Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Church tries to win over community with a gazebo

From DNA Info:

A church looking to build a bigger house of worship on Roosevelt Avenue is hoping to win over opponents of its expansion project by developing a public plaza with lights and a gazebo near 69th Street.

The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God's plan to demolish its building at 68-03 Roosevelt Ave. to build a bigger church on top of an adjacent parking lot facing 69th Street had some neighbors worried that the plan would mean increased traffic and less parking in the area.

Church officials told Community Board 2 members in September that they would be building a new 150-space parking garage next to the 7 train tracks on the same lot as the new building.

The garage would mostly be used by parishioners, but would open to the public on Saturdays, they said — but that wasn't enough to appease neighbors at the time.

The church returned to the board on Dec. 1, this time promising to build a plaza on top of the underground garage, with landscaping, lights and a gazebo.

12 comments:

JQ LLC said...

ga ze bo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG3e03wWQu0

It sounds like this megachurch is building a lame version of vatican city.



Anonymous said...

Don't believe it folks. They lie.

Anonymous said...

Another tax-free real estate project in queens. Tax the churches//temples//mosques already. You'd see all these "devout" people get out of the God business.

Anonymous said...

Why do places like this not have to pay property taxes. It is ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

Why would the parking lot only be open to the neighborhood on Saturdays? What about every other non-Sunday day? Are they expecting a filled garage week round? Wouldn't that mean traffic headaches daily, instead of just Sunday morning?

The building and the plaza/gazebo look pretty nice, at least.

faster340 said...

Gotta love organized cults, oh excuse me religion... You don't need monstrosities like this to have faith...

kapimap said...

With all the day laborers hanging around the area, who do they think will actually use this gazebo?

This church is on a very busy street, 2 blocks from the bqe exit. Woodside needs affordable housing, not a bigger church. That parking will come with a fee, of course.

Joe Moretti said...

Just more religious bullshit scamming the city and the people. It is 2016, we are in the 21st century where most people believe in science not fire breathing dragons, wizards, unicorns and elves, I mean have not we passed this whole god & organized religion bullshit and everlasting life. We are born, we live and we die the eternal sleep. No seeing past relatives, loved ones and friends who have gone by and going to the pearly gates or the fire pits of hell (I mean isn't living in Queens hell enough for most). END OF STORY. Monstrosities like this crap church is unnecessary, especially since these fuckers pay no taxes. I mean what the fuck are we living in the dark ages still.

Anonymous said...

It's always about the gazebo. Don't trust them.

Anonymous said...

Hey the Koreans are doing this. NOTE, all the Korean business's within a one mile radius of a Korean church are all listed as part of the church so they get non profit status. I used to live across the street from a Korean church, that would blast drum playing from about 5am to 7am each morning I mean beyond loud, they were broadcasting it. BASTARDS. After many many complaints, they stopped putting broadcasting this horrible noise out on loud speakers. What lousy neighbors. they were trying to drive us all out of the neighborhood.

These were very hostile people and they were not nice to many people in the neighborhood. Turns out the Korean Churches in Queens are very very involved with real estate and are abusive landlords.

Anonymous said...

>NOTE, all the Korean business's within a one mile radius of a Korean church are all listed as part of the church so they get non profit status.

Evidence? That beggars belief.

Anonymous said...

Freedom of religious institutions' sprawl was never part of the Constitution.
BTW...there ARE municipalities, in this country, that do charge religious groups real estate taxes.
Nothing in the Constitution forbids this either.
Every time a church, etc. rides tax free, the shortfall is made up by other tax paying property owners.
Solution?
Maybe every homeowner needs to get one of those California divinity certificates and take their homes off the tax rolls too.
I'd ya can't fight 'em...join 'em!