Community leaders join Amazon panel
BY BILL PARRY
State Sen. Michael Gianaris
and City Councilman Jimmy
Van Bramer announced last
month that they would not
participate in a community
advisory council for the proposed
Amazon HQ2 campus
proposal in Long Island City
as they continue to oppose the
deal and work to stop it in its
tracks.
The two lawmakers have
expressed outrage that the
state and city offered the trillion
dollar e-commerce retailer
billions in subsidies while
the subways are crumbling,
children lack school seats,
and too many neighbors lack
adequate healthcare.
On Tuesday, Mayor Bill
de Blasio and Gov. Andrew
Cuomo announced the 45
members who were named
to the special panel that will
share information and solicit
ongoing community input
are considered throughout
the process.
“I did not have input into
any decisions related to the
Amazon Community Advisory
Council, including recommendations
for membership,
because I refuse to participate
in a process meant to accommodate
Amazon’s arrival
in our community, which I
do not accept as a done deal,”
Gianaris said.
The list of western Queens
City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer and state Sen. Michael
Gianaris are not backing down in their opposition to the deal
that is bringing Amazon to Long Island City even as many of their
friends and constituents join a special planning panel.
Photo by Walter Karling
community leaders who are
participating includes many
of Van Bramer and Gianaris’
constituents and friends, such
as Sunnyside Community Services
executive director Judy
Zangwill, Community Board 1
Chairwoman Marie Torniali,
Old Astoria Neighborhood Association
President Richard
Khuzami, Manducatis Rustica
Owner Gianna Cerbone-
Teoli, Astoria Houses Tenant
Association President Claudia
Coger and The Chocolate Factory
Theater Executive Director
Sheila Lewandowski,
among dozens of others.
“I’ve worked with and respect
many of the members
who have chosen to serve on
the CAC, and as I’ve said before,
whether or not I am on it
my voice will be heard,” Van
Bramer said. “I will continue
to represent the community
and advocate for it as we fight
against this bad deal.”
State Assemblywoman
Catherine Nolan, who unlike
Van Bramer and Gianaris is in
complete support of the deal,
said she was grateful to those
that agreed to serve on the
committee to provide important
direction and feedback to
guide the Amazon plan.
“It will be important to
make sure that affordable
housing, transportation improvements,
and anti-displacement
efforts become reality
over the course of this effort,”
Nolan said. “This project can
provide important benefits to
infrastructure and workforce
development that reflect our
longtime desire for a sustainable,
mixed use community.
I am particularly grateful to
Bishop Mitchell Taylor and
LaGuardia Community College
President Gail Mellow for
agreeing to chair the workforce
development subcommittee.
I know how important
it will be to build out schools,
training programs, small
business assistance, support
and resources for Queensbridge
Houses and indeed all
neighborhoods, students and
families in Western Queens.”
Long Island City Partnership
president Elizabeth
Lusskin and Community
Board 2 chairwoman Denise
Keehan-Smith will lead the
Project Plan Subcommittee,
which will advise on development
of the general project
plan and issues related to
the construction of the HQ2
campus.
Former Queens Deputy
Borough President Melva
Miller, now vice president of
the Association for a Better
New York and Hunters Point
Park Conservancy president
Rob Basch will lead the Neighborhood
Infrastructure Subcommittee.
Borough President Melinda
Katz, who announced she
would run for Queens district
attorney earlier this month,
had her remarks interrupted
by an anti-Amazon protestor
for her welcoming attitude towards
the e-commerce giant.
“It is imperative for
stakeholders to seize an active
role in this process and
directly shape how community
will benefit from this
historic deal,” Katz said.
“The process should include
infrastructure to enhance
capacity, support for existing
housing developments and, in
a union town like New York,
agreements with labor. The
Community Advisory Committee
is designed to ensure
community insights and concerns
are incorporated into
the ultimate outcome.”
Amazon will work with
the CAC on job training and
workforce development, according
to Ardine Williams,
Amazon’s vice president for
people operations.
“This joint effort will help
ensure that our new neighbors
benefit not only from corporate
and technology jobs,
but also the thousands more
indirect jobs in construction,
building services, hospitality
and other industry fields,”
Williams said.
Reach reporter Bill Parry
by e-mail at bparry@cnglocal.
com or by phone at (718) 260–
4538.
Richards allocates funds to clean up SE Queens district
BY NAEISHA ROSE
City Councilman Donovan
Richards says discretionary
funding allocated by
his office for the fiscal year
2019 has $220,000 in its budget
for additional garbage
pickups and other cleanliness
efforts for his district.
Richards made the announcement
in Springfield
Gardens last week.
The councilman’s constituents
in District 31 reside
in Arverne, Brookville,
Edgemere, Far Rockaway,
Laurelton, Rosedale and
Springfield Gardens.
Work on tidying up the
district with additional pickups,
lot cleanups, graffiti
removal and snow removal
commenced in September,
according to a spokesman
for Richards.
Organizations like the
Center for Employment Opportunities
Works and Wildcat,
which provides jobs for
the previously incarcerated,
homeless or those who were
addicted to drugs will provide
the boots on the ground
for cleanups.
“Commercial corridors
are the lifeblood of any
community, which is why
we must make every effort
to keep our sidewalks free
of litter and debris,” said
Richards. “We also want to
provide job opportunities
for New Yorkers who struggle
to find work because of
being formerly incarcerated,
homeless or addicted
to drugs.”
CEO Works received
$165,000 for the additional
City Councilman Donovan Richards (l.) secured $220,000 to clean
up his district. Courtesy of Richards’ offi ce
commercial corridor pickups,
which will occur Monday
through Friday at Mott
Avenue (Beach Channel to
Cornaga Avenue), Central
Avenue (Bayport to Cornaga
Avenue, Merrick Boulevard
(Springfield Boulevard
to 234th Street, and 243rd
Street (Caney to Mayda), according
to Richards’ office.
Wildcat was given $55,000 for
the snow and graffiti removal
and lot cleanups.
“This community has
striven and suffered for so
long without development,”
said Lonnie Glover, President
of SpringGar Civic Association.
“There’s a lot of
work that needs to be done
for our businesses and we’re
here to help.”
Funds were provided
by the NYC Council Clean
New York City initiative,
according to Richards’
spokesman.
Reach reporter Naeisha
Rose by e-mail at nrose@
cnglocal.com or by phone at
(718) 260–4573.
TIMESLEDGER,28 DEC. 14-20, 2018 TIMESLEDGER.COM