Fence installed by Anthony Della Vecchia along 19th Street. Photo: Shane O’Brien.
May 2, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
A business owner in Astoria Heights has caused controversy by erecting a permanent fence on a sidewalk running adjacent to his property, blocking access to roughly 50 feet of the sidewalk and removing roughly 10 parking spaces.
Anthony Della Vecchia, who operates Michael Della Vecchia & Son General Contractor at 19-19 Hazen St., erected a steel fence on a sidewalk running adjacent to his property on 19th Road in mid-April, citing excessive dumping along the pathway and a 2024 slip-and-fall lawsuit that occurred at the location.
The fencing extends several feet onto the roadway and prevents road users from using around 10 parking spaces.
Della Vecchia, who spent around $25,000 to have the fencing installed, said he is entitled to erect the fence because he owns the sidewalk and a portion of 19th Road, according to city tax records.
He showed Queens Post a city tax map that appears to indicate that his property extends onto 19th Road.
Della Vecchia first erected temporary barriers last year after a woman allegedly tripped along the stretch of sidewalk in January 2024 and sued the business over the incident.
He erected No Standing signs on the sidewalk later in the year, stating that he constantly found beer bottles and used condoms dumped outside his property.
Della Vecchia said he installed the permanent fencing because he was tired of finding dumped materials along the stretch of 19th Road.
“I’m within my rights,” Della Vecchia said.
Photo: Shane O’Brien.
DOT officials stated that the DOT has issued Della Vecchia with an encroachment notice of violation for the fencing, adding that the agency is currently reviewing property ownership as part of the process.
Della Vecchia confirmed that the DOT issued him a 30-day order to remove the fence on April 17, stating that he will receive a violation if he does not remove the fence by May 17.
However, he said he is looking forward to his day in court and added that he has no intention of removing the fence before May 17. He said he has documents that prove he owns the sidewalk and a section of the roadway and plans to produce those documents in court.
Local residents have criticized Della Vecchia over the measure, stating that the act was not in the spirit of the law, even if he was legally entitled to do so.
Costa Constantinides, a former Council Member for District 22 and the current CEO of Variety Boys and Girls Club of Queens, lives nearby and said he would have preferred if Della Vecchia had consulted with the local community before erecting the fence.
“If this was your property, then talk to people. We’re all adults,” Constantinides said.
In response, Della Vecchia contended that he owned the property and did not have to consult with anybody.
“Why do I have to consult people to do something on my own property?” Della Vecchia said.
Constantinides said Della Vecchia’s reasons for installing the fence were not satisfactory, stating that he had never seen any materials dumped along that stretch of sidewalk. He also said the lawsuit brought against Della Vecchia in January 2024 did not justify installing the fence, instead pointing out that it is the nature of owning a property in New York City.
Photo: Shane O’Brien.
“Welcome to the world,” Constantinides said. “If someone were to slip in front of any home or any business, if we don’t keep our property in good repair, that’s what happens.”
Several local residents also posted on social media that they had not observed trash dumped in the area and commented that it would have been better if Della Vecchia had installed lights and cameras to deter any potential dumping.
Constantinides also accused Della Vecchia of erecting fake DOT signs before installing the permanent fencing, alleging that the DOT had to replace the No Standing signs that Della Vecchia erected along the sidewalk. Della Vecchia said all the signs he erected were legal.
Constantinides added that the situation is “ridiculous” and said the fencing is forcing people to cross the street and use the other sidewalk. The fencing has also created a dangerous situation for motorists turning onto 77th Street from 19th Road, Constantinides said.
He said the right turn onto the two-way 77th Street is a particularly dangerous corner that has caused several collisions over the past few years. Constantinides contended that the newly installed fencing, which ends shortly before the turn and juts several feet onto the roadway, has made the intersection even more dangerous.
“He’s creating a traffic issue,” Constantinides said. “I’ve seen some terrible car accidents on that corner because of that weird dynamic (of a one-way street turning into a two-way street). That fence is only going to make things worse.”
Della Vecchia said the intersection would be less dangerous if the DOT converted 77th Street into a one-way street and if people didn’t “drive like nuts.”
Constantinides said he has spoken to several local residents who are concerned about the fencing. Della Vecchia, on the other hand, contended that no residents on 19th Road have expressed any concern over the fencing and said the only people who have criticized the installation are outsiders who park on that side of the street.
The fencing, which was installed on Wednesday, April 9, sparked frustration among several residents who said they had parked their cars on that side of the street, only to return and find them enclosed within the newly erected structure.
At the time, the fence was not fully closed, with only one end left open. However, any vehicles parked inside the fenced area were effectively blocked in until the driver of the car closest to the exit returned and moved.
A photo posted to Reddit shows at least three cars trapped inside the fencing. Della Vecchia said he had posted signs on April 8 stating that no parking would be allowed on that side of the street on April 9 and 10, and added that he also placed barrels along the curb.
He claimed that those who found their vehicles enclosed had disregarded the signs, removed the barrels, and parked there anyway.
However, one Reddit user—who did not give their name —wrote that they had parked their car on April 7 and left it for two days, only to return and find it surrounded by fencing.
“Owner states he put out signs the day before. I told him that’s not right because people leave their cars there for up to two days,” the Reddit user stated.
The Reddit user, who has lived in the community for about three years, later told the Queens Post that they left their car on that side of the street because alternative side parking was in operation.
“He suggested I find the owners of the other cars in order to move mine,” they told the Queens Post. “After about an hour of back and forth, his son came and removed some of the fence.”
Constantinides said his wife’s car was parked nearest the exit of the fence, stating that he returned to find the car had been moved to the intersection of 77th Street and 19th Road.
“Friday is the next time you have to move it,” Constantinides said, adding that the car suffered no damage during the incident.
Della Vecchia said he placed the car on four dollies and moved it 15 feet down the road to facilitate other cars exiting the fenced area.
Several Reddit users have commented that they hope the fence will be removed.
Constantinides admitted that there is little that the community can do if Della Vecchia successfully argues his case in court, but said Della Vecchia will have to live with a “community that doesn’t trust him” if he is unsuccessful and forced to remove the fence.
He further argued that even if Della Vecchia is legally entitled to erect the fence, it doesn’t mean that it is the right thing to do.
“He could have kept all that money in his pocket,” Constantinides said. “I think we all could find
better uses for our financial resources than building a fence that takes away space from the neighborhood, which makes the street even more unsafe than it already is.
“So I think there could have been a resolution here had he come to us and worked with the neighborhood and tried to say, ‘Look, here are my grievances. Here are the things I need fixed.'”
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