A stop-work order may have put the brakes on illegal work being performed outside the Lundy’s building on Emmons Avenue, but the new tenants are moving ahead this week with their plans to open the Cherry Hill Gourmet Market inside the landmark structure.
Officials from the Landmarks Preservation Commission say that “retroactive approval” of the new sidewalk wrapping around the front of the building at 1901 Emmons Avenue, as well as work to the façade, could be soon granted depending on the completeness of the tenant’s application.
Cherry Hill officials were expected to submit their application to have the work legalized earlier this week.
Last week, State Senator Carl Kruger and Community Board 15 Chair Theresa Scavo protested the work being performed without proper permits and declared the new market an affront to the community.
Meanwhile, it appears Lundy’s new tenants have also dodged a couple of other bullets that might have landed them in hot water with both the Parks Department and the Department of Transportation.
While Kruger held his on-street press conference outside Lundy’s last week, unidentified workers were busy painting the trees and parking meters outside the building’s parking lot on Shore Parkway.
DOT officials said that painting the parking meters white was okay with them, while the Parks Department said that the only way they would be able to issue fines is if they actually caught somebody in the act of painting one of their trees.
The Sheepshead Bay/Plumb Beach Civic Association is also feeling good about the future of Lundy’s now that their efforts to reclaim the World War II memorial plaque formally on display inside Lundy’s Landing are about to pay off.
“We’ve already negotiated to get the plaque back,” Barbara Berardelli told the Bay News. “It’ll be a process but we’ll get it done.”
According to Berardelli, James Pappas, son of Lundy’s landlord Steve Pappas, has agreed to allow the civic to pick up the heavy bronze plaque.
The group plans on storing the plaque inside the Sheepshead Bay Yacht Club before installing it at their memorial grounds near Haring Street and Emmons Avenue.
“It’s okay, it’s clean,” Berardelli said. “Once I spoke to Pappas he was very sincere. As much as he wanted to display the plaque inside the restaurant, he thought that it would be better in a public space.”
The roughly four by three foot metal plaque honors the service of Sheepshead Bay residents who fought in World War II.
