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QUEENS WEEKLY, JUNE 23, 2019
JULY 2019 FREE OUTDOOR CONCERT SERIES
JULY 6 | 8:00 PM
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SPONSORED BY BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT ERIC L. ADAMS
JULY 20 | 8:00 PM
JULY 27 | 8:00 PM
College Point project
slammed by Board 7
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Plans to build a new
apartment complex in
College Point received
opposition from some
residents who live in the
neighborhood voicing
concerns of pedestrian and
traffic congestion.
A group of College Point
residents and Community
Board 7 members on June
17 rejected the developer’s
request to construct a threestory,
10-unit residential
building at 6-05 129th St.
on an overgrown lot located
partially in the bed of a
mapped unbuilt portion of
Sixth Avenue, contrary to
City Law Section 35 in an
R3-2/R3-1 zoning district.
“Years ago the city
created maps and they had
an idea of where streets
were going to go. Through
the years they thought they
would build those streets,”
said Eric Palatnik, a lawyer
representing the property
owner. “In this case, they
put a map down over
Powell’s Cove Boulevard
and Sixth Avenue runs
through the property, but
the owner can’t build on it
because the city has a map
and the map says a street is
supposed to be there.”
Under the General
City Law, if the city has
no intention of building a
street, the property owner
can request permission
from the city to build
a development on it,
according to Palatnik.
Originally slated to
be a 45-foot-tall structure
with 24-units, building
adjustments were made
following a meeting with
the Community Board 7
Land Use Committee and
residents’ concerns of the
development in the rural
neighborhood.
“The apartment
building is 10-units, a mix
of one- to two-bedroom
units,” Palatnik said. “It’s
down from 24 units and it’s
not covering anywhere near
the amount of lot coverage.
It’s leaving a backyard of
about 123 feet, the front
Lawyer Eric Palatnik speaks at the Community Board 7
meeting on June 17. Photo: Carlotta Mohamed/QNS
yard of 15 feet with twice as
much parking, and 10,000
square feet smaller as it’s
allowed to be.”
However, residents who
live on the block refused
to welcome the idea of a
new apartment building
that they say will cause
a disruption in the quiet
residential area.
“I appreciate the
developer working with
us with concerns about
parking, sanitation, the
beauty of the building
and all, but it’s still out of
context with the block,”
said Robert Gonzalez,
who lives across the street
from the property. “It’s just
going to bring a density to
the block. We’re worried
that it’s going to spread to
other lots.”
Michael Niebauer,
president of the College
Point Civic and Taxpayer’s
Association, said the
development is simply
“out of character” for the
community.
“The beauty of College
Point is one- to two-family
homes,” said Niebauer. “We
have to protect the quality
of life in College Point. I
want to keep it a residential
area but whatever the
neighbors want I’ll go with
it because they’re the ones
that are being impacted
directly.”
In her speech to the board
and the developer, Eileen
McGuirk, said the multifamily
rental dwelling will
bring an unwanted urban
environment.
“There are beautiful
one-, two-, and threefamily
homes all owned by
landlords, some of whom
emigrated from Italy,
Greece, China, Germany,
Spain, Korea and Columbia,
who made the lifelong
decision and chose to live
away from the urban, busy
congested neighborhoods
such as Astoria or Long
Island City,” said McGuirk.
“Please take no offense
to those areas; I was born
and raised in Astoria then
moved to College Point
in 1978, 41 years ago. It’s
just not appropriate in a
neighborhood existing
of only homeowners who
are grateful to live the
American dream with a
rural comfortable, safe and
quiet neighborhood.”
McGuirk also stressed
the fact that the proposed
development will be located
one block from P.S. 129,
which is scheduled to have
over 500 more students in
September 2020.
Following the
presentation and
discussion, CB 7 member
Chuck Apelian, along with
other board members voted
against the proposal.
“At the end of the day if
BSA can understand this
then maybe I’ll say yes. But
let me tell you something:
I can’t vote yes tonight
because I don’t know what
I’m voting on … We’re
still not getting straight
answers and I don’t want it
to be on us or me saying we
voted yes and find out that
something is wrong, so I’m
going to vote no.”
FANTINE & THE FRENCH
HORN COLLECTIVE
DAVINA AND
THE VAGABONDS
NICOLE ZURAITIS &
THE DAN PUGACH NONET
THE GEORGE GEE
SWING ORCHESTRA
(718) 368-5596 | www.OnStageAtKingsborough.org
Kingsborough Community College, 2001 Oriental Blvd., Brooklyn
GEORGE GEE by Lynn Redmile; FANTINE & THE FRENCH HORN COLLECTIVE: Courtesy of the artist; DAVINA AND THE VAGABONDS by Garrett Born; NICOLE ZURAITIS & THE DAN PUGACH NONET by Derek Prospero
/www.OnStageAtKingsborough.org
/www.OnStageAtKingsborough.org