Friday, April 13, 2012

Developer will pay to test for Quaker graves

From the Queens Chronicle:

Members of the Quaker Meeting House in Flushing are breathing a sigh of relief after a developer behind their property removed a utility pole and fence he had put on sacred burial ground dating back more than 300 years.

The Queens Chronicle broke the story in its March 29 edition that Pinnacle Engineering, without members’ knowledge or permission and without conducting necessary archeological tests, had erected a construction fence four feet onto the cemetery property. Even more invasive was the utility pole, as Quakers feared it had been drilled into graves.

The Chronicle sent photographs to the city Landmarks Preservation Commission, which contacted the developer and told him to immediately remove the pole or face a fine. The pole was taken out expeditiously and the construction fence relocated shortly after.

On Monday, members of the meeting house met with the project’s owner, Jeff Huang, representatives from the LPC and area officials for an update. Cheshire Frager, a member of the Flushing Quakers, said two archeological studies will be made to determine if any remains have been disturbed.

First, an archeologist will sift through the ground to see if anything has been disturbed and then sonar soundings will be taken to determine if there are any bones in the disturbed area. “It is a noninvasive procedure and Huang has agreed to pay for the archeology work,” Frager said.

In addition, the archeologist will report to the LPC, not the developer. Any construction work at or near a historic graveyard must be approved by the LPC. It usually involves archeological testings.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

The curse of the Huangs!

First it was the landmark RKO Keith's Theater that was sacked by the notorious Tommy Huang back in 1986.

Decades later we stroll across to the south side of Northern Boulevard...and come upon one of the most important historic sites in our nation...the Old Quaker Meeting house.

A Mr. Jeff Huang...owner of the development site directly behind the Quaker cemetery...might have been responsible for violating centuries old graves.

Are the 2 Huangs related?

Who can tell?

Anonymous said...

Yep...
Jeff Huang...the sequel to Tommy Huang!

Too many Huangs hangin' around Flushing.

Time to re-name it "Huang Kong"!

Anonymous said...

So,
the "illustrious" Bowne descendants are up in arms.

They sure talk up a good game but can't seem to play worth a damn!

Look at the current sorry condition of Bowne House.

Many of these Bowne offspring sat around for years, resting on their family name, while "their old farmstead" fell into ruin.

Where was the outrage?
Where was Rosemary Vietor?

Then, Bowne house was allowed to be sold off to the city, when it should have become federal property.

Anonymous said...

So after the fact...
this "repentant" developer...
is opening up his deep pockets to pay for the testing.

Thanks, Jeff...
but we think that IT WAS REQUIRED by law!

And (snicker, snicker) thank you LPC for your "most prompt" attention to this matter.

If that news story hadn't broken you wouldn't have bothered to book passage on the #7 line to far away Queens.

Bravo to the "Chronicle" that first broke this story.

Thank you sincerely, Liz Rhoades!

It's good to see that there is still a real weekly newspaper left in Queens and an editor who's on top of things.

The Flushing Phantom said...

Now watch the blame game ensue.

Owner, Jeff Huang will blame Pinnacle Engineering.

Then Pinnacle will state that they were just following Huang's orders.

"Round and round she goes and where she stops nobody knows"!

Anonymous said...

I think we've all
had a belly full of Huangs!

Anonymous said...

Is this the same Jeff Huang that was a "bundler" for John Liu's campaign?

Anonymous said...

Bring on the feds!

After all, THIS IS a national historic landmark...equal in status to the Statue of Liberty.

Locals can be trusted only as far
as they're being watched by the U.S. government.

BTW,
where is Congressman Ackerman, our great lame duck representative?

Gary, I can't hear you!

Alas,
Flushing is like Deadwood when it comes to disregard for the law!

Federal "marshaling" is required on this!

Anonymous said...

"Pinnacle is to blame. No, Huang is to blame"...vice versa and verse vice-ah!

Sounds like a Chinese fire drill.

Did someone say vice....ahhhh?
Vice is nice...massagee, massagee, massagee.

And not a peep out of the (whore ads) "Queens Tribune".

Maybe Michael Nussbaum is a pal of Jeff Huang.

Vincent Van Gone said...

Love the artwork!

Anonymous said...

More immigrants:

- NOT respecting our laws

- NOT respecting the history of the United States and holding it as historically important

- paying off the D.O.B. AGAIN

- producing construction damage and then letting the incompetent city bureaucracy take care of the aftermath, knowing full well, it cannot

Anyone here want to refute this?

NO, YOU CANNOT.

Anonymous said...

LOL!
Please don't offend the Orientals.

We must all kow-tow to our new Asiatic overlords.

They bring in boatloads of money to the Queens Democratic party machine.

Where has Congressman Ackerman gotten his shirts, shorts and political campaign $$$$$ laundered over the years?

John Liu wasn't the first to receive overseas funding.

Jerry Rotondi said...

About 15 years ago I once referred to Queens as the "wild west" for developers.

Since then my phrase has caught on--to be used by many others.

Yet after viewing 2 seasons of "Deadwood"--I'm inclined to agree with that anonymous poster who proclaimed Flushing to be akin to "Deadwood".

Bravo!

I'm going to use that from now on--with your kindly permission-- that is.

Anonymous said...

But who is
the "Al Swearingen" character's counterpart
in "Flushing-Deadwood"...
Chuck Apelian?

He's dark 'n mean lookin' enough...
and he certainly wheels 'n deals behind everyone's back for his own gain.

I wonder if the Quakers got a phone call from CB#7 regarding this travesty.

Perhaps only developers are on the CB's speed-dial list.

Jerry Rotondi said...

P.S.

I'm glad that "Vincent Van Gone" likes my latest visualization.

Now don't cut your ear off with excitement.

Save that sharp edge for another use.

Anonymous said...

What do the freaking Quakers do for anyone but themselves???? Let's sit back and watch as the Chinese and Korean take over and invade the Meeting House like they plan to.

Anonymous said...

Wah, wah, wah!

Go eat some Quaker Oats to lower your blood pressure and stop jerking our chains, previous poster.

Anonymous said...

Xenophobe!

The "Chinese and Koreans" aren't interested in "taking over or invading" the meeting house...
except for a few who enjoy peaceful worship there each Sunday.

Go get a real life and bury your blind hatred.

Anonymous said...

Wattsa matta fella...
too lazy or incompetent to wipe your own bum so you want the Quakers to do it for you?

Jealousy and rage
won't keep your ass clean.