State Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas was one of the elected officials who spoke at the Astoria Civic Association meeting on Oct. 16. Photo by Iryna Shkurhan
Oct. 21, 2024 By Iryna Shkurhan
The Astoria Homeowners, Tenants and Business Civic Association monthly meeting was held last week, where elected officials and residents gathered to discuss several quality-of-life issues.
At the meeting, held Wednesday, Oct. 16 at Pistilli Grand Manor in Astoria, no single issue dominated the evening, but the discussion covered a range of concerns. Dozens of locals addressed topics such as illegally operated mopeds, rising unaffordability and various forms of pollution impacting the community.
Two elected officials in attendance – State Senator Kristen Gonzalez and State Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas – discussed their work in the state legislature over the past year and took questions from the audience. NYPD Lieutenant Andrew Dickson of the 114th Precinct also shared crime statistics and addressed the area’s issues.
Overall, crime in the area covering Astoria, Long Island City, Woodside and Jackson Heights is up just 2%, with robberies, felony assaults and retail theft seeing two-digit increases. However, grand larcenies, shootings and hate crimes saw significant decreases.
A contrasting view of what defines quality of life concerns also emerged at the end of the meeting.
The civic association’s president, Plinia Sarchese, said that in the 27 years she has lived there, she has seen a deterioration in the area’s quality of life. She blamed it on “the filth, the weed, the drugs and the prostitution” on display.
In response, Senator Gonzalez shared, “When I think of quality of life, I think not only of making sure that our streets are clean, but I think about things like being able to have a park to go to and having clean air to breathe.”
She added that CUNY tuition was free when her mother grew up in the city. “That’s not possible anymore. That’s something that was better for her, that isn’t better for my generation.”
Sidewalk Safety
One persistent issue on the rise in the area and citywide is unlicensed mopeds that residents see being driven on sidewalks.
Dickson noted that “as far as robberies, the mopeds are a big issue,” particularly due to the phone snatching that they have seen coincide. Officers have responded by confiscating unlicensed mopeds and writing summonses for sidewalk driving.
This year, 511 mopeds were confiscated within the 114th precinct, a 300% increase from last year. Dickson added that his department alone has also written summonses for 1,734 moped drivers on the sidewalk who are often unregistered and without helmets.
Lieutenant Andrew Dickson from the 114th Precinct answered questions and shared crime statistics on Wednesday evening. Photo by Iryna Shkurhan
To encourage safer practices, officers have also been handing out informational flyers near delivery hot spots to moped drivers, informing them of existing safety laws.
Assembly Member González-Rojas and Senator Gonzalez also introuduced legislation earlier this year that would require anyone who purchases, rents or operates a moped to recieve informational pamphets outlining the rules of the road and consequences for non-compliance. If passed, the law would require the information to be available in the ten most commonly spoken languages.
For pedestrians worried about their safety, he said the best defense is to remain cognizant of your surroundings. He also assured attendees that the lawbreaking moped drivers cannot get their confiscated mopeds back until they register it with the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Rising Costs
“I know in the context of this room, housing is one of the top concerns,” said Senator Gonzalez. “Any proposal for a rate hike is unacceptable to us, right?”
She acknowledged a lack of support for homeowners facing increased property taxes and higher-than-usual Con Edison bills. With the rising cost of living, she stressed that burdening residents with increased monthly costs is not an option to consider.
Assembly Member González-Rojas also discussed the legislature’s $40 million investment in their Homeowner Protection Program made in the Fiscal Year 2024-2025 state budget. “It really prevents anyone facing foreclosure and any challenges around their home to be able to get legal services and support.”
She also encouraged enrollment in the School Tax Relief Program (STAR), which offers property tax relief to eligible New York homeowners. Last month, Governor Hochul announced that the rebate program delivered $2.3 billion in tax relief to nearly 3 million state residents through checks in the mail.
One attendee expressed that the current property tax calculation system is unfair and forces older adults, in particular, out of the community due to unaffordability.
“I want to understand the logic behind taxing people based on the property values going up assessment, while they’re living there if you’re not earning any income or anything on that until you sell,” he questioned.
Senator Gonzalez said that property tax reform is an ongoing conversation in the legislature and noted that they see an issue of property taxes not being properly distributed across the city. She also added that for those in rent-controlled apartments, she has been pushing back against rent hikes that could also force out the older tenants living on fixed incomes.
“What we are trying to look at is creating a more fair and just system. We’ve been very focused is advocating for our neighbors to age in place,” she added.
Pollution
The senator touched on the importance of the energy transition underway at the Ravenswood Power Plant, which is in proximity to many Astoria and Long Island City residents. Without it, she says, the area will continue to be referred to as “Asthma Alley,” known for poor air quality.
“I really don’t want to see the next generation of Queens kids like me grow up with asthma,” she said.
However, one attendee raised concerns about another type of pollution: “out of control” noise traveling from the Bronx to Astoria. He said it stems from noisy car meet-ups along Locust Avenue and Barretto Point Park in the South Bronx that can be heard across the East River.
The concerned residents said it has been going for four years with “no hope of stopping.”
Senator Gonzalez said that it was the first time she had heard about the complaints and said she would check in with representatives in the Bronx, as well as State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, who now represents that area of Astoria after redistricting.
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