|
....July 13, 3:17 PM |
| Going, Going, Gone: Trees On St. Saviour Site Removed, Community Keeps Pushing To Protect
By MICHAEL CUSENZA One could practically envision Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s face cringing with every revolution of the chainsaw, and shuddering at the cold sound of branches snapping from their foundations.
Suffice it to say that large, ominous tree and shrubbery removal trucks weren’t quite what the Mayor had in mind when he presented his plan earlier this year to forge a “greener” New York City. But that was the scene on Tuesday and Wednesday at St. Saviour’s Church and Parsonage in Maspeth, as crews began cutting, chopping and razing the 185 trees, many of which are more than 100 years old, on the historic property where several Civil War relics and Spanish coins have also been unearthed. The Juniper Park Civic Association and its Committee to Save St. Saviour’s had just held its third rally July 1 outside the 1.5-acre piece of land located at 57-40 58th St. Is It Too Late? As of Tuesday morning it seemed that all the campaigning, letter-writing and rallying to save the settlement from demolition just wasn’t going to be enough. Approximately one quarter of the trees, including the oldest on the property, in the southwest corner had been removed. City Councilman Tony Avella (D-Bayside) does not represent Maspeth or Middle Village but has stood with the active civic association on St. Saviour’s and other land preservation issues. The 2009 mayoral candidate has rallied against overdevelopment since he took office in 2001, and Wednesday asked that the developer “immediately halt any and all actions, including the removal of trees, as it relates to this property.” Avella and all of the volunteers who have dedicated themselves to reclaiming the land for the community were understandably shaken by Tuesday’s development, but vowed it will not deter them. “We’re definitely not going to stop fighting,” Christina Wilkinson, chairperson of the Committee to Save St. Saviour’s, declared. Wilkinson also pointed out that the destruction of the trees is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, which decreed that all migratory birds and their parts, including eggs, nests and feathers, were fully protected. “It’s horrendous that they would choose nesting season to do this,” she said. “They’re killing birds and it’s illegal.” A Colorful History St. Saviour’s Church and Parsonage was designed by renowned 19th century architect Richard Upjohn and consecrated an Episcopal church in 1848. In 1878, according to Forgotten New York, to which Wilkinson contributes, James Maurice donated the land on which the parsonage sits and the 80 additional wooded acres to the church with the intention that part of the land would be used for a seminary. The 1878 deed states that the land may only be used for a church. “Historically, this is a very important area of Queens,” said Jim Driscoll, president of the Queens Historical Society. |
|
Seminerio Steps Down, Pleads Guilty Hundreds Get In Line For Handful Of Jobs Man Caught On Video Trashing Political Signs Hiram Claims Reform, Dems Disagree City Geese Removal Not Linked To Trash Public Art Installation Destroyed By Vandals Facing Foreclosure? Find Help With 311 Judge OKs Vantage Tenants’ Lawsuit Iranian Election Votes Cast In Queens Centers Saved But Programs Face Cut COBRA Coverage May Be Extended BP Offers Guide On Immigrant Aid Mayoral Control Saga Winding Down Back To School After Graduation? Amigos Strike Back: Albany In Chaos After Monday’s Coup Boro Loses A Soldier Serving In Afghanistan Maloney Poll Shows Edge Over Gillibrand Jamaica High School On the Rebound Hearings Set For Waste Transfer Station Sanitation Commish Defending Trash Plan Vantage Response System Earns Praise Avella’s Existence Doubles Thompson’s $$ Queens School Ready For The Bronx | |||||||
|
|||||||||
| |
|||||||||
