10/20/19: Now, We're ONE Meeting Away From
The Worst Proposal Ever For Norgate:

One 1/2-Acre Lot, TWO New Houses, FIFTEEN Trees Destroyed!

Let's Tell East Hills: Enough Is Enough!
Attend the next ARB Meeting Nov. 4, 2019 at 8 PM

See Photos And Documents Below

UPDATE, 10/21/19 -- The Planning Board essentially rubber-stamped the proposal and passed it to the Architectural Review Board (ARB) for final approval at the next ARB meeting on Monday, November 4, 2019, at 8 PM.

    The ARB will be asked to vote on the position and size of driveways, and the design and placement of TWO new proposed houses at the site, after demolition of the current house and destruction of about FIFTEEN trees. They can and should say "No!" to whatever fails to comply with Village policy.

    It is CRITICAL that residents make their voices heard and express disapproval of the impact of the current designs, both architecturally and on the local environment. We will have more info soon. Get on the mailing list: rxbrummel (AT) gmail.com.

As is now all too common in East Hills, the process was essentially a charade, with a foregone conclusion: "Let Them Build, Regardless Of The Environmental Impacts."

    The Planning Board's approval, with minimal deliberation -- the Chairman casually concluding, "I don't see why we shouldn't approve it...." -- was legally marred by conflicting arithmetic over the number of trees to be destroyed, by failure to provide adequate public information on the proposal, by erroneous ownership listing, and by failure to properly evaluate the public impact of the project, and other issues.

Prior History

East Hills, Thursday, October 10, 2019 -- Tonight (Thursday, Oct. 10) at 7 PM, the East Hills Village Planning Board will hear a highly destructive and controversial application seeking permission to cut down almost every healthy tree -- 17 of them -- on one of the most frequently seen and well-known properties in Norgate, 144 Revere Road, which is at the entrance from Harbor Hill Rd. to Short Street.

    A few days ago, on Monday night, the Architectural Review Board (ARB), holding a parallel hearing on 'parts' of the same application, postponed a decision amidst sharp criticism -- by Board members -- of the 'low-end' design proposed for the two new houses on the site. Many direct neighbors attended the meeting, and most told the Board they opposed the plans as drawn. (See photos below.)

    In fact, not only is the proposal highly destructive to the environment, but the two proposed 'replacement' houses reflect the worst trends of low-cost, off-the-shelf architectural design seen around Long Island, a pattern which seemed to end in East Hills after local home-prices shot through the million-dollar mark in every EH neighborhood. Apparently, the developer of this property didn't get the 'memo' and still wants to build 'on the cheap'.

    Architectural Review Board members haqve openly criticized the use cheap materials like vinyl siding and the 'tricks' used to make virtually identical buildings 'seem' different, as required by Village code. (See images, below.)

    "I don't think the materials are up to grade in that community" said the chairman with exasperation. "You're allowing then to ruin the community" said the first neighbor to speak.

    As revealed by the confusion and discord at the ARB meeting, the peculiar decision to divide decision-making on the re-development proposal between the ARB and the Planning Board is leading to the absurd result that the Planning Board could try to vote on massive tree-destruction for driveways and foundations without knowing at the time WHERE or WHETHER the ARB will approve driveways, or WHAT the ARB will approve for the ultimate size and location of the proposed new houses. At least one member of the ARB agreed and expressed support for a joint meeting to decide all the issues together.

    Senior village officials have been made aware of the jurisdictional conflicts revealed at the ARB meeting, and there is a possibility the Planning Board will also defer action, but no guarantee 'reason' and good policy will prevail without intense public pressure.

But whichever board votes, don't be naive: These Boards are NO FRIENDS to the environment.

Immediate public pressure is critical to protect the trees at risk here.

Both Boards are stocked with 'crony-appointees' of the one-party, developer-friendly, 'crony' Village Board.
All Village agencies -- the Boards, commissions, the Tree Warden, etc. -- have routinely and for years approved and passively condoned reckless, despicable, and unlawful destruction of HUNDREDS of majestic, ecologically-critical trees across East Hills, despite the feelings of many residents and despite the Village's own "Tree Preservation and Protection Law", designed to "preserve the tree canopy for current aqnd future generations" (Village Code, Chapter 186).

Please: ATTEND, CALL and EMAIL. Give your feedback on the Village Website, www.villageofeasthills.org.

    Village officials have brushed aside neighbors and their wishes throughout the process: Six years ago, neighbors told the Planning Board they strongly opposed "subdividing" the property -- when the former owner, Arline Kramer, whose name is incorrectly still on the application materials, told the Board she wished to 'cash-in' on real estate values (or "to improve the value of the Premises", per the application) -- but the five 'junior' members of the Planning Board -- including the current Board chairman -- overruled then-Chairman, Jed Pomerantz, and approved the unpopular plan over his sole opposition vote (see Link to Minutes).

    For a reason unclear in the record, and possibly contained in contradictory language in the Village code, the ARB told the hearing it is deferring its tree-protection authority to the Planning Board for this application. However, one audience member suggested the Village should be open to changing the process to restore clarity and reason.

    The 17 healthy trees proposed to be destroyed include ten (10) majestic Black Birch trees and five (5) Oak trees including two over thirty (30) inches in diameter and two more some over twenty (20) inches in diameter.

    THOSE WISHING TO HELP DEFEND THE TREES AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER SHOULD PLAN ON TELLING THE PLANNING BOARD:

  • (1) THE BOARD CANNOT MAKE ANY RATIONAL, INFORMED DECISIONS ON TREE-DESTRUCTION WITHOUT KNOWING THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF THE HOUSES AND THE DRIVEWAYS TO BE BUILT, AND THOSE ISSUES ARE STILL UNDECIDED BY THE ARB;

  • (2) EAST HILLS IS CHARACTERIZED BY ITS BEAUTIFUL TREES, AS REFLECTED IN THE "TREE PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION LAW" (Village Code Section 186), BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY WE AS HUMANS ARE FACING AN ACCELERATING GLOBAL ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE -- INCLUDING GLOBAL-WARMING, MASS EXTINCTION AND HABITAT LOSS (i.e. Trees) -- ISSUES IN WHICH PROTECTION OF TREES PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE;

  • (3) THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, EVEN THE NORGATE NEIGHBORHOOD, HAS BEEN IN THE DARK ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL DUE, TO LACK OF OUTREACH BY THE BOARDS AND OFFICIALS INVOLVED -- MANY WERE UNAWARE UNTIL A LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST STARTED A PUBLIC INFORMATION CAMPAIGN;

  • (4) THE APPLICATIONS MAY BE INVALID BECAUSE IT LISTS THE PRIOR RESIDENT -- NOT THE PRESENT DEVELOPER -- AS THE 'OWNER' or "APPLICANT". (One resident implied in her critical ARB-testimony that the intention was to hide the true owner from the public, who would be more hesitant to challenge their own neighbor.)

Proposed virtually tree-less new houses for 144 Revere Rd., Norgate, October, 2019. Board members of the ARB critiqued the low-cost and identical appearance of the houses, and told the developer to return with new plans. In later discussion, however, some members suggested superficial tweaks like a "weathervane" could earn approval.

Current classic old house at 144 Revere Rd. facing Harbor Hill Rd., October 7, 2019.

Trees now fill the property at 144 Revere Rd., as seen on the side facing Deerpath (L) and Deepwood (R), October 7, 2019. The majority of trees pictured would be destroyed by the present plans of the developer to be heard by the Planning Board (see schematic, below). Please note: it is difficult from the plans and impossible from the street to identify which trees, if any, would remain, because they are not marked with ribbon or otherwise -- a routine practice that could provide a modicum of 'transparency' and which is customary and required for applications to the ARB, but possibly not for the Planning Board, which specializes in matters other than tree-preservation.

Residents living adjacent to 144 Revere Rd. critique the proposals at the Architectural Review Board October 7, 2019

Proposed destruction of trees on Lot 12 at 144 Revere Rd. as filed (may be changed).

Proposed destruction of trees on Lot 13 at 144 Revere Rd. as filed (may be changed).

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