Work has been going on for a few years now at IS73. A temporary boiler and a large oil tank have been parked on 71 St. Neighbors had no info from the city until residents called Councilman Holden’s office and they contacted the School Construction Authority (SCA) and then they posted the permits for public display.

Same story at PS 58 when without any public notice to neighbors scaffolding was erected around the school and work began replacing the whole roof on a building that’s only 20 years old. Neighbors were subject to loud sounds of jack hammers and large pieces of concrete dumped from the roof, work began at 4pm and continued until midnight. Calls were made to Councilman Holden’s office and permits were displayed in a doorway not even visible from the sidewalk and in an area locked after school and The Councilman’s staff assured neighbors that work would stop at 10pm. When an SCA inspector came by he told neighbors they don’t have to follow the 10pm curfew and could work until 12 midnight and they did on many nights. Then one day the permits were removed and again calls were made to the Councilman’s office and finally permits were displayed on the fence on Grand Ave.

One would think if the SCA is going to do these big projects that take years and are going to disrupt the people’s lives who live next to a school they would do some community outreach and not keep people in the dark.

Sincerely,
Richard Polgar
Maspeth