Back in Middle Village again. 66-11 71st Street. A one-family house demolished and replaced with a 10 unit apartment building featuring a totally uninspired design. They must think the contrasting red awning dresses it up. At least this developer didn't destroy the street tree in front. Instead they angled the driveway around it. Why is there only one balcony? Better yet, why is there a 15-year tax abatement on each unit? QC can't wait for spring when the trees bloom and partially obstruct the view of this bland piece of Queens Crap. Hopefully the bushes in front will grow quickly, too.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Crappy Condo
Back in Middle Village again. 66-11 71st Street. A one-family house demolished and replaced with a 10 unit apartment building featuring a totally uninspired design. They must think the contrasting red awning dresses it up. At least this developer didn't destroy the street tree in front. Instead they angled the driveway around it. Why is there only one balcony? Better yet, why is there a 15-year tax abatement on each unit? QC can't wait for spring when the trees bloom and partially obstruct the view of this bland piece of Queens Crap. Hopefully the bushes in front will grow quickly, too.
15 comments:
Do I read "Villagio" on the awning? Allusions to "Bellagio", I suppose! Another "Goombah" pretentious piece of "box-built" trash! Let's hope the curb tree survives after the roots have been cut for the foundation excavation.
Only a matter of time that some oversized SUV or commercial vehicle that shouldn't be there will ram into the tree.
They likely left it there because is wasn't worth the touble to remove it - figuring, correctly, the revolving door of tennants will take care of it, along with the rest of the block, making his investment ripe for expansion after the building wears out in, say, 30 years and pays for itself in 5.
Someone should write to:
the community board
the local elected officials
the borough president
and city planning
and ask them about how a system permits a 10 unit building to be built in an area with no school space, a power grid at capacity, and mass transit that has not expanded.
Then let Queens Crap publish the response, or lack there of.
Then, like the builders who come back to the trough, do this again and again.
As blah and bland as this building is, there's one bright spot here, and that's the fact that the developer didn't take down that tree.
It's becoming much too easy, and therefore much too common to see perfectly healthy, relatively old-growth street trees cut down to make room for the ubiquitious driveways. Don't bother calling 311, that goes nowhere. If you eventually get an elected official's office to finally cut through the bureaucracy to find out about those trees, we're always told that the developer was allowed to cut down the trees, and "others will be planted elsewhere."
(sigh)
So, let's "celebrate" the one nice thing about this mess in MV, and that's one tree that survived when most don't.
-RSD
Great, and lets get into the habit of encouraging the neighbors to do the same (and or course, add their contact information to a mailing list, eh? nothing like people to get onboard when they understand this issue in the gut)
I'm surprised there isn't a miniature lighted fountain outside the 'Villagio'
Someone who is knowledgable about the ways of nature told me that the old growth trees can never be replaced because new trees (even if they do bother to plant them) won't grow tall since the environment is no longer as favorable as it was decades ago when these giant trees grew. What a sad statement it is that we tear them down nonetheless.
Maybe this nice tree will do us a favor and spare a giant branch to drop on the Villagio.
Don't say that. I will give the city an excuse to cut it down.
If the city treats PEOPLE like crap when they stand in the way of development, what the hell will happen to TREES?
" Don't say that. I will give the city an excuse to cut it down."
Don't worry. By the time the Parks Dept gets around to taking care of that, the balcony on the Villagio will have rusted away.
Heck, the rusting has probably started already.
Street trees are the property of NYC not developers! Many years ago , a homeowner attempted to kill a street tree by "girdling" it because they didn't want it there. They cut a circumfrential deep groove 360 degrees around the tree trunk, thus removing the bark so nutrients could not come up from the soil and travel past the cut! We saved the tree by applying roofing tar which sealed the cut. The tree survives today! We had notified the city about this incident and were told if the tree had died, the perpetrator would have been fined a minimum of $1,500. at that time (fines may have now increased ) Now, I believe, there's a program in place that limits curb cuts if mature trees are too near. I think you're supposed to call Parks Dept.(or 311) and tell them about mature curb trees near building sites. I don't know how effective in the long term this will prove to be, but it's a start!
Glad you saved that tree!
While the trees aren't the property of the developers or homeowners, it doesn't usually stop them from cutting it down if its in their way. Unfortunately, the city doesn't keep a seem to keep list of all the street trees and someone who takes one down probably won't get in trouble unless someone is vigilant in reporting it.
If each of you "complainers" would spend a tiny bit of time having a grain of faith and being vigilant and phoning in reports, you might gain a shred of success. What a bunch of pessimists! The usual tsk-tsk-tsk, what can we do about it? Yeah, just roll over! Always an excuse.... just like that old "Astoria Granny" out there that we know is posting a lot of these negative comments! So in the end, if a tree killer gets away with it, at least YOU tried instead of sitting on your hands!
"If each of you "complainers" would spend a tiny bit of time having a grain of faith and being vigilant and phoning in reports, you might gain a shred of success."
I did exactly that. A series of old growth trees were cut down to make room for the driveways for the new development on the corner of Wexford Terrace and Midland Parkway. I had called 311, then CM Gennaro's office to let them know what was happening.
Eventually, I was told that the killing of the trees was approved by the Parks Dept., and new trees would be planted elsewhere.
Several years ago, I called in complaints directly to the Parks Dept about a tree on Moline Street that appeared to be in danger, because it was roughly where a driveway was going to be constructed. The Parks Dept response? "Well, sir, what do you want us to do?"
"I don't know, how about sending someone out to make note of the tree's condition in case something happens to it?"
The tree is taken down two weeks later. A letter to the Parks Dept resulted in a response from Mr. Murphy stating that the developer "had permission to remove the tree, and will be planting additional trees elsewhere."
Seems to be the norm.
Think it's possible that there's an edict from the mayor stating that "no city agency shall create any barriers to any developer looking to create new housing units"?
What's the point? So you lost, cry baby! You can still tell your grandchildren ,one day, that your worked up a sweat trying to save those trees! Instead of just being bitter, you will be teaching them that there are things worth fighting for! Nobody's asking anybody to give up their lives for the cause, only to sweat a little. That's what a real New Yorker is about! If I've been hard on you it's to harness some of that anger you've just displayed and coax you into action! C'mon....buck up!
Wow! Reading all these posts has been quite a lesson! I guess you do have to be willing put up with a lot of loses before you can finally win! If they (whoever "they" may be) break your faith and destroy your courage , than what remains is just "dead meat" awaiting burial! We should all look to that "Unsinkable Molly Brown" as an example of not being willing to accept defeat!
That isn't Queens Crap... THAT'S QUEENS SHIT
Post a Comment