Exclusive: 1-year-interview with Joann Ariola

New district lines include slivers of Glendale

By Matthew Fischetti

[email protected]

Joann Ariola. (Photo: council.nyc.gov)

Last year, Joann Ariola comfortably sailed to victory to represent City Council District 32 – which stretches from Belle Harbor up to Southeast Queens nabes like Howard Beach, Ozone Park and Woodhaven.

The Queens Republican bested Democratic candidate Felicia Singh, capturing over 67 percent of the vote in a district previously represented by fellow Republican Eric Ulrich since 2009.

Although she was just elected to her first term last year: Ariola has been a long time presence in the community. A lifelong resident of the district, Ariola, 64, previously served the president of the Howard Beach Lindenwood Civic Association and as the Chairwoman of the Queens Republican Party.

Our paper dedicated to catch up with Ariola to discuss her first year in office as well as discuss upcoming initiatives.

“What surprised me most was [after my first year] how well, a body of 51 people who come from different backgrounds and ideologies can really pull together to make a better city,” Ariola said in a recent Zoom interview.

While Ariola is one of a handful of Republicans in the Democrat denominated city council, she said that she often takes a bipartisan approach to legislating, citing her position on the Common Sense Caucus – a group of conservative and center-leaning legislators, which include registered Democrats like Bob Holden and Kalman Yeger.

In her first year in office, Ariola has been the first primary sponsor of five pieces of legislation and two resolutions. One of Ariola’s bills, a law that requires the Fire Department to survey firehouses on whether they have gender specific bathrooms for female firefighters, was passed by the council and signed by the Mayor last year.

“And the mayor has already signed that into law and you know, that had widespread bipartisan support. Why? because it’s common sense. That’s how I approach things,” Ariola said.

Ariola also wrote a bill that would create an office of Marine Debris Disposal and Vessel Surrendering, which would be responsible for coordinating between federal, state and local authorities to remove debris from New York City’s shores; find ways to recycle and reuse the material; as well as developing new practices to prevent the act.

While the bill is still in committee, it has been sponsored by a majority of the council. Ariola told BQE Media that she expects the bill to pass before the end of February.

“We cannot win in this district, a Republican cannot win without Democrat and Independent voters,” Ariola said, who represents a district where over 50 percent of voters are registered Democrats.

“I ran on three major points to the platform: public safety, quality of life and education. Those are the three top subjects when we were knocking on doors – that’s what people cared about most,” she continued. “And that resonated with the voters. It didn’t matter their background – any type of ethnic background, religious background, or enrollment in a party.”

In respect to quality of life issues, Ariola said she has tackled the issue by funding additional cleanups in both commercial districts and residential streets in the neighborhood. While the issue has not fully been addressed, she said the city is in the procurement phases to get cameras to monitor chronic dumping areas throughout the district. She also emphasized working with the Queens Economic Development Program to clean up graffiti in the district.

While 2022 issues largely centered around public safety, Ariola said that quality of life issues and the economy. Specifically, Ariola said that she is looking into taxes and contributing reasons to why New Yorkers are leaving for other states.

Ariola exclusively told BQE Media that she will be sponsoring legislation that would require Deliveristas to have to register their vehicles and have them insured.

While Ariola is repping many of the same neighborhoods as previous years, her district lines have added slivers of Glendale and Woodhaven while losing parts of Ozone Park.

Ariola represents District 32. The grey lines are what she currently represents. If reelected in 2024, she would represent the area outlined in purple. (Map: NYC.redstrictingandyou.com, from the Graduate Center at CUNY)

While Ariola hasn’t represented Glendale before, she said one of the local issues she would focus on would be monitoring the Cooper Rapid Rehousing Center, which has drawn the ire of locals.

“I will work as hard for the Glendale homeless shelter, the one that is just across the border in Woodhaven as as I do for the one in Rockaway to make sure that the people who are running the shelters are held accountable for their their population, and that their population is not an at risk population for our host community,” said Ariola.

In response to a question about representing the new areas, Ariola noted that despite being in different nabes, her constituents have similar issues across the district.

“I realized that there are some areas that are more specific in their issues than others, but they don’t want the loud noise from cars,” she said. “So it’s noise complaints. It’s garbage complaints. It’s the fact that construction may be being done on a school.”

Mayor unveils ‘working people’s agenda’

Mayor announces new policies at Queens Theatre during State of the City

By Matthew Fischetti

[email protected]

Mayor Eric Adams returned to his home borough of Queens last Thursday to give his second state of the city address, in which he unveiled his “working people’s agenda.”

The announcement, first kicked off by numerous cultural dance routines, was attended by over a hundred different elected officials, civic leaders and other major city players at Queens Theatre last Thursday.

The mayor broke  his agenda into four major categories, in which he touted previous successes and laid out future policy proposals: jobs, quality of life, housing and care.

JOBS

Among the biggest announcements in his Jobs category was the news that New York City is pursuing a first-in-the-nation biotech startup at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The 50,000 square foot space will provide office space, events and programming, with an emphasis on recruiting women and people of color into the industry.

Adams also announced that the city will work with the City University of New York to support 30,000 nurses entering the workforce over the next five years. According to federal government estimates, there will be 275,000 more nurses needed by 2030.

Adams also plans to tackle employment rate disparities for disabled and Black New Yorkers.

The unemployment rate for Black New Yorkers is at least three times as high as for white New Yorkers. This era of inequality must end,” Mayor Adams said. “We are going to make sure that all New Yorkers finally have access to good jobs.”

A new “Center for Workplace Accessibility and Inclusion” will help connect 2,500 people with disabilities to jobs and improving workplace accessibility. The Mayor also wants to double the rate of contracts for minority and women-owned businesses, which would dole out $25billion over the next four years, per the Mayor’s announcement.

Adams also plans on launching a new apprenticeship program, which aims to get 30,000 New Yorkers apprenticeships across various industries by 2030.

QUALITY OF LIFE

Mayor Adams made several big announcements in terms of improving quality of life for New Yorkers. First of which was the announcement of a new “director of the public realm” which will be a city position focusing on public spaces.

By the end of 2023, Mayor Adams announced that the city will launch a citywide curbside composting program. A pilot of the program was rolled out earlier last year in Queens.

Adams also said that he will focus on getting ‘New York’s Most Wanted’, 1700 people identified by the city as committing a disproportionate amount of violent crime, off the streets.

Adams also indicated that he would throw support behind state level legislation to tackle dangerous drivers. Albany last year passed the 24/7 speed camera legislation, which Adams said led to a 25-percent decrease in speeding.

The new legislation is comprised of 6 bills that would would increase penalties for severe crashes and provision that allow vehicle registration to be suspended if five or more red light camera violations are committed within a 12-month span.

Hizzoner also announced that the entirety of Uber and Lyft drivers will have to have zero-emission vehicles by 2030 at no cost for drivers.

Housing

Mayor Eric Adams’s housing plan largely built off of his previously released plan to “Get Stuff Built”, which aims to build 500,000 new homes over the next decade.

Adams also announced that $22 million was allocated for tenant protection programs in order to investigate and enforce against bad landlords and help tenants from being pushed out of rent-regulated apartments.

“Building new housing is essential for our future, but we also need to address the housing crisis in the here and now. That means protecting tenants and helping New Yorkers stay in their homes,” Adams said.

Adams also announced that the city’s free tax preparation program was expanded to process an additional 26,000 returns and that his administration would pursue legislation allowing New Yorkers to retain benefits for up to six months after taking a new job.

CARE

Throughout his mayoralty, Adams has constantly dealt with the issue of homelessness in the city, announcing sweeps and safety teams to monitor the subway.

In his announcement, Adams unveiled a new plan to allow homeless New Yorkers to get a free health insurance program. The administration argues that the program will help connect homeless New Yorkers with more cost-efficient care.

The Mayor also announced a plan to open Clubhouses for New Yorkers with severe mental illness in order to provide “peer support and access to services.” The new ‘clubhouses’ are part of a broader mental health plan that the mayor said will be released within the next few weeks.

“This coming year is about expanding that vision of what can get done and what will get done. It means building a strong foundation that supports today’s realities and anticipates tomorrow’s needs,” Adams said. “City government must work to improve the public good, supporting an economy that works for all”

Fifth migrant center coming to Red Hook, BK

Pol criticizes migrant center rollout

By Matthew Fischetti

[email protected]

Credit: Matt Green via Flickr

As the influx of asylum seekers keeps increasing, Hizzoner announced on Saturday that the city will open its fifth emergency response center in Red Hook.

The new center, located at The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal at 210 Clinton Wharf, will serve  1,000 adult men – including those transferred from the Watson Hotel humanitarian relief center as well as additional new migrants. The Watson Hotel center, located in Midtown, will now help transition families and children seeking asylum.

The site is projected to open sometime after January 24 and will run until May 1.

An estimated 41,000 migrants have arrived in the Big Apple since last spring, with 27,000 migrants currently being housed by the city,  according to the Mayor’s office. The emergency response centers are different than shelters, of which over 60 have been opened. The emergency response centers, known as HUmanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers (HERRCS) are larger facilities that serve up to 1,000 people.

Red Hook Councilwoman Alexa Avilés released a statement on Saturday criticizing the plan and its rollout from the Mayor and the Governor.

“Our district has been welcoming asylum seekers and unhoused New Yorkers since the beginning, and we have multiple shelters located in our district,” the statement reads. “And once again, this administration has chosen to announce their plan to warehouse people in our district at the last hour without any advance notice or community engagement. Instead of trailing a failed strategy for the third time under the guise of getting stuff done, this admin should focus on getting it right.”

Mayor Adams’s office did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Avilés continued to criticize Governor Hochul, saying: “She can parachute into our community for press conferences about the subway shooting or to stump for her nominee, but we have yet to see her active any meaningful support for New York City, the communities that are working to welcome new arrivals or the asylum seekers themselves.”

Governor Hochul’s office did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

“This is an issue that is heartbreaking for all of us, to see these individuals who traveled so far under such difficult circumstances just in search of the American Dream, and I told the mayor we will be continuing to help him,” Governor Hochul said in a statement shared with the Brooklyn Star. “We’ve been helping him for many months and will continue to give him support.”

In a letter addressed to Red Hook residents obtained by the Brooklyn Star, Avilés said she was concerned about the rollout of the program, called for increased federal and state support, and advocated for long term solutions like work authorization and a pathway to citizenship.

Hizzoner  rallied with elected officials including Assemblywoman Jennifer Rajkumar, nonprofit organizations and members of his administration on Sunday calling for federal support.

“With more than 41,000 asylum seekers arriving in New York City since last spring and nearly 28,000 asylum seekers currently in our care, our city is at its breaking point,”  Mayor Adams said in a statement. “We continue to surpass both our moral and legal obligations and meet the needs of people arriving in New York, but as the number of asylum seekers continues to grow, we are in serious need of support from both our state and federal government.”

Comptroller Brad Lander issued a December report that suggested the city should expect $1 billion in annual costs through 2026, per the New York Post. New York is uniquely impacted by the migrant influx, due to the city’s long standing right to shelter law which requires anybody who asks for a bed to receive one.

Just earlier this week, NBC New York’s investigative team released a report with allegations that the city was violating the right to shelter law due to the strain the migrant situation is placing on facilities and shelters.

Adams emphasized how the issue was not just isolated to New York, but that local municipalities from Chicago to El Paso have felt the squeeze from increased numbers of migrants.

“I call all on us to look towards our national leaders to come with real comprehensive immigration reform,” Adams said on Sunday, following a letter of elected officials calling for more support. “That’s the answer to this problem. But there’s a blazing fire that’s taking place right now. You cannot go to a house that is burning and say, the result is about teaching fire prevention. You need to put out the fire right now.”

Ardila prepares to serve AD37: ‘I want to give everything I have’

By Jessica Meditz

[email protected]

AD-37-elect, Juan Ardila.

As residents of Assembly District 37 say “goodbye” to longtime Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, they’ll say “hello” to a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed newcomer, Juan Ardila.

The Maspeth native recently celebrated his 29th birthday after being elected to serve the neighborhoods of Hunters Point, Sunnyside, Woodside, Maspeth and Ridgewood.

He was victorious against fellow community advocates Brent O’Leary, Johanna Carmona and Jim Magee in the primary, garnering over 43 percent of the vote.

He ran unopposed in the general election, easily securing the win.

As Ardila and other Assemblymember-elects prepare to take office on Jan. 1, they attended an Assembly orientation up in Albany – making Ardila’s first-ever visit there one to remember.

“I loved everything about it. The vibe and the energy in the room felt like going back to college or high school, seeing old classmates after a while,” he explained. “Even though it was my first time up there, I never felt out of place by folks, and everybody was very engaging.”

Alex Bores, Assemblymember-elect for D73; Grace Lee, Assemblymember-elect for D65; Juan Ardila, Assemblymember-elect for D37; Tony Simone, Assemblymember-elect for D75 at the New York State Capitol during orientation.

Ardila said that given the fact he’s so new to state politics, he came into orientation with no expectations or assumptions, and wanted to arrive with an open mind.

However, he feels pleasantly surprised by how friendly his colleagues-to-be are, and all the positive energy that circulated throughout the room.

Ardila said he found it interesting to listen to his future colleagues, taking note of the differences in needs for various districts across the state.

“The composition of my district compared to the composition of a member in New Rochelle or Buffalo, is very different. But it’s exciting to see so many Democrats come together,” he said.

Ardila has not yet received his assignments, but said that if he could choose a committee to serve on, it would be one of the issues he campaigned on – most notably, housing.

He said that he was told to write 10 choices as to which committees he would like to serve on, and that he would also happily serve on committees related to climate, health care, education or labor.

Ardila said he already feels confident and comfortable to serve the people of his district, as the Assembly has strived to ensure that each member has the tools they need to do so.

One of the first tasks he completed to be accessible to constituents right off the bat was moving into an office located centrally in the district.

During the first week of January, Ardila will move into his district office situated on Skillman Avenue between 45th and 46th Streets in Sunnyside – just steps away from the 7 train.

In addition to being active and accessible for constituents, he’s also prepared to work with colleagues on all sides of the political spectrum in Albany.

Since his sit-down interview with the Queens Ledger in the spring, his top priority issues in the district have remained, namely, climate, housing, health care, immigration rights and public safety.

Ardila is supportive of universal healthcare and the New York Health Act, as well as the Green New Deal and shutting down peaker plants – which are highly polluting power plants that pose significant health threats to locals.

He’s also a proponent for legalizing accessory dwelling units, or independent residential units located on the same lot as a stand-alone home, and passing the Good Cause Eviction bill, which expands protections for tenants.

In regard to the overlap between climate and transportation, Ardila feels the Citi Bike expansion slated for Ridgewood and Maspeth will help alleviate many burdens for residents.

“[Citi Bike] is environmentally responsive, but it also addresses the transportation crisis in central Queens,” he said. “They’re transit deserts, and right now, we’re in that kind of phase where we’re trying to get Citi Bike to come to Maspeth and Ridgewood just to provide more interconnectivity.”

Ardila recently penned an op-ed titled, “Double Down MTA, Queens Needs More Trains,” calling on the completion and implementation of the QNS line – which would reactivate and repurpose freight rail along the Lower Montauk Branch running through central Queens, and connect Long Island City to nearby neighborhoods like Maspeth, Ridgewood, Middle Village — all the way to Jamaica.

Back in June, Ardila admitted he’s “a little bit on the radical side” in terms of tenant rights, and plans to stay true to that through the legislation he’ll propose.

The first piece of legislation he plans to introduce has to do with the issue of housing, and would place a limitation on initial regulator rent not to exceed the average rent for a comparable rent-regulated housing accommodation.

“It’s essentially just trying to make sure that we’re able to keep affordability for as long as possible and as sustainably as possible. It’s a question of whether or not this gets to the floor, but I’ll be pushing for it,” he said.

He also supports Make the Road New York’s endeavor to try and get a state funded public assistance program that can be distributed to undocumented New Yorkers.

Rather than being nervous about taking on this new role, Ardila feels it behooves him to take things for what they are and be open to mistakes.

“It’s one of those things where it’s a learning curve for all of us. It’s a new team, it’s going to be a young team, a very engaged, passionate, high-energy, hands-on and present team,” he said. “So I want to make sure that we are delivering. I’m super grateful for people showing their support and voting, but I also want to take it very seriously and return that to the best of my ability and give everything I have.”

Lee Zeldin visits Glendale, gubernatorial candidate hones in on tough-on-crime approach

By Jessica Meditz

[email protected]

Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin (at mic) was met with support from local business owners, including Karamjit Dhaliwal (to his left) and leaders Councilman Robert Holden (to his right) and Mike Conigliaro, who hopes to win AD28 (left of Dhaliwal).

Following last Tuesday night’s heated gubernatorial debate, Republican candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island took to the streets of Glendale to further discuss top issues residents face both locally and statewide.

The press conference was held at the Mobil gas station located at 71-05 Myrtle Avenue, across from Glendale Diner — where Zeldin was met with support from local residents, business owners and elected officials, as well as concerns about the current state of the city.

Honing in on his tough-on-crime campaign approach, Zeldin reflected on the debate held the night before, where he reiterated that he would declare a crime emergency and suspend cashless bail if elected.

He accused Gov. Kathy Hochul of disregarding the surge in crime in New York, and not discussing “locking up anyone committing any crimes” during the debate.

Zeldin interpreted Hochul’s response of, “Anyone who commits a crime under our laws, especially with the change we made to bail, has consequences. I don’t know why that’s so important to you,” as a deflection and indication that she does not communicate with communities affected by crime.

She doesn’t understand why it’s so important to me? That proves that she isn’t in touch with the people. It proves that she does not represent the people, because it should be first and foremost in her mind,” he said at the press conference.

“If she wants to represent New Yorkers, if she cares about New Yorkers, she would have her finger on the pulse and she wouldn’t have to make that point. She wouldn’t even be thinking it in her head, let alone actually saying it out loud.”

Bryan Lesswing, Hochul’s senior adviser, told the Queens Ledger that the comment in question was made in response to Zeldin’s accusation that she had not previously mentioned anything about crime in the debate, which she did on five separate occasions.

He said her response meant that she wasn’t sure why it was “so important” to him that she reiterate the point a sixth time.

“It’s no surprise that Lee Zeldin and his far-right allies are manipulating and lying about Governor Hochul’s comments, Zeldin himself has no serious plans to tackle crime and instead wants to bring more guns into our communities,” Hochul’s campaign spokesperson, Jerrel Harvey, said in a statement.

Karamjit Dhaliwal, who owns the gas station and the shops located on the property where the press conference was held, expressed his fears about increased crime that affects his business and employees.

Dhaliwal expressed his support of Zeldin for governor, and opened up about how his establishment is affected by increased crimw.

He said that while he’s a Democrat himself, he feels the need to cross party lines for this election.

We have a big problem with the crimes. We are getting robbed every week…They’re coming to steal stuff from our gas station, beating my employees, robbing at nighttime, jumping behind the counters, and it’s a danger,” Dhaliwal said.

He argued that bail reform should be repealed and that the NYPD does hard work, but their “hands are tied.”

During the press conference, an unknown individual who was getting gas started a verbal altercation with two of the gas station’s employees, shouting obscenities.

The individual had their car radio set to a high volume while the event was in progress, when the employees asked them to turn it down.

In fear it would get violent, the two Guardian Angels in attendance approached the situation.

The reality of this moment, while we’re here for a press conference, this is with security here, this is with cameras here, this is with a whole lot of people here…You see how people are emboldened to challenge employees of this gas station, ready for physical confrontation right here,” Zeldin said.

“Three weeks ago, one of [Dhaliwal’s] employees was assaulted right here where we’re having this press conference. You almost witnessed something play out right here in front of all the cameras just now, despite security, despite all of us and despite all of you.”

Zeldin holds firm to his beliefs that members of law enforcement should be supported, that judges should have discretion and that he would remove Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg from office on his first day if elected, accusing him of failing to enforce the law.

Although the state’s constitution provides a mechanism for removing certain public officials, such as DAs, the motion has little historical precedent.

Beyond crime, Zeldin feels New Yorkers should be “greatly concerned” with other issues, such as the large performance gap that exists with students in the state compared to the national average, as shown by the State Test scores that were released this week.

“We’re seeing as a result of the pandemic and lockdown policies, the impact on our kids. Their generation has suffered the most of all generations…our kids don’t even have a vote,” Zeldin said.

He brought up the point that New York spends two and a half times more per pupil than in Florida and Mississippi, for example — but students in those other states performed better on standardized tests.

Additionally, Zeldin would lift the cap on charter schools, promote advanced academics and reward students for good merit rather than on a lottery basis.

Hochul also said she would lift the cap on charter schools during the debate.

“We have to raise our game as it relates to education. We have to challenge our kids to go further. We need to achieve better outcomes,” he continued.

He also emphasized the importance of school safety, in regard to threats students face along with gun violence: other physical violence, bullying and drugs.

Zeldin feels confident that he’ll be able to work in concert with Mayor Eric Adams, as they share similar views on judges having discretion and amending Raise the Age, which is 2017 New York State legislation that raised the age of criminal responsibility to 18 years.

Early this year, Adams previously said prosecutors should be permitted to charge 16 and 17-year-old defendants caught with a gun as adults.

When asked about immigration and the migrant crisis New York City is facing, Zeldin said that he would call on President Joe Biden and advocate for completing the construction of the border wall, ending catch and release and enforcing the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), or the “Remain in Mexico” policy.

He also does not support giving non-citizens the right to vote.

“We should support our customs and border patrol agents, and we shouldn’t be incentivizing and rewarding illegal activity,” he said. “It’s my opinion that we should be doing more to secure our Southern border.”

Zeldin emphasized that if elected, he would proudly work with anyone, regardless of political affiliation or differing views on certain topics. 

Republicans, Democrats and Independents need to look at this opportunity less than two weeks away as their opportunity as New Yorkers to save New York City and save New York State. They have an opportunity to restore balance and common sense up in Albany. Everything has gone too far left up in Albany,” he said.

“There are a lot of common sense Democrats…And there are a lot of other Democrats out there who proudly view themselves as independent-minded. They’re New Yorkers first and foremost. They care about rising crime and skyrocketing costs. They care about being able to feed their family and heat their home. They care about soaring crime and DAs who release violent criminals to roam free on our streets,” he continued. “These New Yorkers…need to take control of their destiny, their family’s destiny, their community’s destiny and do their part to save our state.”

 

Matthew Fischetti contributed reporting to this article.

2022 Election Profile: Andrew Hevesi runs for re-election in District 28

By Alicia Venter

[email protected]

Hevesi runs for re-election in District 28.

After 17 years in the New York State Assembly, Andrew Hevesi is vying to score his ninth victory in District 28.

His district, which he has held since 2005, encompasses parts of Forest Hills, Rego Park, Ridgewood, Richmond Hill, Middle Village, Glendale, Maspeth and Kew Gardens, the latter of which he recently gained due to redistricting.

The boundaries of Assembly District 28. Photo: Redistricting and You: New York, Graduate Center of Cuny.

Hevesi, 48, sits as Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Children and Families.

In this role, Hevesi strives to target adolescent trauma through implementing support systems for both children and parents. 

“What I’ve been working on primarily, and we had great success last year, was in using as much state funding into any program that’s going to prevent or mitigate psychological trauma from adverse childhood experiences,” Hevesi said. “Everything you are seeing in the papers — from crime to rising homeless, to kids dropping out of high school, to higher rates of suicide, and all kinds of things — I think it’s all a function of unprecedented and unmitigated adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma.”  

Hevesi and his office worked last year to coordinate a coalition of approximately 100 assembly members and 40 senators to attack this issue as effectively as possible.

“The rest was that in the budget this year was the largest single investment in children in New York State history,” Hevesi said.

This agreement was a $7 billion investment over four years that will raise the salary level of the childcare workforce, which Hevesi noted is primarily Black and Brown women, and to increase the number of childcare seats available throughout the city. 

From this investment, 400,000 new seats were made available for children up to the age of 13.

“Childcare is one of the best ways to prevent childhood trauma from when kids are home alone,” Hevesi said. “It’s socialization. It’s the protective factors that you need to offset this kind of trauma.”

Furthermore, $10 million was invested into YouthBuild, a program originally founded in the 1980s.

The program’s direction has shifted to directly target children who are 16 or 17 years old who are at risk of “picking up guns or becoming a part of gangs,” and instead encourages them to find a career.

“There are a variety of other wins for kids just by money in the budget,” Hevesi said.

To best serve his community while balancing his responsibilities in Albany, Hevesi delegates funding to organizations within his neighborhoods that serve “the most vulnerable people” — those facing food insecurity and who need services to serve their basic needs. 

Hevesi has recently been given approximately $1 million in capital appropriation, which he breaks into smaller pots for distribution. 

“I believe a good member of the assembly, or a good senator, should have an issue that they are expert on,” Hevesi said.

That issue was homelessness for years, as Hevesi was part of numerous efforts to reach an agreement in Albany and with then-Governor Andrew Cuomo on a rent supplement plan to prevent those who are struggling to pay for housing from being forced into shelters. After the plan failed for five years (“Try working on something for five years and then have to give it up!”), Hevesi was appointed the Chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Children and Families. 

If re-elected, Hevesi exclusively told the Queens Ledger that he spoke to leadership, and informed them that he would like to chair the Health Committee in the upcoming term.

Hevesi is a Forest Hills native. Born and raised in the neighborhood, he now lives with his wife, daughter and dog, Lola. 

“I’m a Forest Hills guy completely,” Hevesi added. 

Forest Hills is set to become the home to QueensWay, a linear park along 3.5 miles of abandoned tracks that run through Central and Southern Queens. The plan has been met with controversy, particularly from those who supported QueensLink, a plan to turn the abandoned tracks into a railway. 

Hevesi supported the QueensWay when it was first conceived — “It must have been a decade ago,” he exclaimed — but he admittedly didn’t believe the plan would ever come to fruition.

He described arguments he used to have with Phil Goldfeder, the then-assemblyman of District 23, whose seat has since been filled by Stacy Pheffer-Amato. 

“He and I used to have arguments about it, and then we’d laugh because either one of the proposals cost billions. You’re going to get a rail, I’m going to get a park? Forget about it,” he said. “And then strangely, the QueensWay kept pushing. Adams bit, and put money behind it.” 

The QueensWay will cause trouble for Hevesi, he explained, because it runs behind the Forest Park Little League, so a plan must be made to work around this issue.

Although he supported turning the railroad into a park, Hevesi did sign on in support of a feasibility study for the QueensLink to see if there is a possibility of the park also serving as a transportation hub.

“I’ve been supportive of the QueensWay for a while,” he concluded. “It’s not my top issue, but I think it could be a very good thing for the community.”

To remain accessible to his constituents, Hevesi explained that the best way he can talk to the people in his community is by going door-to-door.

“If people don’t want to talk to you, that’s fine,” he said. “But the fact that you’ve shown up and taken an interest, and they have the opportunity to tell you something about the neighborhood? I think knocking doors is the best way to do it.”

Furthermore, when a constituent writes a letter or email to the assemblyman, he writes a letter back “in substance,” providing a full answer for their concerns.

Hevesi faces Mike Conigliaro this election, a Republican candidate who serves as the president of the Community Education Council – District 24 school board. The election is on Nov. 8.

Group calls for regulation of all two-wheeled motorized vehicles

By Jessica Meditz

[email protected]

As locals continue to see more motorized vehicles other than standard cars on the streets, many hope that the operators — and the law — will uphold the responsibility involved with being on the road in any capacity.

In recent weeks, the Ridgewood Property Owners and Civic Association (RPOCA) penned a letter to local elected officials Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan and State Senator Joseph Addabbo to propose state legislation that would regulate all motorized, two-wheeled and over vehicles.

In the letter, the group called for these vehicles to be licensed, with a metal license plate on the rear, and insured.

They also believe that all operators of such vehicles should be required to pass a written and driving test to be licensed.

The group feels that, if passed, this legislation would significantly reduce the number of traffic accidents and pedestrian injuries.

Charles Ober, the group’s president, said that as a civic association, part of their grassroots mission is to address concerns they’ve heard from members of the community — these vehicles being a common one.

“The basic complaint is they do not follow any of the traffic rules. They are very unsafe, a lot of them don’t even wear helmets. They have passengers on the back of them with no helmets, they snake in and out of traffic, they cut cars off, they go through red lights and don’t stop at stop signs,” Ober said.

“We would like to see that they be registered and insured. This is a big issue, and we think that the state can regulate it better and give the Police Department tools to enforce the law,” he continued. “We’re not trying to force them off the road, we’re asking them to follow the rules.”

According to an infographic from the DOT, Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes, as well as e-scooters are not currently required to be licensed or registered.

Source: DOT.

For e-scooters and Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, helmets are recommended for all, but required for 16 and 17-year-old riders and working cyclists.

All mopeds must be licensed, registered and insured — however, some residents claim that they’ve seen these vehicles operating with no license plate, as well as illegal e-mobility devices such as segways or electric skateboards.
“We’re concerned that we see unlicensed scooters and motorbikes. I saw a guy on a segway going down Central Avenue, and I saw a guy on a motorized skateboard going in the wrong direction. These vehicles are always just zooming about, zipping across traffic in and out, not stopping for lights,” said Peggy O’Kane, secretary of RPOCA.

“They’re a danger to pedestrians and cars, and they’re a  danger to themselves.”

Her biggest concern is safety and accountability for all.

“People have no sense of obligation that they need to take responsibility. I think if they had to have some kind of insurance, it would be a benefit to everybody, because if they injure somebody — that somebody is straight out of luck.” she said.

At the June 104 Community Council meeting, Deputy Inspector Kevin Coleman, Commanding Officer of the 104th Precinct, said that when it comes to illegal motorbikes, the 104’s efforts are to remove them from the streets.

“What we do is we set up operations for this kind of thing and try and get them somewhere where there’s a bottleneck so we can enclose them and grab them,” Coleman said.

On Oct. 15, the 104 Precinct took to Twitter to announce the confiscation of several illegal dirt bikes, mopeds and ATVs.

When asked about his thoughts surrounding the issue, Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi said he “would be open” to further regulation of these vehicles.

“There are motorized scooters all over the place where they shouldn’t be. They’re in parks, on sidewalks, they scare people and they sound terrible,” he said. “I would be open to reasonable regulations for these vehicles.”

CPC gives thumbs up to Innovation QNS

Commissioners voted 10-3 in favor of controversial project

By Jessica Meditz

[email protected]

Rendering of 38th Street Plaza by Innovation QNS.

The City Planning Commission gave a thumbs up to the large Innovation QNS project proposed for Astoria, despite a big thumbs down from Community Board 1 in June.

The proposed $2 billion development would build 12 towers between Northern Boulevard and 37th Street, some up to 27 stories tall, along with two acres of open space and 2,800 housing units — 700 of them permanently affordable — or 25 percent.

The commissioners voted 10-3 in favor of the proposal, advancing it to the next step of the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) application process.

Kaufman Astoria Studios, Silverstein Properties and BedRock Real Estate Partners are the developers behind the project.

Tracy Capune, vice president at Kaufman Astoria Studios, sees the CPC’s nod to the project as a significant stepping stone to providing benefits to the community.

“The need for affordable homes, family-sustaining jobs, public open space and expanded services for immigrants, seniors and young people has never been greater, and [the] overwhelming approval of Innovation QNS by the City Planning Commission is an important step toward delivering all of that and more for our neighbors in Astoria,” she said.

“We look forward to working with Councilmember Won and our neighbors in the weeks ahead to ensure City Council approval of this $2 billion investment at a critical moment for our community.”

Moments before the CPC voted, Chairman Dan Garodnick recommended the commission vote to approve Innovation QNS, citing thousands of job opportunities, affordable housing, public open space and many amenities.

“The affordable housing component of this project that will be created without public subsidy would be considered the largest privately financed affordable housing project in Queens in generations. At a time when our housing crisis is more pronounced than ever, that is a big deal and a big opportunity to take the pressure off the rents in this and surrounding communities,” Garodnick said.

“Innovation QNS is a unique opportunity to create nearly 3,000 homes including hundreds of permanently affordable homes that will change the lives of thousands of New Yorkers, providing them with stability in a vibrant neighborhood — where little of that stability currently exists,” he continued. “We should not let such an opportunity pass us by.”

Now, it’s up to the City Council to vote on whether or not to approve Innovation QNS; however, Councilwoman Julie Won, who represents Astoria in District 26, has been vocal about her disapproval of the development project since the beginning of her time in office.

Usually, the City Council votes in accordance with the position of the councilmember who represents that district.

Won criticized the developers of Innovation QNS for “disregarding” the voices of locals and not considering the community’s need for deeply affordable housing.

“I have requested for the development team to return to the community again with modifications and we will not settle for a plan that is below 50 percent affordable. Nearly 70 percent of renters in this part of Astoria are already rent-burdened or severely rent-burdened, with a current average rent of around $1,800. There are 54,000 eviction cases filed in NYC this year alone. I cannot in good conscience add more market-rate luxury housing in my district where it continues to produce an upward trend in rising rents,” she said.

“I refuse to inflict greater displacement and increase risk for evictions for working class families in my district. The developers are still offering only the minimum of 25 percent affordable apartments, calling on the city to utilize public dollars to provide any additional affordability,” Won continued. “My apprehension for this project remains and I have serious concerns that this project will displace many immigrant and working class residents that call this part of Astoria home, as landowners worry about their profit margins.”

Last month, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards also said “no” to the project; however, his input merely served as a recommendation.

In his recommendation, Richards called for an increase in the number of affordable housing units as well as expanding the lowest affordable income band to individuals or families earning 30 percent area median income (AMI).

Rendering via Innovation QNS.

“New York City is in the throes of a housing crisis, with Astoria families feeling that crush harder than most, but we have an incredible opportunity before us to reverse this tragic trend. I stand by my recommendation that certain commitments be made by the Innovation QNS development team to meet this moment,” he said.

“I have a deep respect for the City Planning Commission and its work, and I am hopeful [this] vote will lead to a healthy dialogue and community-first solutions as Innovation QNS proceeds to the City Council,” Richards added. “I remain in close contact with the developers, my fellow elected officials and all our community stakeholders, and will continue to push for true community-first solutions on the issues of affordability and equity.”

An ongoing critique of Innovation QNS is that the developers failed to engage in adequate, robust community outreach before moving forward with the application process.

Even CPC Chair Garodnick acknowledged in his opening remarks that the development team could have done a better job with this, and encouraged all future applicants to keep comprehensive community engagement at the “forefront of their minds.”

Evie Hantzopoulos, an Astoria resident, a member of CB1’s Land Use Committee and an activist with Astoria Not For Sale strongly believes that the Innovation QNS team has not done enough to improve their community outreach.

At a town hall meeting held at Kaufman Astoria Studios back in April, Hantzopoulos referred to their community engagement efforts as “a joke,” and told them outwardly that they are not being transparent.

“They’ve spent their time trying to get people to sign postcards to send in favor of it. That’s not outreach. They’re not trying to understand what the community wants and needs,” she said. “They already have their plan. They’re going through with it. Anything they do is perfunctory.”

As for her reaction to the CPC approving the plan: “disappointed, but not surprised.”

“We are going to mobilize and make sure that the voices of people who are going to be most affected are being heard,” she added.

Farihah Akhtar, an Astoria resident and organizer at CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, described Garodnick’s praise to the community members who came out to raise their voices against the project as “hollow and a slap in the face” to those fighting gentrification and displacement.

“Billionaire developers are enabled by our broken city planning and land use process and this has festered for decades. New York City is facing a major housing crisis, but what we need are deeply affordable units…these units are out of reach for working class and immigrant communities that have traditionally called Astoria home,” she said.

“NYCHA residents, with median incomes of approximately $20,000 per year, would not even meet the income requirements to apply for the affordable housing lottery,” Akhtar added.

“We will continue fighting. Astoria and New York City deserve real affordable housing and meaningful community engagement. This project is wrong and no amount of rationalization makes it palatable to our communities.”

Pol Position: Attack Ads target Assembly Candidate

Real estate interests are spending big in local assembly district races across the city, with attack mailers labeling candidates as too far left.

One of these candidates, Juan Ardila, was recently endorsed by The Queens Ledger in the race for Assembly District 37 — which covers Sunnyside, Woodside, Maspeth, Ridgewood, and Long Island City.

The attacks ads are part of a last-minute ad-blitz from the group “Common Sense New Yorkers,” a Super PAC funded by big real estate money.

Records from the State’s public disclosure system show that within the last two weeks, “Common Sense New Yorkers” has received two donations from 360 SLD Management, a foreign limited liability corporation under the White Plains-based Cappelli Organization, for $30,000; and Muss Development, a multigenerational development company based out of Forest Hills.

These are the groups funding the message that Juan Ardila is “bad news” for our community. Pretty rich for people who don’t live in the neighborhood.

The mailer labeling Juan Ardila as “Dangerous! Reckless! Socialist!” are far from the truth. In an interview with The Queens Ledger, Ardila emphasized that he was not seeking DSA’s support in the race, and has received the endorsement of more traditional New York liberals like Senate Deputy Leader Michael Giannaris or the Working Families Party.

The mailers also claim that Juan Ardila wants to “reduce the budget of the police throughout the state” and that it is in his own words. In the Jim Owles questionnaire response, the attack ad which refers to Ardila specifically, talks about funds that have been used to militarize the police and divert them to social programs to be able to tackle the issue of crime. While he does advocate for some reallocation, it is far from the “too extreme for Queens” allegations.

The mailers also attack Ardila for racist, homophobic and anti-semitic comments he made in high school. This is not a new revelation as it was unearthed by The New York Post during Ardila’s previous campaign for City Council. Ardila has previously apologized for the language he used on Facebook as a teenager.

The truth is Juan Ardila has the best interests of district residents. He is an ardent supporter of good cause, a necessary bill that will protect tenant rights, while the cost of living keeps rising.

One of Juan Ardila’s main competitors in the race, Johanna Carmona, is the real estate industry’s pick. Public records show that Carmona received $4,700, the highest possible donation from Neighborhood Preservation, a PAC associated with the pro-landlord Rent Stabilization Association.

With 24 hours left in the campaign, Carmona has raised some key high-dollar donations from other real estate interests. Public records show that she took a $1,000 donation from Dan Tishman, a long-standing member of the Real Estate Board of New York. Carmona also took $1,000 from Ayala Barnett, the wife of Extell Development founder Gary Barnett, who received favorable tax breaks after being a long-time donor to former Governor Cuomo, as the New York Daily News reported.

Juan Ardilla has foregone taking corporate or developer money. While the polls will have closed before this paper is printed, these attack ads only solidify our endorsement of Ardila as the candidate to represent the community’s interests up in Albany.

Crowley Steps Down from Friends of the QNS Board

Former New York City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley has stepped down from her position as chairperson of the board of Friends of the QNS, a nonprofit organization that she founded to advocate for expanded commuter rail-based transit across the borough.

Crowley said her decision to step down was made in order to focus fully on her candidacy for New York State Senate District 17.

“It has been an honor to serve as the chair of Friends of the QNS,” Crowley said.

The “QNS” proposal was introduced by Crowley to improve transit within her former Council district. Specifically, the plan sought to revive the former Lower Montauk rail line, which stretches nine miles from Hunters Point in Long Island City, through central Queens neighborhoods including Middle Village, Glendale, and Ridgewood, to the Jamaica hub.

This portion of central Queens is commonly referred to as one of the City’s “transit deserts,” since no passenger rail currently serves many of these neighborhoods.

In a 2018 report from the Department of Transportation, it was confirmed that the defunct rail line could be converted to include passenger service at a fraction of the cost of other major expansion projects like Manhattan’s 2nd Avenue Subway.

The New York State Senate district seat that Crowley is currently running for would include a vast majority of the former Lower Montauk Line within its boundaries. It was recently created by state lawmakers following the 2020 Census and will include Glendale, Maspeth, Richmond Hill, Ridgewood, Woodhaven, Long Island City, Sunnyside, Woodside, Ozone Park, and Greenpoint in Brooklyn within its boundaries.

But while Crowley is stepping down from her position as the board’s chair, she said she vows to continue to advocate not only for the QNS rail but for a greenway along the QNS line, if elected.

“Queens has been growing at a tremendous pace, especially Long Island City,” Crowley said. “For this borough to keep up with its growth, we need to provide better transit to our residents. It’s not ambitious, it’s common sense.”

This proposal to restore the former commuter rail is similar to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 14-mile IBX plan, which seeks to add a train line from Bay Ridge in Brooklyn to Woodside, Queens.

Both use existing, underused train rights-of-way, converting them to passenger service from strictly freight service.

Crowley also indicated that she would work to include a dedicated bike lane running parallel to QNS, because “an intolerable” number of bicycle accidents and fatalities have been occurring in recent years.

“If we want people to use alternative transportation, we want them to feel safe as they do so. A slightly revised QNS ‘rail and trail’ plan would help that goal,” Crowley said.

Denise Keehan-Smith, former chairperson of Community Board 2, will replace Crowley as the new chairperson of the Friends of QNS. Keehan-Smith promises to continue the hard work that Crowley started and will also advocate adding a bike lane to the proposal. The organization also hired a senior strategist to help assist with the group’s expanding workload.

“I shall be forever grateful to [Crowley] for serving as the founder and chair of our organization,” Thomas Mituzas, a Blissville resident and QNS board member, said. “She brought to the forefront the need for a new commuter line for the many living in the transportation desert of Queens.”

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