You are reading

‘We deserve to have clean streets’: Councilman Moya rallies with residents & business owners in opposition of unauthorized vendors in Corona

Rally for safe streets and no unauthorized vendors in Corona (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Council member Francisco Moya joined small business owners and residents for a rally in Corona on Monday, Aug. 7, calling for safer and cleaner streets – as well as an end to unauthorized vendors and illegal sex workers operating in the area. (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Aug. 7, 2023 By Michael Dorgan

City Council member Francisco Moya joined small business owners and residents for a rally in Corona on Monday, Aug. 7, calling for safer and cleaner streets, as well as an end to unauthorized vendors and illegal sex workers operating in the area.

The rally took place at the American Triangle, a small public space located at 41st Avenue, 102nd Street and National Street, which is about a block and a half away from Corona Plaza where nearly two weeks ago the Dept. of Sanitation shut down dozens of vendors who were operating there without permits.

At Monday’s rally, protesters said that the neighborhood had become dirty and unsanitary due, in large part, to unauthorized vendors operating in the area who flout the law and leave trash behind. They said that the vendors have been taking trade away from brick-and-mortar businesses and often set up stalls outside businesses that sell the same items. Business owners who spoke at the rally alleged that some vendors have threatened them.

Furthermore, the protesters raised concerns about rising crime in the neighborhood, illegal prostitution and homeless people congregating and drinking alcohol at the American Triangle. During Monday’s rally, several men could be seen sitting at a bench at the space drinking alcohol.

The demonstrators held large signs which contained several photographs. One sign, which read “we don’t want this,” had photographs of trash strewn across local streets while another, contrasting sign, read “we need this” and had images of clean streets and children playing in public areas. Other demonstrators held small signs written in Spanish that read “no more rubbish.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Queens Post (@queenspost)

Rally for safe streets and no unauthorized vendors in Corona (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Rally for safe streets and no unauthorized vendors in Corona (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Rally for safe streets and no unauthorized vendors in Corona (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The demonstration was organized by Guadalupe Aguirre a coordinator with Casa San Judas, a local group that hosts programs for youths in the area (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

The demonstration was organized by Guadalupe Aguirre, a coordinator with Casa San Judas, a local group that hosts programs for youths in the area. Aguirre, who spoke to the Queens/Jackson Heights Post through a translator, said that some youth members have been afraid to attend programs due to the area becoming unsafe.

Moya, who spoke to the Queens/Jackson Heights Post in an exclusive interview last week, said at the rally that his office has been receiving at least 20 complaints per week with regard to the illegal vending taking place in the neighborhood. He said the unauthorized vending has led to a spike in crime at Corona Plaza with more than 75 felony arrests at the location so far this year.

“We deserve to have clean streets [and] safe streets for our community, what we’re seeing here is not that,” Moya said.

“What we have seen is incidents of vendors intimidating business owners [and] residents. We see the delinquency that’s taking place here, prostitution that’s run rampant along Roosevelt Avenue. This has to change.”

Moya said that his office, along with the mayor’s office and the Dept. of Sanitation, has been cleaning up Corona Plaza.

“I’m not here to take away food from anyone’s tables, but we also have regulations, and we have rules that we have to follow,” said Moya, who added that he voted to increase the number of permits being issued to vendors in the past. He said he has also proposed to install kiosks and zoned areas for vendors at the plaza. “All of these things have been turned down and I think that the community sees that this is a moment of reflection and a moment of change.”

Rally for safe streets and no unauthorized vendors in Corona (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Rally for safe streets and no unauthorized vendors in Corona (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Rally for safe streets and no unauthorized vendors in Corona (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

A man holds a sign at the rally (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Massiel Lugo, a local resident and mother of two, said she is afraid to walk the streets of Corona with her children given the safety issues. She started a petition around three days ago to rally support for clean and safe streets in Corona. The petition has generated more than 600 signatures so far, she said.

“[I created the petition] so that we can show that our voices matter as well because I feel like only the vendors have been heard but we have residents who have been here for decades and we have businesses who have also been losing business,” Lugo said.

The demonstration came days after Queens elected officials — including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards — held a rally at the plaza denouncing the recent sweep of the area by the Dept. of Sanitation. The electeds called on the city to issue more permits to help the vendors.

Yarin Nadel, who owns several phone repair and accessory stores in Corona said that the unauthorized vendors are setting up stalls outside his businesses and selling the same type of items he offers. He said the unauthorized vendors are selling phone covers for around one-third of the price he sells his items for, and the vendors do not pay any taxes on the items, nor do they pay rent or property taxes compared to his businesses.

He said the undercutting has made it hard for him to not only turn a profit but to make his rent payments.

“We’re providing for families, paying taxes, we’re backed up,” Yarin said.

He said vendors have been setting up stalls outside his businesses and telling passersby not to go inside.

“The business owners and the residents over here are scared to come outside and really express how what they’re feeling, because of fear,” Yarin said.

Yarin Nadel, who owns several phone repair and accessory stores in Corona, said that the unauthorized vendors are setting up stalls outside his businesses (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Yarin Nadel, who owns several phone repair and accessory stores in Corona, said that the unauthorized vendors are setting up stalls outside his businesses (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Rally for safe streets and no unauthorized vendors in Corona (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

While today’s rally was taking place, several men could be seen sitting at a bench at the space drinking alcohol.(Photo by Michael Dorgan)

Rally for safe streets and no unauthorized vendors in Corona (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

A woman who operates a legitimate spa and beauty store in the neighborhood said that it is being confused by some men as an illegal brothel (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

One small business owner, a woman who spoke in Spanish at the rally, said that she operates a legitimate spa and beauty store in the neighborhood and that it is being confused by some men as an illegal brothel. She said that men seeking sex from prostitutes are constantly calling the store looking for sexual services. She said the confusion is tarnishing the name of her business and is impacting her sales.

Meanwhile, vendors who were shut down by the Dept. of Sanitation nearly two weeks ago at Corona Plaza were protesting at the venue today. They said they have been left with no source of income since the sweep and urged all parties to come together and find a resolution to the issue.

Many of the vendors said that while some vendors had not been following the rules with regard to sanitation, the majority of them have been acting diligently.

The vendors also have a petition to support them being allowed back to operating at the plaza. They say it has amassed nearly 5,000 written signatures.

Vendors who were shut down by the Dept. of Sanitation nearly two weeks ago at Corona Plaza were protesting at the venue today (Photo by Michael Dorgan)

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 
Coach

Time to get rid of some vendors. They are not follow health codes. Get rid of them most are illegitimate. No papers.

Reply

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Repeat hate crime offender charged in anti-Muslim subway attack in Forest Hills: DA

A Southeast Queens man is being held without bail after he was criminally charged with assault in the first degree as a hate crime and other charges for allegedly punching and kicking a Muslim woman on an E train in Forest Hills during the early morning hours of Wednesday, June 18.

Naved Durrni, 34, of 106th Avenue in Jamaica, was arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Thursday and additionally charged with aggravated harassment in the first and second degrees.

Hate Crimes Task Force investigating bomb threats against Mamdani: NYPD

The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force launched a probe into multiple death threats made against Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani after his district office at 24-08 32nd St. in Astoria received four expletive-filled phone voicemails, on various dates, making threatening anti-Muslim statements by an unknown individual, including a threat to blow up his car.

The calls were made from an untraceable number and labeled the mayoral candidate a “terrorist who is not welcome in New York or America” in a message phoned in on Wednesday morning.

Seven teens indicted for attempted murder in brutal Kissena Park gang attack on two girls: DA

A Queens grand jury indicted seven teenagers for attempted murder, gang assault, robbery, and other crimes for an attack on two girls inside Kissena Park in Flushing in early May.

The defendants, who are all 17 years old, were variously arraigned in Queens Supreme Court between June 4 and Wednesday in two separate 25-count indictments with two counts of attempted murder in the second degree. If convicted, they face up to 25 years in prison.

Queens Defenders founder charged with stealing nonprofit funds as second scandal unfolds

The founder of the Queens Defenders and her husband have lawyered up after they were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from the non-profit organization.

Former Queens Defenders executive director Lori Zeno, 64, surrendered Wednesday at the Brooklyn federal courthouse. Zeno was arraigned on an indictment charging her and Rashad Ruhani, 55, with wire fraud conspiracy, theft, money laundering conspiracy and other crimes.