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From the
Times Ledger:
Tenants of the historic Klein farm in Fresh Meadows accepted responsibility for cutting down trees and altering the driveway of the property without permits at a hearing Tuesday.
A stop-work order and a violation had been issued to the property’s owner, Audrey Realty, by the city Department of Buildings in December for “illegal tree removal, work without a permit” and “substantial modification of existing landscaping in a special district,” according to the DOB.
Ziming Shen, who owns the Preschool of America that occupies the farm, at 194-15 73rd Ave., attended the Environmental Control Board hearing instead of the property’s owner, Henry Huang, son of notorious Queens developer Thomas Huang.
Shen acknowledged that at least two trees had been cut down and the driveway had been altered, but insisted it was to ensure the safety of the children who attended the facility.
“We tried to do our best. We don’t know exactly what kind of special zoning it is,” he said. “We want to provide a safe environment for our children and parents.”
It was not known how many trees were removed.
The Klein farm, Queens’ last family-owned working farm, sits in the Fresh Meadows Special Planned Community Preservation District, meaning no substantial changes can be made to the property without the consent of the City Planning Commission.
Shen contended the trees were cut down because of damage Superstorm Sandy had caused and because one tree was hollow inside and infested with raccoons.
One of Shen’s employees, Stephanie Zhu, gave testimony at the hearing and said she tried to get in touch with city agencies to get permission to cut down the trees at the direction of Shen’s wife, Joanne Fan.
She claimed she spoke to someone at DOB on the phone as well as the city Parks Department, who told her she did not need their permission. She said she also sent letters to the two agencies requesting permission to cut down the trees. She said she did not follow up in person, but received an e-mail response from a Parks official.
But she did not attempt to contact the City Planning Commission, which would be the proper authority to contact, said Vivian Currie, the attorney representing DOB.
From the
Queens Chronicle:
Summonses have been issued to Audrey Realty Corp., owners of Klein farm at 194-15 73 Ave., for two separate violations following the illegal removal of trees.
According to the Department of Buildings, the first hearing, which will be held at the Queens Business Center at 144-06 94 Ave. in Jamaica, is set for Jan. 28 and addresses a violation for working without a permit, citing the illegal tree removal and extension of a driveway. The standard fine is for $800 with a default of $4,000.
The second hearing, which is for a zoning violation for modification of the landscape, is scheduled for Feb. 4. An $800 fine is also set with a default of $4,000. Both hearings can be avoided if the owners admit to the violations and pay the fines by Jan. 21 and Jan. 27, respectively.
From the
Queens Chronicle:
The Department of Buildings and the city Planning Commission decided this week that removal of trees in a Fresh Meadows Special Planned Community Preservation District constitutes substantial modification.
The word “substantial” had been debated for a week before the DOB took action against the owner of the former Klein farm for cutting down several large shade trees on the 2.5-acre property at 194-15 73 Ave.
An Environmental Control Board violation was issued Wednesday for the significant modification of an existing landscape at the site in violation of zoning, according to DOB spokeswoman Kelly Magee. The ticket cites illegal removal of trees.
No date has been set for the ECB hearing and possible fines were expected to be determined later this week.
The site is owned by Audrey Realty, a firm of convicted developer Thomas Huang. Henry Huang, his son, denied knowledge of the tree removal last week.
Marie Adam Ovide, Community Board 8 district manager, said Huang may be forced to plant large trees to replace those felled.
From
SI Live:
The immediate issue of concern is the massive, partially built residence at 64 Annfield Ct. on Todt Hill, located in a Special Natural Area District, with its 280- by 130-foot property bordering city-owned Chapin Woods.
Runoff from the excavated hillside, with its uprooted trees and stripped vegetation, has caused a nearby natural creek in the woods to erode and widen. This, in turn, has dramatically lowered the level of one of the three ponds in Reed’s Basket Willow Swamp Park over the past three or four years.
The Buildings Department had the Annfield Court site on its radar last year, but only after the damage to the hillside was a done deal.
“In August 2010, we audited the professionally certified new building plans for the two-story, one-family home under construction, and found that the plans failed to comply with the Special Natural Area District’s requirements,” spokesperson Ryan Fitzgibbon told the Advance last Friday.
“As a result, the Department revoked the new building application’s approval and the new building permit, and issued a full stop-work order to the site,” she added.
The stop-work order remains in effect until the building plans for 64 Annfield Ct. are revised and brought into compliance with Special Natural Area District regulations.
