Queens Tribune: Residents Rail Against Biz Sidewalk Occupation

If you drive down 28th Avenue in College Point, you will pass by what looks like a business’ storage yard. Dozens of cinderblocks and several steel beams sit on the pavement. It is only on closer inspection that you would see that this is not a part of the business’ property. It is 124th Street.

Businesses located by the intersection of 28th Avenue and 124th Street have taken to using the latter as a dumping ground to store unused equipment illegally. In response, State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) and community members gathered at the intersection to criticize the companies’ attempt at taking over a City street and sidewalk.

Avella said he first noticed the problem while serving as the Grand Marshal for the College Point Memorial Day Parade. He walked by 124th Street, saw the situation and notified the City. He wrote to the Dept. of Transportation, Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Dept. of Sanitation about the problem, though only DOS did anything in response. The agency issued summonses for the businesses, though it has not yet deterred their behavior.

“You cannot take over a City street by a private business. This is absurd. It’s also a health hazard, it’s a traffic hazard, it’s a pedestrian hazard. If something should happen, who’s going to get sued? It’s probably going to be the City and the taxpayers are going to have to pay the lawsuit,” he said. “This is the worst example I’ve ever seen of private businesses taking over City streets and sidewalks.”

Jim Singletary, from the 28th Avenue Block Association, said that the group has been fighting the businesses since 2011, with little results. The businesses often have large trucks not only blocking 124th Street, but also parking illegally on 28th Avenue and causing congestion there. Singletary also pointed out several metal rods hanging over the 28th Avenue sidewalk, a hazard that could cause serious injuries if they fell on an individual.

“I’ve lived here for over 40 years, and we have a right to use the sidewalks and streets in our neighborhood – these businesses have taken that from us. This situation is becoming dangerous. We had three near-accidents here in the last year,” Singletary said. “We’re trying to upgrade the neighborhood and these people are trying to tear us down. It’s almost as if they’re saying they don’t want anyone to live around here.”

The Senator added that the businesses are likely willing to accept the occasional summons from the DOS as it is still cheaper than renting or buying space to store their additional equipment.

“You get a $100 summons, that’s the cost of doing business for them,” he said. “What’s the cost if they had to rent property to store this equipment every day for a year? You’re talking maybe $100,000. So they pay a $100 fine.”

Instead of fining the businesses, Avella suggested that the City treat the steel beams, cinderblocks and other materials like any other property left on the side of the road and seize it.

“Take it, just like we would seize an abandoned car and auction it off. Take this stuff and auction it off. The value of the steel beams is huge. The cinderblocks, if they don’t care, let’s just seize it,” Avella said.

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