Fort Totten Conservancy Group Faces Backlash From Bayside Leaders

BAYSIDE, QUEENS -- A nonprofit supposedly formed to preserve Fort Totten is getting pushback from Bayside elected officials who claim its founder doesn't live in the district and launched the charity, unbeknownst to the community, to create herself a six-figure salary job.

State Sen. Tony Avella met with other local leaders this week to oppose the Fort Totten Conservancy, which was formed to fix decaying buildings at the park and former U.S. Army base. Avella said he had "serious concerns" about the conservancy its president, a woman named Ann Sklar, filed for nonprofit status without consulting the community and then lied about receiving support for it.

"While I agree that the buildings at the park need needs repair, the Department of Parks and Recreation and Ms. Sklar should have reached out to the community and elected officials prior to forming and filing for nonprofit status," Avella said.

"Not reaching out shows a real lack of respect to the local community."

Avella said Sklar approached him several months ago about the conservancy, telling him she'd met with other local groups who gave the conservancy their support. The senator said through the course of their meeting, he learned Sklar didn't live in the district and had formed the nonprofit without soliciting any local input.

He was joined at this week's conference by members of Community Board 7, Friends of Fort Totten and the Bayside Historical Society and Bayside Assemblyman Ed Braunstein, who each confirmed Sklar approached them individually about the conservancy.

The elected officials said in a later meeting with all the Bayside groups and the NYC Parks Department, it became "evident" that Sklar was trying to create a job for herself and requesting an annual $100,000 salary.

Sklar could not be tracked down for comment on their claims.

"Generally, organizations such as this grow out of the collective efforts of the local community," Braunstein said. "In this instance, someone with no connection to Northeast Queens created a conservancy seemingly for the primary purpose of securing her own employment."

Braunstein said he was "troubled" by the circumstances and urged the Parks Department not to anything that would legitimize the conservancy.

Avella accused the Parks Department of giving the Fort Totten Conservancy "tactic support." He and other community leaders penned a letter to the agency opposing the nonprofit in June.

Among them was Community Board 7 Chair Gene Kelty, who said he was "not happy" with the idea of the conservancy since he first heard about it.

"I want someone who is in the community and knows us," Kelty said. "I stand by the letter we sent to the Mayor and the Parks Department."

A Parks Department spokesperson said the Fort Totten Park Conservancy was an independant entity with no formal relationship to the city agency.

"Since Ft. Totten Park was opened to the public in 2005, we have worked closely with community organizations and various stakeholders to continually improve the parkland and its amenities as well as offer a variety of programs for the public's enjoyment," Queens Parks Commissioner Dorothy Lewandowski said in a statement.

"We understand the concern for the local community to remain involved in the continued development of Fort Totten, and we hope there may be a way forward for such like-minded people to work together for the betterment of this park."

But leaders said that's unlikely without more input from community groups such as Friends of Fort Totten, who are already advocating for the park.

"It is wrong that she just went and did it herself and did not consult the community about it," said the group's president Joe Branzetti.

Lead photo courtesy of the Office of Senator Tony Avella