Sealed!

A little over 2 weeks ago, the Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association was notified about a house on 80th Street that was abandoned, covered with graffiti, and being used by thugs and vagrants as a hangout.

On the other side of the neighborhood, a house that sat vacant for fifteen years (and had been recently used by teens as a hangout) had recently caught fire and spread to the house next door.  It was a tale of two houses, which we covered here — and the WRBA immediately set forth to make sure the same thing didn’t happen again.

It was a group effort, involving a lot of people.  A lot of phone calls, e-mails, and a healthy does of media attention.  Headlines and front pages like this earned a lot of attention:

And we’re very happy to announce that today — the horror house of 80th Street was SEALED SHUT.  Here it is:

It’s just a first step — but in light of the tragic events on 90th Street this past weekend, it’s a very welcome step.   A big thanks to all involved —

We can’t let up — there are other houses to seal — graffiti to clear up — noise issues to deal with.  The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association is a group of residents, just like you — people who are willing to volunteer a few hours a month for their community.

The next open meeting is THIS SATURDAY AT 1 PM — at the Volunteer Ambulance Corps, 78-15 Jamaica Avenue.  Come down and say hello — stick around and tell us what’s on your mind.

 

Update on 88-32 80th Street

The Queens Chronicle ran a nice piece on the abandoned house on 80th Street in the edition that hit the street Thursday.  We’re very grateful that they gave this topic the attention it deserves and put it on the front page.  And we hope the attention pays off — this needs to be resolved quickly.

Perhaps it’s just a coincidence, or perhaps it was due to the attention being shined on the situation, but the house was visited by the Department of Buildings today —

The inspector walked through the property and observed the busted window where the thugs and vandals are gaining access.

He looked inside and saw the graffiti — the vandalism — the damage.  It’s clear that the house has been taken over — in fact, as there is evidence of drug use it’s actually a crime scene, no?

So, we go to the Department of Buildings website to check  the status of the latest complaint — and it’s resolved?

The ticket acknowledges that it is a vacant, open and unguarded structure — and it also notes that violations were issued.  But the fact that the ticket is “resolved” is a bit disconcerting.

However, our contact was told that this property will be boarded, and soon — but we can’t let up, not for even a moment.  We’re going to need to keep up the heat.  We can’t do that alone.

Please think about this for a moment — 6 months from now, or a year, we may be standing on your block.  Maybe looking at the house next to yours.  Or across the street.  You will want as much support as you can get from the community, no?  Please consider coming out to our next Town Hall and voicing your opinion — support your neighbors as you would want them support you.

We will meet on Saturday, March 19th at 1 PM at the Volunteer Ambulance Corps (78-15 Jamaica Avenue).   Please make an effort to attend.