as stated BTR letters & comments
BRUCKNER DETOX
CENTER OPPOSED
cents
New owner:
I’m developing wellness center
A sense of concern and outrage
is brewing in Throggs
Neck about a possible conversion
of an offi ce building into
an unwanted use.
Commercial tenants at
2800 Bruckner Boulevard received
letters to vacate the
property, and community
leaders have formed a coalition
to fi ght a possible alcohol
Westchester Square reels over vagrants
ulder during a confrontation
Continued on Page 67
Continued on Page 67
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, M BTR AY 10-16, 2019 13
Unchecked
development
Dear editor,
For the past decade, Pelham
Bay has been subject to
increased building overdevelopment.
During this period
of time, over 15 properties
that were previously single-
or two-family dwellings now
have apartment buildings in
their place. There have been
no upgrades to our current infrastructure
to handle these
changes. The developers have
yet to give back anything positive
to the community; however
they have given us parking
armageddon.
The latest project being
put in the works is by the developer
of 3531/3533 Bruckner
Boulevard or Parkview,
LLC as shown in DOB fi llings.
Mr. Tinaj has purchased these
two adjoining properties that
are single-family homes. Currently
being proposed is an
8-story, 26-unit building with
only 13 non-enclosed parking
spaces. Potentially an additional
26 cars will be added to
our streets with that number
being more likely 39 as most
families have more than one
car.
The other issue of concern
are the numerous windows on
the side of the existing apartment
building located at 3555
Bruckner Boulevard. Will its
windows be blocked by this
new construction as the ten
windows of 3525 Bruckner
Boulevard were?
The same developer that
built 3529 Bruckner Boulevard
is building the new property.
The exasperated problem
of parking in Pelham Bay
will again be compounded by
the proposed construction on
Bruckner Boulevard between
Buhre and Robert’s Avenues.
Patty Justiniano
Ocasio has a
challenger
Dear editor,
Picked up a copy of your
newspaper this morning
when I was campaigning at
the Parkchester #6 stop. Got
a nice welcome and was very
impressed with the area. My
mother lived at 138th and St.
Ann’s when she arrived from
Ireland in 1929! I’m a moderate
Democrat alternative to
Ms. Ocasio!
James Dillon
Biaggi a no-show
on ‘diet’ win
Dear editor,
The Morris Park Road Diet
Plan is dead for now. A judge
ruled further studies are
needed. Our thanks go out to
our Councilman Mark Gjonaj,
the Morris Park Community
Association, our business
owners, along with our community
residents.
Sorry to say, a no-show and
no-backing from our Senator
Alessandra Biaggi to show
her support against the Road
Diet Plan.
So when the election comes
around again would you vote
for her?
On another note, our next
concern is our Columbus Day
Parade. Will the mayor grant
the MPCA the parade permit
with a very limiting restrictions?
Time will tell.
Richard Silvestri
Ocasio’s message
was favored
Dear editor,
Recently a reader wondered
how Alexandria Ocasio
Cortez was elected, going so
far as to call her “ignorant”.
Well ma’am, it’s called democracy.
You see more voters accepted
her progressive message
than the tired, ineffective
and ‘safe’ ideas of her
opponent.
Pat Polosi
Unchecked
development
Dear editor,
Queens Assembly member
David Weprin introduced legislation
in the NYS Assembly
to permit some prison inmates
who committed murder
or rape to be eligible for parole
once they reach age 55 and
have served at least 15 years of
their sentence.
The same legislation was
introduced by Manhattan
State Senator Brad Hoylman
in the NYS Senate.
What’s next, reparations in
the form of taxpayers rebates
to reimburse ex-felons for lost
income due to time served in
prison?
Larry Penner
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While Bronxites prepared
to take a ‘bite out of crime’
at the annual August 1 Night
Out Against Crime, one crook
turned that around and took
a bite out of a local merchant
who tried to interrupt his
thievery.
A.M.A.F. Fashion business
owner Abdul Sol felt more
than an impact to his quality
of life on the morning of Sunday,
July 9, when a shoplifter
tried to leave his store with
a bag of clothing and Sol sufered
a severe bite on his left
rearm and a dislocated right
with the man.
At his 25 Westchester
Square store, Sol recalled how
the shoplifter had on previous
customer.
occasions
been a paying “He spent money here,
it’s not like I never saw him
before,” Sol said. “He came
around two or three months
ago and bought a pair of
shoes.”
But the Sunday of the assault,
the suspect asked for a
shopping bag, grabbed stuff,
and tried to leave, according
to Sol.
“I told him, ‘No, you can’t
take my stuff.’”
A fi ght ensued and Sol said
he “went to the ground with
him. I hurt my shoulder. He
took a big bite in my arm. I was
at the hospital until 6 o’clock. I
still have pain in my shoulder.
I still can’t lift my left arm.”
Sol said he had seen the
shoplifter associate with patients
from the Bronx Psychiatric
Center, so he fi gured he
was a client.
As Bronx Psychiatric Center,
on Waters Place, continues
to release its patients on
the street during the day, they
interact with homeless people
and drug rehab program.
Complaints have been
fi led with the city about beds
being moved into the building
or illegally converting it
into a residential building,
with some folks planning to
take legal action against the
landlord because they have
leases, according to multiple
sources.
Homeowners and renters
are also circulating petitions
to protest what appears to be
“a substance-abuse rehabilitation
program recruiting
staff” to work in the building
and lack of community notice
or engagement on what
may be sited at 2800 Bruckner
Boulevard.
“The community is defi -
nitely mobilized,” said Steven
Kaufman, an attorney who
is leading the Throggs Neck
Strong coalition looking into
the matter, adding “I believe
with mobilization, we might
be able to stop what they want
to do.”
Tenants in the building
say they got letters over the
last two weeks telling them
to vacate the building by
September, said Bobby Jaen,
Throggs Neck Merchants Association
president and coalition
member.
So far, at least 20 complaints
have been logged with
the NYC Department of Buildings,
including those concerning
“commercial space that is
being turned into residential
space” and those saying tenants
see “beds, dressers, mirrors
and chairs,” being moved
in.
As of press time, a meeting
of the Throggs Neck Strong
coalition has been planned
for the Crosstown Diner on
Thursday, August 3, with Jaen
expecting around 125 people,
following a lot of community
organizing and petitioning
that led to a forceful showing
at an earlier impromptu meeting
on Friday, July 28.
Anthony Mameli, Charles
Ruttenberg Realty’s Bronx
commercial real estate manager,
said the company was
planning a grand opening for
its new offi ce at the building
Bronx Times Reporter
Name:
Bayside, NY 11361
This week’s As Stated
highlights commentary on
the 2008 Westchester Avenue
men’s homeless shelter, a remembrance
of the Holocaust
and an attack on Anti-Semitism
and hate, concern over
the expiring rent regulations,
disappointment over the limited
number of early voting
sites approved for the Bronx
and a thank you to Governor
Cuomo for blocking off-shore
drilling.
State Senator Alessandra
Biaggi issued the following
statement on the
Parkchester Men’s Shelter....”It
is critical that we fi nd a way
to provide shelter to our
neighbors who need it. Shelters
keep New York’s homeless
population off the streets
and make a space for them to
get back on their feet.
“I appreciate the concerns
of my constituents regarding
the proposed men’s shelter
at 2008 Westchester Avenue
in Parkchester – my offi ce is
dedicated to addressing issues
of public safety and harassment
in our district. We
will be working closely with
the shelter’s Community Advisory
Board to develop preventative
programming and
education around toxic masculinity
and sexual harassment,
in an effort to keep
all Parkchester community
members safe from harm.”
A statement on Holocaust
Remembrance Day from
Assemblyman Michael
Blake.....“On this Holocaust
Remembrance Day, we honor
the memory of the six million
Jews who were killed during
the Holocaust. Anti-Semitism
is never acceptable - in
any place, in any form.
“We must stand up, speak
out and act to combat the
white supremacist, Neo Nazi,
ignorant and hateful forces
that aim to propagate hate
and divide us. We must work
together to learn, accept and
understand each other and
our history. Hate and anti-
Semitism have no place in
the Bronx, in our city, country
or the world.”
Assemblyman Victor
M. Pichardo on rent regulated
housing laws.....“Bad
landlords will fi nd a way to
make a profi t at the expense
of their tenants losing their
homes. My neighbors have
been harrassed, taken advantage
of, and pushed out of
their homes for far too long.
“Housing is a human
right, and my neighbors
should be able to live without
ASSEMBLYMAN JEFFREY DINOWITZ
Photo courtesy of Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s
Offi ce
fear of unlawful evictions.
Rent regulations are expiring
in less than two months
and it is absolutely imperative
that we implement new
regulations that protect all
tenants”
Assemblyman Jeffrey
Dinowitz’ comment on the
limited number of early voting
sites.....“I am very disappointed
that the NYC Board of
Elections chose to only fulfi ll
their minimum obligations
to provide polling places for
early voting, instead of doing
what is in the best interest of
our democracy.
“Early voting is an essential
component of making
it easier for New Yorkers to
vote, and it would be an absolute
travesty to allow this
to be undermined by the inadequate
provision of polling
places. If more early voting
locations are not added, then
people in our city will effectively
be denied their right
to vote early as recently established
by the State of New
York.”
The following statement
was issued by John F.
Calvelli, WCS executive
vice president for Public Affairs
.....“The Wildlife Conservation
Society applauds
Governor Cuomo for signing
into law a bill that will block
any offshore drilling activity
off of New York’s coastline,
a region that supports a diversity
of marine life as well
as vital livelihoods for the
state’s coastal communities.
“The new law is a milestone
in efforts to protect the
nation’s marine ecosystems.
WCS is opposed to any extreme
expansion of development
being proposed at the
federal level.”