"Many of our Queens neighborhoods are being transformed from lovely residential communities to overcrowded and ugly suburbs. Overdevelopment, destruction of historic landmarks, continual building code violations at construction sites, etc. Elmhurst is no exception. THIS HAS TO STOP!
Greedy developers are taking advantage of outdated NYC zoning regulations and transforming Elmhurst into an overcrowded and overdeveloped suburb. Of course they don’t care since they won’t be living here! Just take a look at a sample of these past Elmhurst sales and conversions:
These are just a sampling of what is happening to Elmhurst. So why are we writing this article? As you can see from the above examples, 4 one family homes were destroyed and the new replacement buildings became 40 families → 4 = 40 !!!!
Here are the problems created by uncontrolled overdevelopment:
Shortage of street parking
Overpopulated schools
Overtaxed Public Transportation
Subway & Buses
Strain on Public Services / Infrastucture
Sewer & drainage
Sanitation
Police / Fire / Ambulances
Traffic congestion
Overdevelopment
Overcrowding
Destruction of neighborhood character
Loss of historical homes
So what can we do? For starters, we are forming an organization to inform Elmhurst residents of current events - both good and bad. We will work with the NYC agencies to develop a more current plan for urbanization. We will study the impact of overdevelopment and be a neighborhood watchdog. We will help the residents with complaints (building, sanitation, traffic, etc.) and be their voice to the authorities. We will work with the local civic groups to coordinate activities.
We will be a voice for preservation and protection of Elmhurst!
We will also be publishing a new Elmhurst newsletter to inform the community of ongoing and future developments. They will be distributed through the Newtown Civic Association (next meeting on Monday, Nov. 28 at 8pm). We will have articles on past, current and future events, research on historical sites and most importantly, the preservation of Elmhurst."
17 comments:
Blame the zoning.
Blame a bunch of crooked pols, shady borough presidents , and a series of mayors who take bundles of cash from the REBNY folks.
Look at who lives in Elmhurst.
Pack 'em in tighter. That land is "underutilized".
That's the way REBNY sees it.
Good luck with your endeavors.
I for one, am sick of these balconies. What views can you possibly enjoy from there but of the asphalt.
Just look at corona! Not only overcrowding and parking, but exploitation of renters rent , failing schools, crime, etc...
Next door to my family home, once stood a 2 family on a double lot, then came 24 1 br apartments at @$1800 per month! Each apartment had 1 10x10 bedroom, a 12x10 living eating area, and a 6x6 kitchen.
I left corona 9 years ago, now they knocked down 15 homes , and added over 100 apartments on 1 block!
That first picture posted, the green house, on the deep double lot, across of newtown field, should have had landmark status long ago. But it is a sizable property surrounded by other buildings. Why cant developers build something classy, historic, leave a mark?
Good luck Elmhurst! You bunch of racist xenophobes!
/sarcasm.
Good luck Elmhurst, your problem is all of Queens problem. We have allowed the City and our politicians to be owned by REBNY and they will never stop until the entire population of NYC is living like hamsters in our micro apartments and taking bicycles to our jobs.
I think they are ugly and I think the zoning laws should not allow an apartment building to go up right up against single family homes. We also need a lot more housing.
But, we need to stop saying developers are greedy. They are being developers. They make money developing and they use the options they have available to them.
I agree that developers need to "develop". Just be reasonable and not completely destroy a neighborhood with overdevelopment. I know it may only be a handful of developers who are circling pieces of property like animals in the wild waiting to go in for the kill.
You may want to contact Queens Civic Congress and consider becoming a member to express your concerns in a collaborative and constructive forum.
http://www.nycqcc.org/Contact.aspx
They want that area because it is very close to mass transportation.
They are knocking down old homes for these huge apartments and another one is going up where the old EAB bank was.
Yes huge overcrowding and limited parking.
Not enough food stores to meet the demands they are putting on areas.
I no longer go up that way...too many transients,
Crazy traffic congestion due to the bike lanes and the parking is a nightmare.
Sorry to say I head out East to do most of my mall shopping. Agree you may pay more but parking is free.
I remember as a young lad in the late 1950s early 1960s when the Elmhurst area boarded by Junction Blvd on the east, Broadway on the west, Corona Ave on the south and Roosevelt was destroyed by the tearing down of beautoiful Queen Anne and Victorian houses on huge lots to construct 2 family row homes and 6 story apartment houses. Now the south side is being completely destroyed. This is an area that is completely devoid of any urban planning. Everything is up for grabs and anything goes here. It's like a 3rd world city with maybe a little better quality in the construction.
Doing it in Woodside near St Mary's.
All these apartments
All this overcrowding
Eventually one family homes will be fading to apartments.
Nice homes will be torn down
Remember those nice homes on 69 Street now look what is there! Brick nightmares with staircases only the young of heart can run up.
Those homes were lovely.
More apartment complexes you need more food stores...Shop Rite or Price Chopper.
Not just Stop and Shop and Keyfood.
More schools. Parking and less hotels. We do not need hotels here. As you see the mayor does not believe we have tourism here. So elimate them.
With Trump coming in maybe some of these homeless people will find jobs and rid themselves from the homeless shuffle. Maybe a few will leave the USA because it's no longer a sanctuary city.
Blame the BSA. They perpetuate this problem everywhere.
http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/11/plan_approved_to_build_four_ho.html#incart_river_home_pop
Queens Civic Congress?
LMAO.
An emasculated wannabee group who fight amongst themselves.
How will they unite against Goliath?
I an lighting a voo doo candle. Maybe I will see some positive result.
Comments ignore that if resident home owners love the area so much, why do they sell out? It's different when it's a vacant lot. There was talk that the green house was deliberately burned down.I don't know, but that's criminal and deplorable. I lucked into living in a single family detached on quiet street 4 years ago..because somebody sold. But I appreciate what it is and wouldn't change it. You guys are hand wringing uselessly....Manhattan used to have stifle family homes too, a century ago. What the neighborhood doesn't need is luxury co-ops. Small multi unit residences housing four families or less are fine, there are a healthy blend of those ago over, mixed in in streets with regular old style homes. Guess what, those families don't have cars, pay taxes, and keep local businesses alive. Old residents provide stability, new residents vitality, you need to focus on keeping the area low-rise, and back filling empty areas...not tearing down existing homes, agreed, and, if you're a home owner of the later, don't sell out! Or else don't complain. I don't mind that immigrant communities come here- they're hard working and solidly middle class. I just hope their westernized children don't gentrify the hood. I'd rather have them than hipsters or yuppies coming from western side of city, or rich entitled enclaves that you see further east.
Please come to the NOV.28th Newtown Civic meeting at Memorial Hall League at 8pm. https://www.facebook.com/newtowncivic/ Like us on facebook too. Someone will be giving flyers out about this issue. Or please email nextforelmhurst@gmail.com for info and volunteers are needed. The city isn't going to help us, we the residents need to come together to fix this issue, which no one has done in a looonnng time!
To respond to some comments:
Tommy R said...
Tommy R you are right people are selling and it's usually the kids or family members when someone dies. The green historic house was sold to developers by the nieces and nephews the home was willed to. That is one problem. The other problem is blockbusting being done by Chinese real estate, going around weird hours, harassing people, and like vultures trying to grab these homes. Which somethings being done are illegal. Call the police, take pictures of people harassing you, get their card, save flyers and send copies to your councilman and your senator. Imagine if eveyone did this! Some houses never go on the market or a family doesn't have a fair chance to buy it! The other major problem is the zoning in some areas of Queens have never been changed since in place in 1961 or hasn't changed much to protect the residential sections of neighborhoods. these so called luxury condos are not luxury and the zoning is in between something that isn't protection the neighborhood so it is allowing for these horrible built buildings taking places of homes. These buildings are asthmatically terrible looking and does nothing to better the community. All it brings is deter people from wanting to love here, who may be a family and will contribute to bettering the community. Such as supporting businesses, joining civics or groups, being better landlords, homeowners, etc.
Also anyone on here saying developers need to develop or stop calling them greedy, the development going on in Elmhurst, Woodside, and Corona aren't well to do or billionaire developers they are just trying to make money building crap and easy buildings without any thought process, building in Manhattan or Brooklyn are a different caliber, well built and better looking those are real developers not the ones we have here in Elmhurst!
The facts are that Chinese developers are raping these parts of queens. If you support the queens democratic machine you where always on the wrong side. Those of us "New Yorkers" still here WILL be gone in the next tens weather you like or not.
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