Press Statement, May 3, 2023
Forest Hills, New York - With concerts at the Forest Hills Stadium scheduled to begin this Saturday (May 4th), over 700 local residents have signed a petition expressing outrage that the West Side Tennis Club has been holding events at the stadium without proper enforcement of the city's noise code and local zoning ordinances.
The petition, entitled, "Stop The Illegal Activity at the Forest Hills Stadium," comes after Queens Judge Esposito last week issued a preliminary injunction against the West Side Tennis Club, ordering them and their tenant, the stadium promoters, to follow the city's noise code and limit concert-goers’ access to most residential areas in the on-going lawsuit. Those signing the petition are calling for their elected officials – Mayor Eric Adams, Councilmember Lynn Schulman, Senator Addabbo, Assemblyman Hevesi, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards – to do more to protect their quality of life.
According to expert testimony cited in the lawsuit, noise levels at the stadium have vastly exceeded the city’s noise code, sometimes by “100 times the legal limit” and was “unrebutted by competent proof” according to Esposito’s decision.
Outraged residents are concerned the events will create physical damage to nearby homes from the noise and vibrations in addition to the disruptions to the regular work and school routines for families.
Traffic in the surrounding blocks is often gridlocked during events and numerous residents have complained about concertgoers trespassing.and leaving trash on their property. The number of concerts has also almost tripled to more than 30 from what the community was originally told would be only 10-15 events a year.
“It’s a mess, and it’s the fault of our elected officials and the Adams administration who have utterly failed to place even the most reasonable restrictions on these events,” said Andy Court, president of Concerned Concerned of Forest Hills, a non-profit group that advocates for reasonable restrictions on the events at the stadium.
While officials originally supported resuming concerts after covid restrictions were lifted, in a March 2024 letter to the West Side Tennis Club, state senator Addabbo acknowledges the deterioration of the quality of life for the neighborhood and supports a balance “while being considerate of the residents who live in the vicinity” and for the Stadium to “comply with the city noise code.”
“At this point, it’s not enough for officials to say something - they need to step up and do something or face the consequences at the ballot box,” said Ann Whyte, a longtime resident of the neighborhood. “This has gone on for far too long.”
Judge Esposito’s preliminary injunction came in a case between the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation and the West Side Tennis Club. It is indicative of a sea change in community attitudes surrounding the historic venue, as longer, louder, and later concerts have provoked a strong community backlash and lawsuits from two separate community groups, Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills, and the Forest Hills Gardens Corporation.
Concerned Citizens of Forest Hills urges elected officials to follow Addabbo’s lead and compel the West Side Tennis Club to follow the laws and respect their neighbors.