By Steve Mosco
Anyone taking a spin on a recently refurbished carousel in Woodhaven might soon be doing so on an official city landmark.
The Forest Park Carousel took it first turn at receiving the honorable designation this week as the city Landmarks Preservation Commission voted to hold a public meeting on the carousel’s status — the first step in the landmarking process, according to a commission spokeswoman.
But the operators of the carousel are not twirling with delight at the prospect of becoming a landmark, mostly because they do not know what that status would mean for the day-to-day operations of the ride.
“If it is good for the community and good for the carousel and allows us to maintain and operate without any added expenses, we are all for it,” said Ami Abramson, director of New York Carousel. “We invest in the ride now and will continue to do so with or without landmark status.”
Residents lobbied for the carousel’s landmark status before New York Carousel took over and it looked like a possibility that Woodhaven could lose the ride, according to Ed Wendell, president of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association.
“When it was sitting there empty, we were all gung-ho about getting it landmarked because we wanted it protected and not chopped up and sold,” said Wendell. “Now there is a vendor operating it, so we would like to hear more details before proceeding.”
Landmarks said no date has been set for the public hearing, but all parties involved will have an opportunity to ask questions and make their case for or against the status.
Abramson said his biggest concern with landmarking is any bureaucratic red tape that might come up when making simple repairs to the ride or touching it up with a quick paint job.
“We don’t know if the status will make it hard for us to operate or if it will force us to do things we don’t believe in,” he said. “We want to make sure the ultimate good of the community is served by landmarking the carousel.”
New York Carousel was named vendor of the carousel last year and quickly began revitalizing the ride in time for its first spin Memorial Day weekend. The carousel sat abandoned and shuttered in 2008 prior to New York Carousel’s 14-year-lease agreement with the city Parks Department.
Abramson said the carousel has given close to 35,000 rides in its first year since reopening.
“It is one of the main symbols of a community that is vibrant and thriving and a place for young families,” he said. “It’s a special machine and people truly love it.”
Forest Park’s historic carousel dates back more than 100 years, when its colorful menagerie was hand-carved by artist Daniel Carl Muller. Originally situated in Dracut, Mass., the carousel was moved to Forest Park in 1972.
Wendell said the WRBA looks forward to meeting the commission and learning exactly what it means to be landmarked.
“Having something landmarked in Woodhaven would no doubt be a source of pride for the community,” he said. “It is not something we have a lot of experience with here in Queens.”
Reach reporter Steve Mosco by e-mail at smosco@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
