DOS Photo
May 16, 2016 By Michael Florio
The Department of Sanitation is searching for a new home in Astoria for its fleet of garbage trucks.
The DOS, which has numerous garage locations City-wide, currently uses a facility at 34-28 21st St. to store some of its trucks. However, the building is in poor condition and “close to being condemned,” according to Ignazio Terranova, Citywide Community Affairs Officer with the DOS.
Therefore, the agency is now looking for a new home in the neighborhood, Terranova announced at a town hall meeting hosted by Assembly Member Aravella Simotas and the United Community Civic Association last Thursday.
Residents questioned what would come of the current location, with some concerns about developments being built on the space. However, what becomes of the location is not the agency’s decision to make, Terranova responded.
One new location that the DOS is considering is near the Con Ed building at 20th Avenue and 31st Street.
“We are looking at that site,” Terranova confirmed. “But we are looking at other locations as well and nothing is set in stone.”
Terranova said the DOS has just begun the process of finding a new location to house the agency’s trucks. He said nothing is imminent and the agency will seek community input before making a final decision.
“We will speak to elected officials, as well as community members,” he said. “We will present any plan to the Community Board.”
Claudia Voyiatzis, an Astoria resident, said that the trucks driving along the residential 20th Avenue would “bother people.”
Council Member Costa Constantinides said he is also not convinced that 20th Avenue is the right location for the DOS to move, but will work with the agency to find the right location.
He told residents not to worry, as the relocation will go through a full City review.
“It will go before the Community Board, the Borough President, City Planning and the City Council,” he said. “We will have the ability to shape any plan and if we don’t like it we can vote it down.”
Constantinides added that his office receives regular complaints about odor from the trucks at their current location.
A new location would alleviate those complaints, which arise from the trucks having to be stored outside due to poor conditions and insufficient space inside the building, according to Terranova.
He added that the relocation would not lead to an increase of trucks serving the neighborhood. Rather, the same trucks that currently serve the neighborhood would operate from a different location.
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16 Comments
This will create a lot of finger pointing between the Bowery Bay Wastewater Treatment Plant and the Sanitation Dept in that area of Astoria. One will be blaming the other for the constant “poop” smell in that area.
Con Ed will never go away so i don’t see it as a problem if they can provide the space. The immediate area is industrial.
yes, I would
This is someone trying to take advantage of that property to build and pushing the right buttons to move the depot and build a huge development. Read between the lines ppl
we all now what this site is going to turn into — another freaking ugly ass luxury high-rise that we don’t want or need. Hopefully, they will rebuild the garage.
You would rather have garbage trucks then apartments ?
This won’t go on the open market to be sold. Someone already has the play on this. That is the problem here
Affordable apartments are welcomed, screw more luxury units. i agree with her,. You must plan on disposing your own garbage…and plowing your own streets with that “not in my backyard” mentality.
The current garage is right on the path of the fabulous new trolley.
Best for the city to sell it to private developers to put up condos and move those garbage trucks out. Only problem is finding a similar enormous garage in the neighborhood since even though the current garage is huge, they still keep lots of trucks parked outside on the side streets.
It’s not DOS it’s DSNY
Amen. I wonder if this Florio character is related to the former governor of New Jersey and is from Jersey.
They should relocate the truck depot to the 58th Street facility in Maspeth temporarily while they modernize the 21st Street depot, then move the trucks back when the modernization is complete. The Maspeth facility, which also houses the NYPD’s Central Repair Shop, is in an industrial zone where there will be minimum impact to residential communities, yet it is still close enough to the Astoria/LIC area to service them without much extra travel. It would be a temporary burden on the Maspeth facility, but since the Astoria mechanics & other staff would be relocated there, as well, not an ominous burden.
I’m sure you think this is a great idea because you live nowhere near the existing depot.
So in your opinion, it’s fine to temporarily move the garage to an industrial area to minimize the impact on “residential communities”, but also fine to move the depot right back in the middle of a dense residential neighborhood after your proposed modernization is complete.
20th avenue between 21st and 31st streets is barely residential. It’s lined with garages on one side, and the ConEd land on the other. It is a perfectly fine option for relocating this depot. There is certainly a far less dense residential population there than compared to the location of the current depot, which is surrounded by Ravenswood Houses and two co-operative developments.
WE HAVE ENOUGH GARBAGE AT THE WESTWAY !!!!!!!!!
And apparently here as well.
It seems as if you may be “garbage.” The Westway families are certainly not.