Addabbo: City Needs Better Response Times For Ferry Incidents
State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth. parts of South Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Woodside, The Rockaways) last week called on the city to seriously look at their emeergency response times regarding to the NYC Ferry system unrolled last year.
Addabbo’s call came after an NYC Ferry collided with a sandbar just off the Rockaways on Wednesday, December 27, leaving 27 passengers and crew stranded on the boat in freezing waters for hours before help could arrive.
“We are glad that no one was seriously injured during this incident,” said Addabbo. “However, the city needs to seriously improve their response time in situations like this, where 27 people were stuck out on the water in sub-freezing conditions for hours before rescue boats could arrive. This is the second time since November 27 that an NYC Ferry boat crashed into a submerged object, and measures need to be taken to prevent accidents like this from occurring if people are expected to trust and use the city’s ferry system. The city has been lucky that over the recent incidents on the Ferry nobody was seriously injured. I’m hopeful that improved safety measures can be implemented before the city’s luck runs out.”
Avella Opposes New Six-Story Hotel in College Point
State Sen. Tony Avella (D-College Point, Whitestone, Bayside, Little Neck, Douglaston, Floral Park) last week fired off a letter to the City’s Department of Buildings (DOB) Commissioner Rick Chandler on behalf of College Point residents who expressed concerns over a six-story hotel being planned for 14-61 127th Street in College Point.
Earlier, the Senator was informed that, at his request, DOB will conduct an audit of the plans. In addition to the audit, Avella requested a meeting with DOB officials to discuss the building plans for this site.
Plans for the six-story hotel—which will be located in an M1-1 zoning district— show that it will be constructed at the site of a single-story building.
“I find it amazing that the Department of Buildings would approve an alteration of a one-story building, which is not a hotel, into a six-story hotel. The traffic situation in College Point is already ridiculous due to the narrow streets. To think that College Point could assimilate the additional traffic flow from a hotel is absurd. How much more development can the residents of College Point take?” asked Avella.
“How did this happen without community involvement or knowledge? No one notified the College Point Civic and Taxpayers Association. Is this another ‘sneak it in’ development? We are talking about an M-1 zone now having a 60 foot building constructed where a one story building for industrial use was. This is 2017, not pre-1968, why doesn’t the current zoning apply?” wondered Joe Femenia, President, College Point Civic and Taxpayers Association.
Peralta, Avella Push IDC “One New Yorker” Budget Agenda
State Senators Jose Peralta (D-Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Woodside) and Tony Avella, both members of the senate’s Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) joined fellow members last week in introducing its “One New Yorker” state budget agenda to improve the lives of citizens across the state.
The agenda comes as state lawmakers begin their 2018 legislative and budget session starting this month and lasting through June.
The budget agenda covers eight areas — election reform, children, students, families, workers rights, uplifting communities, keeping citizens healthy and helping immigrants.
Signature pieces include: election and voting reforms such as early voting, no-excuse absentee voting and easier registration changes before primaries, a rider relief plan to fix the crumbling MTA, preservation of the State and Local Tax Deduction, and protecting health insurance for children.
“As we are facing a critical moment in our city and in our state, it is vital that we keep on delivering to those affected the most by Washington. As the new legislative session is about to begin, my colleagues and I will fight tirelessly to enact my DREAM Act, to pass women’s rights legislation, to protect tenants and immigrants, and to ensure we have a stronger and solid hard-working class,” said Peralta.
“Our legislative priorities this upcoming session show, once again, the IDC’s commitment to investing in every single New Yorker. Our commitment to improving the lives, opportunities, and communities of our fellow New Yorkers no matter their backgrounds or ambitions shines through in the ‘One New Yorker’ agenda. It is clear, this session the IDC will invest in the people of our state in ways that most others would not in order to create real, progressive change for our future,” said Avella.
