Assemblymember Lancman Cites Diversity With Board 7
BY RICHARD GENTILVISO

Lancman, a resident of the 25th District for 25 years, stepped into the front-runner position after Assemblymember Brian McLaughlin announced last January that he would not be running for re-election.

Elected in November, Rory Lancman will officially take the oath of office on Jan. 1, 2007 as the new Assembly representative in Albany for the 25th Assembly District in Queens.

Lancman, a resident of the 25th District for 25 years, stepped into the front-runner position after Assemblymember Brian McLaughlin announced last January that he would not be running for re-election. McLaughlin also stepped down from his position as president of the Central Labor Council this year.

Speaking at the December meeting of Community Board 7 in Flushing, Lancman said, “[the 25th District] is a very diverse district, cutting across a number of communities.” The communities range from Whitestone and Flushing to the north within Community Board 7 to Richmond Hill to the south which is within Community Board 8.

Lancman, who attended local public schools, Queens College and Columbia Law school, served on Community Board 8 for 15 years. “All of the things that you do [on Board 7], I’m familiar with, trying to make government work from the bottom up,” he said.

On his campaign Web site, Lancman listed reforming Albany, fighting crime, improving education, expanding access to affordable health care, creating affordable housing and protecting the environment, as his top issues.

“I do look forward to working with all of you,” Lancman said.

In other business, the board unanimously (31-0) recommended disapproval of a variance that would have permitted multifamily residential accessory use on an R2 portion of a zoning lot split by district boundaries. The variance would permit the development of a community facility and multi-family residential building on a landlocked R6 zoned portion of the lot.

All Nations Disciple Church of New York, the owner of the lot at 141-48 33rd Ave. in Flushing, is planning to build a church, medical facility and residential tower on the lot, said attorney Jordon Most.

“It’s an unusual block,” he said, explaining the variance was needed for access. “The variance is to permit access for the medical use and multi-family use over the R2 zone.”

A seven-story building, planned for the R6 zone, is legal but has no access to the street. Fourteen residential units are planned, with space for 19 cars in a singlelevel, below-ground parking garage.

“Do you know how many churches are already in this neighborhood?” a resident asked. “Do you know how bad parking is?”

With 11 churches in the four-block area around the site, one resident said, “It’s going to be an impossible situation.”

Most said, “The church use is not really before you,” referring to its as-of-right status.

Zoning Committee Chair Chuck Apelian agreed but was not satisfied with the plan. He said, “The committee had great difficulty about access. Basically, you’re asking that the R2 zone be used as a driveway for the R6 development.”