Big buildings replacing beautiful homes
To the Editor,
With reference to the letters from
Elaine Kirsch and Victoria Hofmo
regarding the overbuilding going
on here, they are absolutely right.
Things have gone way out of control.
The new motto seems to be “build
them bigger, build them higher.”
On the corner of Ocean Avenue
and Avenue T there was a lovely
Victorian house that was part of the
St. Edmunds complex, The house
is gone and in its place is another
monstrosity going up. The last time
I went by there, which was a couple
of weeks ago, the building was
either eight or nine stories, it was
hard to tell.
On the corner of Avenue P and
E. 19th Street, there was a very nice
house owned by my dentist. The
house is gone and in its place is a
“mixed use” building, which probably
means stores on the ground fl oor
and apartments above. At this point,
the building is seven stories high.
Will either of those buildings have
nough parking? Of course not.
As for Kings Highway, the less
said the better. I remember the Kingsway
Theatre. Although I am originally
from upstate and then Canada,
I have lived here a long time. I remember
the Avalon Theatre at the
corner of Kings Big buildings replacing
beautiful homes Highway and E.
18th Street, now occupied by a Rite
Aid drugstore with a manager, who
said, when I questioned him why
their price for an item that was in
a magazine with the price printed,
was higher than the magazine, said,
“we can charge whatever we want.”
I no longer go there.
I also remember Dubrows, where
you could get something to eat any
time of day or night. It became a Gap
clothing store and when that burned,
it became, of course, another bank.
We also have another new schlock
“dollar” store.
When was the last time you saw
a cop walking the Highway? Maybe
they would get rid of the bikers going
full-speed on the sidewalks.
How sad to see the demise of a
once-great street.
Rowena Lachant
Homecrest
Symbolism vs reality
To the Editor,
I often wonder about people’s
obsession with the symbolism socalled
leaders put before us, rather
than all that is going on around us
that is all too real.
Two fairly recent events: the reported
“Isis-inspired Jihad” murders
in Sri Lanka got far too little air
time coverage, while the unfortunate
fi re that ravaged a part of Notre
Dame in Paris got days of coverage.
Locals in Sri Lanka are seemingly
left to help themselves with
little international assistance while
more than $1 billion was almost immediately
raised to help rebuild
Notre Dame.
The weekend following the Notre
Dame fi re brought some 30,000 “yellow
vest” protesters to the streets in
various cities in France, continuing
their objection to a steep rise in
fuel taxes and concerns about other
taxes and low wages.
Where is the outpouring of donations
from France’s wealthiest
businesses and families to address
the diffi cult economic problems in
their country that clearly exemplifi
es the “class warfare” (my description),
the huge economic divide that
is ever growing?
This divide is equally as apparent
where I reside, in a country of
no-longer united states.
Isn’t it a shame that there is
this small class of highly successful
people choose self indulgence,
and gluttony, rather than adopt a
humane, altruistic mind and heart
that endeavors to enrich the quality
of life for everyone while having
sustainability in mind that protects
the health of the planet we live on?
It truly is possible to create a world
where opportunity exists for everyone
to create (at minimum) a modest,
healthy life for self and family,
and to thereby live in peace.
Barry Brothers
Homecrest
Co-op coup
To the Editor,
My “posh” co-op is on Avenue Z,
and is made up of a three-building
complex. The buildings were under
rent stabilization until a co-operative
conversion occurred 31 years ago.
My corner building has not had
a functioning intercom service for
the longest time. It is repaired, and
36 COURIER LIFE, MAY 3–9, 2019 M BR B G
within the week, it breaks down
again. This is a defi nite problem for
people who have items delivered to
them, have visitors coming, and,
most serious, if they need an ambulance,
the personnel would never be
able to gain entrance into the building.
Complaints to the management
have fallen on deaf ears and now
those of us who complain are targeted
for harassment.
In addition, as apartments are vacated,
they are subject to remodeling.
The banging during the day is
intolerable and, worse, it is causing
a cockroach infestation, as the critters
literally come out of the walls
at night. Again, the management
pays no attention whatsoever. They
couldn’t care less, especially since
our building has no representation
on the co-op board. This has been going
on for quite some time. We have
been unable to have a quorum for the
last 15 years, and as a result, no elections
may take place. The same board
remains in power for another year
and as resignations have occurred,
there supposedly, is no money to fi x
the intercom, but there is plenty of
money to maintain a pool. Regardless
of whether you use the pool or
not, you’re charged for it. Now, they
are installing a gym, and I’m sure
that this will not be for free either.
Is there anyone out there who can
help? We are facing taxation without
representation. Ed Greenspan
Sheepshead Bay
Electeds must act
To the Editor,
Majority Leader Hoyer’s statement
that it’s not worth even pursuing
an impeachment inquiry is
reprehensible and a complete abdication
of Congress and Democrats
constitutional duty. Forget an election
18 months from now, we just had
an election fi ve months ago where
tens of millions voted to hold Trump
responsible. That’s the only reason
Hoyer is Majority Leader now and
not the powerless fi gure he apparently
wants to go back to.
As a constituent of Senators
Gillibrand and Schumer, and Rep.
Velzquez, I will not vote in future
elections for Democrats who dismiss
their duties to the republic.
Every day Trump stays in power is
another day for a further catastrophe.
And even if not impeached or
convicted, an inquiry will yield evidence
of wrongdoing that will help
prevent reelection. I urge my elected
offi cials to do their job!
Ka Ming Wong
Gowanus
MTA misuse
To the Editor,
Gov. Cuomo originally wanted
NYC Transit to hire yet another engineering
consulting fi rm to perform
an independent review of his
proposed redesign? Now the MTA
awards a $1.2 million contract to JMT
of NYC Inc. to provide something different
— oversee construction and
operations. This just duplicates the
work of NYC Transit’s own experienced
engineers, operations planning,
procurement, quality control
and, quality assurance employees
along with the MTA’s existing Capital
Program Oversight Committee independent
engineering fi rm. The same
holds true for the FTA’s existing independent
engineering consultant,
who is usually assigned to monitor
any MTA or NYC Transit federally
funded capital improvement project
over $100 million. In these times
of multi-billion dollar MTA funding
shortfalls, paying for another engineering
consulting fi rm was a waste
of scarce fi nancial resources.
It made no sense for the MTA to
reassign management of this project
from NYC Transit to MTA Offi ce of
Capital Construction. NYC Transit
has already successfully managed
several Superstorm Sandy federally
funded tunnel projects. For the most
part, they were completed on time,
within budget, accompanied by few
design or change orders.
Contrast that with MTA’s Offi ce of
Capital Construction’s track record.
Long Island Rail Road East Side Access
to Grand Central Terminal, if
all goes well with the most recent recovery
schedule, will be completed 10
years late and $8 billion more than
the original $3.5 billion budget. Check
out the original 2006 MTA/FTA Full
Funding grant agreement and see
for yourself. Second Avenue Subway
Phase One and Hudson Yards 7 train
subway extension both suffered from
delays, budget, scope and change order
issues. MTA Capital Construction
currently has their hands full
trying to complete East Side Access
by the most recent recovery schedule
of December 2022 and begin Second
Avenue Subway Phase 2.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
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