FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MARCH 15, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 3
After crash, renewed calls for helicopter reform
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
While news of Sunday night’s helicopter
crash into the East River continues
to cause concern in the local community,
some Queens lawmakers are proposing
a series of reforms to prevent future
similar events.
Five helicopter passengers died on
March 12 aft er a Liberty Helicoptersowned
aircraft crashed into the East
River between the Upper East Side of
Manhattan and Astoria.
Frequent helicopter traffi c has long
been a concern in the northeast Queens
community, where the aircraft s fl y overhead
on the North Shore Helicopter
Route. It was established in 2008 aft er
numerous noise complaints were fi led
from communities in Long Island in reference
to helicopters traveling between
Long Island and Manhattan.
To alleviate noise on Long Island, helicopters
are now being directed to fl y along
the north shore of the land. However, this
protection does not extend to northeast
Queens, where helicopters continue to fl y
over areas of College Point, Whitestone
and Bay Terrace.
Residents have expressed their concerns
with helicopter traffi c “for a very
long time,” Bayside-based state Senator
Tony Avella said in a statement on March
12.
“While it is too soon to jump to conclusions
as we are still waiting to hear all
of the details, we must still look to what
can be done to prevent anything like this
from ever happening again, the senator
said.
In response, Avella introduced legislation
in the state Senate that would authorize
and direct the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey to control helicopter
routes within its jurisdiction. Th e bill
is currently in committee.
Another northeast Queens representative
also recently called for changes to
local helicopter regulations. At the end
of February, Councilman Paul Vallone
announced he re-introduced a resolution
calling on the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) to make changes
to the North Shore Helicopter Route.
“Th e now infamous North Shore
route must be re-examined to stop the
assault on our quality of life for the benefi
t of the helicopter industry and their
Hamptons commuters,” said Vallone,
who also serves as chair of the Committee
on Economic Development. “I am tired
of an industry that hides behind the FAA
and Port Authority without off ering any
voluntary changes to a system that they
can easily fi x without legislation.”
On March 8, Congressman Tom
Suozzi, who also represents northeast
Queens, backed Vallone’s resolution. Th e
representative penned a letter to Daniel
K. Elwell, Acting Administrator of the
Federal Aviation Administration, to show
his support.
George Mirtsopoulos, vice president
of the We Love Whitestone Civic
Association, said the local community
has fought against the route, which has
brought noise and health and safety concerns
to the area, for years.
“Th e overwhelming number of helicopters
and sea planes that fl y directly over
our homes has had a negative impact on
our health and quality of life,” he said.
“From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the
amount of air traffi c makes it impossible
to enjoy any outdoor activity in our communities.”
Board 7 ok’s two large downtown Flushing developments
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
smonteverdi@qns.com / @smont76
Two more 15- and 16-story mixeduse
buildings are rising in downtown
Flushing.
On March 12, Community Board 7
recommended approval of separate
development plans presented by brothers
Chris and George Xu to erect the
new buildings at 134-03 35th Ave. and
134-37 35th Ave., respectively.
The builders require a city variance
to construct the towers due to a zoning
restriction that regulates the height
of buildings located near airports. Each
are otherwise being built as-of-right.
After the board received a “determination
of no hazard” report for each
building from the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and the Port
Authority of New York & New Jersey,
members voted in favor of allowing the
special permits.
“Once the committee understood
that everything was being measured
from above sea level, we determined
that they did meet the requirements.
And the FAA approved it,”
board member Reverend Richard
McEachern said.
Plans for the
207,000-square-foot,
16-story building at 134-
03 35th Ave., currently
an empty lot, were
fi rst fi led with the city in 2016. It will
reach a maximum height of 211 feet.
Th e structure is being designed by
Jon K Yung of the Flushing-based My
Architect PC and will feature just over
100,000 square feet in residential space,
86,000 square feet in hotel space and a
17,000-square-foot community space.
An enclosed parking garage will be
constructed at the cellar level and will
contain 196 parking spaces.
Th e 15-story building at 134-37
35th Ave., labeled “Th e Farrington,”
is being designed by Raymond Chan
of Raymond Chan Architect, PC. Th e
more than 350,000-square-foot building
will feature 210 hotel rooms from Four
Points by Sheraton, 100 condo units and
retail spaces.
An enclosed parking garage containing
186 parking spaces will also be
built. It will stand at 209 feet tall.
The building is “set for delivery in
2018,” according to the developer’s
website, and will have a $175 million
market value upon completion.
Construction on both buildings is in
progress.
Photo courtesy
of Raymond Chan
Architect, PC
The proposed
development
at 134-37 35th
Ave.
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