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Parks Dept. seeks DOT aid to green 245th St. triangle

By Howard Koplowitz

The city Parks Department said it will convert a dilapidated Bellerose traffic triangle into a green street, but only if the city Department of Transportation reconstructs it so it abuts a nearby sidewalk.

The triangle served as a road divider between Braddock Avenue and 245th Street, but became obsolete after 245th Street changed into a one-way northbound road.

In an April 17 letter to DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) wrote that Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski told his staff that her agency “will be willing” to turn the triangle into a green street “if DOT will move the curbs to the sidewalk.”

In the letter to Sadik-Khan, Padavan said he wanted written confirmation that DOT would amend the curbing.

Jim Trent of the Joint Bellerose Business District drew up plans for reconstructing the triangle so its apex would point toward Jamaica Avenue and be connected by Braddock Avenue and 245th Street.

It was unclear whether DOT would reconstruct the triangle.

Two Bellerose civic groups, the Queens Colony Civic Association and the Joint Bellerose Business District, have wanted to beautify the triangle for nearly 10 years. They planted flowers in the triangle, but cars would continually run over the plants.

Angela Augugliaro, president of Queens Colony, said the triangle also floods constantly during heavy rains.

“We've been trying to get this fixed so it wouldn't be a mud puddle,” she said.

Work was performed on the triangle about a week ago, according to Augugliaro, but she said it was inadequate and she attempted to get a stop-work order because concrete was poured over the structure while its curbing was being replaced.

“The contractor got carried away,” Padavan said. “He was just supposed to replace the curbing.”

Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 173.