Sunnyside Gardens Debate: To Landmark or Not

AM New York's cover feature is on the landmark debate amongst neighbors in Sunnyside, Queens. Some residents want the 77-acre area, made up of houses and park area, to be landmarked, while others are worried about the problems landmark status can cause. Sunnyside Gardens, created by the City Housing Corporation in the 1920s, was meant to be affordable housing (there's a nice write-up at Forgotten-NY).

Residents who oppose landmark status worry about being able to keep their homes up to the status required. AMNY mentioned one couple who want to build an addition and believe landmark designation "[reduces the homeowner to a mere] custodian of something you bought and paid for." Another resident says, "People have been caught in the courtyard taking pictures [of their neighbors' homes] and reporting them for violations. This is not the community I grew up in." It's not unusual to complain about landmarking: One Staten Island homeowner complained of "preservation perverts" after the Landmarks Preservation Commission listed his home, while another said that replacing his shutting would cost $10,000 because he needed "period" shutters."

On the other side are the preservationists, who cite homeowner changes like converting gardens to driveways and fencing off open areas as reasons to move forward with landmarking. You can see their position at Sunnyside Gardens Preservation Alliance, which also provides some good history about the area.

Here's Wikipedia's entry on Sunnyside, Queens (which is accessible by the 7 train) and here's one resident's page with interesting links about Sunnyside Gardens. Did you know that Sunnyside Gardens Park is the city's only other private owned park, aside from Gramcery Park? WallyG on Flickr has a photograph of the gate and this explanation: "Sunnyside Gardens Park is privately owned by the residents of Sunnyside Gardens. The park, opened in 1926, is maintained by its members. It's a 3-acre private park, but not exclusive. Anyone willing to pay $162 per year (2005 fee) and complete 12 hours of volunteer work may become a member."