14 MAY 16, 2019 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Forest Hills’ Station Square car-free – for now
BY MAX PARROTT
MPARROTT@SCHNEPSMEDIA.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
Though the majority of the
construction fences went
down last week, Station Square
remains closed to traffi c as the Forest
Hills Gardens Corporation (FHGC)
tests a new plan that would cut off cars
through the intersection.
The FHGC began a renovation
project a year ago that replaced
infrastructure underneath the
square, laid a new foundation and
replaced all the bricks in the street.
Though the construction was slated
to end at the end of 2018, over five
months later it’s still nearing
completion in one area.
In reopening the square, the
FHGC decided to implement a trial
period when they would block
traffic from entering the square
and have people see how they about
it. Susanna Hof of Terrace Sotheby’s
International Realty, which has two
offices at Station Square, said that
they are weighing the community’s
response to keeping this
arrangement permanently.
Up until the construction last
spring, cars were permitted to
travel through the square going east
or west and navigate the six streets
that branch off from the square.
Hof told QNS that the popularity
of Long Island Rail Road stop in the
station has led to traffic problems
in the square. She said that people
waiting to pick up train passengers
double-park or parking on both
sides of the byway along the center
island, which creates severe
congestion. Hof worries that this
creates a dangerous situation
for pedestrians.
She added that she would also
like to see a stop to car traffic for
aesthetic reasons.
“From a purist point of view, the
architectural appearance of the
square in a way is impeded by the
presence of all these automobiles,
the honking and then from a safety
point of view also,” she said.
Originally founded in 1909, the
square was designed as a gathering
space for its residents. At that time,
the horse carriages that passed
through the space did not clash
with its planned use as a pedestrianfriendly
area.
“So there’s a safety element, there’s
an architectural element and it’s
the original aesthetic conception
of the square as a place where the
community could gather,” said Hof.
Though the FHGC left the square
open to cars until the construction,
they are responsible for deciding
its fate. The streets are technically
considered private. All common
areas of the Station Square
development are owned jointly
by all the residents and run by a
corporation of which the residents
and members.
The FHGC will discuss the
future of the square at its spring
community meeting exclusively
for its members at 7 p.m. on May
16 at the Church in the Gardens
community house at 15 Borage
Pl. The organization’s president
Matthew Mandell will speak at the
Dirty cop who helped run R’wood brothel pleads guilty
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
EDAVENPORT@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@RIDGEWOODTIMES
An NYPD vice detective
admitted to participating in
a prolific prostitution ring
and gambling enterprise throughout
Queens, Brooklyn and Nassau County,
prosecutors announced.
Detective Rene Samaniego, 44,
pleaded guilty to two counts of
attempted enterprise corruption on
May 8. He is due to return to court for
sentencing on June 25, where a judge
indicated that he would be sentenced
to two to six years in prison.
“I have the utmost respect for the
many fine NYPD officers working
to protect and serve the residents
and visitors of our beautiful city.
Sadly, there are some who possess
the badge and tarnish it,” said
acting District Attorney John M.
Ryan. “The defendant in this case
used his position as a member of
New York’s Finest to help run an
illegal operation in three counties
to line his pockets with easy cash.
This kind of corruption will not
be tolerated, and as a result of his
actions, the defendant will now go to
prison. This should be a warning to
all criminals — including members
of service — lawlessness will not be
tolerated in New York City.”
According to charges, in April 2015
the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau
received an anonymous tip that
some active duty and retired police
officers were taking part in a complex
illegal operation. Through courtauthorized
wiretaps, surveillance
and other investigative tools,
investigators were able to identify
the illegal network of brothels and
those who were involved.
Samaniego worked closely with the
alleged boss by providing him with
intel on police procedures, scheduled
raids and other vital information
that kept the brothels open and in
business. Charges indicated that
Samaniego would disclose detailed
descriptions of undercover officers
— what they were wearing and their
exact location when they were
conducting an undercover operation
and approaching a brothel — which
greatly compromised the safety of
the undercover officers.
With Sameniego’s intel on vice
procedures, prosecutors said, this
allowed the alleged brothel operators
to weed out undercover detectives
with new protocols in place for new
clients. Knowing that police officers
could not expose their genitals when
interacting with prostitutes, new
clients would be required to undress
and allow themselves to be fondled
before getting past security.
Two of the eight brothels in
operation were located in Queens,
on Liberty Avenue in Jamaica
and on Onderdonk Avenue in
Ridgewood. The others were
located in Brooklyn and Hempstead,
Long Island.
Prosecutors said the prostitution
ring allegedly netted more than $2
million in 13 months using online
ads to attract customers. After
getting through the screening
process, clients were given their
choice of prostitutes and paid up
to $40 for 15 minutes of sex play or
up to $160 for a full hour.
The indictment says that there
were various illegal lotteries set up
in multiple businesses, including a
deli on Springfield Boulevard and
a hair salon on 243rd Street in
Queens, as a part of the operation.
File photo via Shutterstock
File photo via Shutterstock
/WWW.QNS.COM
link
link
link
link
