(Disclaimer: All opinions stated here are my own and do
not imply any official endorsement by the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association)
H
yde Park is so cozy for most of us that it has really taken
on a small town feel. Most buildings are on a human scale (and,
lord knows, we are continually fighting to preserve that), we
can easily walk from place to place, we have a nice park and
pool, and the neighbors are a pretty good group of folks. I
think that is why most of us enjoy living here and are very
proud of our neighborhood.
Unfortunately, despite what many of us might
like to think, Hyde Park isn't the "small town" that it
seems. There are a lot of things that are happening here
that just wouldn't take place in a real small town. It is
all too easy to get lulled into a false sense of security
and serenity. Some of the problems that have cropped up
are in the crime report that appears elsewhere in this
issue; here, I'll focus on the outbreak of superduplexes
that are threatening the character of our neighborhood.
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Duplexes & Developments Duplexes, or rather super-duplexes, have become the most recent scourge to befall us. They started out slow, but seem to have really sneaked up on us. The first one that became a daily annoyance (and I use that term very lightly) for me is at 707 East 47th Street. It is just around the corner from my home and it has completely changed the character of, at a very minimum, at least one very nice block in our neighborhood. The problems these super-duplexes bring have been well documented. Some of the most recent annoyances / frustrations / incidents include, but are by no means limited to: massive amounts of toilet paper in the trees, endless parking problems, toga parties, and 4' x 8' signs advertising fraternity parties. And all of this is in neighborhoods zoned SF-3 (for those not in the know, "SF" as in SF-3 stands for single family). I certainly don't expect to live in a neighborhood without and sounds, problems, or conflicts, but I hardly feel that well-lubricated, midnight revelers, running around with flaming tiki torches, dresses as ancient Romans belong in a neighborhood where most homeowners are trying to live their everyday lives, raise families, and protect the largest single investment they will ever make. We have been fighting, and we will continue to fight. The Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, along with Hancock Neighborhood Association, the North University Neighborhood Association (NUNA) and some other groups have been doing whatever we can to protect our historic homes, our old established trees, our families investments, and our community. If you |
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would like to help in any way, please contact me via phone or
e-mail. I will let you know of the many things you can do to
help protect the quality of life for yourself and your neighbors.
In one recent neighborhood vs. developer battle, the residents of the Patterson Heights subdivision (located between Eilers Avenue, East 47th Street, Evans Avenue, and Fairfield) were able to prevent an aggressive developer/speculator from building a large mega-duplex at 603 Fairfield Avenue. Although it took a lot of work, success was achieved. It wasn't easy, and it didn't come without investments of time and (not inconsequential amounts of) money. In addition to a "win" there was another upside. The residents of the Fairfield/Patterson Heights area pulled Continued on page 3
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