by Angela Montefinise, Azi Paybarah and Liz Goff
As the Tribune went to press on May 28, a Brooklyn Supreme Court justice ruled that the City did not give Manhattan’s Community Board 8 proper 45-day notice before closing Engine Company 261, a company that serves Dutch Kills in Western Queens and Roosevelt Island in Manhattan. The judge did not make a final ruling on the case and did not give an order to reopen the firehouse, according to Alex Navarro, a spokesperson for City Councilman Bill DeBlasio, the man who brought the case. Navarro said, “The judge ruled that the City is in violation of the City Charter and did not give proper notice to the community. But we still do not have an order to reopen the company.” He added, “The Mayor can reopen it at any time he wants, issue the 45-day notice, then sadly close it again and do it properly. You would think he would do that after being told he is in violation of the law.” The judge also suggested that the City issue the warning immediately, and Navarro said, “This isn’t a quote or anything, but the judge basically said, ‘If I were you, I’d issue that notice immediately, if you want to do things legally.’ That’s reasonable.” At presstime, a spokesperson for the Mayor had no comment except the Mayor is planning to appeal the decision that the City is in violation of the Charter. City Councilman Eric Gioia, who argued the case in court, remained in court at presstime to discourage the City from appealing, which would create an automatic stay on any court decisions. In the meantime, Engine Company 261 – a company known as the “Flaming Skulls” for the ferocity with which they fought fires – will remain closed. A candlelight vigil was scheduled to be held at 10 p.m. on May 28 to remember the company, which has operated on 29th Avenue for 114 years. It’s engine, fire officials said, will be moved to a Long Island City storage facility for use as a spare. The Engine Company was officially closed at 9 a.m. on May 25 at 9 a.m. with a final salute and roll call. About 100 tearful residents stood outside the firehouse to bid farewell to the company.
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