The abandoned diving pool in Astoria Park

An abandoned Astoria Park swimming pool in Queens that once hosted trials for the United States Olympic swimming and diving teams is set to become an amphitheater, the New York Times reported.

Once filled with water, the pool will now be filled with concrete. Plans for the modification were announced in December, with Queens City Council member Peter Vallone leading the campaign. However, due to the pool’s landmark status, certain aspects won’t be able to be modified through construction, namely the pool’s tiered diving board right in the center of the downstage area. [more]

As of today, it’s officially illegal to have roll-down metal security gates protecting storefronts in New York City. According to the Daily News, the new law, which was passed by the City Council in 2009 and went into effect today, gives business owners with solid metal gates until 2026 to replace them with gates that are at least 70 percent see-through. Though some small business owners have complained about the cost of the new gates, which they also say are less secure, the intent is to allow law enforcement officials to see inside locked-up stores should they ever respond to a call late at night. “When the police or firefighters roll up to a place at 2 a.m. to respond to a call, they’ll be able to know right away whether a cat set off the alarm or whether there’s a guy in there with a machine gun,” said Peter Vallone, chair of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee. [more]

The proposed rezoning won’t allow out of character buildings (middle) in the area

The Department of City Planning and Council member Peter Vallone
are introducing a massive rezoning plan for the Astoria section of
Queens tonight at a public meeting, officials said. Vallone of Astoria and City Planning are hosting what they describe as a “town hall informational session” to discuss a
rezoning study that would limit development in residential sections of
the neighborhood while relaxing zoning in commercial areas. “More and more monstrosities have been overwhelming beautiful
residential neighborhoods,” Vallone said in a press release. “The
rezoning is an effort to prevent people from tearing down existing
buildings to construct new buildings that are out of character, while
allowing homeowners to improve and expand their property in context
with the area.” [more]