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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…
New York Shitty Day Ender: BFresh
Filed under: 11237, Bushwick, Bushwick Brooklyn, Stuff That Makes Miss Heather Happy
Chris Arnade (who took the above photograph) writes:
BFresh, 28, is the president and founder of Big Ballers Bike Club, a club he started in 2007 as “a community-based club.” He hopes to change the way of thinking of the youth, by showing them that you can survive by being creative. “For us it’s about the creativity. We give love to all walks of life.” Besides riding their wonderfully built bikes they are also rappers. BFresh himself tends towards battle and storytelling rap.
This area has one of the highest crime rates in NYC. I myself have never had a problem here, the opposite. Still it is disconcerting to see the number of police cars and ambulances zooming through, the many times I have watched men lined up against the wall and frisked, and the number of gunshots you hear. When I asked Bfresh about the dangers of his neighborhood he said what I have heard countless times “We don’t have problems.” Often forgotten is that in the highest crime districts the overwhelming majority of people are just trying to get by, play by the rules, and overcome higher obstacles. The crime gets the headlines, the stories of people like Bfresh less often.
The Word On The Street: STOP
Filed under: 11211, Class War, Street Art, The Word On The Street, Williamsburg, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Taken April 13, 2012.
Greenpoint Photo du Jour: Norman Avenue
Filed under: 11222, Greenpoint, Greenpoint Brooklyn, Greenpoint Magic, Stuff That Makes Miss Heather Happy
Taken April 13, 2012.
New York Shitty Street Art du Jour: Eye On The Street
Filed under: 11206, Bushwick, Bushwick Brooklyn, East Williamsburg, East Williamsburg Brooklyn, Street Art
From Meserole Street.
NYS Flickr Pool
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