6 TIMES • JUNE 16, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Preserving Glendale War Memorial is ‘a priority’ for city during plaza construction BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport As pedestrian plaza projects begin at Myrtle and Cooper avenues, the Glendale War Memorial at the Glendale Veterans Triangle will not be leaving its home, the city confi rmed. The war memorial was dedicated in 1921 to honor the 21 Glendale residents who died in combat during World War I, and is a major piece of Glendale’s history. Some feared the monument might be moved, damaged or taken away as construction begins on transforming the triangle into a pedestrian plaza by expanding the sidewalk across 70th Street between Myrtle and Cooper avenues. “The monument will not be touched or moved in any way,” said Michelle Perez, the plaza project’s on-site Community Construction Liaison, at the Community Board 5 (CB 5) monthly meeting on June 8. “The contractors are going to work really hard to protect the monument so that it is not damaged in any way possible. That is a priority for our contractors.” The plaza projects are designed to not only beautify the area for the neighborhood with greenery, seating areas and street lighting upgrades, but also to improve vehicular and pedestrian traffi c by realigning the streets and reducing traffi c speed in conjunction with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Vision Zero plan. “When they extend 70th Street back, there will be seating for the community, seating for the public. There will also be a drinking fountain,” Perez said. “We’re going to plant about 12 trees. We’re also planting over 100 bushes, it will be very green.” The nearly $3.4 million project will also include the installation of water mains, storm sewers and catch basins as well as fi re hydrant replacements. All of this work will take place on 70th Street from Cooper Avenue to Myrtle Avenue, Myrtle Avenue from 70th Street to 71st Street, and Cooper Avenue from 70th Street to 71st Street — which will extend that intersection into its own plaza. The water main work has begun and is expected to continue until August, followed by the installation of catch basins. From August through November, the plaza enhancements will be made. During that time — from September through November — curb and sidewalk repairs will take place. Roadway reconstruction will happen from November through December. The NYC Department of Design and Construction (DDC) noted that these dates are approximate and may change due to weather and fi eld conditions. The estimated completion date for the plazas is spring 2017. The DDC is also working to get the 70th Street plaza complete by December, just in time for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony that takes place at the Glendale War Memorial. “So far we’ve had good cooperation with DDC, as you know we had the Memorial Day Parade and they put off any activity in the area so we could have our event there,” said Vinny Arcuri, chairperson of CB 5. “The contractor and the DDC have assured us that they will make every effort to have the 70th Street plaza portion ready in time for the holiday Christmas tree lighting.” RIDGEWOOD TIMES/Photo by Anthony Giudice The Glendale War Memorial will stay where it is during plaza construction along Myrtle and Cooper avenues Western Queens light rail plan gets $500K for study BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport A light rail system for western Queens could be on the fast track. It has been announced that $500,000 in next fi scal year’s budget will be earmarked for the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct an engineering study to determine the feasibility of bringing a light rail system from Jamaica to Long Island City along the Long Island Rail Road’s (LIRR) Montauk line. Although the funds have been secured, this process is still in the beginning stages, as the funds won’t be made available until the start of the new fi scal year, which kicks off on July 1. “I am so pleased that Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito secured funding in this year’s budget to study bringing light rail to Queens — a project that will change public transportation I rmly believe this study will show the clear bene ts that a light rail will bring to the local residents and the economy for generations to come.” in the borough,” said Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley. “I fi rmly believe this study will show the clear benefi ts that a light rail will bring to the local residents and the economy for generations to come.” The Council must now vote to adopt the budget, then Mayor Bill de Blasio must sign it before the funding is fi nal, but Crowley expects the budget to pass. Crowley has been advocating for a light rail service through Queens since last summer when she announced her vision of making public transportation more accessible to members of the community that live in what are commonly referred to as “transportation deserts.” Since that time, Crowley has been gaining supporters for her vision. First, Community Board 5 (CB 5) jumped on board with a 34-6 vote in favor of the plan in December 2015. Then, in February 2016, Borough President Melinda Katz penned a letter to MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast supporting the councilwoman’s idea of a light rail system. This is not the fi rst bit of good news for Queens transportation advocates this year. In March, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder was able to secure millions of dollars in this year’s Assembly one-house budget proposal for a feasibility study on reactivating the Rockaway Beach line. --Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley
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