Saturday, March 7, 2015

Dutch Kills hotel causing big problems

From the Queens Chronicle:

After more than a seven-years-long construction process, residents of Dutch Kills, a neighborhood whose older family homes now share space with tall hotels, are once again frustrated by one developer.

Representatives of one project in question, a nine-story hotel located at 39-35 27 St., were present at a city Board of Standards and Appeals hearing Feb. 10, where it was acknowledged that self-performed work on the site, such as improperly poured concrete, damaged nearby homes.

Ashley Haelen a representative for Baharestani — who goes by Steven Bahar — acknowledged the building’s plans had changed from those originally submitted, increasing by around 62 square feet.

“You’re not allowed to play around with floor area and get more floor area,” said Margery Perlmutter, BSA chairwoman.

Alex Matthew, another representative for developer Steven Baharestani appeared before the BSA confirming that work such as lighting and rebar were also done by unlicensed workers.

He also addressed a big violation: a cracked and unstable wall of a shed on a neighboring property. Matthew said engineers for both property owners, as well as Baharestani and the home owner, had met to assess the situation but needed to meet another time to determine if it was stable, and, if not, come up with a cure.

There was a stop-work order on the property as of press time; it is one of several received on the address.

“It’s obvious the damage has been done to the property,” he said, adding there’s a sense of cooperation.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Unless I was crazy
in love with my house , I would have sold it if a hotel was going up next door to me. It ain't much of a neighborhood to warrant living in anymore.

Anonymous said...

That little house next door missed a one time opportunity to sell out. Now their property is worth squat. Nobody else would ever want it if they decided to sell later. You gotta know when to hold and know when to fold. That's poker! It is a tough game!

Anonymous said...

Does it really matter? Dutch Kills has been killed !

Nora from Dutch Kills said...

Unless I was crazy
in love with my house , I would have sold it if a hotel was going up next door to me. It ain't much of a neighborhood to warrant living in anymore.

That little house next door missed a one time opportunity to sell out. Now their property is worth squat. Nobody else would ever want it if they decided to sell later. You gotta know when to hold and know when to fold. That's poker! It is a tough game!

-----

I cannot think of a word to describe you two. This was a community of homes. Of veterans. Of taxpayers. Of good upstanding people whom were betrayed by their elected officials and their community leadership.

All they asked was to get their community back. And they got betrayed. Look at George Stamatiades of that Dutch Kills Civic. Removed from the library board.

We should march to the United Nations, just across the river, and speak to Iran or North Korean perhaps, let them know how America treats its people.

Simply inexcusably despicable.

Anonymous said...

CB 1 the community board from hell.

Anonymous said...

What kind of community it once was is no longer. It went to hell years ago. Time to move. History is fragile in a high density zoned nabe so close to Manhattan. The owner of that aluminum clad box should have moved on and moved out. Take the money and run. There is no David to fight giant Goliath here.

Anonymous said...

I thought blockbusting is illegal.

Our elected officials should look into this - hold a conference on the street with their silly little podiums.

(snicker)

Anonymous said...

History is fragile in a high density zoned nabe so close to Manhattan.

Bullshit. Go to Brooklyn Heights or the Village and try the same garbage you tell Queens. They were once 'slums' too.