The Stoop Stops Here ... The Battle That Is
NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- It's a story we first told you about -- residents fighting to keep their front stoops.
On Friday the city declared a truce in this Brooklyn battle.
Homeowners on Monitor Street will not see their fences and front stoops ripped up -- at least not anytime soon, reports CBS 2's Tony Aiello.
It was the letter that sent a chill down Monitor Street.
"It was terrible! It really was. It didn't make sense, didn't make sense," resident Jimmy Hunt said.
A letter from the city's Department of Design and Construction told residents their fenced-in front stoops encroached several feet onto city property, and would be torn down as part of a sidewalk and sewer project.
Residents said the stoops have been this way for generations -- with no complaint from the city.
"I think it's despicable. They're gonna take this neighborhood and mess it up," one resident said.
Well … maybe not.
DDC Commissioner David Burney visited Monitor Street on Friday to explain a snafu that will save the stoops -- for now.
"I'm happy to say we're going to postpone this part of the project to a future date," Burney said.
As the city drew up plans for the project, it ran into trouble where the sidewalk ends. The city discovered it doesn't own the title to the land where certain cars are parked -- all the way down to Greenpoint Avenue.
Acquiring title will take years, so while the city negotiates it has put the monitor street construction "on hold."
"It's a touchy issue. We hope it's averted, the issue goes away quietly, and we're left alone," resident Ricky Carias said.
"I hope it doesn't come up again. Otherwise we're gonna stick together and we're gonna fight it again," resident Laura Fudjinski said.
But for now they can relax, and when the weather improves enjoy their front stoops in peace.
The city said when the project resumes years from now it will work closely on design issues to minimize the impact on residents.
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