FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM AUGUST 27, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 23
First phase of Broad Channel street raising project completed
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Th e city has completed phase one of
Broad Channel’s extreme makeover.
Th e ambitious $46 million project
raised streets and added nearly
half a mile of new storm
sewers to reduce fl ooding
in an area that is frequently
inundated by Jamaica
Bay during high tide and
storms.
“Th is is a unique part of
Queens that is highly vulnerable
to fl ooding because of climate
change and rising sea levels,
and the city went above and
beyond to not just add storm sewers but
also to raise the streets,” Department of
Design and Construction Commissioner
Lorraine Grillo said. “We look forward
to working with the Department
of Environmental Protection and the
Department of Transportation to bring
these improvements to other parts of
Broad Channel.”
Phase two of the work, a $67.7 million
project that will aff ect an even larger adjacent
area, began this summer and is anticipated
to be completed by summer 2024.
“Th e residents and businesses of Broad
Channel have a special relationship with
the natural world and Jamaica Bay in
particular,” DEP Commissioner Vincent
Sapienza said. “Th ese New Yorkers are
on the front lines of our changing climate
and we were so pleased to join with our
partner agencies to bring them some real
relief with raised roadways and new catch
basins, sewers and outfalls to drain the
water from the roadways and away from
their properties.”
West 11th Road, West 12th Road
and West 13th Road from Cross Bay
Boulevard west to the waterline were
all rebuilt from the ground up during
the project on more than 40,000 feet
of piles driven 50 feet or more into the
ground. Th e new streets are approximately
two feet higher than before and now
have 2,300 feet of new storm sewers
with nine new catch basins, plus
new bulkheads and outfalls that were
added at the end of each street to
allow stormwater to drain into
the bay.
“As we all know, this is an
area that was hard-hit by
Sandy, and this massive
street raising initiative
will help mitigate the
fl ooding in vulnerable
areas throughout this
community,” Councilman
Eric Ulrich said. “I would
also like to thank the residents
of Broad Channel, who
have been extremely patient
throughout this entire process. Phase one
was a great success, and we look forward
to the completion of phase two, which
will bring the same improvements to West
14th Road, West 15th Road, West 16th
Road and West 17th Road.”
Assemblywoman Stacey Pfeff er Amato,
state Senator Joseph Addabbo and
Councilman Eric Ulrich aft er the ribboncutting
ceremony. (Photo by Dean Moses)
Nearly 2,400 feet of sanitary sewers and
2,400 feet of water mains were replaced to
ensure reliable water and sewage service,
while nine fi re hydrants were replaced to
improve fi re protection.
“Th is project, with its new storm sewers
and raised streets, will go a long way in protecting
this vulnerable community from
large storms and fl ooding, thus improving
the living conditions in Broad Channel,”
state Senator Joseph Addabbo said.
During the fi nal restoration of the area,
2,500 feet of curbs and sidewalks were
rebuilt and four new pedestrian ramps
were added at Cross Bay Boulevard to
improve safety and ADA accessibility.
“Today we have reached a great milestone
for the Broad Channel community,
who for years have fought to protect
their residents from fl ooding and water
damage from storms and other extreme
weather events,” Assemblywoman Stacey
Pheff er Amato said. “By investing in innovative
infrastructure measures now, we
are preventing future loss of homes and
property, and saving ourselves millions of
dollars in the long run. Th is victory today
was only achieved through hard work
on a granular level: constant phone calls
with all stakeholders, meetings with contractors
and individual homeowners, and
numerous information sessions led by
Dan Mundy Jr. and the Civic Association.”
To manage the needs of residents and
businesses during phase two construction,
DDC has a full-time Community
Construction Liaison assigned to the
project. Anna Killion keeps the neighborhood
apprised of construction progress,
coordinates street closures and utility
shut-off s, and can arrange special requests
such as deliveries to local homes and businesses.
Killion works on-site and can be
reached at 347-374-0930 or by email at
Killionan@ddc.nyc.
Photo by Dean Moses
Assemblywoman Stacey Pfeff er Amato, state
Senator Joseph Addabbo and Councilman Eric
Ulrich after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Queens lawmaker calls for NYPD residency requirement
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
As the reputation of the NYPD continues
to crater under the intense scrutiny of
the public and media since the violencemarred
George Floyd murder protests, a
Queens lawmaker is introducing legislation
that would require police offi cers to
live in the community they work in.
Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz
unveiled the Law Enforcement Residency
Act that would establish residency rules
for law enforcement hired aft er Jan. 1.Th e
bill aims to increase diversity within the
force and ensure the offi cers patrolling
New York streets are better connected
with the communities they serve.
Th e legislation also seeks to ensure the
reinvestment of human capital and cityfunded
salaries back into the community.
Th ose entrusted with patrolling New York
City streets would be required to plant
roots in the community, which would in
turn provide them with a greater understanding
of the needs, values and cultures
of those who live there.
“For decades, offi cers have patrolled,
arrested and brutalized members of our
communities, while being shielded from
the impact of their work when they clock
out,” Cruz said. “Th is bill will mandate
that those who are sworn to protect our
families live right here next to them.
Additionally, the fi scal implication of the
bill ensures that taxpayer funds being
used to fi nance the offi cer’s salaries would
be pumped back into the local economy. I
am proud to introduce legislation that not
only generates greater police accountability
but also maintains New York’s hardearned
taxpayer dollars be recirculated
within New York.”
Cruz, and Brooklyn state Senator Kevin
Parker, who will carry the legislation in
the upper chamber, cited reporting from
Streetblog that showed that less than half
of all NYPD offi cers live within the fi ve
boroughs, with the majority living on
Long Island and Westchester. Research
has demonstrated that the residency of
the members of a police force correlates
to the diversity of said police force, as
African-American and Latino offi cers are
more likely to reside in the cities where
they police, in comparison to their white
counterparts.
“It’s critical that we cultivate better community
connection between police and
our city’s residents,” Parker said. “We have
to ensure that offi cers who are deployed to
communities throughout New York City
have a better understanding and respect
for the culture of those living here. Police
offi cers who live in the city they serve
and belong in that community, are more
inclined to be connected to the residents
and their jobs, beyond a paycheck.”
While Mayor Bill de Blasio dismissed
the need for an NYPD residence requirement,
Brooklyn Borough President Eric
Adams, a former city cop and likely candidate
for mayor in 2021, supports the
measure.
“Th e recent protests over the police killing
of George Floyd and the broader issue
of police abuse have sparked calls for
reform. As someone who has dedicated his
career to this cause, fi rst as an offi cer in the
NYPD, then as an elected offi cial, I believe
we have arrived at a critical moment for
change,” Adams said. “In a report, we
released in 2015 with Manhattan Borough
President Gale Brewer and civil rights
attorney Norman Siegel, which came out
of a series of town halls held throughout
Brooklyn and Manhattan, we found
there was signifi cant support for the idea
that offi cers should live in the communities
they police, not only because it would
improve diversity within the ranks, but it
also creates a deeper bond of trust between
police and communities.”
Courtesy of De Blasio’s offi ce
New legislation would require future NYPD offi cers to live in the communities they patrol.
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