8 TIMES • SEPTEMBER 8, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Maspeth shelter war Local lawmaker cuts her speech short amid boos from crowd at Maspeth shelter hearing \BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport She didn’t have much to say, and the crowd didn’t care to listen to her. During the public hearing hosted CB5 to vote on Maspeth shelter BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@ridgewoodtimes.com @robbpoz After getting an earful from Maspeth residents regarding the proposed homeless shelter at a neighborhood hotel, Community Board 5 will weigh in with its offi cial recommendation on the project later this month. The advisory body is expected to consider a resolution on the subject during its next meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday night, Sept. 14, at Christ the King Regional High School in Middle Village. The board will either recommend denial or acceptance of the proposed homeless shelter for up to 220 adults at the Holiday Inn Express located on 55th Road in Maspeth and slated to open in October. First announced in August, the plan sent many Maspeth residents into a frenzy, sparking nightly protests outside the hotel, a neighborhood march and boisterous objections raised at a public meeting on the matter. Although the city stressed it needs the rooms at the Holiday Inn Express to meet the needs of an ever-growing homeless population, opponents in Maspeth say the hotel, among other issues, lacks the required amenities for a homeless shelter and is located too far from public transportation. More than a thousand people showed up at a public hearing on the proposal that Board 5 held on Aug. 31 at the Knockdown Center. Many residents expressed their outrage at the shelter plan by turning their backs on Human Resources Commissioner Steven Banks and jeering at Assemblywoman Margaret Markey as they spoke. The vote will likely come after Board 5 attends to a number of other items on its agenda, including a public hearing on budget items for the city’s 2018 fiscal year budget, a presentation by the Sanitation D e p a r t m e n t regarding the proposed expansion of organic recycling into Ridgewood, a public forum for comments, a review of liquor licenses and demolition notices, and reports by C h a i r p e r s o n Vincent Arcuri and District Manager Gary Giordano. The Sept. 14 meeting will be held in Christ the King’s cafeteria, located in the rear of the high school at 68-02 Metropolitan Ave. Parking is available, and the school is located within walking distance of the M train and the Q38, Q54 and Q67 buses. For more information, call 718- 366-1834. by Community Board 5 (CB 5) on Wednesday, Aug. 31, regarding the proposal to turn the Holiday Inn Express in Maspeth into a homeless shelter for adult families, Assemblywoman Margaret Markey left the Knockdown Center without saying very much. When she was introduced, she was met with boos from the angry audience. “Why are you booing me, why?” she asked. The residents of Maspeth were booing her because they felt she hadn’t made enough of an effort to show her support for the community. Markey was noticeably absent from the community’s fi rst meeting about the shelter held on Aug. 11 at Martin Luther High School, while other local elected offi cials were on hand, including Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, state Senator Joseph Addabbo and Markey’s opponent in the Sept. 13 Democratic primary, Brian Barnwell. A representative from Markey’s offi ce said that she was en route to that meeting when a family emergency came up and she had to handle it at that moment. She did have three staff members at the meeting, however. As the assemblywoman tried to speak out against the shelter at the Aug. 31 meeting, she was drowned out by even more jeers. “I oppose it,” she said. “I have not given any money to it. You’re being manipulated.” As the boos continued, Markey ended her speech saying, “Thank you, goodbye.” That prompted more jeering from the already annoyed audience. Over the last month, Markey has released statements and fl yers expressing her opposition to the shelter, but that has not been enough for the community. Many wondered where she was — and where Addabbo and Crowley were — during a fi ve-mile march throughout Maspeth on Aug. 27 protesting the shelter, as well as nightly rallies outside of the Holiday Inn Express where the shelter is planned to open. However, Markey joined on the lawsuit fi led earlier this week against the mayor’s administration for attempting to place homeless people into hotel rooms without proper cooking facilities — which is illegal. “Marge Markey attended the public hearing of Community Board 5 to testify about her opposition to the Maspeth shelter proposal and the process the de Blasio administration is using to shove it down the throat of the community,” a representative from the assemblywoman’s offi ce said. “Like everyone else who is working on turning back this challenge, she clearly understands the concerns of the community and has gone on public record several times to state her opposition in addition to acting as an elected offi cial to oppose it.” Although Markey’s turn at the microphone was brief, she submitted offi cial written testimony to CB 5 outlining her opposition to the shelter plan. Photo: Anthony Giudice/RIDGEWOOD TIMES Assemblywoman Margaret Markey was received with boos at the public hearing about the Maspeth homeless shelter on Aug. 31. Photo: Anthony Giudice/RIDGEWOOD TIMES Community Board 5 will issue its opinion on the proposed Maspeth homeless shelter on Sept. 14.
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