TESTIMONY


Landmarks Preservation Commission / Hearing on
St.Monica's Church in Jamaica, Queens
July 28, 1998
100 Old Slip

To the members of the Landmarks Preservation
Commission:

Several weeks ago, I was contacted by the Historic Districts Council to come and testify today about an issue that has had individuals and organizations in Queens in a near state of apoplexy for decades: the fate of St. Monica's Church in Jamaica, Queens. This landmarked structure, the oldest surviving Roman Catholic church - now ruin - in Queens, has had to suffer through over two decades of neglect. The blame sits squarely on New York State, which owns the property, New York City and Queensborough politicians and, sadly, the Landmarks Preservation Commission itself.

Unfortunately, this kind of crisis situation is nothing new to the people of Queens. When it comes to development and preservation issues, Queens has always been treated under a different set of standards than Manhattan or Brooklyn. For developers, whether they be private individuals and corporations, or the public or governmental sectors, Queens has always been wide-open country, the Wild West of New York City. Because Queens was developed, for the most part, as low-rise suburban-style housing, the borough was labeled in 1961 as "under-developed" by those at the City Planning Commission and their developer and political allies. Anyone driving through Queens in 1998 can plainly see that our borough is no longer "under-developed" in any way, shape or form. Queens has become an urban - and not an urbane - place, whether the people who live there wanted it that way or not.

Why do I bring these issues of politics, planning and development to a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing? Queens is decades behind the other boroughs in landmark designations; instead of entertaining the idea of officially allowing one of our few long-standing landmark designations to be dismantled and the building subsequently demolished, the Landmarks Preservation Commission should have been, and certainly should be presently, examining what the State Dormitory Authority must do to remedy the situation. Contrary to what the state would have us believe, this "house of God" did not fall by an "act of God" but by years of purposeful neglect, with the sole intent of that state agency to see that building crash to the ground, thereby avoiding anyone having to take the heat for swinging the wrecker's ball.

Should the State Dormitory Authority be required to do a full restoration, or just a partial one? Will they be forced to pay fines that are appropriate to the long-term desecration of this building? Certainly, whatever the decision, the Queens preservation community, as well as interested individuals and groups from Jamaica, would like to be included in the decision-making and planning process pertaining to the future of the St. Monica's Church and site. Hopefully, the Commission will take a strong leadership position and defend one of the few pieces of history that we have been able to protect. For them to do anything else would simply reinforce the impression that the Landmarks Preservation Commission is not able to do its job.

Sincerely,


Paul Graziano


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