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SERVING MIDDLE VILLAGE AND MASPETH SINCE 1938.
The Juniper Berry
March 2020
Bells: A Campanology Poem
Published March 6, 2020
More Juniper Berry March 2020 Articles
Published March 6, 2020
Tsk, tsk, Dept of City Planning has a lot of explaining to do after commissioning a a report that decides what should be done with properties the City doesn't own.
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.We do not want it! That’s messed up that they did that.
We have naysayers claiming, "This is a Hunter College student project!" as if that makes it not valid.
Paul Graziano, our go-to guy for zoning issues, weighs in:
"As the students said: Department of City Planning was the CLIENT for their study. The DCP will be using this study as their baseline. This study was herded by DCP. They were materially involved in its creation."
City Planning could just extend the current Transit Oriented Development to the IBX stations, but instead they want to implement individual rezones around each station, focusing on "soft targets" where developers can get the most bang for their buck and they can cram in thousands of people.
The danger here is that we don't take this seriously and then all of a sudden it happens and by the way, Protests are not the answer because in a Democratic Socialist Mayorality, protests are ignored and we are literally laughed at. It will take Lawsuits and let's hope our local elected officials will realize that and organize and advance these Lawsuits
Property values near the Elliot stop will shoot up if larger developments are possible. Especially since you have both proximity to transit and a beautiful park!
Paul is right. But we can scream and yell all we want on social media, that’ll never do anything. People have to protest. People have to give whatever money they can to fund lawsuits and legal battles. People have to testify at hearings. People have to email citywide and statewide leaders including the DCP. And most important, people need to vote better!
You have to show up at the meetings…you have to write your concerns to MtA…you need to be loud ..,I go to these meetings and no one from the neighborhood shows up…it’s the same 20-25 of us …there have been IBX meetings and no one is there ….please…you need to have your voices heard…posting your concerns on FB is great but it takes boots in the ground
Paul is 100% correct
If there is no stop at Eliot some of our neighborhood could be saved. Makes no sense to have a station at Grand and again at Eliot. Eliminate Eliot Ave stop and keep Grand Ave since it’s more commercial at Grand.
I always ask the same question.... WHY is there such a great desire to increase the NYC population 10 fold? At what point do the politicians say, ok we are full? 10 million? 20 million? 50 million? 💪🇺🇸💪
If I were younger and had the money and my health I would get the hell out of NY but like many other seniors who bought our homes to retire here, we are prisoners of a city, state and country bein run for the rich and by the rich. All people care about is basketball and soccer!
Do not change zoning laws in mid vil. Maspeth. Forest hills. Kew gardens. Glendale. Ridgewood. They will. Destroy. Queens.
Yeah a bunch of liberal students they will bring in the worst start moving
Saving the worst for last...
In the parts of Middle Village, Maspeth and Elmhurst in proximity to Grand Avenue, the Department of City Planning wishes to develop Stop and Shop, the storage facilities, the Verizon site, and any current manufacturing into housing because the people who live around there have "isolationist tendencies" and should have more neighbors. The homes and businesses between PS58 and Maspeth HS will be demolished and both schools will be expanded so more kids can attend them. The end of every block that currently has 1 or 2-family homes will contain 6-story buildings. West of 74 Street will have 8 story buildings. Parking will be removed along one side of the road to accommodate a bike lane. Sounds great, doesn't it? (end sarcasm) www.hunterurban.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IBX-FINAL-FINAL-1.pdf
Although it’s been decades since I lived in Middle Village, all of this really breaks my heart. While I understand times have changed and no place will ever be what it was, this is not about buildings, sidewalks and stores. It’s about people and how THEY choose to live. These proposals are solutions to problems that do not exist. Rather, they will create new problems and one by one, take away one more remaining precious piece of what makes this area so great. Yes. A Taco Bell has replaced Neiderstiens - the restaurant where we had our wedding reception and lunch after burying my parents and many others. Very sad it’s gone, but I understand why - and it wasn’t because a bunch of urban planning “experts” decided people should eat enchiladas instead of sauerbraten. But in a way, that’s what they’re talking about now with these crazy proposals. Obviously, what they don’t teach in urban planning school is that everyday people who take care of the homes they work hard to afford, keep an eye on their kids and everyone else’s, shop locally and defend what is rightfully theirs, make the best urban planners around. Please. No more Taco Bell’s. Save the crumb cake, the brasciole and the real pizza. Fight this before it’s all gone.
Did George Costanza have a hand in this? 🤣
This is a hunter college student class project
It's Arby's, not Taco Bell
The plan is a disaster
This state is doomed thanks to the demon demorats 👿
Guess what? EVERYONE will leave, so do WTF they want
This would be, if true, the most asinine thing ever! (And you have to admit, there have been A LOT of asinine things being put out there lately 🙄)
They intentionally divided up the community boards so that power against this plan is diluted. This is not a lack of understanding of our communities and our structures it is an intentional design. Bottom line if you are a developer, all you see are opportunities for development. If you are a hammer everything is a nail. But People choose mid vil over other parts of the city for a reason. Not everyone wants to live in a neighborhood with high density. I also bet we have higher rates of neurodivergence here due to being a quieter place and slower pace so ADA and other similar considerations should apply.
This is horrible. I do not believe those residents feel isolated.
And what about the overstrained electrical grid , roads and utilities to support all these new “ arrivals”?
How about more Trauma centers! More Fire houses! How about, we fix the current crumbling infrastructure? The grid can not handle the current electricity use! Let’s bring thousands more into a neighborhood that is already over crowded with constant traffic! NO! NO! NO!!!!!
You get what you vote for! 😆 The city is never going back to what it was! Ever.
This is fkn sick. So they want everyone to leave basically. This way they can implement their socialist bullshit.
Those who voted for the democrat supermajority raise your hands, and quit complaining
NYC is over and done with. Queen is a sh"thole. The foundation will never hold all of this big building and construction. Just give me enough money to get the f"ck out of here because there is absolutely NO quality of life here at all. Hochul, DeBlasio, Adams, now Mamdani. No body gives a rats ass. These posts are useless. There is nothing we can do about any of itl
Hey Glendale, you know you want your supermarkets and industrial zones redeveloped into Queens Blvd-style luxury housing, you just haven't realized it yet. Obviously, upzoning Myrtle and cramming more people into your neighborhood will make life better for you, according to the Department of City Planning's study conducted by Hunter College. www.hunterurban.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IBX-FINAL-FINAL-1.pdf
No please no! How about more hospitals/Trauma-centers. How about we fix what’s broken first! Our infrastructure is crumbling. Last thing we need is more over crowding! What about the electrical grid??? It can’t handle the current consumption in that area. And the traffic situation is already ridiculous! SMH
Although it’s been decades since I lived in Middle Village, all of this really breaks my heart. While I understand times have changed and no place will ever be what it was, this is not about buildings, sidewalks and stores. It’s about people and how THEY choose to live. These proposals are solutions to problems that do not exist. Rather, they will create new problems and one by one, take away one more remaining precious piece of what makes this area so great. Yes. A Taco Bell has replaced Neiderstiens - the restaurant where we had our wedding reception and lunch after burying my parents and many others. Very sad it’s gone, but I understand why - and it wasn’t because a bunch of urban planning “experts” decided people should eat enchiladas instead of sauerbraten. But in a way, that’s what they’re talking about now with these crazy proposals. Obviously, what they don’t teach in urban planning school is that everyday people who take care of the homes they work hard to afford, keep an eye on their kids and everyone else’s, shop locally and defend what is rightfully theirs, make the best urban planners around. Please. No more Taco Bell’s. Save the crumb cake, the brasciole and the real pizza. Fight this before it’s all gone.
If you liked what the NYC Department of City Planning has in store for Eliot Avenue, you're going to LOVE what they will do at Metropolitan Avenue! It involves "reimagining the Metro Mall site to maximize the public benefit." This would mean "approximately 3,000 units could be built on the 23-acre site." But how? According to the report, "a design competition would be initiated by the state after the site is purchased from the Rentar Development Corp." So that would land it in the court of Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi, whichever socialist replaces State Senator Michael Gianaris, and whoever is governor. www.hunterurban.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IBX-FINAL-FINAL-1.pdf
What do they have in store for Eliot Ave..??