Friday, September 30, 2016

Community opposes church on steroids

From Sunnyside Post:

Community members and church leaders clashed at a Community Board 2 public hearing Tuesday about altering zoning regulations to make way for a mega church in Woodside.

The Universal Church, located at 68-03 Roosevelt Avenue, held the public hearing in conjunction with Community Board 2 to allow residents to provide feedback on its proposed expansion, which would nearly double its height and triple its square footage.

The majority of the approximately 50 people in attendance spoke strongly against the project.

Community members expressed concerns with the size, scope, and scale of the project, as well as concerns over how it could affect traffic and transportation issues, could bring in gentrification and impact small businesses in the neighborhood, and could have negative consequences for those residing nearby.

Those in attendance also noted the Universal Church’s reputation for preaching a “prosperity gospel,” which encourages parishioners to give money to the church, combining tactics from religious sermons with self-help seminars.

The proposed church would be the East Coast headquarters for the Universal Church, an international network of churches based in Brazil with over 6,000 locations worldwide, with a dozen in New York City alone.

The zoning on the church property currently allows it to build up to 45 feet tall, and it is required to have 30 feet between its building and the property line. The requested variances would waive those requirements, allowing the church to build up to 79 feet tall and out to 10 feet from the property line.

Though not addressed at the meeting, information provided by the church indicates that if the zoning variances are denied, the church will still build a new structure that complies with current zoning laws.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well in my opinion, atleast it is better than an oversized mosque.

Anonymous said...

There was a time when Americans (Teddy Roosevelt, trust buster) criticized big business.
Now we have big churches. Oops....aren't they really the same thing?

Anonymous said...

What exactly makes this place qualify as a church?

Sounds like a ghettoized Tony Robbins scam just out to defraud the uneducated, unwashed masses - and boy did they come to the right place!

(sarc) said...

This supposed "Church" is a shakedown operation targeting the poor.
It uses its money and influence to institute hardcore leftist ideologies and involves itself very deeply into politics.

A large church at this location would be beautiful.

However this is not a church, but a political money laundering organization.

This will just help to greater secure the current one party political system ingrained in the City...

Anonymous said...

Ahh, yes, 'The Faith Business.' Tax the churches and you will see these behemoths instantly collapse under the crushing weight of their own monstrous, greed, graft and total bastion of hypocrisy.

America is deprived of $80 Billion a year that could be collected from these pious frauds——especially given that churches insist on dictating policy that betrays the 'separation of church and state' edict, whilst enjoying the unearned, undeserved benefits of maintaining a tax exempt status!

Pious, money addicted frauds and fiends these counterfeit religious impostors are——every single one!

Anonymous said...

Why build a big church on Roosevelt Avenue??

They should contact Mr. Patel and make him an offer for the large building he owns in Maspeth.

Res Ipsa said...

Maybe churches will be the new hotels aka future homeless shelters. Churches start off with great tax breaks and are less likely to be protested than hotels. It's just a matter of time...

Anonymous said...

This type of structure, along with many oversized houses like McMansions, are claimed to have some kind of religious affiliation so no tax needs to be paid. Flushing and Forest Hills are full of them. Imagine that, having your family living in a house that is claimed as a "house of worship " so no real estate taxes have to be paid.

Anonymous said...

there is a church there already why build it bigger --

Anonymous said...

At least it's a nice looking building...

Anonymous said...

Nice looking building?
Surely you jest.
It looks like a "religion factory" with an ecclesiastical facade.
But isn't that what "religion" has become?
I, for one, am a person of faith not religion.
The Creator can hear me anywhere if I'm in earnest.

Anonymous said...

Big churches, big mosques, big temples....
all the same...money collecting industrial plants.
Gone are the days when 25 cents in the church collection basket or synogogue puska was appreciated.

(sarc) said...

"Separation of Church and State."
I invite anyone here to cite exactly where in our US Constitution that it is enshrined?

My hope is that perhaps a few of you actually read The Constitution for the first time in your life!

It is a lot sorter and easier to read than the Obamacare Law.

I will be waiting a long time till you find it.

You will find Unicorns before you find "Separation of Church and State." in our US Constitution...

Anonymous said...

Pat Roberston, son of congressman, started his 700 Club CBN ministry in Woodside. Mitt Romney did his requisite missionary service in Queens.