Addabbo Calls For Action At Rockaway Beach opening Ceremony
State Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Woodhaven, Glendale, Middle Village, Maspeth, parts of South Ozone Park, Ridgewood, Woodside, and The Rockaways) called for fixing the closed Rockaway beaches as soon as possible at the opening last Friday of the beach season for the Rockaways during a ceremony with members of the Parks Department, other elected officials, and the community.
Although it should have been a day of celebration, it was marred by the city’s recent decision to not open an 11-block stretch of the Rockaway beaches — from Beach 91st Street to Beach 102nd Street — because of a public safety hazard due to beach erosion.
Residents of the Rockaways and advocates for having the beaches remain open came out to the ceremony and were very vocal about how these closures, which will affect not only the residents and visitors of the Rockaways, but the local businesses that depend on the summer season. Many carried signs demanding that the proper steps be made to open the closed portion of the beaches.
“At Friday’s opening of the beach season in Rockaway, the message was made loud a clear, that the people deserve to have all beaches open and we need sand replenishment now,” Addabbo said. “I would like to thank the advocates who showed up at the ceremony. I appreciate the NYC Parks Department Commissioner Mitchell Silver’s commitment to work towards urging the US Army Corp on Engineers to provide the sand needed to open the beaches for this summer season, not in 2019 or 2020. It’s unacceptable that the first beach a person sees as they enter Rockaway from the bridge at Beach 94th Street is closed.”
Peralta Secures $100,000 State Allocation for Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC
State Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Corona, East Elmhurst, Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Woodside) announced that he helped secure $100,000 in this year’s budget for Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC (BBBS) to support the organization’s youth mentoring programs.
Peralta presented the grant at BBBS’s Jackson Heights office.
BBBS is the nation’s first and city’s largest youth mentoring organization is committed to providing young people throughout the city with caring adult role models to help guide them through life’s greatest challenges and direct them on a pathway to success. The nonprofit serves more than 5,500 young people in New York City each year through a variety of specialized mentoring programs.
“It is absolutely vital to provide young people with the opportunities and resources they need to succeed. Big Brothers Big Sisters does an extraordinary job at helping youth reach their full potential,” said Peralta. “I am thrilled I was able to secure state funding for the nonprofit so they can continue making a difference in the lives of thousands of young New Yorkers. I am glad I was able to deliver, again, for my district. Mentors do terrific jobs and they help kids in need improve their lives.”
The grant from Senator Peralta will help BBBS of NYC provide 50 local youth with one-to-one, evidence-based mentoring relationships to promote positive outcomes. BBBS of NYC mentors will provide support and guidance to the individual youth, meeting at least twice per month for at least one year, while agency staff provides monthly oversight through case management.
The funds will also be allocated to serve 150 youth through Professional Opportunity Days, held at the city’s partner high schools that focus on professional skill development. Additionally, 65 Littles will be given supplementary college and career readiness services.
Van Bramer Releases Spring Newsletter
City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside, Woodside, Long Island City, part of Astoria) yesterday released his Spring Newsletter highlighting his new #QueensValues activism initiative.
“We have marched against gun violence, stood in solidarity against a racist & xenophobic landlord, opened a new center for the LGBT community in Western Queens and passed legislation to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace,” he said in releasing the newsletter.
Katz To Hold Land Use Hearing
Brooklyn Borough President Melinda Katz tomorrow will hold a land use hearing on several proposals before her office as part of the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP)
Items on the agenda include:
- An application submitted on behalf of MMR Realty Associates LLC for an extension of term of a previously granted variance and an extension of time to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and a waiver of the Rules of Practice and Procedure for an existing wholesale plumbing supply store and office building in an R3-2 district within Community Board District 11.
Address of Location is 188-07/15 Northern Boulevard in Flushing.
- An application submitted by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services for the site selection and acquisition of property for a pet admission center within Community Board District 5.
Address of location is 66-78 69th Street in Middle Village.
- An application submitted by O’Neil’s of Maspeth, Inc.
- To change from an R4 district to an R5D district property bounded by a line perpendicular to the easterly street line of 34th Street distant 150 feet northerly (as measured along the street line) from the point of intersection of the northwesterly street line of 53rd Drive and the easterly street line of 64th Street, a line 100 feet easterly of 64th Street, a line perpendicular to the westerly street line of 65th Place distant 50 feet northerly (as measured along the street line) from the point of intersection of the northwesterly street line of 53rd Drive and the westerly street line of 65th Place, 53rd Drive and 64th Street; and
- To establish within an existing R4 district a C2-2 district bounded by a line perpendicular to the westerly street line of 65th Place distant 100 feet northerly (as measured along the street line) from the point of intersection of the northwesterly street line of 53rd Drive and the westerly street line of 65th Place, a line 60 feet northerly of 53rd Drive, a line 100 feet easterly of 65th Place, 53rd Drive, 65th Place, a line perpendicular to the westerly street line of 65th Place distant 50 feet northerly (as measured along the street line) from the point of intersection of the northwesterly street line of 53rd Drive and the westerly street line of 65th Place, and a line 100 feet westerly of 65th Place; and
- To establish within the proposed R5D district a C2-2 District bounded by a line perpendicular to the westerly street line of 65th Place distant 50 feet northerly (as measured along the street line) from the point of intersection of the northwesterly street line of 53rd Drive and the westerly street line of 65th Place, 53rd Drive and a line 100 feet easterly of 64th Street.
The location in question is within Community Board District 5.
The hearing is slated for 10:30 a.m. tomorrow, May 31 at Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens.
