Sidewalks throughout Community Board 5 are getting substantial repairs recently as the Department of Transportation sweeps through to rectify problems.
Sidewalk violations, tree damage and sidewalk issues in Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village are all getting attention right now, CB 5 District Manager Gary Giordano told the board at its meeting on May 10 at Christ the King Regional High School in Ridgewood.
Giordano said most of the repairs are likely sidewalk violations the DOT has issued over the years that owners never repaired and will be billed for now.
He said he’s been in touch with the DOT advocating for home and business owners who say they are being billed for tree damage and violations the city should be responsible for, but now may be too late to dispute the problem.
“If the violation was issued in 2007, it’s kind of hard for us to make a decent argument any time now,” he said.
Giordano and CB 5’s chairman, Vincent Arcuri, also took this opportunity to get a major sidewalk repair done in Ridgewood.
Frank C. Prokop Square, where Fresh Pond Road and Cypress Hill Street meet, was almost entirely covered with cracked, patchy concrete and had been on the district’s capital improvement project list.
But because of the other sidewalk repairs going on now, the city was able to squeeze repairs to the square into this contract.
“Sometimes you get fortunate when you speak up at the right time and the timing is good,” said Giordano. “So that project that probably would have cost a substantial amount of money has gotten done.”
Giordano also gave an update on construction at the Cooper Avenue underpass site in Glendale.
He said it’s proceeding on schedule and should be done by June of 2013.
Currently, crews are working on the south side of the tunnel, repairing and strengthening the retaining walls. Soon they’ll switch to the north side.
“It was a big get for us,” Giordano said. “I think there were only four or five projects in the city of New York that are similar to that.”
Elections Next Month
CB 5 members began nominating board members for the elections scheduled for next month’s meeting.
All the officers look like they’ll remain largely the same.
The current chair, Vincent Arcuri, was quickly nominated to retain his seat.
Nominations will remain open until the vote, which will be at the meeting on June 13, at 7:30 p.m. at Christ the King Regional High School at 68-02 Metropolitan Ave in Ridgewood.
By Jeremiah Dobruck
j.dobruck@theforumnewsgroup.com
