Page 447 - Demo

Residents Continue Ban Against Times Plaza HotelBY LINUS GELBERTempers and suspicions continue to breed and brood in Boerum Hill over the affairs at the Times Plaza Hotel, a Single-Room Occupancy establishment located at 510 Atlantic Avenue. What began last April as a crusade by the Plaza%u2019s Community Advisory Board, a watchdog body made up of neighborhood residents, to clean up and improve the conditions at the hotel, has taken on the smackings ofvendetta and feud. While hotel owner Abraham Ailon claims that all necessary repairs and more have been made in the building, the Board is staunchly refusing to remove a ban on welfare discharges to the Plaza, with a decision to reaffirm the non-referral made as recently as November 7. Ailon, angered by the actions of the Board, is now threatening to stop all repairs and is looking to sell the building unless the ban is lifted, as welfare cases have in the past made up a hefty part of the hotel%u2019sbusiness.%u2018%u2018There have been some improvements in the hotel, but it hasn%u2019t been a total commitment,%u201d complained Nick Hoffman from the Advisory Board, explaining the reasons for maintaining the nonreferral. He accused Ailon of %u2018%u2018not sticking with it%u201d in the repairs and renovations of the building, adding that the Board had decided that extensive work needs to be done on the bathrooms, window casings and kitchens of the hotel before any positive moves will be made onNew Policy Will Charge ForUse Of City-Owned PropertiesBY LIBBY HAYMANThe City%u2019s General Services Administration (GSA) which manages City-owned real estate, is planning to make some money for the hard-pressed city budget by charging rents on properties now leased to non-profit organizations for $1 a year. Vacant properties in Brooklyn which Block Associations and community groups are using at virtually no rent include the Old Nine building in Prospect Heights as well as numerous community gardens.The list of all the properties involved is not ready yet, according to GSA Deputy Commissioner William Hirschman, who said that the vast computer print-out of all the $1 a year properties is still being run, though a portion of it provided by him lists block associations as the prime targets for the reevaluation.Ron Shafran, Public Information Officer for the GSA described the process which would be used. %u2018%u2018We%u2019re not seeking fair market value,%u201d he said, emphasizing the %u2018%u2018overriding social and cultural value%u201d of the organizations using city space. He noted that $1 a year leases are routinely reviewed every few months, and that at the next review, an organization can expect to be called in to see what rent might be forthcoming. The figure will be based on monies available from funded programs and other sources; %u2018%u2018we%u2019re not out to soak community and cultural groups,%u201d Shafran added.Some non-profit groups haveThe %u2018Old 9%u2019 arts building inProspect Heights is one of thestructures that w ill beaffected by new city rules.special 99 year leases at a $1 per year rate, granted by the Board of Estimate, and these will not be affected by the new procedure, Shafran said. The American Red Cross at Cadman Plaza in downtown Brooklyn is one such group. But month to month tenants, such as Prospect Heights Neighborhood Corporation (PHNC), which uses an abandoned Victorian school building near Grand Army Plaza as a community arts center, might be eligible to pay rent under the new plan. Such organizations often have funding lines for rent on the budgets of funded programs, though Board members of PHNC emphasize that such monies are used for building maintenance and operation in their case, and that the monies do not even cover these costs. %u201cYou can%u2019t get blood from a stone,%u201d was the comment of Board member Carol Cherry on the new procedures.Ron Shafran noted that in some cases the city pays operation costs on buildings used by community groups. These are the cases where rent would be sought most.The print-out of possible rent payers includes Bridge Plaza Action 12 Block Association, with the property listed^ as 205 Bridge. A leader of the group, Jerry Renzini, said that the site is a vacant lot used for a community garden which has won several awards. If the new rent were %u201cnominal%u201d , Renzini said, the group would fundraise and pay. But if it were more, %u201c they might as well sell us the lot,%u201d Renzini commented.Downtown Peddlers ClearedBY LIBBY HAYMANFulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn has been cleared of peddlars by 84th Precinct police in the last few weeks, without recourse to a new law which has designated the street as one where peddling poses an %u201c imminent threat to health and safety.%u201dCaptain Paul Maltby, of the 84th Precinct, reports that a combination of increased staffing after officers%u2019 summer vacations ended, the use of special Neighborhood Stabilization forces, and an %u201call out%u201d campaign, have resulted in reductions in peddling on Fulton, side streets between Livingston and Willoughby, and Court and Montague Streets as well. On Fulton, where construction contini i p c c h n n n p r c a rp s h ip t o c lrirt u/orlrareas more easily now that peddlars%u2019 stands are no longer in the way.Of all the downtown streets where current laws require that police give warnings prior to giving summonses or confiscating goods, only Fulton has received designation under a new law, passed by the City Council last summer, which allows the Department of Consumer Affairs to select certain streets, through a hearing process, where peddling can be banned entirely during certain hours and police may confiscate goods on sight. Fulton, from Flatbush to Boerum place and Adams Streets were given this designation for Monday through Saturday from 8am-8pm, and the law will go into effect shortly.Downtown leaders, including Nancy Rosan of Downtown Brooklyn Development Association,anH M irh a p l Sltraccpr o fFulton Mall Improvement Association, after having given testimony at hearings supporting designationfor sidestreets off Fulton, and for Court and Montague in the case of DBDA, are disappointed that the designation is not more complete. Strasser points out that shopping goes on until 9:30 on Monday and Thursday, as well as taking place on Sunday. Nancy Rosan commented that there would be chances to testify again in the future concerning other downtown streets. This was verified by Department of Consumer Affairs spokesperson Laura Turoff, who said %u201c We heard the evidence and these are the areas and times where peddlars pose an immediate threat to public health and safety, but this is not written in stone. There could be future hearings.%u201d Meanwhile, police say that they do not need the new law to be effective, though itm t t c %u201c f p p f l i \i n t n o r%u00bb t %u00ab- r \\o A A I n +enforcement, according to Captain Maltby.taking off the ban.Ailon, however, is adamant in his claims that work has proceeded with all due speed, and that the house is in good and workable condition. %u201cThat%u2019s a damn lie,%u201d he said of the Board%u2019s comments on repairs. %u201c The bathrooms and windows have been fixed, and we%u2019re still going on and fixing other things. We%u2019ve reached a situation where everything has been done, as far as reasonable necessity. We%u2019re not going to be the Waldorf-Astoria%u2014but we don%u2019t claim to be.%u201dAilon views the Board%u2019s stance as increasingly hostile toward the continued business of the hotel. %u201cThey don%u2019t want to improve,%u201d he claims, %u201cthey want to shut me down.%u201d He points to a visit last month to the facilities made by Congressman Fred Richmond, Advisory Board members and press, at which Board members grudgingly admitted that things were far better than before, with Board co-chairman Pat Snyder eventually saying that the building had improved 1000 percent. %u201c If we%u2019re 1000 percent better, then why the non-referral?%u201d Ailon protests. %u201c Ihave no more money to shell out: I%u2019m not doing a good business now. Isn%u2019t it right for me to say to them, %u2018drop the non-referral and then I%u2019ll do more work?%u2019 If they really want to help the tenants in the house, they%u2019ll drop it.%u201dWhile Hoffman admits that there has been a groundswell of feeling in the area that say Boerum Hill would be better off without an SRO facility, he also insists that the Advisory Board is %u201c not interested in closing it,%u201d but is rather concerned with the people inside. %u201c I don%u2019t have any antagonism toward the hotel,%u201d he added, %u201c although living behind it can be a little trying.%u201d Despite the Board%u2019s professed hopes of sprucing up the conditions at the building, what it sees as constructive seems to reach Ailon as harrassment, and may eventually result in his selling the building. Ailon confirmed that the structure is indeed on the market, although he would not divulge the asking price; Hoffman rumored it at $700,000, but Ailon would neither confirm nor deny that figure. %u201c Everything is for sale in this world,%u201d he said. %u201c I just can%u2019t put it officially right now.%u201dN . Y . P . D .BERGEN STATION ROBBERY:Edward Chapman, 18, of 720 Gates Ave., was arrested at 4:20pm on October 26, after he allegedly robbed and assaulted a 47-year-old man in the Bergen St. subway at 4:10pm the day before. Chapman, who was arrested by Detective Robert McGuire of the Transit Police and charged with robbery and assault, is accused of holding up the man at gunpoint; others were involved, say police, but were not arrested yet.COURT BURGLARY: At11:10am on October 27, 76th Precinct Officer Bernard Skinner arrested Edward Monan, 16, of 494 Court St., at the corner of Court St. and Third Place. Monan was nabbed for allegedly breaking into 435 Court St., and is charged with burglary.DOUBLE DRUG BUST: Forbeing in possession of an alleged albeit unspecified%u2014narcotic, Officer George Klingberg of the 76th Precinct arrested two men on Oct. 29 at 2:15pm. The two, Ephraim Vega, 23, of 478 Pennsylvania Ave., and William Pantoja, 20, of 148 St. Paul%u2019s Place, were nabbed at West 9th and Columbia Sts., and are both charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.CITIBANK CRIME: For entering a Citibank at 375 Court St. with the alleged intent to commit a crime, three men were arrested at 11pm on Oct. 30 by Officer Dominick Saia of the 76th Precinct. After the trio, William Roman, 16, of 829 Hicks St., Adrian Rosado, 17, of 296 Van Brunt St., and Stevie Soto, 17, of 178 Sackctt St., were collared, a search showed them to be in the possession of seven stolen credit cards. All three are charged with burglary, criminal possession of stolen property and possession of burglar%u2019s tools.SMALL CHANGE: Two juveniles, one 14-year-old and one 15-year-old. were arrested on Oct. 31 at 9am after they allegedlyo r29th at 10am. Tne two youths are charged with robbery and grand larceny.HYPO AND CAP: For allegedly carrying a hypodermic needle syringe, two needles and a bottlecap, Paul Sito, 32, of 336 14th St., was arrested by Officer Louis Tuzzio of the 76th Precinct at lam Oct. 23, at Henry St. and Second PI. He is charged with criminal possession of a hypodcrnic needle.ROBERY NAB: Officer Joseph Favor of the 76th Precinct arrested Kevin Shields, 21, of 124 Bush St., on Oct. 26 at 5:45pm for allegedly committing a robbery the previous day at 7pm. in front of 123 Lorraine St. Shields, who was arrested at his home, is charged with robbery and criminal possession of stolen property.%u25a0SHOOTOUT: On October 15 at Bergen St. and 3rd Ave. the 78th Precinct reports, two males had a dispute and one, Joseph Forestier, pulled out a gun and started shooting. The other, Harvey Williams, started running with Forestier in pursuit. Williams fell to the ground and Forestier pumped two rounds into him. The whole incident was observed by a police officer who happened to be on motor patrol. When Forestier fled, P.O. Donald Hardwick and Frank Azzato arrested him and Forestier was charged with murder in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon.Fraud ReportedThe 76th Precinct reports that salesmen of several journals are soliciting the area%u2019s merchants for ads implying that money will benefit the police force.Sargeant Clancy of the 76th Precinct warns that money does not in any way benefit policemen, ratherthe money goes to buy the ad in the paper. Clancy stresses %u201c we do not accept any gratuities\says that merchants who are made to think they are paying for extra attention by policemen %u201c are really hurting our reputation.%u201d(Ol------- ------ *t- . . T %u00abv i o u w j a u j j t iia i u s a iu a u iu umisrepresent themselves as police officers, merchants should call their local precinct.%u2014IVSNovember 15, 1979, The PHOENIX, Page 5