Looks like someone left behind a fresh one:"Before you get too complimentary of Melinda Katz, do me a favor and check this out from my site:
The End is Near
It's right up your alley (you even posted something about the block a few months ago)."
Update from Forest Hills 72: The demolition has begun and the windows have been removed. I'll try to get a picture later today.
See comments for further updates.
16 comments:
I passed by these rowhouses today, and was infuriated to learn about another unsurprising heartbreaker in the heart of Forest Hills.
These are Forest Hills' ONLY rowhouses & OLDEST extant developments that led to the development of the rest of the neighborhood. They were erected in 1906 by Cord Meyer, housed the earliest tenants (1st plumber & carpenter), and even precede the FH Gardens. They lie hand in hand with FH's 100th anniversary last year, and merit... celebration, not the wrecking ball (with only alteration permits)!
President of the Central Queens Historical Association, Jeff Gottlieb rededicated these unique rowhouses last year, and a plaque is on one of the facades on the west side of 72nd Ave between Queens Blvd & Austin St.
Frank Baharestani (Bahar Realty) is at stake for buying out & demolishing all other historic rowhouses on the east side of the street since 2002. The former tenants are no better!
Kudos for Mr. Gottlieb and the thumb twiddling CQHA!
This breed of Katz will not only shit in her litter box but she'll even sleep in it!
Note the door on the right is not even centered on the steps?
These building are temporary structures, ready to be bulldozed in a few decades for highrises when the waterfront development reaches central Queens.
The latest post from my site. I'm sure Bahar will still find a way to destroy the site and its history, but at least it looks like people like The Queens Crapper are making it harder.
Just spoke to Coucilwoman Katz's office. They are aware of the townhouse situation and according to her office PUT IN A STOP WORK ORDER ON THE SITE.
Hopefully Bahar will observe the stop work order. If you see work being done on the site, call 311 immediately. Tell them you were told a stop work order was on the site, but there is still work being done.
Keep calling Coucilwoman Katz's office at 718-544-8800. Ask for James, he's the one heading up the 72nd Ave. townhouse situation.
If by some miracle this thing is stopped and the townhouse remains, a huge thank you to the unlikely pair of the Queens Crapper (who was writing about this back in February) and Councilwoman Melinda Katz. But that's premature at this point since I have my doubts on Bahar observing the stop work order.
Keep calling Melinda Katz. Her office seemed relieved to be talking to someone under 70 and she needs to know we're paying attention.
What is the point of leaving that one townhouse now? It looks ridiculous....better off demolished, save our energy for rows of intact rowhouses, which are a dime a dozen in this city.
It's the victorian houses that I lose sleep over, not this.
Good luck with James and the rest of her office . . . but don't be too surprised if you stop hearing from them entirely.
The rowhouses are a rarity in Forest Hills, have a significant history, and must be landmarked ASAP!!!!!!!
I think that saving that Victorian mecca in Richmond Hill, for example, is a lot more important than putting all that wasted energy into saving this unimpressive example of a lone survivor.
Just because it's considered old for Forest Hills doesn't make it a preservation sacred cow like the far much older Bowne House in Flushing.
It's tragic..... but a gem pulled out of its original golden setting surrounded by shit ain't worth much.
Katz is just going through the motions taking all those calls and feigning interest!
Just to clarify, I think the stop work order was based on Bahar's submitted plan. He probably just has to tweak it, resubmit it, and he'll continue with the wrecking ball.
I think both the Richmond Hill Victorians and this row house should be saved. It's not an "either or" thing.
Yes...."Forest Hills 72".....in an ideal world BOTH should be saved!
But in "Queens-world".... historic preservationists are know to shoot at every little thing that pops up in its sights.
Then when a really important preservation target appears on the horizon.....they often find that they're out of bullets.....or in this case energy and power!
How many times do you think that you can "rally" the preservation troops for every little flyspeck before they walk away from the whole thing? !!!!
Choose your battles more carefully in the future lest you win a fight but lose the whole war!
Maybe if when Jeff Gottlieb worked as chief of staff for the (then rich and powerful) C.M. Morty Povman he did a little more than "speechify" about the importance of historic preservation in the Forest Hills community it would be a very different story now!
Now we've got C.M. Katz-Krap to contend with!
As "Pogo the Possum" might have said, "....we have met the enemy and he is us...." (or maybe past political administrations and their staff?) !!!!
C-mon you tired old "Central Queens Historical Association"......have you got anything to say about this sorry state of affairs....or far more important....what REAL action you might be thinking of taking?
We'll take your "silence" as meaning NOTHING !
Update: They're going to tear the thing down. Bahar's plans conform to C4-2 zoning and there's nothing Katz's office can do. I just got off the phone with them.
Of course there's nothing that Melinda's office can do....she's been playing Katz and mouse with you guys all along!
Shades of the Trylon!
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