6 JANUARY 26, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM Controversial Fresh Pond Road Festival applies for four-day permit in Ridgewood once again BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GIUDICEREPORT It was cut by half last year, but the organizers of the controversial Fresh Pond Road Street Festival want to make the late-summer street fair in Ridgewood four days long once again. For 23 years, the Fresh Pond Road Street Festival — which is sponsored by the Federazione Italo-Americana di Brooklyn and Queens — has requested a four-day permit to operate along a fi ve-block stretch of Fresh Pond Road, from Woodbine Street to Menahan Street. The Federazione is requesting this year’s festival run from Thursday, Sept. 7, through Sunday, Sept. 10. The request comes as the Executive Committee of Community Board 5 (CB 5) prepares to vote on the list of street fairs and festivals across Ridgewood, Glendale, Middle Village and Maspeth. Last year, however, the festival was dropped to only two days due to planned construction on the Metropolitan Avenue Bridge at the intersection of Fresh Pond Road and Metropolitan Avenue on the Ridgewood/Middle Village border — which has still not begun. In recent years, residents on and around Fresh Pond Road have taken issue with the festival’s length, citing traffi c jams and loss of parking spots The Fresh Pond Road Street Festival is asking for a four-day permit again. as some of the reasons they want to see the street fair shortened. “We put in for the four days as we have for the past 23 years,” said Lucy Dolce of the Federazione Italo-Americana di Brooklyn and Queens. “We just feel that it’s better for us and better for the community to do the four days. Not monetarily. We don’t make much money and whatever money we make goes back into the community through the service we provide. Last year, the reason the city gave us the two days was because of construction. So we applied like we always do and we will see what happens.” When asked if the construction at the Metropolitan Avenue Bridge will play a part in deciding the length of this year’s festival, Dolce said the Photo by Cristin Noonan/QNS Federazione is taking a “wait and see” approach. “We really don’t know at this point, maybe the construction will be done by then,” Dolce said. “So we are just taking it one day at a time and we will see what happens.” Dolce also went on to defend the event from allegations of violence at previous festivals. In 2008, a man was arrested and charged with attempted murder following a shooting on a side street near the festival. “We are not allowed to do anything at all without the proper permits from the agencies involved,” Dolce said. “If there were any problems, the police department wouldn’t allow it. We have an unblemished record. We have no violations, nothing, with anyone.”. Show some love to those in need with two Valentine’s Day drives in Glendale & Woodhaven BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GIUDICEREPORT Two of Glendale’s elected offi - cials are spreading the love this Valentine’s Day with a pair of donation drives, one a food drive for Sacred Heart Church and one for veterans. State Senator Joseph Addabbo is sponsoring the Valentine’s Day Food Drive for the Sacred Heart Church Food Pantry in Glendale to collect donations for those in need and who are assisted by the church’s food bank. The food pantry is accepting food and toiletries including rice, cereal, soup (canned or dried), peanut butter, jelly, pasta, pasta sauce, canned tuna fish, beans (canned or dried), oatmeal, deodorant, tooth brushes and toothpaste, feminine products, baby powder, toilet paper and paper towels. “I’m grateful that the recent holiday food drive was a huge success, but it’s important to remember that the need for food does not disappear after the holiday season,” Addabbo said. “There is always someone who can benefit from a simple act of kindness, such as donating a can of food. The items collected in this food drive will go a long way toward helping families and children who might not otherwise have dinner on the table. I urge all of us to pay it forward and help out whenever possible, and thank those who continue to support this food drive and others.” Donations for the drive will be accepted from Wednesday, Jan. 25, to Sunday, Feb. 12, at Sacred Heart Church, located at 83-17 78th Ave. Addabbo has also opened his Middle Village office located at 66-85 73rd Pl. as a drop-off location for those who wish to donate. Assemblyman Mike Miller, meanwhile, is sponsoring a Valentines for Veterans Drive. His office — located at 83-91 Woodhaven Blvd. — will be collecting toiletries, cards, candy and new clothing items for veterans. Donations will be collected until Wednesday, Feb. 8. If you have any questions about the drives, contact their respective representatives. Senator Addabbo’s Middle Village office can be reached at 718-497-1630, and Miller’s office can be reached at 718-805-0950. New 17-story Ridgewood building set to rise soon BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GIUDICEREPORT Three empty lots in Ridgewood will soon be the home to a 17-story, mixed-use building, as developer AB Capstone Builders Corporation announced construction at the site is scheduled to begin on or about Feb. 1. In a letter to Community Board 5 (CB 5), AB Capstone alerted the board that they will begin working on the three sites located at 54-27 Myrtle Ave., and 336 and 350 St. Nicholas Ave. “This is a 10-day Construction Notice before the commencement of building construction work at the above mentioned property,” Meir Babaev, general contractor for the project, wrote in the letter. “AB Capstone Builders will commence work on or shortly aft er February 1, 2017. All work being done is in accordance to construction plans approved by NYC Department of Buildings.” It is said that the new tower will be home to 130 apartments, with some retail spaces available as well. The Ridgewood Times reached out to AB Capstone for comment and is awaiting a response. According to the letter, the construction will cause traffic and parking impacts throughout the construction period. There will be a safe path of travel for pedestrians during periods of sidewalk disruption. The contractor will also maintain access to all businesses during business hours. Regular work hours for the project are Monday to Friday, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, weekend and evening work may be required. “We are hopeful that the construction Rendering courtesy of AB Capstone Construction on the 17-story, mixed-use building in Ridgewood will begin Feb. 1. will be done very professionally and that it will not cause too much disruption in the community and that they will be respectful to the surrounding community when doing construction,” said Gary Giordano, district manager of CB 5. “This is the biggest building that we will have in the Board 5 area, by far.” Giordano does not believe that this project will cause as many problems, especially to local businesses, as the Cooper Avenue Plaza project has in Glendale. “There is certainly a possibility that there will be some problems with construction in that area, including with local businesses,” he said. The site of the AB Capstone building has not been without controversy. The Ridgewood Tenants Union, along with the 1819 Cornelia Street Tenants Association — a group of tenants of a Ridgewood building — used the site as the end point in their march through the neighborhood, demanding that rental prices stay aff ordable for the residents already living there. Be sure to check QNS.com for updates on this story.
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