FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com JANUARY 14, 2016 • The Queens Courier 3 City says ‘no’ to music festival at Flushing Meadows Corona Park By Angela Mat ua amatua@queenscourier.com/@AngelaMatua There won’t be any mega music festivals in Flushing Meadows Corona Park this year. A proposal by Coachella promoters to bring a three-day music festival to the park has been denied, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz announced on Jan. 11. Goldenvoice had been in talks with city officials to bring Panorama Festival to the park in June. The plan was met with skepticism from the start, with Katz arguing that a for-profit company had never held a paidadmission concert there. Panorama Festival will take place on Randall’s Island Park instead. Two weeks ago, several elected officials and community groups announced their support for the plan, which included a commitment to local hiring for jobs in connection to the festival, a chance for Queens eateries to sell their food on the grounds and a donation to the recently created Flushing Meadows Corona Park Alliance. Ultimately, the Parks Department decided to deny all applications by for-profit companies to hold paid events at the park, citing the importance of establishing an official policy for these kinds of events. Katz applauded the decision in a press release Monday evening. “Events of any scale that enhance our borough are encouraged. The use of our public parks, however, need to be publicly vetted and coordinated under an official city policy, because the absence of one renders the entire process unfair,” Katz said in a statement. “The merits – or lack thereof – of any existing or future individual application cannot be fairly considered in the void of policy and public participation, which are paramount.” Madison Square Garden also submitted an application to hold a three-day festival at the park, which was also denied. Goldenvoice announced on Monday that Panorama Festival will take place on Randall’s Island Park instead. The three-day music festival will take place on July 22 through July 24 instead of June. Governor’s Ball organizers created a petition several months ago, asking De Blasio to deny the company’s application, fearing that it would directly compete with the independent festival. A spokesperson for Goldenvoice, which is owned by AEG Live, said the company has not yet ruled out a future music festival in the “World’s Borough.” “Goldenvoice has received tremendous support from the local community and elected officials who recognize the immense economic benefits these types of events deliver to their businesses and constituents,” said Mark Shulman, festival producer at Goldenvoice. “We’re committed to creating an event that will provide significant benefits to New York City with the level of experience and meticulous attention to detail for which Goldenvoice is known.” File photo The city denied an application for a threeday music festival to be held at Flushing Meadows Corona Park. POLS URGE CITY TO REPAIR ROADS IN HISTORIC DOUGLASTON By Alina Suriel asuriel@queenscourier.com/@alinangelica Roads in a landmark area of Douglaston are crumbling, and the city is being urged to take immediate action. City Councilman Paul Vallone and Assemblyman Edward Braunstein have written to the New York City Office of Management and Budget (OMB) requesting that the complete reconstruction of roadways in the Douglas Manor Historic District be included in the Department of Transportation’s capital plan for the upcoming year. The Department of Transportation (DOT) has determined that it would cost a projected $260 million to perform a complete reconstruction, which would repair the area’s roads, street lighting and curbs. The DOT has already submitted this request to the OMB. Vallone condemned the escalating state of disrepair in the area and urged the OMB to fund the reconstruction, which he said was long overdue. According to the letter, certain streets in the district are collapsing or sinking in. “This historic district must no longer have historically deplorable roadway conditions,” he said. Braunstein agreed that the roads of the Douglas Manor Historic District have been in disrepair for far too long. “It is time for the NYC Office of Management and Budget to finally provide the necessary funding for Image courtesy of Peter Greenberg/Wikimedia Commons One of the few surviving 19th century farmhouses in Queens is located in the Historic District. the reconstruction of the roads, sidewalks and street lighting in Douglas Manor in 2016,” he added. Douglas Manor Association President Michael Gannon thanked Vallone for supporting the issue. “After many years of decline and without a major repaving, Douglas Manor streets have reached the point of needing major reconstruction,” Gannon said. Douglas Manor was designated a historic district by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1997. Most of the houses were built in the early 20th century as part of a planned suburb, and were mostly designed by local Queens architects.
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