Monday, July 30, 2007

St. Saviour's: before and after

April 2007:

New York City, the Big Apple, is going green.

In a green vision extravaganza on Earth Day in New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg laid out a blindingly ambitious 25-year plan to turn New York into America's urban green giant by 2030.

A million new trees, green rooftops, new parks...

"If not now, when?" asked the mayor.


On behalf of the people of Maspeth, the Crapper would like to thank you so much for looking out for us, Mr. Mayor! The following photos show just how committed you are to the greening of our neighborhood.

Photo 1: June 2005
Photo 2: July 2007
Photo 3: June 2006
Photo 4: July 2007

Here are more hugs and kisses from the 'hood:

Neighbor decries St. Saviour's tree destruction

Photos from Juniper Park Civic Association

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

A desecration in the name of the Lord. They'll pay for this!

Anonymous said...

Cathy's letter expresses her disappointment but not her defeat.

And, she's so right. This entire rape is about money lining pockets of Bloomberg, Benepe, the waste of council time Gallagher and the others who have profited from this destruction.

And, of course, there's the class thing: Cathy and her neighbors have barbecues, eat hot dogs, hamburgers and drink beer.

No time for cocktail parties, these hard working fellow taxpayers and voters.

It's that hamburger and working thing that repulses Commissar Bloomberg and his band of gang rapists. They much prefer cocktails while enjoying inflicting pain.

Anonymous said...

Sure, on page 8 will be Dee taking pictures for a two page spread of some other innane luncheon with smiling minor political hacks and two-bit developers grinning over the bones of a community.

Anonymous said...

Well at least Clair and Dee and Vicky and Helen and Melinda will wear shoes that match once again assuring us that taste still reigns in Queens.

Anonymous said...

Don't leave out Toady Toby.

Anonymous said...

A temporary restraining order could be filed (if there is any money) to prevent the desecration of the grave sites at St. Saviour's !

The SHPO should intervene in this matter regarding 19th century burials here (possibly earlier....after all this was a Native American site) !

But they're probably also on the take with the rest of the"elected" crooks involved !

Anonymous said...

Maybe contacting the new York State Historic Preservation Office by certified mail (certified copies to LPC, the mayor, all city agencies, etc) and copies to the media regarding the existence of these grave sites is worth a try !

Anonymous said...

When this church goes, write the obit for the landmarks law.

That is a promise.

Anonymous said...

If this isn't rape, what is?

Oh I hope Vicky will put a little photo with 20 words of text somewhere in page 15.

Anonymous said...

The leadership of Queens, community boards, newspapers, politicians have contempt for us.

We have been so nice for so long all we have earned is their scorn. They think we can be manipulated into thinking whatever they want us to believe, and will passively accept whatever they do to us.

Needless to say, the people in the surrounding boroughs pick up on this which is one of the reason no one will help us.

Our revolution, if we are to be saved, has to come from within.

Well, if it doesn't happen over St Saviour's, it will never happen. If the revolution is to start, it might as well be here.

Anonymous said...

How about all those rich fat cats in HDC that live in all those multimillion dollar mansions enjoying a law that protects them and little else.

What your comfortable life to continue? Then file a lawsuit to protect your status and help St Saviours.

How about El Presidente of HDC who made $10,000s of dollars in downzoning studies (that may or may not prove useful over time).

Why don't you show some leadership and give something back to Queens? Start the fund with a donation.

Might even build your resume with some real substance for a change.

Anonymous said...

Didn't the developer agree to keep the church but build around it? What's the story with that?

Anonymous said...

"If the revolution is to start, it might as well be here."

I hope you people start this so-called revolution soon, because before long the bulldozers are going to show up and this property is going to go bye-bye!

Anonymous said...

"I hope you people start this so-called revolution soon, because before long the bulldozers are going to show up and this property is going to go bye-bye!"

So what? That won't stop us! We'll rebuild and replant while Gallagher rots in prison.

Anonymous said...

Look this place was doomed once the Manhattan folks decided, as they usually do, to gang up against us and team up with our politicians/developers. Look how the so called 'Sacred Sites' program stabbed the back of Astoria over the church. This has happened again and again, the only difference is now people are comparing notes and observing a pattern that must have been in place for decades.

It is everyones best interest to keep Queens barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. The understanding set up is that the Manhattan crowd can feast on our portion of grants (and get our politicians to vote for their communities landmarking.) Our politicians can have their way with us (rape is a good word) while the Manhattan crowd is bought off

Can we think of any good reason to keep the system? Is there any reason why the law should not be overturned if St Saviour's bites the dust?

Anonymous said...

FYI, mv ben is really that grand-mother fucken rapist piece of crap named Dennis Pinky Gallagher.

Anonymous said...

"Is there any reason why the law should not be overturned if St Saviour's bites the dust?"

So are you prepared to see St. Saviour's bite the dust, and use that to overturn the law?

"So what? That won't stop us! We'll rebuild and replant while Gallagher rots in prison."

And comments like this makes me believe that you are more interested in beating Gallagher than saving this church!

Which is it?

If the answer is simply, "So what? We can rebuild it, we can make it better (sorry - showing my age here)" then what is all the shouting about "Save St. Saviour"s" you should be shout, "Change the Landmark Law!"

Is this fight about saving this church or not?

If this issue is truly "So what..." in the minds of the people here, then I can understand why this property is going, going, gone!

Maybe there should be a compromise with the developer.... better to save some of the church, then Maspeth ending up with a manure factory on the lot!

Anonymous said...

A land swap woudn't cost the city anything and a 501(c)3 has been set up to pay for the restoration of the buildings. Blue collar businesses are approaching us and offering to donate their time and materials to fix up the church. The replanting of the trees would be paid for by selling them in memory of loved ones.

There's absolutely no excuse to not save this property. It's not up to us to prove why it should be saved. It's up to the city to prove why they should allow the destruction of our history and building on one of our last open spaces. Let's remember, they are accountable to us, not the other way around.

Anonymous said...

A lot of industrial Maspeth is unused. Why couldn't this be the centerpiece of an economic revitalization that will also bring in "millions of dollars of private funding."

Anonymous said...

Pardon the pun, but Jesus Christ that is terrible.

Someone should be beaten with a rake for this.

Anonymous said...

"Maybe there should be a compromise with the developer.... better to save some of the church, then Maspeth ending up with a manure factory on the lot!"

The issue is to make this a park for children and a learning center, not just to save one building. How do you attach a price tag to that?

How is tons of new housing helping the people that live there? Or, in your calculations, they are not important? Lets hear what you have to say...

Anonymous said...

fight this developer with every available resource!!!

Anonymous said...

"And comments like this makes me believe that you are more interested in beating Gallagher than saving this church!"

Why not do both! The community will benefit from both scenarios.

Anonymous said...

mother nature will have her revenge, hmmm, let''s see a nice hurricane, or other natural disater leaving new york in worse shape then new orleans.
then we'll see how much the presious real estate go's for.

Anonymous said...

"Maybe there should be a compromise with the developer.... better to save some of the church, then Maspeth ending up with a manure factory on the lot!"

Sounds like your typical Queens preservationist. There goes the 4 borros, he-haw he-haw.

Anonymous said...

"Maybe there should be a compromise with the developer.... better to save some of the church, then Maspeth ending up with a manure factory on the lot!"

The developer's idea of a "compromise" involved between 70-100 housing unites. Picture 70-100 more cars here. Do you think that's a good idea?

Also, there is really no way to hold the developer to any agreement to preserve the church. If he were to get a zoning change, he can conveniently forget about any compromise, rip the church down and build whatever he wants. This parasite developer has a history of violating building codes and city laws. Why would you think he'd honor any agreement?

Also, no need for a manure factory. The one at 78-25 Metropolitan Ave is over-producing.

Anonymous said...

The excuse that the city doesn't have the money is ludicrous considering the vast budget surplus we've had for years. How about investing a little of that into this neighborhood? You know, the Koreans bought the place for 450,000. If the city had been progressive-minded, they could have beat the developer to the punch and saved the property as a park years ago. But hey, this is Queens, and Maspeth no less! Why do that?

Anonymous said...

If the city had left the entire M1 district in the industrial IBZ, we wouldn't be having this problem right now. If the city had landmarked this site, we wouldn't be having this problem right now. The city has options at its disposal to remedy the situation, and ones that won't cost a dime. But will they use them? No. It's more of a priority to help a foreign developer come in and rip the heart out of a community.

Anonymous said...

Hey...."anonymous"....criticizing "El Presidente'......

P.G. made his bones well over 15 years ago tirelessly working for historic preservation in Queens.....PRO BONO !

So now he's finally getting properly paid for the professional zoning work he's currently engaged in (at about 1/3 the going market rate I might add).

The bulk of these zoning studies have already been adopted by City Planning.

He was elected president of HDC....years after receiving their "Grass Roots' award for neighborhood preservation.

What did you personally accomplish in the grass roots dept. except, perhaps just watch it grow....eh ? !!!

Anonymous said...

"Also, no need for a manure factory. The one at 78-25 Metropolitan Ave is over-producing."

How about the one on Queens Blvd in Kew Gardens?