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| Our organization flyer reflecting our neighborhood's diverse architecture. It contains our mission statement how you can volunteer. Please print & help distribute to friends and shop owners to post on windows & bulletin boards. |
RESOLUTION #1: Our organization will continue to survey Forest Hills and Rego Park through written and photo documentation (flickr.com), in order to preserve historic stretches of the neighborhood's residential and commercial corridors, and advocate for official city landmarks via the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, which is long overdue on their part in regard to calendaring public hearings for potential designations. We have a wealth of "landmarks at heart" in Tudor & Georgian Colonial styles, to name a few. Our neighborhood dates to 1906 & 1923 name-wise (1906 cumulatively), and we need to utilize the architectural and cultural provisions of the 1965 Landmarks Law to our community's benefit. We only have 2 officially designated city landmarks to date, which are the Ridgewood Savings Bank (designated 2000) and the Remsen Cemetery (designated 1981). Saving our Forest Hills Tennis Stadium is one of our various landmarking & creative multi re-use priorities. NYC LPC website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/html/home/home.shtml
RESOLUTION #2: We also hope to help property owners of historic properties by nominating their properties for State & National Register of Historic Places status via the State Historic Preservation Office, to commemorate history, and assist them in obtaining tax credits and grants for restoration and much-needed historically-sensitive site upgrades: http://nysparks.state.ny.us/shpo
RESOLUTION #3: We will also be spearheading tree planting causes under our affiliate, the Four Borough Neighborhood Preservation Alliance, to restore the "forest" and "park" in our neighborhood names, after experiencing a macroburst with 2 tornadoes on 9/16/10: http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com/2010/09/downed-trees-represent-loss-of-history.html
RESOLUTION #4: One of the most integral research methods so far is the digitization of rare & priceless promotional booklets and blueprints containing facade renderings, maps, and advertising, showing how Forest Hills & Rego Park was developed. These are primary sources, which we will make a continuous effort to digitize and uncover from dusty shelves after 50-80 years. This is our collection to date: http://regoforestpreservation.blogspot.com/2010/12/historic-blueprints-promotional.html
Why Preserve? Why Volunteer?
Preserving the rich character of Forest Hills and Rego Park is most essential, since if we sit back as "armchair preservationists" and watch the bulldozers in the Cord Meyer section, for example, we will resemble Anytown USA, stripped of identity. Our neighborhood is the product of some household architects (i.e. Philip Birnbaum, Kenneth Murchison, Benjamin Braunstein, Henry Morgenthau, Frank Grad, Thomas Lamb, Joseph Unger, Manoug Exerjian, Benjamin Dreisler, Robert Tappan, Theodore Engelhardt, Eric Kebbon), builders (i.e. The Foundation Co), developers (i.e. the original Cord Meyer), and urban planners (especially evident in the Rego Park Crescents, Forest Close & Arbor Close, buildings with recessed wings and substantial green areas, etc).
Power to the leaders and teammates who "fight the good fight" for our neighborhoods out of passion! Even if your time is minimal since you work a full-time position and raise children, a small amount of time can make a mighty difference! Your contributions will be recognized in print & in your heart. Please volunteer to help your community by contacting unlockthevault@hotmail.com
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