City Planning Comes Under Fire At Dutch Kills Civic Assn.
BY THOMAS COGAN

Among those present at the Valentine's Day meeting of the Dutch Kills Civic Association was Deputy Inspector Paul Vorbeck, the new commander of the 114th Police Precinct. He said he had come to Astoria and the 114th from the 94th Precinct in Greenpoint, "where zoning and construction are also big issues".

Among those present at the Valentine's Day meeting of the Dutch Kills Civic Association was Deputy Inspector Paul Vorbeck, the new commander of the 114th Police Precinct. He said he had come to Astoria and the 114th from the 94th Precinct in Greenpoint, "where zoning and construction are also big issues". He showed he was prepared for the raised voices that followed.

City Councilmember Tony Avella also attended to add comment and criticism to the latest installment of the Dutch Kills zoning and hotel construction struggle. Returning to a place where he has often been was John Young, Queens director of the Department of City Planning. Avella represents Bayside, but he's running for mayor and is taking an interest in neighborhoods throughout the city. Still, his commentary about Dutch Kills was based on experience, since he grew up there. He aimed a barb at Young and City Planning. "You have to look at the Department of City Planning with a careful eye," he said, explaining that the needs of the neighborhood and the aims of the department might be divergent.

Young, who has become considerably battle-tested in Dutch Kills, was eager to deliver the message that an environmental impact statement (EIS) and certification for Dutch Kills rezoning are likely be ready this spring, perhaps in May. But as a hotel on 39th Avenue and 29th Street was topped out above a dozen stories and other hotel developers were raising their own buildings and creating a skyline for Dutch Kills that planning and zoning were supposed to prevent, local residents hounded Young, demanding that the new zoning be installed and enforced, purportedly to bring hotel construction to a quick, if not abrupt, halt. He could only say that such things take time, but he could not escape hearing Avella tell the audience, "Every day you don't have a rezoning, things get worse for you."

Young was asked why hotels can build asof right, without an environmental impact statement, while Dutch Kills residents' power to build as-of-right depends on the EIS the neighborhood is currently awaiting. He said as-of-right power to build in the vicinity has been available to commercial interests since 1961. Local industry has seldom taken advantage and now faces effective loss of it if the new zoning reduces the commercial floor-area ratio (FAR) from 5 to 2. In contrast, in the time gap before new zoning can go into effect, hotel builders have been feverishly at work. Gloria Moloney, DKCA treasurer, told Young that Dutch Kills might wind up with hotels on half of its 40 square blocks. Gene Napolitano, DKCA vice president, said the people of Dutch Kills are patient and willing to wait for an EIS, but asked why a moratorium on hotel building couldn't be put through. Young said that an attempt by any city authority to impose such a moratorium would be challenged in court immediately. Eric Palatnik, an attorney representing local business interests, deplored the plan to lower the FAR from 5 to 2, saying it was an incongruous imposition in a locality only a few minutes from Manhattan. Perhaps aiming at Avella to imply he was out of place in Dutch Kills, Palatnik said a 2 FAR was more suitable for Bayside. He suggested a text change that would preserve 5 FAR yet stay the further growth of hotels. Avella said the idea was "pie in the sky".

Young was asked what would happen when the EIS was published, and he recited the parade of reviewers: Planning Commission, Community Board 1, Borough President Helen Marshall and the City Council. George Stamatiades, a member of both DKCA and Board 1, said the latter group would vote on it immediately and send it to the borough president, who he expected would act on it with equal dispatch. He spoke of doing that in May, but Young cautioned that it would more likely be in June, though in time to beat the community board's summer break. Avella said the period from date of certification to approval of the new zoning would be about seven months, though with complete cooperation within the community, it could be accelerated to half that time, or perhaps four months.

Councilmember Eric Gioia, whose district includes Dutch Kills, was not in attendance. His absence was noted scornfully by several people, and his legislative aide, Elgeo Harris, had to endure a fusillade of shouts and groans as he tried to read a letter from Gioia that expressed his concern for the community and its plight.