A Letter from FHGC President Bruce Eaton

Dear Residents,

This winter has certainly made its presence known. After several mild years with little snow, we received more than 30 inches in February alone. Thank you for your patience as our maintenance crew of six worked diligently to clear 7 miles of streets and 14 miles of sidewalks. If winters like this become the norm, we may need to consider bringing in outside help or making other operational adjustments to keep up with demand.

Litigation Updates

I would like to share a more detailed update on the ongoing concert-related lawsuits, but while those cases remain pending in court, I am unable to discuss specifics. What I can share is that the former Federal Judge we engaged as our settlement attorney for the cases with the WSTC and Tiebreaker Productions has gotten underway, and is now fully informed and committed to securing the best possible outcome.

Our goal remains clear: to try and reach a balanced settlement that protects our property rights, and addresses quality of life issues. There is no assurance that such a settlement can be achieved, but without one, we will be faced with additional years of costly litigation, during which the number of events held at the WSTC stadium would not be subject to any meaningful limits. So, in the near term, our efforts will be focused on trying to negotiate a settlement.

Board Governance

The Board recently adopted new Process and Procedure Guidelines. While this may seem like a minor administrative change, the intention is to ensure that Board members have the information they need before decisions are made and that responsibilities extend beyond our regular meetings. The guidelines also support more transparent communication with the community. I firmly believe that strong processes lead to the best outcomes.

Traffic & Infrastructure

The Traffic Committee has been reviewing both past and new traffic studies and will be making recommendations based on the input of professional consultants. Any changes we adopt will need to be coordinated with road paving and other scheduled work so implementation can occur efficiently and cost‑effectively.

At the LIRR station, work continues by Forte, the contractor hired to build ramp extensions and make platform repairs. They have been working closely with us throughout the process, and we remain focused on minimizing impacts on residents—especially those living nearest the project. While we cannot stop this work (nor should we), we continue to advocate fiercely for The Gardens.

The contractor expects to complete the work east of Station Square in June, at which point the currently blocked parking spaces will reopen. Additional work west of Station Square will follow, overlapping slightly with the final stages of the eastern project.

Community Safety

Late last year and early this year, Forest Hills experienced a rash of break‑ins, including several within The Gardens. As of this writing, there have been no new incidents in about two months. The 112th Precinct has been extremely supportive, increasing patrols to supplement our security team, and we appreciate their responsiveness and partnership.

Board Membership

Four Board members resigned recently, and we have filled two of those seats for the remainder of the year. We are pleased to welcome long‑time residents Nancy Northrop and Mark Lenczowski to the Board. We chose not to fill more than two seats ourselves and have kept one position open for an architect, whose expertise will be invaluable.

Thank you for your continued support and engagement. As always, we remain committed to communicating openly and working diligently on behalf of our community.

Bruce Eaton

Introducing New FHGC Board Members

Mark Lenczowski and his wife Britt Guerrina have lived in Forest Hills Gardens since 2007. They moved here from Chicago with their children, drawn by the unique architecture, the beautiful landscaping and the welcoming community, all of which they continue to enjoy and appreciate. Mark served as President of The Mens Club of Forest Hills from 2019-22 and has served in officer capacities before and since. He is committed to doing what he can to preserve the high quality of life we enjoy here in The Gardens, and he is particularly interested in executing the FHGC’s role of maintaining the physical infrastructure of the community.

Nancy Northrop has lived in the Gardens for 37 years, initially attracted to the beauty of the Gardens and the easy commute into Manhattan -- but she has stayed because of the strong community that exists here. When her children were young, Nancy became involved in the PS101 PTA and served for about 10 years, most of that time as Vice President, running the afterschool program, and helping with the community events. Because of her concern for the safety of the children around PS101, she became involved with the FHGC traffic committee and was a tireless advocate for placing the stop signs on Ascan in front of the school. In her new role on the FHGC Board, Nancy is happy to help the Board in whatever capacity is needed to maintain and enhance the beauty of the Gardens and deepen the Garden’s sense of community.

Do You Have Stained Glass Windows?

Help Preserve Our Architectural History

The Forest Hills Gardens Foundation is dedicated to preserving the history and legacy that make our neighborhood so special. For our 2026 archiving project, we are documenting and photographing the extraordinary leaded and stained-glass windows found throughout the community.

We are currently gathering photographs of intricate glass medallions and harlequin windows to include in our communal historical record. These images will also be showcased in a special fall presentation by a renowned stained-glass preservationist at St. Luke's Church.

How to participate: Please allow us to briefly visit and photograph your windows. To schedule a quick photo visit, please contact Christine O'Brien at foresthillsgardensfoundation@gmail.com

For more information visit the Forest Hills Gardens Foundation Stained Glass Project

Neighborhood Photos from the Blizzard of 2026

Board & Committee Updates

Security

Members of the Board have worked to rebuild relationships with the 112th Precinct and have engaged in calls to address the pressing security issues facing our neighborhood. The 112th has communicated that it is ready, willing, and able to assist in the Gardens’ efforts to boost our security systems and protocols. The Security committee is exploring options regarding the utilization of security cameras and to our delight, the 112th has stated its willingness to provide its expertise in helping with the planning and eventual execution of this endeavor.

Traffic & Parking

The Board is investigating traffic and parking measures that can be put in place in to help mitigate ongoing concerns. Cost is definitely an issue, but we are committed to making changes even if it is "one improvement at a time."

We are currently engaged in communications with PS 101 regarding traffic related issues at to drop-offs/dismissals. In addition, the Board voted to remove a limited number of parking spots near the stop sign on Greenway South and Cranford to provide for increased visibility at this intersection. The Board also discussed looking into restoring parking near Station Square while the LIRR continues its construction project on Burns Street.

Visit our Website at FHGC.org