Brace yourself LIC waterfront: toxic remediation is baaaack at Queens West

Sorry – on the OCA site. Thanks.

Why do you say infamous? What is infamous about it?

Who cares what they put there? Anything is better than whats there now.

Maybe 6 doesn’t care especially if he/she is not directly affected or has no long term stake in the neighborhood but others are affected by loss of light, higher congestion, less parking, etc. Even if that doesn’t matter to you, you should maybe be a little concerned that money and power talks in this neighborhood while the agreed on laws and processes are thrown out the window. Maybe you will not care until one day you are on the wrong end of that equation.

7 you need to learn what those terms you throw around actually mean. They at not at all relevant.

Yeah, I never heard that they dropped out, either. When did that happen?

My point is what effect does it have on you if apartment 2G is occupied by a graduate student working on their thesis paper, a law student, a young couple working in Manhattan , or by an elderly retiree? I’m confused by all the intrigue and conspiracy theories. They are building a building. People will use the building. What about that is shocking? Honestly sometimes people go looking for a cause to get fired up about…

I think it is a bit disturbing if CUNY really dropped out, that was a main reason for the variance, at least politically. Having said that, #6 is right, that giant empty fenced lot is a blight and a menace and at least it will be developed, 12 stories is not crazy.

I think you have not heard about QCA and CUNY dropping out because it is not true.

16, the fact that you have not heard about it yet does not mean the information is not out there to find. My guess is they want to do as much unhindered work as possible before a demand for new hearings are triggered. Don’t you get how New York politics/business works?

Tell ya what. All I want from you is when it is fully documented at least post that I was right.

I’m fine by the way with putting the land to use. This is about playing by the rules which in itself I don’t care about rules. But in this case the rules were the result of carefully crafted agreements and trade offs with the community. They side stepped the rules to benefit a private developer. The extra stories were never for the dorms. They were for market rate (aka luxury) housing.

Those of you who think that anything and everything should be given over to mega- development are IMO very short sighted.

Ok, #18, unless you are prepared to offer any proof of your claims, then stuff it. It was this same pattern of innuendo and half truths that plauged the BSA hearings. If you have information share it. Otherwise we will assume you are lying. As for me I’ve looked for the information and I can’t find any public statement that either QCA or CUNY have dropped from the project. Until I see proof you are lying.

The extra stories were always supposed to be for market rate housing. They never made any secret of that and it was presented that way in getting the variance. Stop implying that this is some shady deal.

Queens College never dropped out. Who are these busy-bodies spreading this nonsense?

And who cares about a 12-floor building? That’s hardly too large or inappropriate for the neighborhood. I would LOVE to have more apartment buildings instead of vacant lots or parking lots.

Get a hobby or something, so you don’t have to waste your time trying to bother everyone else.

22, you don’t speak for the neighborhood.

Anyone know what the story is on 48th Avenue? The Solarium Condominiums – when will they open? And the Zipper building – is there any movement on converting it?

The information came from the community board. Call them up to verify. Call CB2. CB2 in fact is trying to offer the give back, as another dorm. WHICH is still not a recognized community give back. Call Kathy Nolan’s office. OCA is allowed by law to build 6 stories high. Without the community component that is all they are allowed. But because of Chuck Schumer’s wife being connected to CUNY, all politicians voted for the non recognized so called community component. How is living space for students a give back? Do you get to sleep in their bedrooms at a discount rate? Do you get to hold community meetings there in their kitchen? Do you get to park in their parking spaces? Do they give you money? What you are missing….is that this is another library farce if allowed to happen. You will not get anything….and the developer gets to run you over at your TAX DOLLAR expense. They should just build the 6 stories allowed and no one would contest a THING.

It’s twelve stories of luxury housing. The dorms component is only 5 stories.

#31, I’d like to know how you claim the majority position on this issue. Just because you have a bunch of loudmouths speaking for you doesn’t mean you speak for the entire community. I’m sure among your isoloated group of friends that may be true, but in my circles everyone I’ve talked to has no problem with this. I’ve lived and owned real estate and raised a family here for 13 years, so don’t presume tell me that I don’t have a stake in the area. Unlike you I don’t care if its 27, 12, or 6 stories because unlike you I don’t have an ax to grind. Whatever the owner wants to put there that is in complance with the laws is fine with me. I respect the rule of law.

I also don’t see what this one building has to do with any of the things that you mention. Somehow this one buiding is responsible for post office closings, fire departments threatened, every pothole in LIC, the #7 train, sewers, etc. I hear this building is also contributing to global warming and the melting of the polar ice. Whatever… Also for decades industry dumped this posionous stuff in your backyard while a blind eye was turned. Now you try to clean it up as best as possible and everyone wants to be a community watchdog now that the horses are out of the barn. Like it was safe before just because no one was messing around with it. Yeah okay. Good luck with that. Seems like you should write a letter to your elected representatives.

If it violates the law, then yes I will join you, but since the zoning variance is already in place I don’t see how that is possible unless they try to build more than 12 stories.

34, good. The answer to your question is if the ‘community facility’ tenant is changed the variance must be revisited. I assume that it would not be as full blown a hearing as previous since yes, the basic issues were resolved – at least by law. But a change in tenancy needs to be revisited even if on the surface it’s a similar tenant.

Look, my interest is not to bring this project to its knees. It comes from the long term experience of the community getting the shaft when we agree to variances. Simple example – where is the library? Different specifics but same concept.

37, it’s simple. The extra stories were based on housing a community facility. By law that’s the only way the variance could have been granted. You can’t then not include the community facility and expect the same right to build greater than Zoning permits.

If you plan to offer a different tenant as the community facility, that tenant has to be vetted as a new entity – minimally to determine that the tenant qualifies under DOB and Zoning rules.

I can’t for example get a permit for one property and then take it across the street and use it with the excuse that “hey, it’s just like that property over there.”

I did say that even as someone who originally opposed the variance, I would not challenge all the other issues – among them is there really a hardship here? I accept the defeat. But I don’t accept their changing the components for which the variance was granted. That requires a hearing. I don’t need a lawyer to see that.

38, this is all based on the rumor that QCA has droped which no one has been able to confirm. Lets for a moment pretend it true. So in the middle of construction you are telling me that a potential tenant drops out you have to halt construction and go back to the BSA to get their blessing? If you can’t find one you leave the building half completed? No I don’t think so. You continue work on the building and try to find and acceptable alternate. Again dont confuse your personal feeling with the law.

And wrong townie, I live one block away from the proposed building and my kids are here as well.

40, I see your point and since I’m not an expert I honestly don’t know the answer to the scenario you propose. That in fact may be exactly why the information is not public. It allows them time to build to the point where one cannot go back.

I also see your point that since I can’t substantiate it via the media it has to be treated as rumor. You might do some digging on your own with some local politicians if you want to see if I’m full of it. Or you can assume that very powerful people with a lot to lose are always going to play by the rules and always let the public in on their game plan.

My experience here is that the decisions are made in private and then rolled out on us when it’s too late to voice an opinion or concern. Look at simple things like the bicycle lane and the one way streets, etc. Whatever your belief about what’s beneficial or destructive, wouldn’t it be nice to have some semblance of a say in these matters?

I can accept that there are people who have no issue with the height and density and proposed use. I only wish these same people could accept that there are those of us who do have concerns and issues. We really have to stop negating each others points of view and get better at at least understanding.

#42, thanks for your reasonable response. Agreed their needs to be more open mindedness on both sides.