Patrick Khan last Thursday stated his case at the Community Board 10 meeting. Forum Photo by Michael V. Cusenza.
Tempers flared last Thursday night at the closing of Community Board 10’s monthly meeting.
Patrick Khan, a member of CB 9, signed up to speak during the public hearing portion of the meeting. Khan used his allotted minutes to blast a civic group that he characterized as “ill informed,” after the group had allegedly protested outside the home of Khan’s son and grandson, believing Khan owned the South Ozone Park property on which a juvenile detention center is being built.
Neighbors, led by the South Ozone Park Civic Association West, have been protesting at the site every Saturday for several months.
Khan, through public testimony and letters to borough newspapers, has maintained for weeks that he has not owned 133-23 127th St. for at least a year.
“They’re misinformed—I sold it to a corporation about a year or so ago,” Khan noted to The Forum in February. “This is public record; they didn’t do their due diligence.”
Khan still seethed last Thursday.
“They’re ill informed, ill advised, possibly illiterate,” Khan said. “It’s public information!”
Khan was also incensed at what he perceived as community leaders and elected officials allowing it to go on, even after he said he felt he has cleared up the issue.
“I can’t understand how the community is allowing this to happen,” he said. “It’s uncalled for.”
Jahi Rose, director of Constituent Affairs for City Councilman Ruben Wills (D-Jamaica), took exception to Khan’s criticism. He said fault is at the feet of the bureaucracy, which apparently made the notice of sale of the parcel available online late last month.
“We did not tell anyone or notify anyone of who owns the property,” Rose said, facing Khan. “We did not incite a protest. The information the public received was from the city of New York.”
Community Board 10 Chairwoman Betty Braton said that information on the Department of Finance website is not always accurate, and that to her knowledge no one from CB 10 or Wills’ office told any groups to protest.
“It was this board; it was not the councilman,” Braton said to Khan. “Our issue is with the owner, not you. I understand your anger, but you are I the wrong forum.”
With that, Braton adjourned the meeting.
By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com
