Baysiders To Get Heads-Up About City Projects, Local Pol Promises

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Baysiders could soon get a heads-up before the city starts work on projects in the neighborhood, a local politician promised.

Currently, city agencies can begin or solidify plans without giving notice to state elected officials and (in some instances) constituents, but that could change under a bill passed by the New York State Assembly last week.

The new bill, which was spearheaded by Bayside's Assembly Member Edward Braunstein, would require some NYC agencies to give advance notice to elected officials and community boards before beginning certain projects — like sewer replacement by the Department of Environmental Protection or road reconstruction efforts overseen by the Department of Transportation.

"Expanding vital internal communications to include state electeds would better equip officials to deliver accurate and timely information to their constituents, and would help to ensure that the local community has a voice in the public planning process," said Braunstein, noting that City Council members and borough presidents are already kept abreast of these projects.

The bill would also guarantee that state officials and community boards are alerted to long-term neighborhood work, like electrical upgrades by Con-Edison, and local filming plans, including parking requests from film crews.

"Providing advance notice about upcoming utility projects and media filmings to elected officials and community boards would help ensure that local residents are well informed about what’s happening in their communities," said Brainstein.

Neighbors are also pleased to hear that scheduled parking requests are part of the bill, since parts of Bayside are often used for filming.

"[The bill] increases the transparency by which our residents are informed of the many filming dates and special parking request locations that we host every year in our district," said Joe Marziliano, District Manager of Queens Community Board 11, which encompasses Bayside.

"More importantly, this bill allows for the Board and residents to have more lead time to be able to plan accordingly for community based projects like utility work," he said. "This is an initiative that solves many complaints we have received for a long time."

In order to become law, Braunstein's bill must first pass the State Senate (where it's currently being discussed in committee) and then Governor Kathy Hochul must sign it into law.