2 times • SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.qns.com Incumbent Assemblywoman Markey loses Democratic primary in a stunning upset BY ROBERT POZARYCKI [email protected] @robbpoz This might be one of the biggest political upsets Queens has ever seen. Upstart Brian Barnwell defeated nine-term incumbent Assemblywoman Margaret Markey in the Sept. 13 Democratic primary for the 30th Assembly District seat. WNYC called the race for Barnwell at about 9:25 p.m. Tuesday night. Turnout was extremely low, but Barnwell got 63.8 percent of the vote (1,622) to Markey’s 36.2 percent (921), with all of the precincts reporting. “It’s wasn’t just me at all, by any means. It was all you guys, seriously. I can only do so much,” Barnwell told supporters in his victory speech. “Everyone in here gave their time and effort to help out. … Everyone went the extra mile in this room.” Incumbents are normally a shoe-in to win reelection Nine-term incumbent Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (at left) lost Tuesday’s Democratic primary to Woodside attorney Brian Barnwell. in a primary, but the tide turned against Mar key last month amid the ongoing debate over It is that time of year again to make your voice heard on how you want your local City Council member to spend $1 million of your tax dollars. Participatory budgeting is back for New York City Council District 30, and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley is hosting four assemblies next week across the neighborhoods to hear how her constituents would like to spend the funds. The first assembly will be held on Monday, Sept. 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the Shops at Atlas Park located in Building 8 at 71-19 80th St. in Glendale. On Tuesday, Sept. 20, there will be an assembly meeting at P.S. 229 located at 67-25 51st Rd. in Woodside, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The following evening, Wednesday, Sept. 21, Maspeth will get their chance to speak at an assembly at Maspeth Town Hall, located at 53-37 72nd St. from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. And on Thursday, Sept. 22, the final assembly meeting will be held at the Ridgewood branch of the Queens Library, located at 20-12 Madison St., from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Last year over 2,400 votes were cast across District 30 to bring improvements to schools and libraries across Glendale, Ridgewood, Middle Village and Maspeth. To RSVP for one of the assemblies, contact Crowley’s office. --Anthony Giudice File photos Glendale group continues fight to stop homeless shelter BY ANTHONY GIUDICE [email protected] @A_GiudiceReport As Maspeth residents have been busy fighting a proposed homeless shelter in the neighborhood, Glendale activists continue their three-year-long battle to stop a transitional shelter at a defunct Cooper Avenue factory. With all the news swirling around the proposed homeless shelter at the Holiday Inn Express in Maspeth, the Glendale Property Owners Association (GPOA) updated the community on Thursday night regarding the planned shelter for families at 78-16 Cooper Ave. The last word on the Glendale homeless shelter was that a judge denied the Glendale/Middle Village Coalition Article 78 lawsuit that claimed the environmental assessment conducted at the proposed site was flawed in its findings and incomplete in its studies. A judge later denied the coalition’s appeal. “While we are disappointed in the judge’s ruling to date, please keep in mind the Article 78 and the appeal did delay the shelter opening as it was originally planned to be in operation in 2014,” said Brian Dooley, president of the GPOA, during their joint meeting with the 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol (104COP) on Sept. 8 at St. Pancras in Glendale. “The delay created by the Article 78 and appeal allowed time to explore other options.” During that time, the coalition met with an architect who is very familiar with the New York City zoning laws and Department of Buildings (DOB) regulations and requirements to view the proposed shelter plans. As a result of the architect’s findings, the coalition has filed several challenges and complaints with DOB for noncompliance with building codes and zoning. Though DOB has not addressed these challenges as of yet, if they approve the plans for the building, the coalition will bring the issues up with the Board of Standards and Appeals, Dooley announced. “Please know that the members of the Glendale/Middle Village Coalition are continually monitoring the situation at the proposed Glendale site, and continue to research and explore other alternatives to stop the shelter from coming to fruition,” Dooley told those in attendance. State Senator Joseph Addabbo expressed his gratitude to the Glendale/Middle Village Coalition for fighting against the Cooper Avenue site and for showing DHS that Glendale is just not a good site for a homeless shelter. He also had a warning for the people of Glendale and the surrounding communities. “If you live near a hotel or a motel, be afraid because that’s what this mayor is targeting,” Addabbo said. “He is targeting, in my opinion, Community Board 5, he’s targeting Queens, he’s targeting hotels and motels in the area.” It was revealed later that night that the owner of the Holiday Inn Express on 55th Avenue in Maspeth, where the city planned to house 220 homeless adults, had backed out of the deal to convert his hotel into a homeless shelter. Next round of participatory budgeting is set to start a proposed homeless shelter in Maspeth, in the heart of her district. Markey took flack from residents for failing to show up at a public meeting and a protest over the shelter, although she expressed opposition to the plan in statements that her office issued. Things came to a head at an Aug. 31 Community Board 5 public hearing on the shelter proposal, when Markey was roundly jeered by the attendees and cut her speech short. Barnwell, for his part, attended meetings over the proposed shelter and expressed vehement opposition to the plan. He also visited nightly rallies held outside the Holiday Inn Express where the facility is slated to be located. Last week, the hotel’s owner stated he was no longer supportive of the idea. The 30-year-old Barnwell, a Woodside attorney, is slated to face Republican Tony Nunziato (who was seen congratulating Barnwell at the candidate’s victory party) in the Nov. 8 general election. The 30th Assembly District covers all or parts of Astoria, Long Island City, Maspeth, Middle Village and Woodside.
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