FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.COURIERSUN.COM OCTOBER 23, 2014 • THE COURIER SUN 21 Council member slams Astoria Cove project in hearing BY LIAM LA GUERRE lguerre@queenscourier.com/@LiamLaGuerre A member of the City Council’s Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises called the affordable housing portion of the Astoria Cove project “a joke.” Councilman Antonio Reynoso joined the choir of critics against the affordable housing portion of the mega development in the council’s public hearing on Monday. Other public officials such as Astoria Councilman Costa Constatinides and Public Advocate Letitia James also emphasized that the proposed units for lowincome residents aren’t enough. Representatives for the team of developers on the project have boasted that the project is leading the way in affordable housing with a proposed 20 percent or 345 units of the 1,723 dwellings put aside for lowincome residents. But Reynoso, referencing former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s voluntary 80/20 program, in which 20 percent of units in new developments are reserved for affordable housing in return for benefits, told Astoria Cove project representatives, “What you’re doing is not unprecedented in any way, shape or form; 80/20 without subsidies is a joke. That’s the old standard.” Reynoso also said that the rates for affordable housing units should be adjusted to better fit Astoria residents, which Constantinides has also previously said. The team of representatives for 2030 Astoria Developers, the group behind the project, couldn’t answer Reynoso’s question about the average income of residents in Community Board 1, who will have preference to the affordable housing units. “You guys said that you’ve been working with the community for four years, working very closely with the entire community for four years and you can’t tell me how much Astoria residents make in a year,” Reynoso said. “That’s not four years of work.” Reynoso also asked how the size of the units in the affordable housing sections compare with the size of Astoria families, many of which need two- or three-bedroom apartments. Again, the representatives couldn’t respond. “When one master-plans the development, especially of this size, one never plans the unit-mix breakdown at this stage,” a representative said at the hearing. “It’s never part of the planning process.” Reynoso said he will not vote for the project’s current proposal, and said, “There is no chance this is going to move through.” Numerous affordable housing supporters in the audience waved their hands whenever increasing the ratio of low-income units was mentioned. Advocates in support of union jobs and residents from other properties of Alma Realty, the lead developer, were also at the meeting to speak out against the firm. Among those speaking in favor of the project was Jack Friedman, the executive director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “The Queens Chamber of Commerce believes this project is and will be a great addition for our borough and for Astoria,” Friedman said. “We wholeheartedly endorse and support the project and the many advantages it will present for the local community for generations to come.” Despite the level of opposition to the current proposal of the project, the City Planning Commission gave its approval last month. Constantinides has pledged to get more affordable housing before the City Council votes. “As the process moves toward our November vote, we will work with the developer to provide ample affordable housing, good jobs both during and after the construction process, and dramatically increase public transportation options on and off of the peninsula,” he said. Rendering courtesy of STUDIO V Architecture Kew Gardens Hills synagogues experience growing pains BY LIAM LA GUERRE lguerre@queenscourier.com @liamlaguerre The large and expanding Jewish community in Kew Gardens Hills has fueled the need for synagogue expansions, according to religious leaders, but some projects hinge on special permits which aren’t always easy to obtain. In the latest batch of synagogues seeking variances, Community Board 8 will host a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 27, regarding a structural expansion of one place of worship and special operational permits for another. This comes after the board denied an application in June for expansion of a third synagogue, which is still hoping to get approval from the Board of Standards and Appeals. The congregation of Torath Haim Ohel Sara at 144-11 77th Ave. is hoping the community board approves changes to an extant variance to allow it to operate without the lawfully required amount of space in its front, side and rear yards. They are also requesting an extension of time to operate without a certificate of occupancy. But this property, which is also undergoing construction, has Buildings Department violations for ignoring a stop-work order, according to city records, and has accrued penalties totaling nearly $100,000. Calls for comment from the synagogue were not returned. A synagogue just a block away, in a two-story building at 147-02 76th Rd., will also come before the board, hoping to get approval to add a floor to make room for a school and an office for the rabbi. Isak Ambramov of Sharey Tefilah Synagogue initially applied for a brandnew three-story building in 2010 on the site and architectural firm Gerald Caliendo was slated to design it. However, the Buildings Department did not approve the plans, city records show. And there hasn’t been any movement on the expansion application of Sephardic Congregation at 141-41 72nd Ave. The community board denied its appeal for a variance to expand to three floors in June, after community residents strongly opposed it due to the potential increase of noise and garbage along with 15 existing Building Department violations. The application then went to Borough President Melinda Katz for a public hearing later in the month. Community Board 8 District Manager Marie Adam-Ovide told The Courier she has not yet heard from Borough Hall on that variance. The borough president’s “recommendation is still being worked on,” according to a spokesman from Katz’s office, who said it would not be coming out on Oct. 16, but did not have a definitive time frame beyond that point. The Board of Standards and Appeals has the final say on all the applications. The community board hearing will be held at Parsons Junior High School, 158-40 76th Rd., at 7:30 p.m. Photo courtesy Nicholas Strini/PropertyShark The Congregation Torath Haim Ohel Sara at 144-11 77th Ave.
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