Harlem — The East Harlem garden center where a massive fire under the Metro-North tracks started was hit with four summonses for illegally storing combustible materials.
The Urban Garden Center, located at 116th Street and Park Avenue beneath the elevated tracks, got summonses for unlawful storage, handling and use of liquefied petroleum gas, unlawful storage of gasoline and unlawful storage of portable fueled equipment, the mayor's office said.
Mayoral spokeswoman Natalie Grybauskas referred questions about the exact quantities the business had to the FDNY, which did not respond to a request for comment regarding the amounts.
DNAinfo New York reported last week that the business did not have the required permits to store the volume of combustible materials, including the gas and propane.
The massive blaze, which brought Metro-North service to a halt last week and delayed subsequent service, broke out Tuesday evening when construction debris and a trailer caught fire beneath the elevated train tracks, officials said.
The FDNY said the cause of the fire was accidental and connected to fuel spilling on a hot generator during re-fueling at Urban Garden Center. It was fueled by the chemicals stored there, the department said.
Metro-North service returned to normal Friday after the Hudson, Harlem and Connecticut lines had been running on an enhanced Saturday schedule since the blaze broke out beneath the elevated tracks in East Harlem.
Owners of the Urban Garden Center did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
City agencies are now reviewing other areas underneath the tracks to evaluate how they are being used.
"Safety remains our number one priority. For the most part, spaces under train tracks and viaducts are unoccupied by businesses or structures," said Grybauskas.
"NYC [Economic Development Corporation], DOB, DOT and FDNY are reviewing these areas citywide and working together to ensure the safety of these spaces."
The FDNY inspected the garden center twice last week and they are on-going, according to officials.
Cheryl Kennedy, the MTA’s vice president of the Office of System Safety, said they were also currently doing a survey of such vulnerable areas.
New York City Transit President Veronique Hakim said that following the Metro-North fire, they were taking steps to confirm that licenses and leases in such areas had the necessary safety and controls in place.
“This is something that we will be collaborating with the FDNY as well,” she said.
MTA Board Member Charles Moerdler questioned safety and security officials on inspections at areas beneath elevated subway lines and tracks.
“When you have a truck parked underneath a trestle, you have no clue what’s in it,” Moerdler said. “And in this age of terrorism, who knows what’s going to happen.”
The Metro-North fire, he said should be considered “a wake-up call to take a look and make sure that our backs are protected.”
