WWW.QNS.COM RIDGEWOOD TIMES JUNE 14, 2018 13
CITY SHOULD COMMUNICATE MORE ON STREET REPAIRS
A ZONING CHANGE
TOO ‘FAR’ FOR
QUEENS
There is legislation before the State
Legislature that would eliminate the
cap on something called the fl oor area
ratio for new construction. What does
that mean?
Each zoning classifi cation has a fl oor
area ratio (FAR) number assigned to
it. Many of the zones in northeastern
Queens have an FAR of 0.5. This means
essentially that if you have a 40 by 100
lot (4,000 square feet), you can build a
house or building that contains an FAR
of 0.5, or 2,000 square feet.
The highest FAR in New York City
is 12. That applies to high rises in
densely populated areas such as western
Queens. Many in the real estate
industry would like to see that cap
eliminated, so that bulkier and taller
buildings could be constructed.
Many people object to this proposal.
They feel that light and air will be
further cut from existing low density
buildings that lie in those areas
mentioned above. It would also lead
to more congestion and stress the
existing infrastructure in these areas.
The supposed goal is to create more
aff ordable housing. However, many
experts believe that the so-called affordable
housing that could be created
would in large part still be unaff ordable
by most working class families.
Raising the cap of the FAR would only
encourage overdevelopment and inappropriate
development and could
eventually aff ect all areas of our city.
Please call your State Senator and
State Assemblyperson and tell them to
vote against eliminating the State cap
on the fl oor area ratio.
Henry Euler, Bayside
TIME’S RUNNING
OUT ON
ANTI-SMOKING
BILL
It’s June once again, and a proposed
New York State Tobacco 21 minimum legal
sales age law is once again in jeopardy
of running out of time. With bipartisan
support in both the Senate and Assembly,
both full chambers in Albany should be
given an opportunity to pass this common
sense bi-partisan supported law.
I’m calling on my local and surrounding
area legislators, both in the
State Senate and Assembly, to push
for a T21 bill to be put on the table. In
addition I’m asking for them to reach
out to their colleagues for support to
see that their respective bills (S.3978;
A.273) advances to a full vote in both
chambers. Last year time ran out on
the bill stuck in committee.
The time for delays and excuses
should be over. Ninety-fi ve percent of
smokers begin their path to tobacco addiction
before age 21. Just do the math.
The Senate Finance Committee and
the Assembly Rules Committee have
both respective bills before them.
They should be responsible this time
and vote it out of committee. Please.
This should not be a political issue.
Come on already!
Phil Konigsberg, Bay Terrace
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LETTERS AND COMMENTS
Here’s another
terrifi c
graduation photo
we pulled from the
Ridgewood Times
archives. This 1922
class photo shows
the graduating
eighth-graders
from P.S. 88
in Ridgewood.
Send us your
historic photos of
Queens by email
to editorial@qns.
com (subject: A
Look Back) or mail
printed pictures
to A Look Back, ℅
The Queens Courier,
38-15 Bell Blvd.,
Bayside, NY 11361.
All mailed pictures
will be carefully
returned to you.
A LOOK BACK
Ridgewood Times archives
It’s no secret to anyone living or
passing through Astoria/LIC that
we’re going through an unprecedented
amount of repair work. From
our subways to our sewers and water
mains to our streets, its everywhere
and it’s aff ecting us daily.
As a lifelong resident, and specifi -
cally as Public Safety Chair for Community
Board 1, which covers these
neighborhoods, I’m particularly interested
on the eff ect these combined
contracts are having on the quality of
life and safety of our neighbors.
Although we all understand
and appreciate the fact that many
of these repairs and works are
way overdue and necessary, what
is glaringly obvious is the fact
that sometimes the cooperation
and communication necessary to
make this important work run as
smoothly as humanly possible is
missing.
One particular job clearly shows
how a timely act of cooperative
planning and communication
between affected businesses, city
service providers, local community
leaders and elected officials
saved the day. I speak of the water
main replacement on Astoria
Boulevard South, from the mid 40s
streets all the way to 31st Street.
It passes in front the home of the
NYPD’s 114th Precinct, one of the
largest in NYC, and a FDNY fi rehouse.
Add a sizable number of businesses
and you’ve got a very crowded area,
especially around the morning and
evening rush hours.
Last week, as the construction
approached 38th Street, the eff ect on
traffi c was horrendous to the point
where police cars could not even get
out of the stationhouse.
To lessen the severity of the traffi c
backup, the 114th Precinct called the
Department of Design and Construction
and arranged to have three police
offi cers stationed to speed traffi c
along.
To the powers that be in New York
City, when you have these major construction
projects, give contractors
more traffi c control agents; shorten
the lights temporarily as necessary;
and certainly get the input of the local
police, fi re and community board
members during, not just before,
construction. It works.
Antonio Meloni,
president,
Astoria Civic Association
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