Residents’ Block Association Over Proposed Split Of Neighborhood

The realignment map and population data for Queens is shown above. The bold lines show the boundaries of the districts as proposed and revised by the New York City Districting Commission, which provided both maps. The Times Newsweekly coverage area includes neighborhoods within City Council Districts 21 (represented by Julissa Ferreras), 22 (represented by Peter Vallone Jr.), 24 (represented by James Gennaro), 25 (represented by Daniel Dromm), 26 (represented by Jimmy Van Bramer), 28 (represented by Ruben Wills), 29 (represented by Karen Koslowitz), 30 (represented by Elizabeth Crowley) and 32 (represented by Eric Ulrich). In addition to losing a small segment of southern Forest Hills to the 30th District (Crowley), a portion of Elmhurst currently in the 29th District will be shifted to the 25th City Council District (represented by Daniel Dromm). That area is generally bounded by Queens Boulevard, 54th Avenue, Van Horn Street, 53rd Avenue, Haspel Street, 56th Avenue, 57th Avenue, Seabury Street, the Long Island Expressway and the CSX rail line.

Also being removed from the 29th District is an area of Richmond Hill generally bounded by Jamaica Avenue, 130th Street, 89th Avenue, 115th Street, Atlantic Avenue and the Van Wyck Expressway. This region will be added to the new 28th District (Wills).

Other areas of Forest Hills, Kew Gardens and Rego Park not previously mentioned will remain in the 29th District.

The final redistricting maps can be downloaded from the Districting Commission’s website, www.nyc. gov/html/dc/html/maps/maps.html. The public may also review the plans at the Queens Borough Public Library’s Flushing branch, located at 41-17 Main St. in Flushing, or Brooklyn Borough Hall, located at 209 Joralemon St. in downtown Brooklyn.

Other notable edits

Among the changes for other City Council Districts within the Times Newsweekly’s coverage area include the following:

• Additional areas of Corona and Elmhurst will be included into the 25th District (Dromm). The extended area is generally bounded by Baxter Avenue, Hampton Street, Britton Avenue, Forley Street, Elmhurst Avenue, Case Street, 94th Street, 43rd Avenue, Junction Boulevard, 50th Avenue, 94th Street, Corona Avenue, 91st Place, 43rd Avenue, Ithaca Street, Whitney Avenue, 90th Street, Britton Avenue, Ketcham Street, Pettit Avenue and Ithaca Street.

Being subtracted from the 25th District is an area of Corona generally bounded by 55th Avenue, 102nd Street, Strong Avenue, 103rd Street, Corona Avenue, 104th Street, 45th Avenue, National Street, Alstyne Avenue, 98th Street, 50th Avenue, 97th Street and Christie Avenue. This area will be moved into the 21st City Council District (represented by Julissa Ferreras).

Another area of Corona and Rego Park in the 25th District will be moved into the 24th District (Gennaro). This area is generally bounded by 55th Avenue, Granger Street, Otis Avenue, the Long Island Expressway, 99th Street, 62nd Drive, 97th Street, 63rd Road and Junction Boulevard.

• LaGuardia Airport, which is currently in the 22nd District (Vallone), will be moved into the 21st District (Ferreras). Meanwhile, John F. Kennedy International Airport, which is entirely within the 31st District (Sanders), will be divided between that district and the new 28th District (Wills). In an odd configuration, the terminals, parking lots and other internal areas will be in the 28th District, but the runways will remain in the 31st District.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, however, has ultimate jurisdiction over both airports.

• Randalls and Wards islands, currently in the Manhattan-based Eighth City Council District (represented by Melissa Mark-Viverito) will be added to the 22nd District (Vallone).

Looking ahead to 2013

All 51 City Council seats as well as the offices of mayor, city comptroller, public advocate and borough presidents will be on the line in next year’s general election. There is little dispute that the contests will change the dynamic of city government, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg is ineligible to run for a fourth term and many City Council members and borough presidents—including Queens’ Helen Marshall and Brooklyn’s Marty Markowitz—are also term-limited.

Voters in the 22nd District (Vallone), 24th District (Gennaro), 34th District (Reyna) and 37th District (Erik Martin Dilan) will choose new City Council members to represent them, as each of the incumbents have reached their term limits.

Local City Council incumbents who are eligible to run for another term in office are Ferreras (21st District), Dromm (25th District), Van Bramer (26th District), Koslowitz (29th District), Crowley (30th District) and Ulrich (32nd District).

Sanders, who currently represents the 31st District, will resign at the end of this year after being elected in November to the 10th State Senate District seat. Voters in the 31st Council District will vote at least twice next year: first, in a special election for a City Council member to serve the remainder of Sanders’ term; and then in November for a City Council member to serve a full, four-year term.

Depending on the special election outcome, there may also be primaries for the seat in September, along with primaries for other city seats.