The New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) might as well be renamed the Department of Blight. Blight is what they allow to exist in this city, blight is what they allow to be built in many Queens neighborhoods, and blight is what the DOB fails to remove and demolish even though they are the agency than can do just that.
Last week, we featured a cover story about a “House of Horrors” sandwiched between two clean, neat Whitestone homes. We found that the current owner, Everton McIntyre, bought the property two years ago with the intent of renovating it and living there himself. Those plans fell through with his financing, and the property is now in foreclosure. McIntyre lives in a house in another part of Whitestone, and there is nary a piece of paper on the lawn there.
The DOB has numerous complaints on file for 15-46 Clintonville Street. Their inspectors have been there at the behest of the neighbors who complained about the homeless breaking into the place and the kids who run through it at night.
McIntyre’s neighbors want to know how he is allowed by the city agencies to allow the blight to continue. They even called in State Senator Frank Padavan, who has a district office nearby. Padavan even admits that his office has an extensive file on the property, and he has written letters to city agencies in support of the community.
Padavan received a response from the DOB in August of 2008 that said the property was declared an unsafe building, which could pave the way for demolition, but the blight goes on.
We would like to know why the DOB or any other city agency could not get this property demolished or cleaned up and fenced off for the safety and sanity of the neighbors. The blight must end.
