Its truly ugly edifice is worthy of a fantasy thrashing. But the building at 119-60 Metro- politan Avenue in Kew Gardens racked up some very real fines for the following infractions:QUESTIONABLE CONSTRUCTION. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ABOVE ADDRESS APPROVED PLANS AND CONSTRUCTION WORK NOTED MEAL -C-JOIST ON 1ST FL. TO BE 24" ON CENTER. CELLAR PLAN HAS 1ST FL JOIST AND IS CONTINUOUS THROUGHOUT.
WORK DOES NOT CONFORM TO APPROVED PLANS.NOW CONFORMING WORK NOTED;PLANS CALL FOR AN UN EXCAVATED AREA.UPON INSPECTION THE UNEXCAVATED AREA IS NOW A CRAWL SPACE.REMEDY;AMEND APPROVED PLANS OR CONFORM TO APPROVE
FAILURE TO SAFEGUARD AND PUBLIC AND PROPERTY AFFECTED BY CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS.UPON INSPECTION AT ABOVE PROPERTY BUILDING WAS ERECTED,CONSTRUCTION SITE OPEN TO PUBLIC AND NO SAFETY NET ERECTED
NO GUARD RAILS.UPON THE INSPECTION AT THE ABOVE PROPERTY BUILDING WAS ERECTED TO 4 FL AND NO GUARD RAILS TO PROTECT FROM FALLING INTO DEEP OPENING.REM:PROVIDE GUARD RAILS AS PER CODE.
FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION FOR SIDEWALK AND WALK WAYS DURING CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS UNSAFE PRACTICE NOTED STORAGE OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS ON SIDE WALK IN AN UNSAFE MANNER. MATERIALS ON SIDE WALK.
WORK WITHOUT A PERMIT. WORK NOTED IN ACCORDING TO VIOLATION NUMBER 02-23-00 C09BA02 CONTRACTOR SHOULD BUILD 8' FENCE AT WEST SIDE, REPLACE PART OF FENCE IN DANGER OF COLLAPSING AND REOPEN GATE. PERMIT 400945439 A
FAILURE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION FOR SIDEWALKS AND WALKWAYS DURING CONSTRUCTION OPERATIONS.MISSING 8"FENCE AT THE WEST SIDE GATE OPENING OUTSIDE MAKING OBSERVATION FOR PEDESTRIANS.
FAILURE TO PROVIDE APPROVED PLANS AT PREMISES AT TIME OF INSPECTION. PERMIT#400945439NB.REMEDY:PROVIDE APPROVED PLANS.
JOB SITE FENCE DEFECTIVE. DEFECT FENCE IS MISSING A 4' SECTION AND A16 SECTION AT REAR OF CONSTRUCTION SITE. REPAIR AND OR REPLACE FENCE.
Despite all this, construction was permitted to continue for more than 3 years. It's quite lucrative to own a property situated on a corner and include a "community facility" on the ground floor. There were 2 small homes here previously - one 1- and one 2-family house. Now, there are 12 units plus the offices.Old photo from A Picture History of Kew Gardens. (Visit the link for an excellent history of the site, including Lefty Gomez!!)
13 comments:
A balcony of this building has a potted plant on it. How wonderful!
Who was the developer? I think everyone should know the name of the person that owns the company that builds such horrible ugly crap.
I live right across the street and have to endure looking at this EVERY day. Though it's a fairly new construction the stairs leading to the main entrance of the apt units had to be redone a few months ago as they were literally crumbling away. Very bad and seemingly unsafe construction.
gee, will the newspapers write about this.
HOW ABOUT SOMEONE WRITING A LETTER TO THE EDITOR ABOUT THIS BUILDING TO VICKY'S NEWSPAPER? SHE LOVES TO ATTRACT BUILDERS TO OUR COMMUNITIES LIKE A PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS. LAST WEEKS HOT LITTLE ISSUE WAS LITTLE MORE THAN A LOVE FEST WITH DEVELOPERS.
Perhaps development from the public's perspective? That would be 'news' to her!
It's hard to believe this is only a year old. And what's with all the stains on the front?
Anyone living in this crappy building has got to get sick to their stomach when taking a good look at the building. So maybe the "stains" on it are vomit.
Why are you suprised? This is in CB1, the community board from hell. They are in favor of development. The politicans look the other way and the newspapers refuse to publish this (afterall, those full page ads for the
Pitts-illi buildings need plenty of space.
This is in Old Astoria, the community Goodwill is trying to erase from the map by calling it 'Two-Coves.'
Every year 2 or 3 150 year old homes get torn down and it doesn't even get a blip by the preservation community (who are sooo busy landmarking cemetaries, libraries and housing projects.)
Any home that is upwards of 150 years should automatically be given tentative landmark status, requiring developers to have to go before a lot of (real) review boards (and us too!) when seeking to convert or alter the home when it goes on the market.
Lefty Gomez, pitcher for the NY Yankees from 1930-1942 "once stopped a World Series game to watch an airplane fly overhead." What a character, and terrific (pre-steroids) pitcher.
Where is Queens Civic Congress? The point is they should stop downzoning stupid little spots here and there and take in the whole picture. All it does is enriches 'planners' and in the long run, accomplishes little. Just ask the folks in Brooklyn how well that works.
Get some vision guys! There is more to this boro than your (little) backyards!
Queens is under assault everywhere. Why don't you do your job and address this problem boro wide? After all, you call yourselves the QUEENS Civic Congress, eh?
Hey "anonymous ...where is Queens civic Congress?" poster.
Are you a member?
Do you really know what they're doing around the borough?
Do you actually live in Queens ?
Have you ever recently invited them to one of your meetings in....is it.... Astoria ? (Yes, we suspect that these complaints are "blowing"in from the West) !
And what have you personally done that "enriches" your community in your own "little backyards"?
Some work while others jerk !
"I live right across the street and have to endure looking at this EVERY day."
So true. My grandma and aunt on 84th Ave. near the corner of Brevoort St. have had to look at the proto-crap, Fedders specials (2-3 conjoined, 3-story mutations) since the early '70s, replacing the classic residence with the comfortably nestled, once-desirable corner lot with an Albon Mann-style Victorian beauty with a built-in greenhouse/porch -- back when it was a real planned community. (But the proliferation of apartment buildings off Lefferts made such a sizeable lot subject to multi-family zoning.) Luckily, she had dozens of years enjoying the former view. And thankfully, there are still remnants of the revered, traditional style in the vicinity.
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