Thursday, April 17, 2014

Mount Manresa trees sent to wood chipper


From DNA Info:

Workers started to cut down the nearly 400-year-old trees at the former Jesuit retreat house Mount Manresa on Tuesday morning, a day after a temporary restraining order stopping development of the site was lifted.

The Savo Brothers were slapped with a week-long temporary stop work order by Judge Moulton on April 8 to keep the site whole while protestors argued in court that the 15-acre site should be landmarked and that environmental studies are needed.

However, on Monday the judge denied the injunction to continue the stop on work until court hearings finish.

The $15 million sale of the site — which has historic buildings and 400-year-old trees — to the Savo Brothers from the Jesuits was finalized in February. Protesters have unsuccessfully campaigned to reverse the sale.

The developers plan to build 250 housing units at the site, the Staten Island Advance reported, but the Committee to Save Mount Manresa hoped the city would landmark it and turn it into a park.


Boy, doesn't this sound familiar?

Where is the LPC?

Where are the elected officials?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wanna bet tha Savo Bros wrote some checks out to politicians ? You know, the old pay to plau routine....

Anonymous said...

the Landmarks Law should be overturned.

It takes public taxes that benefits a tiny elite who live in designated districts.

That elite stands aside and does nothing to correct our council reps as they bullshit us that landmarking is bad.

In exchange, those same council reps vote to expand districts already designated.

Nice deal that benefits both sides and leaves 90% of us with the tax bill.

Anonymous said...

That's really sad! Those trees were alive along with the Pilgrims and Thomas Jefferson.

I can only imagine that cheap guinea shit these developers will put up. You can buy land and destroy it but you can't buy taste.

Wanna bet that the judge is totally in their back pocket? Time for an investigation?

J said...

this only strenghtens the argument of scientists and rational people on man's effects on climate change,and the blatant arrogance that is displayed.

those "developers" or "creators" and their toady "contractors" should be have their legs cut off.

shame on that pussy judge for lifting that ban.

those people are wrong in hoping the zero vision mayor would help them,this is what he thinks will benefit the poor and working class by building bigger.This bullshit utopia of the minions living amongst the high end.these buildings are modern day downton abbeys.

The Blaz has no hangups about this.

Anonymous said...

The two of you undermine your own points when you use words like "guinea" and "pussy" to describe things you dislike.

Time to be more productive with your emotions.

Otherwise, you alienate people who are potentially in agreement with you.

ron s said...

Why aren't all 400 year old trees landmarked?

Anonymous said...

Its all ok though. I'm sure there will be some affordable housing in there. That's the only thing that matters in this city anymore.

Anonymous said...

The Brothers took the money and ran. They could have handed iover for public use, but they wanted the cash. The developers get away with murder when it comes to get preferential treatment but we need to start holding the people who sell to them as accountable as well.