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Dear Residents of Sunnyside, Woodside & beyond,
There is an alarming proposal in the works that seeks to turn the historic corner lot at 39th Avenue and 50th Street into an out-of-place, post-modern housing development. This corner lot falls within the Sunnyside Gardens historic district and therefore all development proposals must be approved by the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC). As a smokescreen, the developers are also proposing to move a 1931 aluminum house onto the lot.
We are a group of concerned residents opposing this development. The manner in which this proposal is being rushed through without sufficient public notice is indicative of the developers' not having our community's best interest at heart. This development proposal runs contrary to the community's aim of preserving the corner lot from succumbing to over-development.
Our group has other ideas for this historic open space -- namely the transformation of it into a truly public community garden and green common, while preserving its existing structures and trees. Most of the parks in Sunnyside now are either concrete playgrounds serving primarily school children, exclusive gardens or private parks charging membership dues. We want to change this.
The development proposal is completely wrong for the historic district, and it's completely wrong for our community. But the Landmarks Law gives every one of us the right to voice our choice for our future, and we need everyone to exercise that right.
Right now there are 3 things you can do to help:
1. Please “Reply” to this e-mail to say you oppose this development.
2. There will be an unveiling of this development proposal this week at Community Board 2's Land Use committee meeting. If a lot of us show up and demonstrate our disapproval of the proposal, the harder it will be for the development to win the support it needs. This is not a public hearing and we may not get to speak, but a lot of disappointed faces in the audience will help convey our message.
The meeting is Wednesday, June 19 at 7 pm at the address below:
Community Board 2 office
43-22 50th St. off Roosevelt Ave., 2nd floor.
(Note - this is NOT at Sunnyside Community Services)
Worse still the LPC public hearing, may be scheduled for July 9. This gives us little time to organize our opposition so we want the hearing delayed.
3. Call and e-mail Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer’s staff to ask them to do everything in their power to delay the LPC's public hearing. Please leave a voicemail if there is no pick up.
Nick Gulotta, staff preservationist:
NGulotta@council.nyc.gov
718-383-9566, ext.5
Yours,
Cautley Garden
cautleygarden@gmail.com
https://sites.google.com/site/cautleygarden/
Jimmy Van Bramer has a "staff preservationist?" Well, excuse me!
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