Develop Willets Point

Now seems like as good a time as any to highlight some of the testimony from the City Council hearings on the Willets Point proposal. The hearings were held last year, so this isn’t exactly breaking news, but I wanted to specifically note the “Area History” section, as published by the NYC Council. Now keep in mind, this is the same Council whose 29 members have signed on to a letter opposing the Mayor’s development plan.

Here’s an excerpt from that document:

Today, many of the automotive repair and service businesses and junkyard operations have continued to add to the contamination to the area through illegal dumping and poor housekeeping, contributing to unhealthy conditions throughout the area. In 2001, the State Attorney General announced the indictment of 21 junkyards and 35 individuals for violating State environmental laws by dumping motor oil, antifreeze, transmission fluid and other materials onto the ground and into storm drains and Flushing Bay.

This bit of history certainly strengthens the city’s argument that its development plan is justified for Willets Point. While the actions of the junkyards and individuals that resulted in the Attorney General’s actions do not represent how each business in the area has acted, they demonstrate at the very least that the current condition of Willets Point has at least something to do with some of the businesses that have been operating in the area.

You can read the entire NYC Council document here.