City Council Likes Member Item Reform Board 4 Blasts Proliferation Of Corona Bars Christian Cassagnol said. “We want to see what the other boards feel because it’s not getting better,” Schilero said. “It’s become an issue for local police, “the precinct says it’s a terrible issue.” “It does take up a lot of their time. It’s been escalating since the ’90s,” added Schilero, a member of Board 4 for the last three decades. “What I’m getting are complaints,” she said. “We’re saturated with liquor license requests. We’re the most active area in the city. We’ve had enough. We have no way to control the amount of people that are inebriated.” “There is such a thing as saturation,” Schilero said. “We don’t need more nightclubs, we have enough.” “(It’s) the most congested area for nightclubs in the city,” Schilero said. A 2012 New York Times article reported that the State Liquor Authority (SLA) conducted research that determined Corona to be second only to downtown manhattan in the number of beer and wine dispensaries in the entire city. The piece mentioned this was undertaken at the request of Assemblyman Francisco Moya, who Schilero said remains aware of the issue. The SLA website hosts a searchable database that can be narrowed by city and ZIP code. A search on the site found 484 active licenses in ZIP code 11368, which includes Corona, with 129 of those classified as serving-on-premises. By comparison, in ZIP code 11106, which includes Astoria, there were 173 total licenses with 101 on premise, for 285 total; and 185 on premise in ZIP code 11385 for Ridgewood and Glendale. Community Board 4 does not cover the entirety of ZIP code 11368, and at least a third of the licenses are the responsibility of community Board 3. “The ZIP code can be misrepresentative, It also includes board 3 and a least a third is on their half,” Cassagnol said. Even so, he agreed with Schilero that “we’re oversaturated” with licenses. “I have been in contact with SLA, and I would like to see a moratorium on licenses,” he said. Cassagnol and Schilero are also frustrated by uneven enforcement, as some repeat violators have been allowed to remain open The SLA rules purportedly don’t allow three active licenses within 500 feet of each other and require more than 200 feet separating drinking establishments from schools and churches. Schilero feels these rules are not uniformly enforced, or are measured using methods she is not using herself, as she has found distances less thatn what is supposedly required, she said. “I need to know what they are using as a 500 foot rule,” she said at last Tuesday’s meeting. Schilero would like to see enforcement beefed up. “The biggest problem is enforcement. For us, it’s actually Corona Jackson heights and Elmhurst,” she said. “This is proliferating. I’d like to extend that 500 foot rule and make it a lot longer. It’s gotten to be, it’s unbelieveable. It was 100 feet at one point,” she said. Cassagnol agrees the 500-foot and 200-foot rules need to be enfonced uniformly. He also would like see community boards granted more powers when drinking establishments flout the law repeatedly for violations like selling alcohol to minors or already intoxicated persons. He feels the community board’s role is a bit inadequate, as the SLA is granted power to make the final determinations on licenses. Cassagnol and community board members spend about fifteen to twenty minutes with each new applicant, and when there are 20 in a month, it can be a lot of work, he said. In addition to meeting with the owners, the community board is tasked with ensuring a business has the proper paperwork, including certification of occupancy permits before the entire board can vote to recommend or disapprove an application. “I think we should have more power. We spend a lot of time and resources for the SLA to just say we’re good. It’s almost a slap in the face,” Cassagnol said. “In the summer we can get 20 in a month. Either expand the law more or enforce the foot rules.” Schilero also believes the people frequenting these establishments are from other areas and come to her community to drink, get rowdy in someone else’s neighborhood, which she believes could have long-term, negative effects on business growth. “People come from outside, it’s too much in a quiet neighborhood.” Schilero said. Long-term she wants to attract viable businesses to Queens that do not negatively affect the community’s quality-of-life. Schilero feels the problem is most acute along stretches of Broadway, Albion Avenue and Corona Avenue. She wants the needs of he community listened to, is concerned that so many drinking establishments are affecting residents lives and wants to raise awareness around the issue of excessive drinking. “What’s in place now is not sustainable for a neighborhood,” she said. “We just feel we need to call attention to it. When one goes, there’s someone coming up.” “I think we need to push our representatives.” she concluded. 110th Precinct update Deputy Inspector Ronald Leyson, of the 110th Precinct, told the group his command saw a 3.5 percent crime reduction in the last 28 days and a 6.5 percent decrease for the year, he said. “crime is down in every category for the year, except for burglaries,” Leyson said. He advised residents to cover the PIN pad when using ATM machines because perpetrators have begun using tiny cameras to steal customers personal information. Identification thieves employ fake cover pads over the bank’s ATM keypad that can input your PIN, he said. “We’ve been having a problem with ATM skimmers,” Leyson said. “Always, always cover the PIN pad.” Perpetrators have also put cameras near the card readers on bank doors that can steal your card number when you enter, Leyson advised. “This is one of the things that is very prevalent, not in the 110, we’ve been very lucky.” There has only been a report of one such scam at the precinct, Leyson said. It happened at a TD Bank branch. “We’ve had a big problem at TD Banks,” he said. Queens Community Board 4 meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at VFW Post 150, located at 51-11 108th Street, in Corona. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 10- Traffic News And Changes -CONTINUED FROM PG. 20- Lane closures will also take place from 10 p.m. Fridays to 7 a.m. Saturdays and from 10 p.m. Saturdays to 3 p.m. Sundays. Two lanes of traffic in each direction may be closed on weeknights from 12:01 until 5 a.m., Saturdays from 1 to 6 a.m. and Sundays from 1 to 9 a.m. Pair Shot At Highland Park The 17-year-old victim reportedly brought himself to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for treatment of his non-life-threatening injury. Various police units canvassed the surrounding area for suspects but no immediate arrests were made. An ongoing investigation is being conducted by the 75th Precinct Detective Squad, police noted. Persons with information regarding the assault that could prove helpful are asked to call the 75th Precinct Detective Squad at 1-718- 827-3548; all calls will be kept confidential. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 11- More Service For L & M Trains Sundays. Three more round-trip L trains will also be introduced on weekday evenings. As noted, the changes will be implemented in the fall and cost the MTA about $1.7 million. While no exact date for the L train enhancements was indicated, the MTA noted, the extra weekday M trains would be added in concurrence with the restoration of regular R train service between 71st-Continental Avenues in Forest Hills and Bay Ridge-95th Street in Brooklyn. R train service was altered last summer when the MTA shut down the Montague Tube—below the East River between Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan—to repair damages caused by Hurricane Sandy. The repairs are expected to be completed in October. Until then, weekday R trains run in two segments—between 71st- Continental Avenues and Whitehall Street in Manhattan and in Brooklyn between Court Street and 95th Street. Weekend R lines operate on much of its normal route, but are detoured over the Manhattan Bridge. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 10- 55 • TIMES, THURSDAY, MAY 22, 2014 End May Be Near For MVPORA and connect with local officials so their needs are met. Turning to other matters, Trinchese informed the room of Board 5’s May 22 public hearing at Christ the King High School concerning the proposed homeless shelter on 78-16 Cooper Ave., which would house 125 families. “It’s extremely important ... please tell your friends and neighbors to please come out and speak about this,” Candela appealed. “Even if you want to say just a few words it’s very important you come out and support this cause because, again, it’s right next door to us.” The proposed structure is scheduled to be renovated to house 125 homeless families. The NYC Department of Homeless Services and Samaritan Village, which are overseeing the controversial project, will both be at the meeting Thursday. Anyone planning on speaking at the meeting is asked to register by calling Board 5 at 1-718-386-3004; everyone will be limited to two minutes. Also, attendees are encouraged to take public transportation, as parking will be limited. Neil Giannelli, a representative of State Sen. Joseph Addabbo, updated the group on the Knockdown Center in Maspeth, describing it as a “hipster hangout” as young residents of Bushwick begin trickling east into the neighborhoods of queens. He said the venue’s 600 plus liquor license application was shot down recently but they are investigating their alleged “bring your own beer” (BYOB) policy. The former factory turned entertainment venue has been under scrutiny by many local residents, as its liquor license was denied. One of two shows scheduled by activist and musician M.I.A. was cancelled recently. As reported in this newspaper, it was just one of several setbacks in the venue’s attempts to become established in the community. Giannelli also reminded the group about the senator’s May 30 “50 and over” job fair. Over 20 employers will be at 80-02 Kew Gardens Rd. in Kew Gardens ready to hire. The next Middle Village Property Owners/Residents Association meeting is scheduled to take place on Monday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m. at St. Margaret Parish Hall, located on 79th Place south of Juniper Valley Road. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 11- Additionally, the left lane in both directions on the Grand Central Parkway may be closed at 44th Street for two nights through Friday, May 2, from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. to allow DOT crews to conduct bridge maintenance. For additional closures, visit the city DOT’s website at www.nyc.gov/dot or call 311. funding and remove the ability of the Council Speaker to play favorites with discretionary funds. “In years past, the member item process known to this body was often used as a political tool––a tool used to disproportionately reward some members and to punish others,” Crowley said in a statement on the reforms. “Today is a good day for the New York City Council. It’s a good day for fairness, a good day for our taxpayers,” Crowley added. For discretionary expenses, the reforms establish an equal distribution for core member item amounts, which include funds for local organizations, youth projects and senior service programs. The reforms also provide needs-based increases to Council members, based on the number of constituents living in poverty in their district. The reforms alter the distribution of capital funds as well, equalizing the amount within a range. Other rules changes to discretionary funding allocations include a “speakers list,” limited to 50 percent of total member expenses and increased transparency that adds new open data requirements for searches, so voters can track spending and amounts granted to Council members. Crowley believes the reforms will balance the process and remove the ability of the speaker to favor certain members. “We are reforming the rules so that never again will one leader be able to use these dollars to punish another leader. The ones who would end up truly suffering because of this political process were the countless New Yorkers, the taxpayers, who expect their government to provide the services they deserve,” she added. -CONTINUED FROM PG. 19- Learn The History Of Our Neighborhood! VISIT OUR ARCHIVES ONLINE AT www.ADVERTISE With The Times Newsweekly! Call 1-718-821-7500 timesnewsweekly.com
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