8 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 13, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Scores make their voices heard on Amazon at Board 2 meet
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
adomenech@qns.com
@AODNewz
A total of 75 people signed up to speak
at the Dec. 6 Community Board 2 meeting
in Sunnyside. Almost all of them used
their turn at the mic to ask the board to
write a letter rejecting Amazon with “no
concessions and no negotiations.”
“We need a democratic process with
community input and frankly, it’s alarming
that any development like this can be
pushed through without our state senator,
council member and community
board’s knowledge. Th is feels like we’re
living in an autocracy,” said Sunnyside’s
Th omas Muccioli, one of the many to take
the microphone that evening.
In 2019, the company is scheduled to
begin the process of opening a new hub
in Long Island City. Ever since the company
announced its impending arrival,
anti-Amazon activists and community
members have rallied against giant corporation.
Th ose at the CB2 meeting in opposition
The crowd at the Dec. 6 Community Board 2 meeting
of its arrival cited reports about
the company’s alleged mistreatment of
workers, collaboration with ICE and the
city and state’s decision to exclude local
Queens politicians in the decision to bring
Amazon to borough as reasons to protest.
Photo: Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech/THE COURIER
Talks about the mega-deal at the Dec.
6 meeting really began aft er Councilman
Jimmy Van Bramer’s chief of staff ,
Matt Wallace, reiterated the lawmaker’s
anti-Amazon stance and refusal to be a
part of the companies community advisory
board. Van Bramer was among a number
of lawmakers who signed onto a letter
last year supporting Amazon in Long
Island City, but voiced opposition to the
plans announced last month.
“We think we can have a louder voice
on the outside of a sham committee than
on the inside,” Wallace said.
But two members of the community
board expressed concern that the councilman
would not be a part of Amazon’s
community advisory board and even
called it an “abdication” of his duties.
Th e fear is that without Van Bramer on
the board, the community would lose a
means to monitor Amazon’s plans and
provide feedback or outcry.
“Just because your fi nger in the dike
isn’t going to stop the fl ood, doesn’t mean
you don’t try to do it,” said Community
Board 2 member Patrick O’Brien.
According to a spokesperson from Van
Bramer’s offi ce, the lawmaker will be
“continue to will continue to be involved
in every level, raise his voice, and be heard
on all issues related to Amazon. He does
not need to be a member of the advisory
council to have infl uence or be heard.”
CB 2 approved Astoria charter school’s relocation to LIC
BY ALEJANDRA O’CONNELLDOMENECH
adomenech@qns.com
@AODNewz
Our World Charter Neighborhood
School (OWNCS) is one step closer to
getting the green light on relocating from
Astoria to Long Island City with a bigger
campus.
At a Community Board 2 meeting on
Dec. 6 in Sunnyside, the Community
Board voted unanimously in favor of
OWNCS’s request to open a new elementary
school and relocate their middle
school to a new nine-story building at
9-03 44th Rd. Th e new school will be right
next door to the two lots on 44th and 46th
roads where Amazon’s new LIC campus
is set to built.
Th e vacant lot where the new campus
of Our World Neighborhood Charter
School will be constructed.
Currently, OWNCS has three campuses:
an elementary school in Astoria, a
middle school in Astoria and an elementary
school in Howard Beach. Th e
new facility will serve as a third elementary
school campus and new home for
OWNCS’ current middle school students.
Th e expected 750 students will only
occupy six stories of the proposed new
building. Th e fi rst three stories of the
proposed building will be used for commercial
space, which will be constructed
regardless of whether OWNCS sits on top
of it or not.
Representatives from OWNCS said the
school would have its own entrance on
44th Avenue and that two elevators will
in installed in the building to accommodate
students with limited mobility. Th ere
will also be staff assigned to escorting students
back and forth from nearby train
and bus stops.
OWNCS was one of the earliest charter
schools founded New York City. Th e city’s
fi rst charter school opened in Harlem
in 1999, a year aft er the Charter Schools
Act was passed. In 2000, a small group
of parents known as the Astoria Parents
Network, decided to write OWNCS original
charter. Th e school was opened a year
later with the mission to create lifelong
learners and independent thinkers.
“While other students are looking to
test students we are making sure that our
students get that quality liberal arts education,”
said Director of External Relations
Mark Crusante. He hopes that once the
Board of Standards and Appeals gives
their fi nal approval, an architect can come
in a properly design the layout of the new
gymnasium, art rooms and science labs.
In order for construction to offi cially
begin on the new facility, the Board of
Standards and Appeals (BSA) must give
OWCS approval to build in an M1 zone,
which are typically for manufacturing and
commercial use.
“Th e Board of Standards and Appeals
may permit schools in M1 districts that
are located no more than 400 feet from
the boundary of a district were a school
would be permitted as-of-right via a
Special Permit section 73-19 of the New
York City Zoning Resolution,” said BSA
spokesperson Carlo Costanza.
Approval is expected to happen in
January 2019
Photo courtesy of Barone Management
A rendering of the entrance to Our World Charter School’s new Long Island City campus.
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