By Paul Shapiro
"There are rules to protect our children from seeing certain things, but it doesn't seem that that is true with this billboard."
The billboard Toback was referring to remains atop the Platinum Club on Rockaway Turnpike, but the legislator plans on doing something about it. With nearly 300 people in attendance at a community meeting Monday night at the White Shul in Far Rockaway, Toback and New York City Councilman James Sanders detailed their concerns about the billboard and presented a proposal to get it removed.
"I think we have a good plan of action, and hopefully we'll get some results," Toback said. "It's a four-point plan — negotiate, agitate, demonstrate and if all else fails, litigate."
Toback added, "The goal is to get rid of the billboard, and I think we can do that by negotiating with the landlord. That is my preferred method of operation. I think you can oftentimes deal with things like this before the battle starts. Once you take the gloves off and go to war, people get dug in, and sometimes you accomplish less. You lose sight of your goal and you don't accomplish your goal."
Residents of Far Rockaway, the Five Towns and other surrounding towns attended the meeting. "This is not a gentlemen's club —- no gentleman would ever walk into that club," said Meadowmere resident Ruth Samuels, whose home has a view of the Platinum Club billboard.
Some residents had ideas of their own, such as calling 311 to complain about the billboard, and writing to local businesses that call themselves "family friendly" and asking them to put pressure on the club to remove the sign.
“Legislator Toback and Councilman Sanders were very open to suggestions from community members," said local attorney Lenore Davis, who started a petition against the sign in late October. "They both also encouraged the people to carry out whatever ideas to fight for the removal of the billboard.”
Donovan Richards, a spokesman for Sanders, said the councilman is used to fighting against signs like this. "We are organizing our troops, which is the community, to get the removal of the billboard," Richards said. "With more press, patrons are uncomfortable being watched. The more people we can get involved, the better we are."
Toback said he planned to coordinate the various efforts to have the billboard removed. "Our goal is to get community support and involvement," Richards said. "We have gotten 50 phone calls from people that live in the community that are outraged at the billboard. We are thinking about strategic ways and different angles to take for the removal of the billboard. Some people want a letter-writing campaign to the club's owner, while thousands have signed a petition. We also need to check with the Department of Buildings to see if there are any violations there."
News 12 reported that the manager of the club is willing to sit down and talk to Toback and Sanders. "I think that’s a positive sign, and we'll take him up on that as soon as possible," Toback said.
The New York state attorney general's office told Toback that New York City has not yet made a ruling on whether the billboard runs afoul of the city's obscenity statutes, but that decision should be made by next week.
"I think people are going to start taking their own action to reach our goals, and I am looking forward to a positive result," Toback said. "I am confident that one of the angles that we undertake will be successful."
Comments about this story? PShapiro@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 201.
