the board’s budgets, saying the move would be devastating to panels that have not had a raise in funding for 19 years.

Each board currently has a budget of about $169,000.

“Our community boards are vital in the city’s land use review process and in helping to set budget priorities,” Marshall said. “They are the eyes and ears of government in the community. They know what is happening down the block and around the corner.

Borough presidents, members from all 59 community boards in the city, and City Comptroller Bill Thompson attended the rally Tuesday morning.

“A cut of $35,000 will put them out of business, and that’s what the mayor is intending to do,” said Thompson, a Democratic mayoral candidate.

“They’re trying to cut boards to the point where they can say, ‘Let’s get rid of the borough presidents,’” Thompson added. “It’s an attempt to centralize everything in one location.”

Marc La Vorgna, a spokesman for Bloomberg, vehemently denied that the administration is attempting to eliminate community boards or borough presidents.

“From the police and fire departments to education and social services, every taxpayer−funded entity has had to reduce expenses, find ways to be more efficient and do more with less resources.” LaVorgna said.

Andrea Crawford, chairwoman of CB 9, which covers Richmond Hill, Woodhaven and Ozone Park, agreed it seemed like Bloomberg is attempting to make the boards ineffectual in order to funnel more power into City Hall.

“What the comptroller said is right,” Crawford said. “We’re being cut to the bone. Most community boards only have three to four people working for them, so to lose one of these people is crippling.”

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Crawford said the fact that boards have not received additional city funding in 19 years has hampered their ability to serve the community.

Councilman Eric Ulrich (R−Rockaway Beach) did not agree with other officials’ statements that Bloomberg was trying to strip boards of their power.

“This is a budget dance,” Ulrich said. “The mayor has to make very difficult decisions about the budget. I think people’s attempts to demonize Mayor Michael Bloomberg is wrong.”

Ulrich did say, however, he hopes community board funding is restored.

CB 6 District Manager Frank Gulluscio said a $35,000 slash in its budget would force him to lay off at least one full−time person in an office with two full−time positions and one part−time position.

“It will be very difficult to keep the office open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” said Joseph Hennessy, chairman of CB 6, which covers Forest Hills and Rego Park.

Reach reporter Anna Gustafson by e−mail at agustafson@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718−229−0300, Ext. 174.

LIRR Took Wrong Track Clearing Brush, Locals Say by Nicholas Hirshon - NY Daily News

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A Long Island Rail Road effort to clear brush that blocks passing trains in Forest Hills has devastated a plentiful array of trees and shrubs that added natural beauty to the urban landscape, angry locals charge.

The stretch of decimated plant life - along the north side of tracks parallel to Austin St. from 71st to 82nd Aves. - reminded residents of a 2007 LIRR sweep that turned mighty trees into mere stumps.

"I was really hoping to prevent the mass clearing," said Nate Grove, 36, who lives in an Ascan Ave. co-op. "There's no ground coverage, there's no saplings and limbs have been removed from big, healthy trees."

Beginning April 24, railroad officials sent about 1,250 notices to locals to warn they would soon remove overgrown trees and vegetation that "interfere with safety and train service reliability."

The letter from LIRR President Helena Williams said tree branches and limbs often grow into utility wires and obscure train crews' sightlines.

The LIRR also notified the local community board and the Forest Hills Gardens Corp., a private company that owns and maintains an exclusive enclave that borders in part on the tracks.

Grove met with LIRR brass on May 8, and said he left the meeting realizing the work would result in a different look than he wanted.

But he said he was shocked at the extent of the clearing, which started the week of May 11 and ended last Friday.

"I thought they could have been a lot more generous with leaving more coverage," he said.

Residents of the Tennis View Apartments, a two-building co-op near the tracks, said the destruction was like déjà vu of a brush-clearing push two years ago on the other side of 71st Ave.

"They cut down 100-year-old trees," co-op president James Versocki said. "There were other alternatives. They could have replaced [them] with evergreens."

Another Tennis View co-op owner, Edward McGinnis, griped that the trees cut down in 2007 had provided not only pleasant scenery but also a train noise barrier for the adjacent West Side Tennis Club.

But LIRR spokesman Salvatore Arena insisted the railroad made efforts "to preserve a tree buffer where possible," adding, "Safety is always our overriding concern."

Queens Democrats Nominate Gulluscio by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle

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In a landslide decision on Tuesday, the Queens County Democratic Party chose Democratic District Leader Frank Gulluscio to represent the Democratic party in November’s 32nd District City Council race against 24-year-old Republican incumbent Eric Ulrich.

The district encompasses the neighborhoods of Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rockaway Beach.

Gulluscio, who serves as district manager of Community Board 6 and leader of the South Queens Democratic Party, shouldn’t have much trouble getting back in the swing of campaigning — his last run for office ended just three months ago.

The candidate found himself entangled in a political knot when he ran in last February’s special election to replace Joseph Addabbo Jr., who was elected to the state Senate. Despite having received endorsements from several prominent party members, including Addabbo, for whom he had worked as an aide, Gulluscio was knocked off the ballot for failing to obtain a sufficient number of signatures. One of his opponents, Rockaway Democratic District Leader Geraldine Chapey, who was present at Tuesday’s nomination, was accused of contributing to his fall — though Gulluscio doesn’t seem to harbor resentment.

“I’m ecstatic to receive the nomination from the Queens County Democratic Party,” Gulluscio said. “I’m looking forward to an issue-oriented race.”

At his first campaign fundraiser last month, Gulluscio vowed to run a personal, grassroots campaign.

“I pledge to work for the needs and the interests of all the residents in this district,” he said.

Democratic District Leader Lew Simon, who came in second place in the special election, said difficult financial times kept him from running again, but that the party has unanimously put its weight behind Gulluscio.

“We all work in unity and support Frank,” Simon said.

At press time, Chapey had not returned phone calls.

Gulluscio to Run for City Council in November by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle

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Frank Gulluscio certainly has the resume of a future city councilman.

The civic leader began his career as a teacher before moving into the private sector as a chief financial officer for a sales and marketing corporation. He left the corporate world to take a position as an aide to then-councilman Joseph Addabbo Jr. He now serves on Community Board 6 in Forest Hills as a district manager. Both responsibilities solidified his desire to enter public office.

Last February, in a special election to fill the vacant council seat left when Addabbo was elected to the Senate, Gulluscio finally got the chance to throw his hat in the political ring. But, as he discovered, a political campaign isn’t always the fairest of battlegrounds.

Gulluscio was pulled from the race for reasons that remain murky. Some accounts say his petitions featured a star and were printed on green paper, which is a Democratic trademark and not allowed in a special election. Gulluscio said one of his contenders — Democrat Geraldine Chapey — was focused on getting him off the ballot, which resulted in court visits and lost time and votes.

“It will be a couple of chapters in my book,” Gulluscio said.

The candidate, who heads the South Queens Democratic Club, said he knew even before the last race ended that he would run again in November.

“I’m running because I’m the people’s candidate,” he said. “I’ve been involved in this community my entire life. I’m a well-rounded resident. I do the job every day.”

Addabbo agreed.

“His educational background, small business background and community involvement certainly surpass that of any candidate out there,” he said.

Gulluscio’s first fundraiser was held on Thursday, April 23 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at Roma View, located at 160-05 Cross Bay Blvd.

Digital Television Transition Information by Heidi Harrison Chain

The federal government (FEMA) has asked that our Community Emergency Response Team let the community know that the transition date for the digital TV transition has been delayed until June 12, 2009.

The Digital Television Transition is considered a critical public safety issue and the Citizen Corp Council (of which Our Forest Hills-Rego Cert Team – cb6 CERT- is a member) has been asked to assist in ensuring uninterrupted service. Analog TVs will need to be connected to a DTV converter box or a paid TV service. Digital TV will be unaffected and do not need a converter box.

On June 12, 2009 analog TV service will end based on the Act passed by the House of Representatives on Feb. 4, 2009. The DTV Delay Act also extends the TV Converter Box Coupon Program until July 31, 2009 and requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to issue upon request, replacement coupons for each coupon that expires without being redeemed.

To ensure uninterrupted service, consumers with analog television sets have three options:

• Purchase and install a DTV converter box
• Purchase a TV set with a built-in digital tuner
• Subscribe to cable, satellite or other paid tv service.

Our CERT team and CERT teams throughout the country are being asked to help make sure that the most vulnerable in emergency situations know about the Digital Transition. The loss of emergency communication via television could jeopardize an someone ‘s ability to respond appropriately in a crisis.

Following the transition, the FCC estimates up to 20 million individuals could be left without television communication.

Please share this information with everyone so that our community is protected.

Warning from 112th Precinct Community Council

112^th PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL

WARNING

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR KEYS IN THE CAR

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR CAR WITH THE MOTOR RUNNING

You Risk having your Car Stolen - You will receive a summons from the 112^th precinct.

Cars are being stolen within our community. Individuals are leaving the cars with the motors running, keys in the ignition and going back into their house or apartment or dropping off a child in the school, or they are going in to a convenience store for a few minutes. In a very short period of time the cars are being stolen.

Additionally, these stolen cars are then being used to commit other crimes in the community. This is something that we can stop. This is something that we must stop.

It is a violation of the vehicle and traffic law to leave a car unattended.

Section § 1210. indicates that: Unattended motor vehicle. No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key from the vehicle, and effectively setting the brake thereon and, when standing upon any grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway…

It is a violation of the Administrative Code to leave a car idling.

Administrative Code § 24-163 indicates that : Operation of motor vehicle; idling of engine restricted. (a) No person shall cause or permit the engine of a motor vehicle, other than a legally authorized emergency motor vehicle, to idle for longer than three minutes while parking …

Do not leave your car running. You do not want to have your car stolen. You do not want to receive a ticket.

Heidi Harrison Chain, President 112^th Precinct Community Council

Captain Christopher Tamola, Commanding Officer 112^th Precinct