An ongoing study of the needs for infrastructure, affordable housing, business and economic opportunity in Long Island City was the focus of a Department of City Planning presentation at the monthly meeting of Community Board 2 on March 2.
According to the DCP’s Penny Lee, the ultimate proposals will support the area’s mixed-use character by creating opportunities for new businesses and jobs to grow there. The planned housing would be affordable to households with a broad range of incomes.
The study area includes the Queens Plaza and Court Square neighborhoods and the Northern Boulevard corridor. It encompasses all or portions of nearly 50 blocks anchored by transit hubs at Queensboro Plaza, Queens Plaza and Court Square.
About half of the blocks are located north of Queens Plaza in Community District 1 and the other half are in Community District 2.
And while no residents addressed the matter at the meeting, there is widespread concern in the neighborhoods about how implementation of such proposals would affect gentrification and the neighborhoods’ infrastructure.
A printed report on the study distributed at the meeting states that “the study process will identify critical investments in infrastructure and neighborhood services to support current demands and future growth.”
According to the report, the holistic planning process “provides a tremendous opportunity to build upon the study area’s many assets to develop an economically diverse, 24/7, mixed-use community in the center of Long Island City.”
Plans call for the study to address four primary objectives:
• Foster commercial development so support entrepreneurship, job creation and strengthen the mixed-use district;
• Ensure increased affordable housing opportunities through the implementation of the Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning program;
• Enhance neighborhood livability by identifying new investments in infrastructure and neighborhood services; and
• Identify economic opportunities to benefit neighborhood residents and businesses.
Lee said that in late March or early April topic-specific public meetings will be held to include interested individuals in discussions on the project.
CB 2 also welcomed Public Advocate Letitia James, who among other topics, briefly addressed the need for housing for all incomes, senior citizens and the working class.
“We need housing for children,” she added, saying that “the sin in this city is homelessness.”
James also addressed school overcrowding, the need to reduce gun violence and the failure of Access-a-Ride to satisfy the needs of its users, suggesting riders should be able to rely on a taxi system “instead of a system that’s broken.”
The community public comment segment brought a wide variety of speakers and issues to the floor, beginning with commentary by area resident Dorothy Kominsky, who expressed pride in being an American and said, “I want my Constitution and Bill of Rights back. I want to hear my songs of America back in the schools.”
Pat Lowenhaupt, a volunteer at the Queens World Film Festival, reminded the audience that this year’s 7th annual event will run from March 14 to 19 at two sites, the Museum of the Moving Image and the nearby Zukor Theater at Kaufman Astoria Studios. She announced that a total of 26 filmmakers with ties to the borough will be represented in the festival.
One of the filmmakers, Anne Hu, a Sunnyside resident, was on hand to promote her film, “Cake,” a 10-minute short that explores a woman’s sexuality. It will be screened on March 18 at 5:30 p.m. at MoMI.
Further information on the festival is available online at queensworldfilmfestival.com.
Amadeo Plaza, president of the Court Square Civic Association, made a brief plea to the DOT to give back to the community in the form of more open space.
Jai Nanda, founder of Urban Dove, an alternative high school for over-aged, under-credited youth in the city, discussed the expansion of its sports-based program.
In other business, the board unanimously passed an application for an unenclosed sidewalk cafe with 14 tables and 42 seats for Skinny’s Cantina, located at 4705 Center Blvd. in Long Island City, but voted down a landmark preservation application for interior alterations, rear yard addition and new rear windows for 39-13 48 St. in Sunnyside, citing an already-oversized porch at the site.
