Friday, March 4, 2016

Former Elmhurst Community Garden turned into huge eyesore


Above: before photo from Queens Courier

Below: current site

The owner was in a hurry to kick the kids off the lot and put up a construction fence, but 3 years later, it looks like this? Permit problems?

And how do lots situated right next to each other have different block numbers? And notice the easement passing through them all...

19 comments:

OGCLE said...

Yup, welcome to Craphurst. There are 4 houses on my block that were purchased by developers years ago, and have sat vacant ever since (except for the squatters and/or druggies who keep tearing off the door and window boards). On nearby 43rd Ave, we have a huge empty lot-- a house was torn down in 2011, and ot has since become the community dump (someone even dumped a bag of body parts there-- discovered in April 2014). The "temporary" construction fence is always broken. And speaking of construction fences, for several years there has been one up around the property on the site of the Fertarri Driving School, across from the Rsvlt-74th train station. It has been a canvas for graffiti "artists" until just recently, when some local kids voluntarily painted over it. And as for gardens: ha! A gifted local greenthumb planted a small garden on Woodside Ave and 72nd. But ppldon't seem to want anything nice: this garden attracts dumping and litter galore. It is a very very depressing state of affairs :(

Joe Moretti said...

Typical Queens Bullshit!!!

Everything in Queens (and beyond) in the city has to always look like shit. Having been to many different places in the country, I have to say NYC is the worst.

Anonymous said...

You have to kick the kids off the lot. If one of them falls and scratches his knee you will end up paying for it!

Anonymous said...

yes, what an eyesore. People are constantly dumping garbage, esp construction garbage. I wish the new owners would just let it continue as a community garden until they're ready to build. If you are reading these comments, your neighbors are all wishing you'd reconsider.

(sarc) said...

Looks like the Berlin Wall when the collectivist communists realized Capitalism is a better system...

Anonymous said...

Okay we are sick of Elmhurst being a dumping ground and a developers breeding ground! Please sign and share this petition to rezone the residential sections of Elmhurst to stop over development and retain its character. -Newtown Civic Association https://www.change.org/p/daniel-dromm-save-elmhurst-from-further-destruction-of-homes-character-and-history?recruiter=409505035&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Anonymous said...

Gee. look at this. funny how the people notice it.

But the politicians and their lap dog press? the community board?

The fact of the matter is you do not see this in the other boroughs. NYC is getting nicer and nicer while Queens goes down the tubes - and no one from the rest of the city wants to get involved.

That, coupled with the way our leadership treats us, should tell you how Queens residents are viewed by just about everyone. Now, what are you going to do about it?

Anonymous said...

The social engineers working for city hall...on board pols CBs, etc...are ALLOWING Elmhurst to become a "blight" so it's "troublesome" Latinos lose heart and move. Then a new crop of yuppies (Queens yuppies) can be moved in. Result....a gentrified neighborhood.
"Get rid of our uppity ethnics". That is NYC-REBNY's MO. It has been for decades. NYC is running out of developable land. It is forced to reclaim territory from the wild "Indians" .

JQ LLC said...

How does the media miss this is truly incomprehensible. Can Howard help this or Arnold Diaz shame the dickweed owner?

The only way you will see news vans or reporters there, there would either have to be a slashing or hipshits waiting on line for some disgusting confection to indulge in.

This is why it's important to save community gardens. It's preposterous how they come to landmark some antiquated humongous soda pop sign for the continued cost for it's upkeep, and when a group of people assemble and do something great, nurturing, truly creative and inspirational and could help people eat healthier, they get shit on and rubber stamp a permit to build to a unworthy corrupt pile of shit.



Anonymous said...

Anon 1,maybe the body parts are for Organic Gardening ?

Anonymous said...

"A gifted local greenthumb planted a small garden on Woodside Ave and 72nd. But ppldon't seem to want anything nice: this garden attracts dumping and litter galore. It is a very very depressing state of affairs :("

if you are talking about the gardens that used to be on the side of the LIRR- this is what happened. It had been a shared community garden. Then Koreans from their church on 65th Street and Woodside Avenue took it over for commercial planting. They sold what they grew in local Korean stores. Yes, the sunflowers and other flowers were very nice. BUT then the LIRR evicted everyone and built a huge fence about nine years ago.

As a former tree steward I cleaned out tree pits on my block. The amount of garbage, trash and cigarette butts left in the tree pits is astonishing and a lot of work to keep removing. It dawned on me that I was working for free when there are quite a few city agencies that are paid to do this work. Even the Koreans were cashing on what they were growing on common ground.

The people doing the dumping and littering were , to use the Queensboro Public Library lingo- New Americans. Depressing.

Why is Queens a dumping ground? My friend says it's because we don't have a decent District Attorney like Brooklyn does. I wish I knew. It is depressing to think about too much.

Anonymous said...

Call in the open lot. Call in the downed fencing. Call in the fact that the fence is to be painted green. Call in the fact that there is graffiti. Violations! Takes time but the local community has to be concerned and do the leg work on this.

OGCLE said...

Anon #13: Believe me, I do call 311 all the time tobreport dumping incidents and unsecured empty buildings. The DSNY has been great- they usually pick up the dumping within a day or two. **BTW, I checked the Woodside and 72nd St "Community Garden" this morn, and found that some being left a big ol bottle of urine therein. Very nice.

Anonymous said...

Takes time but the local community has to be concerned and do the leg work on this.
---
horse patutites - you pay taxes for your representatives to do this. this is an enormous f* you to the community by them.

Anonymous said...

How does the media miss this is truly incomprehensible

the pols and developers has made the local media little more than sweetheart resume building for pols and shills for development.

Anonymous said...

Food for thought: Two names appear that have previously been associated with the Huangs.

E-Mail: ANDYCHAU138@YAHOO.COM - allegedly involved in purchase of Queens Blvd. Property where fatal collapse occurred. That property is lying dormant as well. Foundation filled with water and mosquito issue, as well as other health and safety issues.

And: Carmeta Sinclair (possible Huang long time employee) Document on Dept. of Finance states return to: Sinclair

Go to: Dept. Finance for 8105 Kneeland Avenue Queens and see Zoning Lot Description; Agreement with DOB; etc.

Anonymous said...

Call "HOWARD" the news guy! Perhaps he can ask Carmeta Sinclair what she knows about the Zoning Description document that was returned to her. She may be found at the address on the document on NYC DOF or at the Huang offices.

Dan said...

Pathetic.. Queens is continuing its downward spiral to the 3rd world status that the majority of people seem to be ok with.. Good luck to all of us who still want Queens to be a clean & safe place to live!

Anonymous said...

Is there any doubt that Tommy Huang might own a piece of this property? Nada