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Courtesy of Wikipedia

This past weekend’s New York Times Metropolitan section reported that Parks Department negotiations to purchase the Wyckoff-Bennett Homestead and turn it into a house museum have stalled.  In 1999, the city offered $2 million for the house and its historic contents, among them a sword etched with the royal crown and initials for George Rex III and windowpanes with the initials of two Hessian soldiers who stayed there during the Revolution.¹  In addition, the current owners, the Monts, would have been able to live there rent-free provided this deal went through.

However, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services has now offered the Monts considerably less than originally promised and a deal is no longer close to being done.  I sincerely hope this deal gets done because this treasure of a house deserves to be a public space for all history buffs to marvel at.

Click here to read the entire article and as well as see fantastic pictures of the house.

¹Blumenthal, Ralph. “A Prewar Home, to Say the Least.”  The New York Times.  29 January 2010.

The site of Savor Cafe has seemed unfinished for quite some time, yet today’s visit to the site confirms that it appears to be opening soon(ish).  Located at the corner of Avenue P and Nostrand Avenue, this site has had some “questionnable” tenants as of late, most recently a medical office whose windows were always obstructed.   As this little commercial strip has always seemed underutilized, it would be nice to have some activity here.

Strolling through the neighborhood, I noticed that the house on Coleman Street that has gotten much publicity over the past few months due to its public displays opposing St. Thomas Aquinas ringing the church bells every hour, has acknowledged MarineParker’s role in publicizing this battle which has become a hotbed of controversy, chock full of stinging discussion.

Additionally, in an act of solidarity, a neighbor has hung a sign in support of decreasing the frequency of the church bells.

On Wednesday evening, at approximately 6:30 PM, a fire broke out on the second floor of a private house at 4009 Avenue P, between Kimball and Coleman Streets.  From what onlookers could discern, the family, which had young children, were able to flee the house unscathed.  It appears that the fire started in a 2nd floor children’s bedroom.  The FDNY were on the scene within minutes to put out the fire, which was extinguished rather quickly.  More news to follow as it becomes available.  Kudos to the FDNY, EMS, NYPD and other emergency vehicles who arrived on the scene within MINUTES.  And thankfully, the family was unharmed.

If anyone has further news to report, please let us know.

Because here at MarineParker we love to butcher things to death, CBS 2 news has contributed to the on the ongoing battle of the bells between local resident John Russo and St. Thomas Aquinas Church.

If you reside within Southern Marine Park in the vicinity of Flatbush Avenue, chances are that you are cognizant of the bells being rung every hour, on the hour, by St. Thomas Aquinas Church.  Although I live a few blocks away, I oftentimes hear the bells very clearly so one can imagine what they must sound like for residents adjacent to the church.  One displeased resident on Coleman Street between Flatlands Avenue and Avenue P has chosen to voice his/her concern through artistic means for at least the past year, possibly two years.  Reminiscent of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” the painting displayed in front of the house (in addition to the signage) clearly exhibits the owner’s sentiments toward the bells. 

Can neighbors offer some further information concerning this?  Has St. Thomas reached out to this owner?   Since this signage is still up, it is probably safe to say that this problem has not been rectified and may not be for quite some while.

Councilman Lew Fidler’s Office has contacted MarineParker and offered the following information on 1581 Hendrickson Street:
 

 ”We spoke with [a contact] at the Department of Buildings who said that the lot is zoned R3-2, so maximum building height is 35 ft.  Plans were submitted for a 2-story ambulatory health facility, but the plans were disapproved. So, no construction can take place until additional plans are filed and approved. If anyone sees construction at that site, they should please call our office immediately.”

If anyone sees construction taking place at this site, please call Councilman Fidler’s Office at 718-241-9330.

Construction Site at Hendrickson Street and Avenue P

After the existing house was demolished earlier this year, the development slated for the corner lot at Hendrickson Street and Avenue P seems to be underway.  According to the Department of Buildings, the most recent plan (dated August 26, 2009) submitted by applicant/architect Sandor Weiss of Gelu Durus Musica, amends the original plans which proposed a “commercial building” with 12 enclosed parking spaces.  The current plan has been amended to increase construction floor area (from 4,883 SF to5,330 SF), alter the building layout and the building’s use has now changed to “Unknown.”

Based on this information, it is highly likely that this development will be a community facility (encompassing religious, educational, healthcare or non-profit institutions).  Since this is an R3-2 residential district, commercial uses are not permitted and the 12 parking spaces are mandated for a community facility.  To see the site’s current actions/applications, click here.

The site currently has two open violations.  Curious as to the frequency of such violations, I decided to research other buildings built by this architect.  Much to my dismay, albeit not too surprised, Gelu Durus Musica has built three residential buildings in South Slope, all of which had a multitude of violations and complaints.  Brownstoner has tracked 357 15^th Street – in which the top stories of the building had to be removed because it did not conform to the current zoning.  Brownstoner also notes that Weiss was among DOB’s noted 2006 disciplinary actions and “fined and surrendered D-14 and professional certification privileges.” 

It is troubling when a publicly denounced architect, whose license was challenged by DOB, knocks down a house to construct something that will most likely be non-contextual to its surrounding neighborhood. Furthermore, a large construction site with open violations blights the neighborhood and its adjacent buildings.  As the development proceeds, MarineParker will be vigilant in tracking its progress as well as report and research any further problems.