As the summer draws to a close, community boards and civic associations around Queens will resume regular meetings starting in September. Some of the issues topping resident concerns in the southern and western parts of the borough include a proposed homeless shelter in Glendale, sanitation in Richmond Hill, crime in Forest Park and rogue home improvement contractors in Woodhaven.
An issue which has galvanized residents from different civic organizations is a proposed 125-bed homeless shelter in Glendale, on the site of a former factory at 78-16 Cooper Ave.
The shelter, which had been rumored to be in the works for more than a year, was officially proposed to the city’s Dept. of Homeless Services earlier this month by the nonprofit Samaritan Village.
“The Juniper Park Civic Association is working on fighting the proposed homeless shelter on Cooper Avenue,” said Bob Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association. “We are planning a rally among other things.”
Last year, City Councilmember Elizabeth Crowley, along with Glendale Civic Association President Kathy Masi collected more than 4,000 petition signatures opposing the proposed shelter, which Crowley said would take several million dollars in renovations to make the facility inhabitable, even for use as only the proposed “transitional housing.”
The building is currently zoned only for manufacturing use.
Masi said the shelter will be a “major” topic at the association’s meeting next month. “We’re going to be looking at how homeless shelters can be proposed and come about without any community support.”
Other issues Masi said would be discussed include an increasing amount of petty break-ins to autos and homes around Glendale as well as a perceived “lack of transparency” on the part of the Atlas Park Shops in Glendale.
“They’re trying to engage the community, which is great,” said Masi about the strip mall on Cooper Ave., “but they never tell us what is happening until the last possible minute. They’re not transparent at all.”
But, to Holden, Juniper Valley Park is always an issue of top concern.
“We need more investment of capital funds… The tennis courts are sinking and cracking, the baseball fields need reconstruction and the running track and soccer field surface needs to be replaced,” said Holden, talking about needed park improvements.
Alex Blenkinsopp, a member of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association, acknowledged that perennial concerns to the group include noise, traffic safety, sanitation, graffiti, and problems connected with illegal conversions.
However, he also said that the group’s highest priorities at the moment are crime and promoting public safety. “We’re looking at the possibility of starting a civilian observation patrol by teaming up with Glendale’s, and we’ll continue to strengthen our relationship with the 102nd Precinct,” Blenkinopp said.
“Enjoyment of our public parks is crucial to residents of Community Board 9, yet recent sexual assaults have left many residents on edge,” said Joel Kuszai, chair of CB9’s Public Relations Committee.
Kuszai added that CB 9 has been working with local elected officials in an attempt to bring permanent Park Enforcement Patrol officers to Forest Park.
In addition, he said that contractors, operating without proper permits, filing false plans or making unapproved changes have long been an issue in the area. “Many of these contractors simply accept fines and penalties as the cost of doing business and stronger enforcement measures must be enacted.”
Other issues, which Kuszai said would be addressed, include the development of a more efficient system to follow and track complaints and other issues in order to better understand the volume of community concerns and to better assist corrective action on the part of city agencies.
Margaret Finnerty, president of Richmond Hill South Civic Association, said that sanitation has been a pressing issue along Liberty Ave. “People tend to put their home garbage into city garbage receptacles and that contributes to overall lack of cleanliness and proper sanitation,” she said.
Finnerty also said that concerns about local high school kids gambling at the nearby Resorts World Casino, would also be discussed.
The Resorts World Casino, located at 100-00 Rockaway Blvd., is in close proximity to John Adams High School, at 101-01 Rockaway Blvd., and Finnerty said she would like to see the state’s gambling age increased to 21, instead of the current 18.
“We just worry that the students aren’t going and spending their money on gambling,” she said.
She added that kids in New York, unlike other states, can now “buy a lottery ticket and go to the casino.” New York is one of only 13 states where the legal gambling age is 18.
Finnerty said she is generally pleased with the casino but also wishes that Gov. Cuomo would move to change the gambling age.
Further, Finnerty said that a catch-basin by the corner of John Adams High School has been repeatedly clogged.
“We’re awaiting DEP action,” she said, noting that the basin becomes flooded on the 102nd street side during heavy rainstorms.
And, for Frank Gulluscio, district manager for CB 6, he said that some main concerns revolve around school safety and vehicle traffic in school zones.
“We’re concerned with creating slow zones and having cameras around schools to slow traffic,” Gulluscio said. “Every school needs cameras and slow zones,” he said, adding “At the end of the day, it’s all about safety.
