For reasons known best to former FCC Chairman Bill Kennard, and to the NAB, and doubtless to concerned others who piled on, 'translator' stations are immune to the rules that were instituted to smother the original wave of LPFM applicants.
Basically, translators are allowed to be directional. Those 'borderline-pirate' LPFM stations had to be omni. No exceptions. That's what the rules read.
Not just that, but some of these translators serving NYC in between the other existing full-power FM's (and in other markets as well) are allowed higher ERP than any of the LPFMs were.
So the denouement is that the 101.5 in Queens can be directional to avoid hassles with Poughkeepsie and Trenton.
The way I read it : Same engineers, working amid different rules.