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The Beachside Bungalows of Far Rockaway Celebrates Its 100 Year Anniversary With New Sign And Ribbon Cutting!


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L to R TOP Eric Boxwill, Anna Palmer, Bill Mitchell, Rachael Shattner, Louis Lopez, Barbara Bleier, Lyndel, Cori Shattner, Jason Fogel, and Andrew Owen

L to R TOP Eric Boxwill, Anna Palmer, Bill Mitchell, Rachael Shattner, Louis Lopez, Barbara Bleier, Lyndel, Cori Shattner, Jason Fogel, and Andrew Owen

The Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association (BBPA), located in Far Rockaway celebrates its centennial anniversary! The Beachside Bungalows were initially known as the Dickerson Estates that were a subdivision of the John Joseph Mott Estate. The Dickerson Estates were subdivided into smaller lots that bungalows were built upon from 1919 to 1921.

The Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association’s new sign incorporates the National Register listing and the Centennial 1919-1921 to 2019- 2021. The sign was initially created and painted by Richard George with the laser carvings by Ethan Long but has been expertly reproduced by ADP USA Sign Company, located on Beach 116th Street. The owner of ADP USA Signs is Paul Ohana and his very well trained artist Yoean David, a twentyfirst century DaVinci, recreated the painting from the original sign.

On Sunday, Sept. 15, the BBPA had a ribbon cutting ceremony that was assisted by Kenneth Smith.

The Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association was formed in September 1984 by Betsie Parker White, Roger White, Carole Ann Lewis, Francis Rothschild and Gary Filsinger. Betsie White and Gary Filsinger became Co-Chairpersons of the BBPA Board. In August 1988, the BBPA became a non-profit 501 (C) 3. Richard George became a board member in 1985 and Chairman of the Board around 1990.

Beach 26th Street and Seagirt Ave.

Beach 26th Street and Seagirt Ave.

In the early years, the BBPA received the support of the Vincent Astor Foundation, The New York Foundation, Citizens Committee, Queens Council of the Arts and the Sunnyside Foundation. Richard George resigned as Chairman and was named President of the BBPA to oversee the many activities for the neighborhood. The activities included street fairs, gardening clean-ups, dune plantings, art classes, and community holiday gatherings.

The BBPA members such as Silvia Sanza, Janet Rashes, Raymond Renault, Victor Aquirre, Victor Rivera, Harold Lebow, Lee Lebow, Thomas Booth, Susan Booth, Louis Booth, Carmela George, Larry Soucy, Alexis Soucy, Maria Alvarez, and David Alvarez, pitched in with donations and to work on various neighborhood projects that helped improve the area’s deteriorating conditions. Steven Cooper was the State Committeeman who was instrumental in assisting the BBPA to improve conditions in the area.

 

 

John J. Baxter helped in the preservation effort for many years from 1984 in his Rockaway Press, on QPTV and his recent radio show. The Wave has been a constant source of support since 1985. The bungalows were featured in a PBS broadcast, entitled A walk through Queens, a documentary produced by Jennifer Callahan. The documentary traces the history of the bungalows on the peninsula from its beginnings stages of the early twentieth century through to the early twenty first century.

In 1992 the BBPA received funding from the J.M. Kaplan Fund followed by a matching grant from NYS Department of Environmental Protection’s tree-planting grant in 1994. The funds were used to create dunes that were planted along the north and south side of the boardwalk. The NYC Parks Department and staff have been a source of support and help to the BBPA with gardening projects and the BBPA sign. NYC Parks Department members include: Nam Yoon, Dorothy Lewandowski, Joseph Mauro, Jill Weber, Portia Dyrenforth and Eric Peterson.

Northside of Seagirt Avenue and Beach 24th Street Bungalows

Northside of Seagirt Avenue and Beach 24th Street Bungalows

The dunes saved the historic bungalows from Hurricane Sandy, which is documented in ORION Online Magazine, entitled, The City and the Sea. Also see, City Lore and Rockaway Bungalows Website and Bungalows of Rockaway Documentary and Beachside Bungalow Preservation Association in Wikipedia.

Another bungalow supporter is Anthony C. Wood, President of the New York Preservation Archive Projects; a preservationist, author, teacher, historian, and grant-maker. Wood is currently the Executive Director of the Ittleson Foundation, and has worked for the J. M. Kaplan Fund, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission, and the Municipal Art Society. For over 20 years, Wood was a member of the Adjunct Faculty of the Historic Preservation Program at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation. He is the author of Preserving New York: Winning the Right to Protect City’s Landmarks.

Carmela George holding BBPA Award

Carmela George holding BBPA Award

In addition, Brad Vogel worked with the BBPA to incorporate the Beach- side Bungalow Preservatory with a new focus on bungalow preservations with the surrounding oceanfront environment to incorporate the Coastal Zone Management Act. Vogel, an attorney, previously served on the Board of Directors of the Archive Project, as Vice Chair from 2012 until 2018. Vogel succeeded Matthew Coody, and both are supportive of the BBPA. The Bungalows were part of the Six Neighborhoods to Celebrate Districts Council in 2012 and a Municipal Arts annual preservation dinner that same year.

There has been a renewed interest in bungalow preservation and the recent members have also been supportive of BBPA preservation are Claire Connors, Marcus, Andie and daughter Nikki Burnett, Karen Kite, Adam Nash, Louis Lopez, Bill Mitchell, Barbara Bleier, Bob Diamond, David Schlachet, Alan Lebow, Paulette Lebow, Paula Vasquez, Anthony Vasquez, Pablo Tauler, Iris Tauler, John Nishimoto, Jeanne Dupont, Ethan Long, Nicole Long, Marina Berio, Christian Bourcart, Linda Williams, Shane Kulman, Glen, Rachael, Cori Shattner, Marlene Clarke, David Shultie, Addy Shultie, Candella Pohl, Chris Kaminski, Jon Chesley, Allie Chesley with accomplished artists Andrea Belag and Jessica Weiss aka Jessica Teitelbaum, Carl Teitelbaum, Matt Wynn, Edwin Bonet, Joycelyn Rivers, and Yadriel Rivera. Anna Palmer assisted by her husband Eric Boxwill and Samuel Hardwell planted daffodils in the triangle near the sign.

The BBPA has also put its efforts into writing to the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission and New York City Department of City Planning. The New York City’s Waterfront Revitalization Program (WRP) was approved by the Secretary of Commerce in 1982 for concurrence with the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 which boundaries include the entire Rockaway Peninsula. Under this program, the above city agencies have to comply with the legal framework of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 Congressional Policies.

This legal framework requires the preservation of coastal communities not listed by Landmarks Preservation Commission through New York State Coastal Management Program Policies and New York City Waterfront Revitalization Program Policies to have new project comply with the National Register of Historic Places and the Landmarks Preservation law. The management program must also provide for the inventory and designation of areas that contain one or more coastal resources of national significance under The Coastal Zone Management Act’s mandatory requirements, Chapter 1455 (d) (1)(13) (A).

The bungalows are of national significance and should be included in the inventory by NYC Landmark Preservation Commission. Richard George has written to lawmakers Councilman Donovan Richards, Senator James Sanders Jr., the Landmarks Preservation Commission and the Department of City Planning to list, have a designation and inventory of the Far Rockaway Bungalows.

To date, there have been no responses from our lawmakers or agencies complying with Chapter 1455 and have not provided any inventory and designation of historic bungalow properties. The BBPA has been waiting about one year for Community Board support of a zoning district the reflects the built character of the bungalows promised by City Planning which is also a requirement of the CZMA for the preservation of coastal communities.

New York State Department of State Coastal Management Program receives federal funds annually to administer, implement and enforce the CZMA at the state and local level. The NYS Department of State Secretary Rossana Rosado has not responded to George’s request to have a designation and inventory of the Far Rockaway Bungalows as a Historic District by New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, the lead agency for preservation of coastal communities.

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