28 The QUEE NS Courier • october 16, 2014 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com Sinking street in Lindenwood continues to worsen THE COURIER/Photo by Salvatore Licata A street in Lindenwood is starting to cave in. BY SALVATORE LICATA slicata@queenscourier.com/@Sal_Licata1 Just let this sink in: For years, the roadway at the corner of 157th Avenue and 79th Street has been slowly caving in, but recently it has worsened, leaving residents worried the street might collapse. “This part of the street has been like this for a while now,” said Joe Thompson, a resident of Lindenwood and president of the Howard Beach Civilian Observation Patrol. “We’ve put in complaints about it to the city.” After an April 30 flooding disaster, residents say the street has only gotten worse. The Spring Creek sewer overflow facility malfunctioned during a major rainstorm that night causing the sewers in Lindenwood to back up, flooding the streets. Since then, the part of the roadway that slopes to the sidewalk has been collapsing straight down, forming a ditch along the curb. There is also a large hole forming near the catch basin on the street that sinks down over a foot deep in the asphalt. “I have family visiting me all the time and I tell them to avoid this block because I do not want their cars to bottom out,” said one resident who was driving by the street. “It’s really bad and it’s only getting worse.” Thompson said he filed his claim about three weeks ago with 311 but has yet to receive a response. He said that he has talked to residents who have said they have complained for years but have given up because nothing has been done. “It’s a very unsafe condition and we want to get it addressed,” Thomspon said. “Hopefully this will be solved.” The Department of Transportation deferred comment to the Department of Environmental Protection, which did not respond to an email request for comment. Is your energy equipment burning your bottom line? Find out with National Grid energy efficiency solutions. National Grid can provide a thorough evaluation of your multifamily building’s heating equipment. We can show you ways to use less energy and help offset the cost of improvements with rebates on qualifying equipment. Call us for more bright ideas. Don’t get burned. Learn about rebates for multifamily buildings. Call 1-800-843-3636. Terms and Conditions Apply Visit us online at www.nationalgridus.com/multifamilynysave
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