Monday, May 20, 2013

Stable that helps cancer patients likely to be replaced by crap

From the Queens Tribune:

For more than 100 years, a barn and horse stable have sat at the end of Auburndale Lane in Auburndale. Now known as the Western Riding Club Stables of Queens, the location has become a community facility for the neighborhood. However, the structure is in danger of being sold.

The landlord, John Lightstone, has decided to sell the property, which includes the barn, the stable and unused land. Joy Tirado, who is in charge of the land, has been given the right of first refusal, but she has also only been given 10 business days to come up with a down payment of $60,000. In order to save her stable, Tirado has gotten help from State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside), who is trying to get it landmarked, as well as from the community.

According to Tirado, she received a letter from Lightstone on May 3, dated April 30, about the sale of the .27 acres of land at 169-38 Pidgeon Meadow Road. The letter said that she had until May 19 at 3 p.m. to come up with the $60,000 down payment if she wanted to keep the stable and the surrounding property. The rest of the $800,000 total price tag would have to be paid in full by mid-August. Tirado has had no opportunity to work with the landlord.

“He has made it very clear that he wants no communication with me. The first hand-delivered letter of offer was left on my car windshield,” she said. “The original offer from the buyers was not included so I don’t know what the original offer truly is.”

The land has R2A zoning, which is single family detached. According to District 19 candidate and civic leader Paul Graziano, if the property is sold, about four houses could be squeezed into the space. If Tirado is unable to come up with the funds or if the location is not landmarked, she faces eviction.


From the Queens Courier:

“We need to maintain this horse stable here that has been a major factor within this community because its historical value is immeasurable,” said Tirado, who adopts rescue horses.

She also offers free therapeutic services every day to about 20 youths, seniors and cancer patients.

“It’s a wonderful community resource that unfortunately we may lose,” said State Senator Tony Avella. “We don’t do enough to preserve the unique character and history of each neighborhood.”

Avella called for the city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission to review the barn for landmark designation.

“The stable brings us back to the days when all of Queens was farmland,” he said. “To this day, it remains one of the few stables left within a residential community.”

Nearly 200 people have signed an online petition to save the barn by giving it landmark status.

“This is a real heritage,” said Beverly McDermott, president of the Kissena Park Civic Association. “If the city had half a heart and any brains, they would give [Lightstone] fair purchase price for this property and run it as a facility for children and for adults who need special therapy.”

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another slice of nyc gone............i can't wait to leave this place.........

Anonymous said...

I remember the pony rides on Oak Avenue across the street from Kissena Park!

Anonymous said...

Instead of complaining people do something about it. Deamnd

First, a tiny fraction of institutions in this borough gets the lion's share of support from city council. This has to stop. When you are at a certain level you need to step up to the plate and do what they do across the river - figure out how to do fund raising yourself without depending on the public tit.

Second, money is allocated in Queens not based on talent or creativity, but on targeting interest groups, providing photo ops, and encouraging the development of certain communities by providing cultural amenities. Explains why tons of money are thrown at the exotic and obscure - sort of explains those ads to the Gay Questioning and Transgender Pacific Islander cohort that we have seen around town or how moneys go to some mystery institutions whose line-up and talent in no way justifies lavish funding.

Finally we just settle for the second rate. Will not name names and venues, but compare Off B'way and BAM with Theater in the Park and you can begin to understand what we mean.

Both the public and the cultural community need to apply pressure on our electeds to be responsible with our taxes.

If a pol wants to favor some local no talent group then let him get his developer buddies to support it.

Anonymous said...

Another slice of nyc gone............i can't wait to leave this place.........

You are so Queens in your response.... can't wait for you to go ...

Anonymous said...

Puhleeze...
another "landmarking" effort to be promptly ignored by Mary Beth Bitch, director of research, at the LPC?

Are there any better solutions forthcoming?

Maybe a TRO needs to be filed, so that the community that "LOVES" this place can raise the money to buy it!

MONEY TALKS & BULLSHIT WALKS!
That's the way the cookie crumbles.
I didn't write the rules of the game.

Anonymous said...

The cash rich American Cancer Society squanders enough money to pay their CEO. Can't they help out?

Damn it!
If I were younger, I'd re-mortgage my house to lend the money necessary for the down payment.

Anonymous said...

Just like the St Saviours, the Bowne House, Niedersteins, Steinway Mansion, etc.

What the hell is wrong with our leadership in Queens - political, cultural, social?

We whine and wring our hands and shrug and go back business as usual.

Anonymous said...

Landmark something in Queens? They don't do that. It is only done in Brooklyn or Manhattan.
I'm sure the developers are already lining up to build some more brick box sh*t.

Anonymous said...

So why doesn't the community go on a tear - there are lots of cultural institutions in that part of the borough which could raise a stink.

Dare them to cut you funding if you come to bat for cancer kids and the like.

A lot of the pol's power over you is bluff - and their ability to get your neighbor to do their dirty work.

If everyone stands up they will back down.

Jerry Rotondi said...

Very true, last poster.

Pols count votes.
If EVERYONE stands UNITED, they will be forced to do your bidding.

If not, you will continue to be a politician's doormat!

Jerry Rotondi said...

Very true--last poster!

Politicians count votes.
If EVERYONE stands UNITED they will do your bidding.

If not, you will be their doormats.

Remember YOU are your pol's EMPLOYER--not his SERVANT!

Find your "balls" and use them!

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous #1; I agree with you ~ can't wait toi leave this sad state of attitude in this place...just as my neighbor can't stay off/away from my lawn. Yes about 6 inches is on their side of "the property line" but its attached to the rest of my lawn and belongs to the owner of My house, since 1958, with no previous problems.