14 THE QUEENS COURIER • JANUARY 4, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Security cameras
coming to Murray
Hill LIRR station
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A Flushing train station will begin to
see a series of improvements — including
new security cameras — in the new
year.
Th e MTA has awarded a $8.6 million
contract to build two new ADAaccessible
elevators at each end of the
Murray Hill LIRR station, the corporation
announced on Dec. 27. Several
other upgrades are also included in the
project, including platform improvements,
new security cameras, lighting
and signage.
Work is expected to begin in March.
Elevator construction is expected to be
completed in the spring of 2019.
Th e station, located at 150th Street
and 41st Avenue, was recently the site
of two hate graffi ti incidents. Written
in black marker, the hateful, anti-Asian
statements discovered on Dec. 18 and
19 included “Whites Built Flushing”
and “Chinese Losers Town.”
In response, community leaders met
at the site to condemn the incidents and
call for an investigation. On Dec. 27, an
MTA spokesperson told QNS that the
MTA Police’s investigation into the
incidents is “active and ongoing.” Th e
graffi ti has since been removed.
Th e new security cameras will be
installed in areas throughout the station.
Assemblyman Ron Kim, who previously
pledged to buy a security camera,
thanked the MTA for addressing the
community’s concerns.
“My fellow elected offi cials and I
are hopeful that this will stem
the recent tide of repulsive vandalism
there, and make the area safer
for all residents,” Kim said. “We are
also grateful to our local community
leaders, Christine Colligan of the
KoreanAmerican Parents Association
of Greater New York, Th omas Kim
of the Korean American Association
of Queens, and Younghwan Kim of
Murray Hill Merchants Association,
for their unceasing eff orts to successfully
resolve this issue, as well as the
MTA and Governor Cuomo for their
outreach to our community.”
Should security problems continue
to persist aft er the installations, Kim
added, he is still committed to securing
additional funding for safety projects.
Developers restricted to 52 homes at Whitestone site
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
A long sought aft er deed-restricting
developers to a smaller development
plan for a Whitestone property has been
secured, a local lawmaker announced.
Th e Edgestone property, a 18-acre
waterfront site at 151-45 Sixth Rd. also
known as “Waterpointe,” has been a topic
of concern in the neighborhood for over a
decade. Edgestone Group LLC, the site’s
current owner, is currently working to
remediate the site — which was formerly
an industrial zone and is covered with
toxic soil — under the oversight of the
state’s Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC) through the voluntary
Brownfi eld Cleanup Program.
On Dec. 27, Councilman Paul Vallone
announced that the Edgestone Group had
fi led a declaration with the city permanently
binding any entity developing the
site to 52 detached, single-family homes.
Th is agreement is in accordance with a
2008 special permit supported by local
elected offi cials, civic leaders and community
members.
Overdevelopment at the site has been an
ongoing concern for local leaders. In May
2015, over 100 residents and lawmakers
gathered at the site to protest the original
Waterpointe proposal, which would have
brought 97 two-family townhouse homes
and nine additional single-family houses
to the site.
Charles Apelian, First Vice Chairperson
of Community Board 7 (CB7), reached
out to Vallone and Queens Borough
President Katz to secure the fi ling and put
the community’s overdevelopment concerns
to rest.
“Th e fi ling by the owner pursuant to
the Borough President’s and our request
to permanently bind and protect the land
as 52 single-family homes is a clear victory
for anyone who has stood with us,”
Vallone said. “Th ese deed restrictions will
last forever whether or not a future downzoning
is approved.”
CB7 member Joseph Sweeney welcomed
news of the fi ling in a statement.
“Th e community of Whitestone and
Community Board 7 are happy that
Council member Vallone and Borough
President Katz were able to intercede and
get a deed restriction for the Whitepointe
property,” Sweeney said. “Th is deed
restriction will help secure the preservation
of the community in Whitestone forever.”
Meanwhile, another local lawmaker
remains skeptical. In a statement released
on Dec. 28, state Senator Tony Avella
called the developer’s move a “helpful gesture,”
but not a victory.
“For over two years we have been trying
to get Edgestone to agree to this deed
restriction and I’m glad that they have
fi nally formally agreed to do so,” he said.
“However, a formal downzoning of this
area would be a more perfect solution.”
At the December CB7 meeting, certain
board members expressed concerns with
another aspect of the development: the
site’s cleanup.
Aft er a recent inspection, DEC determined
the site was slated to achieve a
“Track 4" cleanup instead of the initially
agreed upon and more intensive “Track 2
residential cleanup.” Th e Track 4 cleanup,
while normally part of commercial development
projects, can be used for restricted
residential use under DEC guidelines.
Environmental Committee Chairperson
James Cervino outlined his concerns with
the change in track and the harmful toxins
left behind. He questioned what the
potential health impact could be on future
residents and called for a return to the
Track 2 cleanup plan.
On Dec. 19, a DEC spokesperson told
QNS that the agency expects to issue
the developers a certifi cate of completion
for the remediation by the end of 2017.
Developers are required to install a minimum
two-foot cover in the ground, with
a demarcation barrier between the fi ll and
the cover.
Th e spokesperson also said the construction
of single-family homes, usually
not allowed under Track 4 DEC regulations,
is permissible because developers
have plans to create a “single certifying
entity” to oversee the entire site and
ensure the mandated health controls are
being followed.
Mandated health controls include a
sub-slab depressurization system (SSD)
system installed in each new building
erected on the lot, which will read for any
harmful active vapors released into the air.
According to Vallone’s offi ce, Edgestone
President Anthony Hu has established an
escrow account with $272,000 that will be
used to pay for the fi rst 10 years of expenses
for the homeowners association in an
“additional act of good faith.”
If the developer fails to meet the requirements
of a restricted residential use site
under DEC’s regulations, they will be subject
to administrative enforcement, penalties
and potential revocation of the certifi -
cate of completion.
Photo courtesy of Assemblyman Ron Kim’s offi ce
Photos by Suzanne Monteverdi/QNS
The Waterpointe site in Whitestone
Another new condo planned for Queens Plaza area
BY ANGELA MATUA
amatua@qns.com / @angelamatua
Two developers are planning to turn a
parcel in Long Island City into a condo
building, it was reported.
According to Th e Real Deal, the lot at
41-05 29th St. will be developed by SB
Development Group and Heritage Real
Estate Partners. Department of Buildings
records indicated that a demolition permit
was fi led on Dec. 1 to remove a
two-story building housing Dena’s Coff ee
Shop.
Th e building will span 70,000 square
feet but developers did not say how many
condos or fl oors they are planning to construct.
Th e site was purchased for $15.5
million in November.
“It took some time to assemble the various
parcels and development rights necessary
to build something substantial,” SB
Development co-founder Joseph Stern
told Th e Real Deal. “Th e irregular triangular
shaped lot has its challenges but the
opportunity to build something diff erent
and unique for the neighborhood is what
we envisioned with our architect.”
Th e site is located near the Queens Plaza
E, M and R subways and the Queensboro
Photo via Google Maps
Plaza 7, N and W lines.
QNS reached out to SB Development
Group for comment and is awaiting
response.
A condo is planned for this site in Long Island City.