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Mark Your Calendars: Open Space Alliance Community Committee Meeting April 16th!
Filed under: 11206, 11211, 11222, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Per a tipster:
Did you know that the OSA Community Committee meeting is open to everyone? come on out! For this meeting, OSA CC HAS A very special guest – Brooklyn Parks Commissioner Kevin Jeffrey – OSA CC is honored that he would like to visit and hear from the community he serves, so please come with questions, concerns or ideas for him and the Parks Department. WHERE? Lindsay houses, 30 Montrose Avenue (between Union and Lorimer), Brooklyn, NY 11206, 718.782.9000
Our Borough Parks Supervisor (that being Kevin Jeffries) answering questions at the behest of a not-for-profit Parks Conservancy group (this being Open Space Alliance)? Sadly this is not as far-fetched as it seems. Last month the Manager of Community Board 1 himself, Gerry Esposito, after being questioned about why Open Space Alliance (a not-for-profit organization) has a moment of his time (as opposed to our local police departments, the 90th and 94th Precincts respectively) explains it all. Start watching the following at 1:10 and hear Mr. Esposito’s words for yourself.
…Basically they are the Parks Department for our area these days… in times past we have worked it through the OSA system…because of the issues arising from the concert series I felt it was so important to open that door with OSA… So that, you know… so there would be full disclosure and transparency in what they’re doing… I can guarantee you since I sat down with OSA, I sat down with Steve Hindy (owner of Brooklyn Brewery and not a government employee) and Stephanie (Thayer Executive Director of OSA, our Parks “Advocate” and New York City Parks Supervisor) and, and I told them if you agreed to do this, you’d have to be here. You have to be at every meeting and they agreed…
And therein lies the problem. We have to go through a Parks “advocacy group” to get the ear of our Borough Parks Department. Because “public” and “private” have become more or less the same.
Open Space Alliance Community Committee Meeting
Monday, April 16, 2012 starting at 6:30 p.m.
30 Montrose Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11206
UPDATE: I have since been advised of the following via a Co-chair of OSA’s Community Committee:
OSA’s Community Committee is made up of 30+ parks groups (“friends of”and the like…), and this is the membership’s quarterly meeting. The public can come and observe, but only members can participate. The agenda’s always tight, and items are submitted by members two weeks before our meetings.
LAST GASP: Space Piracy On Greenpoint Avenue?
The proprietor of Red Star Bar writes (in an email entitled “Circus on Greenpoint Avenue” dated April 12, 2012):
Heather,
The situation with the lot across the street from Red Star has turned into an absolute free for all circus! I’m sure I’ve complained to you about this countless times in the past, as I have to anyone else who will listen.
Just to give you the background info, in case you forgot. These guys store large, 30 yard dumpsters, stacked 15-20 feet high, in the lot along with massive dump trucks and the occasional 18 wheeler. On occasion, I can see them from my office window, digging holes with heavy equipment and burying god knows what. Of course whatever debris and garbage is “left over” from these dumpsters constantly blows all over the streets and sidewalks. There is no shortage of flies, rats, raccoons and stray cats wandering in and out of the lot on a nightly basis.
I’ve had words with these “gentleman” in the past. Like the time they were rearranging the dumpsters in the lot and decided it would be ok to put some on the street and sidewalk in front of Red Star. The smell from the brown liquid oozing out of the dumpsters was just wonderful. My customers were quite pleased with the stench as they attempted to have lunch. My staff really enjoyed hosing off the sidewalks as well. In general, it’s almost a full time job collecting the garbage and debris that blows out of the lot and inevitably ends up all over my sidewalk. It’s been a beautiful few weeks and on most days we can’t open our windows because of the flying dust, debris and flies!
In addition to the trash and stench issues, over the past few years 3 cars have been smashed by these guys. 2 by way of hit and run with their trucks and 1 by debris flying out of the lot on a windy winter night.
Today was an absolute CIRCUS! I guess since my complaints to various city agencies have been ignored, these guys have decided to become more blatant and brazen. I guess operating an illegal waste transfer station isn’t paying the bills? They’ve now decided to open an illegal scrap yard as well! They spent the ENTIRE DAY removing scrap and junk vehicles from the lot with a fork lift and tow truck, dragging them into the STREET and dismantling them. RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF GREENPOINT AVENUE!
The parking situation around here is a nightmare to begin with. These guys took up half the street and about 15 parking spaces to run their illegal auto salvage operation today. Not to mention the fact that it’s just unsafe! Cars and trucks were forced to squeeze past these guys ALL DAY. There was almost several collisions as drivers tried to navigate in between chopped up vehicles, parked 18 wheelers, roll-backs, tow trucks and fork lifts. Ridiculous!
At one point there was no less than 5 vehicles being chopped and dismantled, outside the lot, in the street. They were using sledge hammers, blow torches and gas powered saws to hack away all day. Of course I went outside to take pictures, since it’s almost unbelievable! While I was catching all the action on film, one of the guys came over and said “NO PICTURES! PUT THE CAMERA AWAY!” Obviously that didn’t deter me.
They finished up work at the illegal dumping ground around 7pm. Now there’s broken glass, metal bits, chunks of plastic, spilled oil and gasoline all over the street where they were working.
…what can be done about this? Nobody seems to give two shits. I’ve researched the lot on ACRIS and the Department of Building web sites. It’s listed as a STALLED CONSTRUCTION SITE. This lot is hardly stalled or inactive. This bullshit goes on at all hours of the day and night. The owners have a violation for the fence they put up around the lot, with no permit. If they didn’t bother to get a permit for a fence, do you think they have a permit to operate a waste transfer station, store vehicles, operate a salvage yard or a scrap metal operation??? Of course not!
This lot is anything BUT stalled or inactive. Today there were no less than 10 guys working in that lot. Trucks and excavation equipment operate in that lot at any given hour of the day and night. There are dumpsters, vehicles and equipment stacked 15-20 feet high and are constantly being removed, repositioned or disassembled. And it’s been going on for YEARS! Does the DOB inspector, that files periodic reports, not see the same things I do? This equipment isn’t even construction equipment! Either someone is being paid off or they just don’t give a fuck!
DOB
The dumpsters belong to a company called Xolle
The vehicles being scrapped belong to the same company that’s storing the dump trucks and 18 wheelers on the lot, Pilot Trucking of Astoria.
I don’t know what else I can do. I’m at the end of my rope with these clowns. In a city where you need a permit to wipe your ass, these clown operate with blatent disregard for ANYONE and do so with impunity! My neighbors are fed up. My customers are disgusted.
People love to eat at a restaurant across from an illegal garbage dump and scrap yard. It’s very inviting!
Below are the pictures I took of today’s events…
Which I have taken the liberty of uploading as a slide show for easy perusal. Enjoy gentle readers!
I have to wonder what 80 West Street’s other neighbors, Paulie Gee’s for example, think of this activity?
To be continued…
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Norman Avenue
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Stuff That Makes Miss Heather Happy
Taken April 13, 2012.
From The New York Shitty Inbox: Scat Attack At McGolrick Park?
Filed under: 11222, Crazy People, Criminal Activity, Culture War, Dog Shit, Dung of the Day, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic
A person we’ll call “S” writes:
Miss Heather,
About a month or so ago, my girlfriend & I were walking our puppy on Driggs Avenue after visiting the McGolrick Dog Run. It’s pretty normal to see other people walking their dogs and to allow them to sniff each other and so forth. On this occasion however, a young woman with her small poodle was walking by and even though our dog was a safe distance and on a leash, this woman quickly stood between her and her dog and said very forcibly, “Stay away from my dog!” I laughed a little because I was kind of shocked by her random behavior and she immediately started yelling at us about how wrong it was for us not to rescue a shelter dog. We were just kind of startled and walked away, basically wondering WTF? A few days later, I was walking our dog and this girl and her dog were coming in the other direction and she just started yelling at me to “keep my fucking ugly ass dog away from her dog”. I never allowed my dog to come within touching distance of her dog and so I kind of giggled out of frustration and a bit of amusement that this stranger wants to pick a fight with me every time we pass. I’m pretty sure that she lives on the same block as me. So a week passes and I see her again and she makes these very awkward angry, silent mouth gestures at me and I couldn’t help saying, “Lady, you’re a nut”.
And then this morning, at 7am in McGolrick Park we are once again passing each other with our dogs and even though my dog is at least three feet away from her dog, she’s starts yelling to “Get your fucking dog away from my dog…” and the same rant about not rescuing a shelter dog. I told her to “Fuck off” and she picked up her dogs diarrhea with aplastic bag and tried to throw it at my dog. He got hit with the bag, but fortunately not with the shit. There were other dog owners nearby that seemed pretty dumbfounded by the whole interaction and demanded that she clean up the shit that was now all over the park’s walk way. She also said that she has filed a complaint with 311 every time that my dog has gotten too close to her dog and these complaints will add up to my dog getting put down. I’m not laughing anymore. This woman is making my blood boil. I continued on our walk and after about 15 minutes, she walks towards me and says, “Have a great day!” I respond with, “If you ever throw shit at me or my dog again, I will not just stand by and let it happen”. She says, “Oh, that’s great, you’re threatening me” and so she calls 911. I already had a headache this morning and I wasn’t about to stand around and let her feel any more satisfied with her wackjob behavior so I quickly took my dog home and went to work.
Here I am at work wondering what kind of false accusations this woman is making to the police. Should I file a police report for her throwing dog shit at me? Should I ignore it all? This is certainly one of the strangest things to happen to me in NYC over the past 10+ years. I’m asking you for advice because you know the neighborhood well and I just don’t know how to proceed.
Thoughts/advice, gentle readers? Quite frankly I’m speechless.
Photo credits (once again): murdoc
From The New York Shitty Inbox, Part II: What’s Up At 400 McGuinness?
Apparently a new floor, per the person who saw fit to copy me on the following email (which included the General Manager of Community Board 1, among others). She writes:
Rebars are being placed on top of 400 McGuiness Blvd. Are they building upward? Does anyone know?
Naturally I was very curious about this, so I did three things:
1. I checked Google Maps so as to ascertain what the roof-line of this complex looked like “pre-rebar”.
I have indicated the work site in question in yellow. As you can see the western part of 400 McGuinness sports an additional floor. The area highlighted does not. Which brings me to…
2. See this for myself.
A new floor has been added and a means of egress/ingress (as highlighted above) leads from the original structure to its new neighbor. In addition, all the entrances save one on Clay Street and one on McGuinness Boulevard have been replaced with windows.
One such former entrance was where this intercom system (which they have inexplicably seen fit not to remove) is located.
And of course here is a shot of the rebar in question— along with a new HVAC unit. Which, in turn, brings me to…
3. Is this legal?
At a cursory search, I honestly cannot tell. Thus I have requested a disinterested party “in the know” about such matters to tender his/her take.
To be continued…
P.S.: On the way to 400 McGuinness Boulevard I noted a few items of interest on Box Street:
The on-going work of art that is 62 Box Street is for sale. Exclusively no less.
And the Box House Hotel is keeping up appearances.
From The New York Shitty Inbox: And Now A Word From Our City Councilman
It would appear, at long last, my coverage of 239 Banker Street (which is clearly being followed by real estate notables such as Brownstoner and Curbed, real estate agents and ostensible tenants of said space) has gotten the attention of our City Councilman! Steve Levin writes:
Heather,
I have noticed your posts and am glad you continue to bring light to the issue of lofts in Greenpoint and Williamsburg. The Loft Law was designed to protect residential tenants who, knowingly or unknowingly, moved into manufacturing or commercial spaces and it may grant rights for tenants to save and stabilize their housing and avoid the excessive costs associated with being vacated. With regard to 239 Banker Street, I cannot say whether they will be covered by the Loft Law. However, when the building was vacated in 2009, many tenants suddenly lost their living spaces as well as thousands of dollars in rent and security deposits. I do not want to see a repeat of that event. I will work to ensure that all building code issues at 239 Banker are addressed, but I hope to avoid seeing another vacate order if possible. All I can do is try to spread the word about the Loft Law so that tenants in such spaces can apply for coverage that they may be legally entitled to. Of course, the Loft Board will make final determinations about each application individually.
Sincerely yours,
Stephen Levin
Councilmember
To wit I replied (sans visual aides):
Hey,
First off I appreciate the email— and I agree that the loft law (which is much-needed) may or may not applicable in this case. What really upsets me is we are for all intents and purposes seeing the exact same situation (as 2009) play itself out again, e.g.; a commercial building—without the applicable permits I’ll add— is being converted into residential space, this space is being willfully and deliberately marketed/presented as residential space;
people are moving in under the illusion it is legally inhabitable space, etc.
This would suggest that lessons were not learned (bye it by the owner of this property, our enforcement agencies, etc.) the first time around and/or whatever consequences borne by the owner of this space were not a sufficient deterrent from engaging in this (illegal) behavior again. Or to put it differently: the “system” we have in place is not working. I have a very big problem with this. What is the point of having laws on the books, agencies deemed with the enforcement of said laws and due process if they can be bypassed, quite flagrantly I’ll note, in such a manner?
Do I want to see people thrown out on the street again? No, not really. But I am also getting very tired of this building’s owners total disregard for the law— and the fact they have been basically enabled by the upholders of said laws to do so. No matter how you cut it, this is appalling. They tried via the Department of Buildings to have this space reclassified as residential. It was refused.
They could (theoretically) go through our Community Board and get a zoning variance— but have seen fit not to do so. Why should they? There are for all intents and purposes no consequences for their actions, thus they do whatever they want.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t add in closing that real estate agents are seemingly eager participants in this fraud. Each and every one of them (in my opinion) should be reported to the Department of State and have their licenses revoked.
Thanks again!
H
With all due respect, what seems to be lost by our City Councilman is he can, in fact, stop another “repeat” of this event. By simply asking the Department of Buildings to do its job. Months ago.
Photo Credits: All taken today, April 11, 2012, by yours truly.
The Word On The Street, Part II: From Dobbin Street With Love
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, The Word On The Street
Taken April 9, 2012.
NYS Flickr Pool
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