In clear violation of what someone would call “LAW”, SSJ Development’s properties at Lacon court are untouched, abandoned, vacant, dormant being used as storage for vehicles, boats, non-construction equipment, and dreaded WOODCHIPS!
On top of that, the property’s perimeter fence is not doing well either. It’s in overall bad shape and either destroyed or no existent in most places. Also, The property’s main gate is not even locked or even closed anymore. It’s just wide open allowing whomever inside.
ETO & SSJ Development are Playing Tag with NYPD Harbor and DEP attempting to to dump boats in various parts of the creek.
You may be asking your self what happened those boats that were 1) floating around the creek slamming into everything and 2) the boats at the property?
Well funny story. They seem to be popping up everywhere even after being returned to ETO (Lacon Ct) twice!
The boat that was adrift: First, NYPD Harbor had returned it to after it was originally adrift, then it mysteriously showed up tied up to the DEP pumping station (a pump to pump out bathrooms on boats), Harbor had to returned it again, only to find it tied to the DEP pumping station the next day. Harbor returned it again and is now investigating.
Is the ETO playing tag?
The boat that next to the boat that sank: Tuns out someone removed the boat last week and dumped it to a local marina.
Now there are TWO abandoned boats without registration on the water.
Maybe we should call ETO for help. Isn’t that what they do???
The State Environmental Conservation Officers recently arrested two fishermen in Brooklyn for catching dozens of striped bass that were undersized and in excess of allowable limits, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced.
(Media-Newswire.com) – State Environmental Conservation Officers recently arrested two fishermen in Brooklyn for catching dozens of striped bass that were undersized and in excess of allowable limits, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ( DEC ) today announced.
While on marine patrol in the Breezy Point area, Environmental Conservation Officers ( ECO ) Jamie Powers and Kevin Thomas spotted activities on a boat that made them suspect poaching and they tracked the vessel back to its dock in Shell Bank Creek off Seba Avenue. There, the ECOs witnessed John Arena of Parksville, Sullivan County, and Mark Sarubbi of Brooklyn, struggling to drag two totes full of striped bass up to a truck.
The officers then approached the men and began counting the catch. The fishermen, who realized their day of “good” fishing had just met its end, watched as the ECOs counted out 46 striped bass – the legal recreational limit for the trip for both men is only 2. The fish weighed a total of 295 pounds and the vast majority of the fish – 40 – were less than the minimum size requirement of 28 inches.
Arena and Sarubbi were arrested and charged with possession of 40 undersized Striped Bass; possession of 44 Striped Bass over the legal recreational harvest limit; possession of 46 untagged Striped Bass; taking Striped Bass for Commercial Purposes without a permit; and failing to possess a valid food fish license. Additional charges are anticipated.
Their arraignment is scheduled for early December. They are facing thousands of dollars in fines and a possible four years in prison. The Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The fish were seized and destroyed because Striped Bass are not permitted to be harvested for commercial sale from waters west of East Rockaway Inlet due to the potential level of contaminants in the fish.
Information on illegal harvest of any species of saltwater fish, shellfish or crabs can be reported to the Marine Enforcement Unit at ( 631 ) 444-0460 or by using the toll-free number of 1-877-457-5680.
Granted the 44 striped bass is a bit much and the fisherman accused should know the la but how is it that DEC will crack down on fisherman and not other BIGGER fish?!
In Gerritsen Beach the DEC wastes their time going after people who was their cars on their street because it washes into the creek while SSJ Development, ETO and Stephen Jemal get a free pass, for refusing to clean the docks and the boats that have been sinking!
Yesterday a boat that was docked at Stephen Jemals property was floating around unattended, bumping into docks and other boats. Harbor patrol was able to secure the boat and returned it to a slip on the Jemals property.
Our good friends Stephen Jemal and ETO have been up to no good lately.
First, A boat sank while docked on Stephen Jemals property at the old riveria marina and as a result the gas and oil leaked into the creek. The coast guard was notified and filed a report. Separately, On the same property a sailboat dry docked flipped over and is resting on a utility pole.
Then, the docks that were supposed to be cleared away or face stiff fines from the DEC, have started to float away and have now have ended up at various parts in the creek becoming navigable hazards.
Even more horribly an ETO worker was seriously injured, while working for ETO, receiving 35 stitches in his forehead and is facing personal bankrupcy, due to the resulting medical bills.
Looks like ETO has turned out to be a disaster on the property.
Update 10/29/09 -Â Â Email from Greg Moss Director of ETO:
Your recent article “ETO Creek Disaster” is grossly inaccurate and we would like you to make the necessary edits.
“First, A boat sank while docked on Stephen Jemals property at the old riveria marina, as a result the gas and oil leaked into the creek. The coat guard was notified and filed a report. On the same property a sailboat that flipped over and is resting on a utility pole.”
This boat had nothing to do with the ETO – there must be other people that were given permission to use the property.
“Then, the docks, that were supposed to be cleared away or face fines, have started to float away and have ended up at various parts in the creek becoming navigable hazards.”
We haven’t began or anticipate beginning any work on these docks.
“Even more horribly, an ETO worker was seriously injured, while working for ETO, receiving 35 stitches in his forehead and now no one is helping him out with his medicial bills or taking responsibility for his injury. The worker has called Jemals office with no response.”
This person had no affiliation to the ETO (and you misspelled “medical” in your article.)
I appreciate what you are trying to do here and your website is a great way for the Gerritsen Beach community to stay current with events. However, if you want to be a quality investigative reporter you should really do you homework before publishing anything.
Before I get into the debate itself lets answer why the heated debate happened in the first place. To be blunt there has a deep distrust with (ETO) Environmental Task Force Operations with local communities. There have been good reasons floating around for this distrust.
First, they are a spin off of Special Projects Management Operation Clean Bay, which has a very shady past. It was formed by National Park Rangers and staff of the Gateway National Recreation Area to clean up abandoned boats in Jamaica Bay. Needless to say it ended very badly. Whenever the term “pending litigation” has to come into play, you know its going to be bad. Basically the Park Rangers boat captains are all suing each other.
Secondly and mainly, ETO has had an ongoing relationship with Knapp Street and Lacon Ct property developer Stephen Jemal. To be blunt again, What is planned to be built by Jemal at at Lacon Court will destroy Gerritsen Beach, if not cause irreparable harm.
As you may be aware, some in the community as well as GB.net has been keeping close tabs on the Jemal developments. Recently, Jemal was ordered to clean up the docks at Lacon Court by the NYS DEC, if he did not comply he was going to be fined $10,000 a day.
ETO then, seemed to step in last minute and took over conversations with the DEC on behalf of Stephen Jemal. Jemal has not been fined since ETO stepped in.
The ETO-Jemal relationship in a nutshell: in exchange for free rent on Lacon Ct ETO would maintain 4 properties for Jemal and take over corresponding with the DEC. The property maintenance may or may not be a good thing, it depends on how you look at it, they are trimming, leveling soil, more or less cleaning the empty lot. This is all great and wonderful, but it does not help with the perceived distrust.
On to the debate!
Bill Dumphy (Gerritsen Resident, and ETO board member)confronted the GBPOA to “clear up bad reports”.
Mr. Bill Dumphy had again summed up ETO’s role in Gerritsen Beach specifically in the waterways and on Stephen Jemals lot. He stated that they are on his property because they were kicked off their previous location, literally across the creek at the sewer plant DEP, because of allegations made by a former operation clean bay member.
He stated that in the last two months he personally removed 8 boats from the creek, totaling 150 so far removed by their organization. Apparently ETO did this all for free and was expensed out of pocket.
George Broadhead, President GBPOA, is not taking issue with the work ETO does, stating he strongly believes in free enterprise. He argued that ETO stepped in last minute just when the community had them on the ropes.
Bill interjected multiple times and made it a point that ETO sent a letter to DEC urging them to fine Jemal for non compliance. Yelling “Fine the slimeball…wont affect us“. “We aren’t doing Jemal any favors.”
After contacting ETO to see what they thought about the meeting, Greg Moss President of ETO stated that no more than two weeks after GB.nets initial post, their relationship with SSJ development stared to go sour. ETO was trying to secure a contract that gave them permissions to be on the land and to also remove the docks for Jemal. However, SSJ kept pushing back and postponing meetings to secure the contract to the point where ETO felt they might of been used by SSJ to delay the impending $10,000 a day fine. As a result ETO sent a email to the DEC stating that Jemal has no intention of coming into compliance and DEC has to do what it needs to do.
They are currently looking for a new spot to relocate.
For those that don’t know about what’s going on at Lacon Court at the end of Devon and Everette Avenues here is a quick recap.
What used to be danazs and the boat yard are gone, they are empty lots. They were purchased byStephen Jemal former owner of the the wiz. He is now a brooklyn waterfront land developer. He has bought up numerous waterfront properties all over south Brooklyn. He plans to develop his Knapp street and Lacon court property into luxury condos. He also just so happen to threaten to sue GerritsenBeach.net
Recently Jemal was ordered by the DEC to remove any docks, debris, or anything that will become a water hazard in front of his Lacon Court property. Keep this in mind.
There is now an organization called Environmental Taskforce Operations (ETO) that is run by Greg Moss, Perry Papadoupoulos, and Bill Dumphy. You can read more about them on their website (http://taskforceoperations.org/)
ETO has reached a lease agreement with Stephen Jemal to occupy the Lacon Court property for two years rent free. In exchange ETO will clean up & maintain all four of the Jemal properties (two outside GB).They will also be taking over communications with the DEC. They will remove any boat, dock, debris in the creek to come into compliance with the recent DEC order . It should be known that ETO will not be doing any construction on the properties this is just clean-up and maintenance.
They are also operating a surveillance program in the creek so if you own a boat or enter the creek you are more than likely being watched and recorded day and night. The goal of this operation is to see who is scuttling the boats in the creek.
So there you have it. ETO is our new neighbor, for at least the next two years, they are watching boat traffic, maintaining the property, all for our good friend Stephen Jemal.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has sent a letter to SSJ development concerning the property on Lacon Court the former location of Danza’s.
The DEC has ordered SSJ to remove all dock debris, any deteriorated platform structures, sunken boats and/or other waste.
Failure to comply with the DEC order will result in penalties of up to $10,000 dollars per day per violation and potential criminal prosecution for SSJ.
This letter, which I am trying to obtain a copy of, only has to do with the Lacon Court property and not the property on Knapp Street. However this legal action might encourage SSJ to clean up the shoreline and waterways along his Knapp Street Property as well.
If you remember… about two weeks ago there was a large wind storm in Brooklyn, 3 people died as a result of the wind that day.
As a result a lot of the construction fences all over the city were damaged. These plywood fences are basically gigantic sails when it comes to dealing with wind. So when they were also knocked down at the Riviera Suites at Knapp Street, it was not a big deal, it could be assumed it would be fixed in time., but they haven’t and its a hazard now.
The Department of Buildings did promise Gerritsen Beach that the property would be closely watched. The DOB also told the community that before any construction started that Riviera Suites would not need a construction fence while construction was not going on, but that was last year. Since then mounds of dirt has been moved in, foundation poured, people throwing garbage over the fence, and now it looks like the existing chain link fence is being held together with hopes and dreams. Its generally not a safe area to drive or walk by. Especially in any type of wind.
Its very obvious that SSJ Development and Stephen Jemal don’t care. It might be everyone involved SSJ Development, Steven Jemal, and his investment companies are still wrapped up in court over Stephen Jemal failing to repay a loan to his investment companies over the SSJ Developments.
Either way, the blown down fence is a hazard and is now become more of a hazard to Knapp Street. So please fix it.
It looks as though Stephen Jemal did not hold up his end of a bargain with Sheepshead Bay Plumb Beach Civic.
If you don’t already know, back in June Stephen Jemal threatened to sue GerritsenBeach.net and SBPBCivic.org over a post that was made on SBPBCivic.org. It’s a long story, so read about it here.
At last night SBPPBCivic meeting where Jemal was a no show; all of the details came out about what led up to their demand letter, the negations and the agreement that was eventually reached with SBPBCivic.
As part of an agreement between SBPBCivic and Stephen Jemal, SBPBCivic would reword their original post as an act of good faith. In exchange Stephen Jemal was to come down to the local meeting and explain his neighborhood projects.
As for what happened to me: I never wanted to deal with them. My web server was attacked and brought down bringing down 120 other websites. I’m planning my next move, over the matter.
SBPBCivic is expected to make a statement (via SBPBCivic.org) and I am expecting that they will be looking very closely at Stephen Jemals projects.
Tall poles, possibly for signs to advertise The Riviera at Gerritsen Beach which might offer 32 single and two family townhouses the 32 single and two family townhouses, have gone up at the property that used to be Danzas. I say might because the developer Stephen Jemal is being sued for $5.5 Million Dollar by his investment companies, so you never know.
Maybe SSJ development should be using its money to clean up the property at Lacon Ct instead of paying lawyers to send demand letters. I changed my mind…..they should keep paying their lawyers you never know when they are going to need them. *wink wink nudge nudge*
The feisty founder of electronics behemoth The Wiz is threatening to sue a Brooklyn blogger who published jabs against the businessman on his small Web site.
