The residents that live on 20th Ave in Whitestone are up in arms about a plan that the city has to widen the street. This project will actually cost homeowners between Parsons Blvd and the Whitestone expressway service road up to three feet of property. This project has been in talks for several years with no real decision until about a month ago the Department of Transportation and the Department of Design and Construction announced  they were ready to begin construction. Imagine out of no where someone tells you ok, no we are going to take away part of your property. I would really like to see what the results of the preconstruction meeting that will take place with City officials and the district manger on Friday will be. Do these residents really have a chance? Or will the big powerful city crush them? It’s just not fair.
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http://www.timesledger.com
I personally think that it is really not fair because living in New York City, we the residents already have limited space on our property. We’re lucky if we even have a small little garden of our own, so cutting back on resident’s property means taking away their own little space.
I think that the government uses eminant domain far too much, I would hope that long thought out discussions occur before any actions take place. If widening 20th Ave. will help more people than it harms, I say go ahead with it. If not I say send it back to the drawing board. Above all else let the community be fully integrated into the decision process. Godbless and goodluck to your community in the near future.
Reading this makes feel that if widening the street is a must, then the homeowners that will be affect should be compensated accordingly. A person doesn’t purchase property thinking that it can be taken away or changed because of any reason other than foreclosure. The government should be willing to give back monetarily what they are taking away physically, basically buy the three feet of property and pay for any further inconvenience to the taxpaying homeowners.