April Community Board 14 Meeting Recap

By Katie McFadden

The monthly community board meeting on Tuesday, April 8, at the Knights of Columbus was full of information on transportation issues including the new Queens Bus Redesign Network, lithium-ion batteries and more.

The meeting opened with updates from the NYPD. Captain Singh, executive officer of the 101st Precinct, was happy to report that crime is trending down by 21%. Deputy Inspector Carol Hamilton of the 100th Precinct said crime was down 50% for the week. Lt. Andres Rosario of Transit District 23 said they’ve been deploying officers to Howard Beach and Rockaway Blvd. due to the A train shutdown. As of Monday, they’ve had 116 arrests and 688 ejections from the train and have been cracking down on quality-of-life issues, like people urinating or smoking on the train.

Next were updates from representatives of local elected officials’ offices. Jose Reina of Meeks’ office reminded everyone to file their taxes by April 15. U.S. Postal Inspectors are working to address mail theft issues. He advised people to sign up for USPS Informed Delivery if expecting things like treasury checks, to see when mail is expected to arrive. He reminded everyone that folks need a Real ID by May 7 to fly domestic, otherwise they can use a passport.

A representative from Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato said she’s up in Albany for state budget discussions and is fighting for things like schools, public safety and protecting benefits. The rep reminded folks to check their E-ZPass statements to make sure they’re registered for the Rockaway or Queens rebate programs, so they’re not receiving fines.

Phyllis Inserillo of Councilwoman Joann Ariola’s office said as composting is now mandatory, Councilwoman Ariola and the Common Sense Caucus are working on legislation to make the program voluntary once again. In the meantime, she advised folks that they don’t need a brown bin, but any bin with a composting label for compost. Ariola recently joined the Article 78 lawsuit against City of Yes. The case has been given to Lizette Colon, which Inserillo said is “promising.” Inserillo said it looks like Rockaway’s boardwalk bathrooms may be getting renovations. Those who haven’t paid property taxes or other charges may be in a lien sale starting May 20. If unsure if you’re on the list, call 718-318-6411.

A representative from Queens Borough President Donovan Richards’ office congratulated the newly appointed community board members. CB14 has 14 new members. Dan Brown of DA Melinda Katz’s office said they charged a man with grand larceny as he stole $80K in union benefit checks by using a forged ID to put mail on hold at the post office and later collect it.

Chairwoman Dolores Orr thanked Councilwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers for inviting the sanitation commissioner to Rockaway to look at certain areas including Beach 72nd Street from Amstel Blvd. to the bay, where they found all sorts of garbage around a warehouse. They’re also looking into abandoned homes on Beach 72nd Street and will attempt to at least clean the front yards if they can’t access the homes. Sanitation is also responsible for old posters left on poles, so they must remove them. She advised people to call 311 or Community Board 14 if they know of locations where posters need to be removed.

The new CB14 members to introduce themselves. Aaramiam Sacnite is from Hammels. Bill Tietjen is from Breezy Point. Patrick Kelly is from Broad Channel. Jacqueline Gutierrez is from Rockaway Park. Beverly Childs is from Arverne by the Sea. Amanda Johnson is from Arverne. Israel Tavera is from Arverne. Sharon Williams is from Edgemere. Christina Torres is from Arverne. Jose Santana is from downtown Far Rockaway. Their term began on April 1, and they will get training on April 22, so Orr provided them with some paperwork to become familiar with bylaws, charter requirements and more.

District Manager Felicia Johnson said the Department of Design and Construction has a new pilot program to raise certain crosswalks across the city. CB14 was selected as a target for the pilot to elevate a portion of the roadway to meet the sidewalk at crosswalks. They’ve selected Beach 20th and New Haven Ave. for the pilot, but as this isn’t a busy crossing, Johnson is hoping they consider Beach 20th and Mott Ave. instead. The pilot won’t start until summer 2026.

At the last CB14 meeting, it was mentioned that the city was claiming the plans for the new firehouse at Beach 116th and Beach Channel Dr. didn’t exist. Johnson said asking jogged their memory and the plan went to bid in October. It was originally funded $20 million in 2016 but due to inflation, the project now has an additional $12 million. The Office of Management and Budget agreed to fund this deficit, so it is fully funded and expected to break ground in August 2025.

Johnson said the DOT said the dedicated parking spots for Zipcar car shares at 10-12 Nameoke and 401 Beach 44th Street will remain. In response to Sammy’s Law, the city is identifying reduced speed areas. Broad Channel from East 6th to West 22nd Road has been designated as an area that will see 20 mph limits. DOT has approved speed bumps for areas along Beach 72nd and Beach 6th Street, but they’ll be installed once fully funded. Construction is beginning on an 18-story 244-unit building, the second phase of the Edgemere Commons project. Construction of Thursby Basin Park is expected to begin early this summer. OMB has approved the removal of the old wooden groins in Rockaway, but a date hasn’t been set. The Ocean View Shelter on Loretta Road is closing June 30.

On March 27, Councilwoman Brooks-Powers held a rally to discuss an illegal truck parking enforcement pilot, but as Rockaway wasn’t identified as an area for the pilot, the councilwoman is fighting for this to change. Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato was alerted to residents being unable to use the LIRR discount because they’ve been buying tickets ahead of time as there is no parking available in the lot due to construction workers and nearby businesses using it. Johnson recently went to the lot to leave flyers on cars alerting people that the lot is only for commuters, and others risk being towed. Signage has also been added to indicate this.

A long boarded up building on Central Avenue is finally being demolished, and three others are scheduled to be demolished. Johnson was recently on a Zoom for a thinktank at Columbia University about supporting a resiliency plan for a community in NYC. Rockaway was recommended, which means funding could be coming for a microgrid program to be placed in a hospital, police precincts, fire stations and more so they don’t lose power in a big storm. There are also plans to finally create an evacuation plan for Rockaway.

Next was a presentation by the MTA on the new bus plan. They mentioned the A train project is on time and set to be finished by the deadline in mid-May. The new Queens bus plan will roll out in two phases, on June 29 and then August 31. Most of Rockaway’s buses will be in Phase 2. This is a result of the Queens Bus Network Redesign, a project that began in 2019 and went back to the drawing board several times before the final plan was approved by the MTA board in January. They received more than 18,000 public comments, helping them to develop the plan. The plan encompasses 124 total routes as opposed to the current 113 existing routes, helping 124,000 more people get where they need to go in Queens. Additionally, more overnight service on certain routes will serve about 68,000 more people. There have been some changes to stops including eliminating some stops to make buses faster. Some routes have been extended while others have been shortened. Some buses have new numbers to simplify their routes.

About two-thirds of Queens buses will see changes in the first phase on June 29, mostly in eastern Queens. Northwest and southwest Queens will see changes on August 31. In Phase 1, the Q113 has had some stops relocated to match Q114 stops, while the Q114 is becoming a rush route. The Q22, 35 and 52 changes will take place on August 31, in addition to the QM16 and QM17 express bus changes. For more info about the changes, head to mta.info/queensbus

Orr asked if bus shelters will be moved in areas that will no longer be bus stops to areas where there will be new stops. The MTA said they tried to avoid changing stops with bus shelters, but if there are now unused bus shelters, the DOT will have to move them. Orr asked if it’s possible to keep the new QM15 shuttle bus between Far Rockaway and Howard Beach, currently being used because of the A train shutdown. The MTA is taking this into consideration. Orr also had questions about the layover for the Q35, which will now end at the ferry at Beach 108th instead of Beach 116th Street, and she asked if the Q22 can lay over at the current stop at Beach 116th and Newport, to not take up more parking spaces. The MTA said they’ll look into it. Jose Santana asked if the MTA will be adding Omni machines at bus stops, as there may be instances where people only have cash and won’t be able to make change for the bus. The MTA said there are no plans to add Omni machines at bus stops, but they’re asking if retail locations will be willing to sell Omni cards, and they urged people to take personal responsibility for having correct change if they can’t use a card or their phone for Omni.

Next, a representative from the FDNY made a presentation on the dangers of lithium-ion batteries. He said anything with an ion battery such as e-bikes and scooters, cell phones and, in rare cases, wheelchairs, can cause issues. In 2023, NYC had 267 ion battery fires and 26 people died in these fires. In 2024, there were 276 ion battery fires, but they were mostly nonstructural meaning people are starting to understand the dangers of these devices. The biggest concern with these fires is smoke inhalation. In a normal fire, people have up to four minutes to vacate a home before being impacted by smoke. With lithium-ion fires, they have two minutes as these batteries contain burning metal and chemicals. The dangers come from overcharging these products or using chargers that didn’t come with the original product. He said if batteries in these products appear to be warped or bubbling, to throw them out only at proper special waste disposal sites. He advised people to not charge lithium-ion battery items, including cell phones, overnight, as if these items explode while someone is sleeping, their lungs will not be able to distinguish between regular oxygen and smoke. He also advised against charging things like e-bike and scooters in the sunlight as overheating can cause issues, but it is best to charge these items outside in shaded areas, when possible, as opposed to inside homes.

Next was public speaking. Several people spoke to advocate for the Neponsit Adult Day Health Center to remain open. One caretaker said that while it was supposed to close March 31, the lease was extended for two months and that clients are still being urged to find alternatives, but alternatives aren’t ideal as most clients would have to travel 45 minutes each way to find a similar facility. A representative for Senator Sanders said he has called for a hearing on the potential closure. Another neighbor said they’ve contacted three different elected officials regarding this issue but have not heard anything from them.

A resident said since the MTA placed a Q22 bus stop in the back of his property, his fence has repeatedly been vandalized and his property is being trashed, as there is a middle school nearby. He said he’s filed complaints and police reports, but nothing is being done and he wants to be reimbursed for repairs and for the bus stop to be moved. He also said that despite efforts to notify noncommuters to not park in the LIRR train lot, the lot is full by 6:35 a.m. He also said the lot is not well lit and lines need to be repainted to clearly designate parking spots.

Randy Nelson spoke about the Wellcome Care practice that opened in Far Rockaway nine months ago at 29-15 Far Rockaway Blvd. It offers primary care, family medicine and services for those with kidney issues. On April 26, they’ll be hosting a spring fling festival and will be providing fresh produce to 200 families.

Colleen Sommer, who is advocating for a new school, said they’ll be having another community meeting at the Far Rockaway library at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 10, to discuss. A woman who moved to Wavecrest in 2020 said the area is becoming increasingly dangerous as homeless people and folks from a nearby adult home are aggressively harassing residents and children are selling marijuana to peers. She requested for more police presence.

A representative from Catholic Charities Southwest Queens Senior Services said they offer services for seniors aged 60 and older who are homebound and have specific needs, such as food delivery or something as simple as someone coming over to read emails for those who are visually impaired or play chess with those who are lonely. The services are free. For more info, call 718-217-0126.

Trishia Bermudez of Perfect Piece of the Puzzle shared that during her Light the Night for Autism event at the Beach 94th Amphitheater, she faced eight complaints from neighbors and had people harassing her with photos and video. She raised this concern as she says she was told the neighbors are retaliating against all events at the amphitheater. She hopes that Rockaway will be more supportive in the future.

Helen Montero spoke about the Kiwanis Club’s new co-ed little league baseball program at Redfern Playground. It is free for all kids 9-12 years old. Registration is open until April 21 or the day of during assessments on Saturday, April 26 at 10 a.m. Parents can bring their ID, kids’ birth certificates and sign waivers on the spot as their kids try out. They are also seeking volunteer managers and coaches. For info, email littleleague@kiwanisoftherockaways.org

Amira Beatty is hosting Ivy League Dream University tours for students to places like Yale, Harvard, Columbia and more, but she is in dire need of funding to pay for the buses for these tours. BeattyBabiez is a nonprofit, so any donations are tax deductible. For info, email: beattybabiez@gmail.com or visit: BeattyBabiez Childcare And Education Consulting Inc. on Facebook.

Last was a recap from the Transportation Committee. They held a meeting to discuss Beach 73rd and Rockaway Beach Blvd. after a woman was hit by a car while crossing there, but the DOT had to reschedule. There was a discussion on a proposed speed bump for Beach 22nd Street between Collier Ave. and Camp Rd. Neighbors on the block got enough signatures for the request and wanted support. CB 14 voted to support the request. Another request comes from neighbors on Beach 39th Street who want the DOT to study making Beach 39th between Beach Channel Drive and Rockaway Beach Blvd. a one-way street instead of two-way as it’s hard for cars to get by in both directions. CB14 voted to support this. There were also discussions about Priscilla’s Law and similar proposed legislation to require things like e-bikes and scooters to be licensed and registered by the DOT after a woman was killed by an e-bike in Chinatown, but no motion was required for this matter.