New-York tribune., 1922-11-12
Forest Hills West
Will Be am Active
Building Section
Construction Program of APP
proximately $2,O00,O 900
Scheduled for Next Spring
by Recent Buyers of Lots

A building program calling for
expenditure of approximately 81
600 is scheduled for next sprir
Forest Ellis West, the newest
urban residential colony. That
record total will be greatly incrt
if not doubled during the latter mo
of 1928 is Indicated by the fact
this figure represents less than
third of the plans Of the 552 bu
who absorbed the tract Of some 8
lots of the Matawok Land Compan,
Joseph p. Day.
The figures were obtained f!
questionnaires sent out by the Fo
Hills West Association, an organ
tion formed by the lot buyers, WI
is doing something unique in the
velopment of home community. B
ers at oeher lot sales have form
for expediting the installation of Gil
improvements, but never in the histol
Of public sales hereabouts have owner
succeeded in welding an association to
develop as unit a property that had
been disintegrated and made suscepti-
Bile to haphazard Improvement.
Formed soon after the auction sale,
ply, of the Joseph p. Day organization,
who was made it's president, the associ-
alton was quick to enlist the services of
a number of the buyers, including
prominent builders, architects, engi-
neers and others identified with the
building industry. They were formed
into planning committee" with Jo-
seph Gollomb, an author, as its chair
man, for the purpose of developing the
land along the lines of it's neighbors,
Forest Hills and Kew Gardens. To aid
in this plan the eighty blocks compris-
ing the tract were assigned to as many
captains, who lined up their various
owners. ]. H. Naughtin, Kew Gardens
builder, was made head of the architec-
tural committee, and Hjalmar E. Skou-
gar chairman of the engineering COM
mittee.
Several meetings Of the association
were held in the Hotel Pennsylvania
and attended by between 500 and 700
people, who tarried until after mid
night discussing plans for the property.
The meetings were addressed by mem
bers of the planning committee, who ex-
planned all details essential to home
building and artistic treatment of
grounds.
A problem that gave the association
concern was the large amount Of land
adjacent to the Long Island Railroad
tracks and placed in the unrestricted
class by the city coming authorities.
Much of this land Is fully fifteen feet
above the grade of the tracks, making
1T unsuitable for use in connection with
railroad sidings. In addition it is held
by. those familiar with the needs of a
suburban residential community that
there are fully three times the number
OF lots assigned to business use as will
be necessary for the development when
II
bought these business lots for the pur-
pose of building homes. Others who
bought for factory use now plan to
build residences. The Zonine Commits
sion will be asked to place other busi-
ness blocks in the residential zone.
The diversified ideas of prospective
home builders are illustrated in The
| questionnaires received by the plan
ming committee from more than 200
owners at Forest Hills West. Of the
many who will build homes in the
spring, 14o have decided on the costs
of their operations. The total figure is
s1'32s 900. making an average cost of
Ss,4oo Tor each home. In the develop
ment OF the land ninety-seven owners
favored the Kew Gardens type of con-
Stfuctlon. tWenty-eight were in favor
OF Colonial architecture, twenty-five
'NA 'oAASty Oh Styles, eleven
avored the Forest Hills TYNE Of homes
md one was for Italian renaissance,
ed roofs we're favored by seventy
i've forty favored green. three voted
Tor blue and fifteen for variety Of
eoiors. Twenty-foot .setbacks with
avs-foot side setbacks and uniform
sidewalk spacing were almost unani-
mously favored.
Tennis and community cl,,hs for Al
property are favored by i6l and 167
respectively cut of 182 votes. Uni
form tree planting by the association
IS almost unanimously favored. with
naples leading the types.
ofaeers of the Forest Hills West
Association are: James r. Murpby
president; j. H. Naughtin, Eugene
harrington, Alderman P. Joseph Far
rely RELY and Floyd NJ, Lord, vice-presi.
dents; Harry X. Keller, secretary, and
Edward T. Scowcroft, treasurer Tho Tho
captains of the various blocks have
neen made the board of directors of