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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
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
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
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!
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
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.
The plan is a disaster
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.
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..??
If City Planning has its way, this is what will happen to Middle Village after the IBX stop opens at Eliot Avenue:
* A ring of apartment houses will replace the homes around Juniper Valley Park
* A dense residential development will be built at Our Lady of Hope
* 4-6 story apartment buildings will be constructed above the commercial stores along Eliot at 80th and 74th Streets.
Home ownership will be phased out in favor of apartments.
(Your kids will own nothing here and be happy.)
Source: www.hunterurban.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IBX-FINAL-FINAL-1.pdf
This is crazy. So they want to knock down homes near OLH for this train and on Eliott? I had a dream a developer came to my house telling me it wouid be demolished 🤦🏻♀️
Five to Six story buildings along JBN and JBS. No. Just no.
Has the FAA commented about the La Guardia approach over six story buildings? There might be a limit for building height based on the approach pattern to runway 13/31, especially during low "ceiling" (low clouds/bad) weather. As it is, LED flashing collision beacons light up my bedroom, every 1 minute 30 seconds apart during high traffic periods. (Maybe that will "save" us!!).
Well said
Governments way around building is to add the words “Affordable Housing” to any project. So this is their plan. Based on a train stop that majority of people in middle village don’t want or won’t use, we will rebuild the whole area just based on a train stop. Politicians lost the idea of representing their constituents. Now it’s, this is what we are doing (there will be be a lot of kick backs for them and cost overruns for the taxed constituents) and if you don’t like it, leave.
So why couldn't we fight this IBX development? It's a terrible thing to happen to a beautiful residential area
Phil Wong hard no. Please help.
Terrible news
While the person living in Middle Village will still not enjoy the full social benefits the powers that be afford to people living in Williamsburg or Park Slope or the LES!
There goes the neighborhood
Is this speculation ??
Say NO to an IBX stop at Elliott. And I want some of those noise abatement walls installed so the added train traffic doesn’t add noise pollution.
Plus our local power grid can handle the load
Robert Moses 2.0.
Please refer to the IBX as the “Whitey B Gone Plan “
What are we supposed to do? Not everyone affected by this has the financial resources and physical capability to make a drastic life change at this stage in our lives. Where are our rights not toget pushed out of our homes that we worked hard for and have lived in for 30 years!!!!!
Fine. Give me 2 million bucks for my house so I can afford to get the f*ck out of here! What are senior citizens on a limited income with serious health issues and no immediate family alive supposed to do? Where are we supposed to go? Maybe I should move to China which must be empty by now since they're all hear going thru my cans and bottles!
IBX and City of Yes are an existential threat to Middle Village.
Wow
City of yes and hoculs running mate is Adrianne Adams she signed off on the city of yes when she was council speaker remember that when you go vote
Google how to stop IBX project.
Sounds like Klaus Swab From the world economic forum.....There's gonna also phrase out cars. You're all gonna be one big happy Part of the collective Experiment.... The city of yes Will Be FORCE upon everyone While we say no
Mr. Wong needs to fight this absurd plan
And the train stop will become a hangout for mass gatherings of people like they are at all stops along the M line past Metropolitan Avenue throughout Queens and Brooklyn. I guess what happened a couple of months ago about 5 blocks away (at 69th Street and Eliot Avenue) from the new IBX station had faded from memory already.
Queens is doomed. With these plans