NOVEMBER 19, 2022

 

NYPD'S BUILD THE BLOCK MEETING

 

On Tuesday, November 22 at 6:30 pm the Community Church of Douglaston is hosting NYPD’s 111th Precinct’s "Build the Block" meeting in Fellowship Hall.

 

Join Police Officer Famulari & Sgt. Ketcham as they discuss local crime and address community issues of interest to local residents.

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Parking is available in the back with entrance via the back door.

​Click here for flyer

 

INTERFAITH COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING SERVICE

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On Tuesday, November 22 at 7:30 pm Zion Episcopal Church, 243-20 Church St., Douglaston is hosting this year’s Interfaith Community Thanksgiving Service.

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Join these Douglaston and Little Neck religious organizations, their congregations and religious leaders to give thanks for life’s blessings.

Click here for flyer

 

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JULY 28, 2022

 

Summer DCA Newsletter

 

We hope you are enjoying your summer. On the civic front, there has been no vacation for the DCA, therefore we thought it important to bring you up to date. Click here for a summary of our activities regarding the Homeless Shelter, Mizumi C2-2 Overlay, new J Mart, new bus routes and more.

 

 

JULY 16, 2022

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Queens Bus Network Redesign

In-Person Outdoor Event

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

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Now is the time to let the MTA know how we in Douglaston feel about our service. Irene Sollano is the chair for our Transportation Committee.

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Queens Stakeholders:

 

After the spring launch of the New Draft Plan for the Queens Bus Network Redesign (QBNR), our team was busy hosting 19 digital workshops that saw hundreds of bus customers speaking to our planning staff and telling us their thoughts about the new proposed bus network. In addition to our virtual workshops, we will be accompanying our Metrocard Mobile van team at locations around Queens throughout the summer to solicit feedback from customers. Additionally, we have been hearing from elected offices and other community stakeholders about their ideas, ways to improve our plans or to advocate for important bus stops within their neighborhoods. Keep sending us your constituent feedback! This open dialogue will continue through the summer and we are pleased to announce the first in-person outdoor Queens Bus Network event TODAY with more dates and locations to be announced shortly. Share with your networks!!!!

 

Tuesday, July 26th from 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Flushing Library Plaza- 41-17 Main Street

Mandarin and Korean Interpreters will be available

 

Please invite your constituents, seniors and neighbors to come out in person to speak with our Queens Bus Network planning staff, talk to us in detail about their bus commutes and tell us what you like and would like to see changed for the Queens Bus Network Redesign. We will also be joined by NYC-DOT who will be available to answer questions related to upcoming plans for Queens bus corridors. Flyer to be shared shortly! If ASL services are needed, please contact me by 7/19 to reserve those services. 

 

For more information about the Queens Bus Network Redesign and upcoming opportunities to engage with the team, please visit 

Queens Bus Network Redesign (mta.info).

 

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JULY 15, 2022

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Property Tax Reform Update 

From NYC Comptroller Brad Lander

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As many of you know there is a major disparity in property tax rates across the neighborhoods of the City of New York. Much of Queens pays a higher tax rate than very wealthy areas of Manhattan below 96 Street and Northern Brooklyn neighborhoods near the East River. The Comptroller's Office is trying to make the system more fair and more equitable and our office asks that you sign and/or your organization sign on to call on the City and State to make the property tax system more equitable. 

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Reach out to me if you have any questions and see more information below.

(Contact information for Comptroller Brad Lander)

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Sign On Here!

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Affordable and Fair Property Tax Now!

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New York City’s property tax system is notoriously opaque, confusing, and inequitable. For decades, calls for reform from homeowners, advocates, and elected officials have been ignored while New York State instead layered on a patchwork of complex exemptions and abatements.  

The current property tax system significantly favors wealthy New York neighborhoods over working people:  homeowners in Staten Island, Southeast Queens, and Eastern Brooklyn sometimes pay three times the effective tax rate of homeowners in Manhattan and brownstone Brooklyn. 

It also favors condominiums and co-ops over multifamily rentals, taxing rentals at roughly double the median effective tax rate. These inequities disincentivize rental housing development, entrenching expensive and inefficient tax breaks like 421-a to facilitate housing production.  

Now that 421-a has expired, New York City and State have an opportunity to reform our property tax system to finally achieve equity, protect homeowners, and create affordable housing programs targeted to real affordability with fair labor standards. Now is the time to achieve tax parity across new rentals and homeownership development, and between homeowners across the city. You can read more about those reforms in the New York City Property Tax Commission’s December 2021 Report, here: https://on.nyc.gov/3OaBV5Z.
 
Sign on to call on New York City and State to fix our broken property tax system now!

 

Sign On Here!

 

Click here below for press Conference videos on Twitter and Facebook.

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Comptroller Brad Lander on Twitter: "New York City's property tax system is notoriously opaque, confusing, and inequitable. That’s why we’re putting together a five-borough coalition strong enough to win a plan for comprehensive reform by the end of this year. And for that, we need you and your neighbors. https://t.co/NZophh89i2" / Twitter

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New York City's property tax... - Comptroller Brad Lander | Facebook

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JUNE 17, 2022

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Proposal to Rezone Land

 

Dear Civic Association Member:

The New York City Planning Commission (CPC) will vote next week on a proposal to rezone the land on the south side of Northern Blvd. between East Hills Chevrolet and the Alley Pond Environmental Center by adding a "commercial overlay" that would allow commercial development as of right.  While these parcels are currently used for commercial purposes (or public purposes in the case of APEC), they are actually zoned residential and the commercial uses are pursuant to variances which must be regularly reapproved.

Community Board 11 voted unanimously against this change, and the DCA and other community organizations are also strongly opposed.  The current zoning allows the city to eventually acquire the parcels and incorporate them into Alley Pond Park, as it had originally intended.  It also allows the community to have input, through the variance process, in what types of commercial establishment are permitted, while as-of-right commercial zoning would threaten over-development and congestion.

We urge you to write to the CPC to oppose this change.  You can use these linked letters from the Westmoreland Association and the DCA as guides.  Letters should be addressed to the NYC City Planning Commission at:

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120 Broadway
31st floor
New York NY 10271

120-55 Queens Blvd.
Room 201
​Kew Gardens, NY 11424

Thanks very much.

Sean Walsh, President
for the DCA Board

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MIZUMI Rezoning Proposal
Mizumi restaurant is seeking to expand east onto the site of the old Getty station. We do not have major concerns with that request, but we do have serious concerns with the manner in which the city is again using spot zoning to accomplish it.

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Voice your opinions.

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Addresses to write to NYC City Planning Commission:

Central Office

120 Broadway

31st floor

New York NY 10271

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Queens Office

120-55 Queens Blvd.

Room 201

Kew Gardens, NY 11424

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​Click here for the DCA President's memo to the Community Board 11 Zoning Committee regarding this proposal

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MAY 16, 2022

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WRITE YOUR OBJECTIONS TO THE BORO PRESIDENT, COUNCIL MEMBER PALADINO AND LINDA LEE

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NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a Virtual Public Hearing will be held by the Borough President of Queens, Donovan Richards, on Thursday May 19, 2022 starting at 9:30 a.m. The public hearing will be streamed live at www.queensbp.org.

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Hearing will include the following item :

 

CD 11 – ULURP #210394 ZMQ – IN THE MATTER OF an application submitted by Akerman LLP on behalf of Kenfa Madison LLC pursuant to Sections 197-c and 201 of the New York City Charter for an amendment of the Zoning Map, Section No. 11a, establishing within an existing R1-2 District a C2-2 District bounded by Northern Boulevard, 234th Street, a northwesterly boundary line of a Park (Alley Park) and its northeasterly prolongation, a northeasterly boundary line of a Park (Alley Park), a northwesterly boundary line of a Park (Alley Park), and the northwesterly prolongation of a former Park boundary line, Borough of Queens, Community District 11.

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Those who wish to testify may preregister for virtual speaking time by visiting www.queensbp.org/landuse and submitting their contact information through the preregistration link. After preregistering, the speaker will receive a confirmation e-mail with instructions on how to participate in the virtual public hearing. Preregistration for speaking time can also be arranged by calling (718) 286-3000 between 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. prior to the date of the hearing.

Written testimony is welcome from those who are unable to testify virtually. All written testimony must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, 2022 and may be submitted by e-mail to planning@queensbp.org or by conventional mail sent to the Office of the Queens Borough President at 120-55 Queens Boulevard - Room 226, Kew Gardens, NY 11424.

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NOTE: Individuals requesting Sign Language Interpreters and/or ADA Accessibility Accommodations should contact the Borough President’s Office, (718) 286-2860, or email vgarvey@queensbp.org no later than FIVE BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.

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For Consideration
CB #11 Action – Public Hearing – May 2, 2022 – Disapproved 0 – 40 – 3
 

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April 25, 2022

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POLICE REPORT UPDATE. 111 B

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As of now the car break-ins are still steady. There have been at least 3 Catalytic converter thefts in the past week in our sector, so that seems to be coming back again.

 

There were 2 burglaries, one had a "forced basement door" antoher had a broken lock...neither had property removed.

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I'm sure you heard the bank robber/robbers were arrested and have already been released.

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111 Pct. BUILD THE BLOCK Meeting with Coordination Police Officers is scheduled for May 10th, at 6:30pm.

Click here for more details

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March 15, 2022

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A message from the 111th Precinct regarding a burglary on March 7th at St. Sarkis Church

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Please Be advised:
There was a burglary at St. Sarkis church on Monday March 7th at 1:45am. Click here for the Wanted Flyer showing 2 perpetrators for distribution to your members. They were also seen in the area on cameras looking into vehicles and attempting to remove license plates. 

I will follow up later this week with an overall crime recap....spoiler warning, GLA's are continuing to happen. Please advise your members not to manually warm up their vehicles unattended.

Thank you

Kevin Famulari
Police Officer
New York Police Department
Neighborhood Coordinator Officer
111th Precinct Sector B
Cell: 929-383-4654
Email: kevin.famulari@NYPD.org
NYPD 111th Precinct (@NYPD111Pct) / Twitter

 

 

March 3, 2022

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HELP COMBAT AUTO THEFT

As low as crime has been in our sector one issue effecting us is stolen cars.

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Click here for a message from the NYPD about what you can do.

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February 15, 2022

 

​​STOP AND SHOP

DCA has been working with Council Member Paladino and the new owners of the new Asian food market stay tuned for details. 

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NORTHERN BLVD. & DOUGLASTON PARKWAY APARTMENT BUILDING CONSTRUCTION LITIGATION

The courts are permitting the city to violate public notice requirements and spot zoning laws. This is a  dangerous sign for further zoning encroachments when an elected official sells out their constituents, so elections do have consequences.

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HOMELESS SHELTER PROPOSED FOR DOUGLASTON

​​The DCA retained the law firm of Abrams Fensterman. The DCA opposes this proposed site as inhumane, unsafe with fire and occupancy code violations. We successfully won work stoppage orders in court since September 2021. We achieved the initial goal of delaying construction until there was a new city administration. Now that we have exhausted that legal remedy, our law firm is in discussions with the new administration. Your contributions have enabled us to proceed this far, but we still need to raise more money so please help,

 

If you have made a donation, please consider making an additional donation as we strive to reach our fund raising goal. Thank you for your tremendous support. Go to our web page www.dougcivic.com for our PayPal account or mail today a donation to:

Douglaston Civic Association

PO Box 630222 

Douglaston, NY 11363-0222

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For More Details and Information

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Single Family Zoning Under Attack - Additional Dwelling Units (ADU's)

Gov. Hochul is pushing to eliminate state wide single family zones to allow ADUs (Additional Dwelling Units) all in a false presumption that this will increase affordable housing. You could then rent out apartments in your home or build a cottage in your back yard. Local jurisdictions would lose home rule for zoning matters. In addition, the city must waive building code and fire requirements if it would be too difficult or costly to make the ADU compliant.  She would eliminate the height limit set by the city’s current highest zone R-12.  You can expect buildings of over 100 stories in Manhattan.  ADUs will not reduce rental prices to a more affordable level but will only reflect the high price of land in existing R1 zones. It will only over burden current infrastructure.  A Historic designation will not provide any protection.  

 

NOTE WHILE THE GOVERNOR HAS WITHDRAWN ONE ITEM FROM THE BUDGET  SHE KEPT AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS AND SHE CAN REINTRODUCE HER  ADU PROPOSAL AFTER THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.

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Call the Governor, Assembly person, State Senator, and City Council persons and the Mayor and say NO Way.

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Click here for more details on how ADU's will impact you and your community

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Click here for sample letter template you can send to Governor Hochul

 

Click here for the letter to Governor Hochul sent by the DCA President

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Click here for more details on how Transit Oriented Development will impact your community

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Click here for elected officials contact information

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LITTLE NECK BAY

DCA is pleased to be able to announce that Congressman Suozzi has funded $614,000 for bay cleanup projects DMEA, Udalls Cove, and others had been supporting for years. This came as a result of DCA coordinating meetings between the various government and environmental groups in our area and have the Congressman who sits on the Ways and Means Committee commit funding to one of his favorite issues the environment. 

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NEW DOUGLASTON LN PUBLIC LIBRARY

Click here for library plans

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December, 2021

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ATM Skimming Device Awareness

There has been a big spike in fraudulent credit card and bank activity in Queens the last few months, especially so far in December and in our sector (111B). Many of these crimes stem from skimming devices being used to lift sensitive card and password information. Click here for more information on the skimming scam.

 

Kevin Famulari, Police Officer, will personally be checking many of the ATM devices in our sector and speaking with bank managers in regards, but in addition if anyone sees something that looks suspicious please call 911.

 

Thank you!

 

Kevin Famulari

Police Officer

New York Police Department

Neighborhood Coordinator Officer

111th Precinct Sector B

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