The Latest Developments

News and events are presented here in reverse order going back to the early days of the house saving campaign. 

Spring 2007

We are continuing our effort to stabilize the home after being vacant for 4 1/2 years. Nature’s elements have taken a severe toll on the home. We have partially restored electricity, water, and done extensive cleaning inside the home. We are focusing our efforts on making the exterior of the home more presentable for the community. We must continue our efforts for fundraising so that further improvements can be made

January 2007

We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Mrs. Alice Coltrane. Mrs. Coltrane had just come to New York in November and met with us to discuss the future of the home. She was in complete support of the opening of the home as a tribute to her husband, John. Although she is no longer with us here, Mrs. Coltrane’s spirit will always be a part of the home and her guidance will lead us through its restoration. 

Fall 2006

Mrs Coltrane and all of the members Coltrane come to NY for a meeting with our committee to discuss the support and restoration of the home. The meeting is held in NYC at Yamaha Artist Services headquarters. Mrs Coltrane accepts the Long Island Music Hall of Fame award for John Coltrane. 

Spring 2006

The Friends of the Coltrane Home” forms a working committee of volunteers dedicated to supporting the restoration process. The group’s main goals are fundraising, physical restoration and public awareness for the project.

Spring 2006

After reading an article in Suffolk Life, local Dix Hills resident and business owner Bill Haile, donates air purification equipment to the home. Being vacant and exposed to the the weather for more than four years, the air quality in the home and basement was extremely poor and unhealthy. Mr. Haile’s equipment was used to kill all of the interior mild and mildew so that remediation could begin safely and cost effectively. Mr. Haile’s equipment saved us tens of thousands of dollars in restoration costs.

November 2005

In continuation of their support of the Coltrane home, the Huntington Town Board voted to purchase the Coltrane home and property from the developer as part of the Town of Huntington’s Open Space preservation initiative.

In November of 2005, the Town completed the purchase of the home and designated the property as “John Coltrane Park”, a passive park (no services of any kind) where the home would be restored to its original condition.

The Town deeded ownership of the home to our new non-profit corporation “Friends of the Coltrane Home in Dix Hills”. The “Friends” organization is headed by Steve Fulgoni, Ravi Coltrane and the members of the Coltrane family.

The organization has been given the task of restoring the home the home to the way it was when the Coltrane family lived there and open it to the public as a historic home to educate children and all people about John and Alice Coltrane and their life’s mission to be a force for good through their music.

Thanks to a generous donation by Alice Coltrane, the Coltrane family, work has begun but there is still a long way to go

May 4, 2004

Huntington Town Hall, Huntington NY

The Huntington Town Council voted unanimously (5 - 0) in favor of designating the Coltrane home as a Town of Huntington Historic Landmark !!!!!!!

For the first time, we can breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the home has been saved !!

I would like to thank everyone from all over the world, who helped with this campaign. This has been an example of how people working for a great cause, can make something positive happen.  There is obviously much more to be done, but we now know that the home will be safe.

Please check back for more updates .....

April 20, 2004   9:30pm

Public Hearing Held in Huntington Town Hall

On April 20, 2004, Huntington Town Hall was overflowing with supporters and well wishers who had come together in favor of our efforts to save the Coltrane home.

More than 100 people came to show their support to the members of the Huntington Town Council.

Approximately forty speakers had approached the podium by evenings end, among them; Steven Fulgoni, Ravi Coltrane, Michael Cogswell, director of the Louis Armstrong Home and Matt Garrison (son of Jimmy Garrison).

One after another, key members of the grass roots effort spoke so eloquently about the need for the preservation of the home and its value not only to the local township but also to the international Jazz community!

I would like to thank John Coltelli, Angelika Beener, Pat DeRosa, Victoria Crosby, Marla Cantor, and many, many others. There were also many key supporters who came willing to speak, but in the interest of time, did not.

Letters of support were read from Carlos Santana, Fuji, Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and David Liebman. More than 200 letters were submitted from 20 states and 12 countries.

The speakers concluded with Ravi Coltrane, who spoke about his father and the importance of the home. Ravi also came with his wife and son for the memorable event.

Though the current owner of the land did speak, and did express his willingness to sell, the hearing will remain open for him to have an opportunity to hand in a written response. After reviewing all the material, a vote will be tallied and landmark status for the home will be decided.

An electric buzz filled the air after the meeting and a feeling of expectancy permeated the packed house. The vote will most likely take place at the next town council stayed tuned for details.

Huntington Town Board Supervisor stated to the crowd “We want to let you know that we favor the landmark designation at this time” ... “ This is a great day for Huntington !”

March 23, 2004   11:30pm

Huntington Town Council voted unanimously to schedule a public hearing on the Historic Landmark Designation of the Coltrane Home

A Resolution co-sponsored by Councilwoman Berland and Councilman Mark Cuthbertson to schedule a public hearing on the Coltrane was voted unanimously in favor by the Town Council.

A Public Hearing will be held on April 20th, 2004 at 7pm in Huntington Town Hall
to consider the designation of historic landmark status to
the Coltrane Home in Dix Hills

This is it !!!  What we have been waiting for !!

This is our opportunity to tell the members of the Town Council how important it is to designate the Coltrane home as a local landmark. The Town Council will vote based upon the input received from the public.

The Town Council’s vote is the final word on the status of the home. If they vote in our favor, the home will be saved from demolition !!!!!

We Need YOU !! to come to Town Hall and show your support for the Coltrane home.
Please save the date ... and be there on April 20th.

What a great day !!!

As reported today in Newsday, the Huntington Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend that the Town Board designate the Coltrane home as a historic landmark !

Thanks to the overwhelming support from all of you, we have reached the first milestone in our hope to preserve this important home.

What Does This Mean ?? What Happens Now ??

We love the Newsday headline, but we’re not there yet. As I explained earlier (See the Feb 26 news below) this is the critical first step in the process of historic designation. Without the recommendation of the Preservation Commission, our cause would most likely be lost. However, now that we have the recommendation of the Preservation Commission, a public Town Hearing will be scheduled before the Town Board, who will listen to all sides and ultimately vote for or against the landmark designation.

The Town Board needs to now that you support the cause, please continue to send your letters of support to this website and to the Town Board. 

We will need you, to come to Town Hall, on the day of the hearing, to voice your support for the landmark designation. When the hearing is scheduled, I will let everyone know

Most importantly, we need to strive to have the property bought from the developer. 

I will keep you updated on the latest news as it develops.

Steve Fulgoni

Latest News, February 26, 2004

I would like to update you on my progress with the preservation effort.

Since this crisis began, the story has been covered by Stanley Crouch in The NY Daily News, The New York Times, The Long Islander newspaper.  NBC-TV filmed me for a story on the evening news, but for some reason, they have chosen not to air it. The response to the media coverage has been overwhelming!  I am not exaggerating when I say that the phone calls and emails were non-stop for an entire week. I received more than 150 contacts from people anxious to help, send money, have benefit concerts, radio and magazine interviews … you name it.

If you initially contacted me because one of the articles, please accept my apologies if my reply was short and not detailed. People were contacting me so quickly my head was spinning. Things have settled a bit, so feel free to contact me again with any comments or questions.

In order to help meet the demand for information, I have setup this website at www.dixhills.com . I am working on it each night, so you will see more and more each day.

I mentioned last month that I gave a presentation to the Town of Huntington Preservation Commission. Last month, they decided to hold off on a vote for landmark recommendation until they could see the house and also become more familiar with the situation and support for the home. Subsequently, I gave a follow-up presentation, armed with a stack of emails and letters from the media response (THAT MEANS YOUR EMAILS AND LETTERS).  I feel confident now that they will vote to recommend landmark status.

Here’s how the process works in the Town of Huntington. If a house is has the potential to be considered for local landmark designation, it is presented before the Preservation Commission. The commission is advisory only, that means their their decision is not the final word, but they recommend designation to the Huntington Town Council. If the Preservation commiccion recommends designation, a public hearing is scheduled before the Town Council, where people will get to voice their opinion, for or against. After the public hearing, the Town Council votes. Their vote is the final word.

At this point, the Preservation Commission has scheduled their next meeting for March 3. If they choose to vote to recommend designation, we will need to prepare to show our support at the public hearing before the Town Council.

Separately, I submitted an application to the Town Open Space Commission, which is the Town agency that has the ability to acquire property for “Open Space” or parkland. I gave them a presentation and they seem very positive on the issue.

The Commission sent a “Willing to Sell” letter to the owner, which asks the owner if he is willing to sell to the Town. If the owner returns the letter signed YES-WILLING TO SELL, the Town will get an independent appraisal, which is the first step in a negotiation process toward purchasing the home. No guarantees here, but a great first step on the part of the Town. If it gets that far, but they can’t agree on a price, the Town will not be able to buy the property. That’s why I am trying to find a private benefactor at the same time.

The Open Space commission will want to partner with a jazz related non-profit group that can assist in the management of the historic home similar to the Louis Armstrong home in Corona, Queens. I offered to lead and coordinate the effort between the two groups, when one is found.

This is not the only solution. The Town will step back if a private organization wants to buy the home.

Because acquisition by the Town is a long process, I am still looking for an organization that will help acquire the property quickly, and then allow fundraising to repay them. I am considering going to a bank for a long term loan (very difficult without a significant down payment).

Any ideas on my thoughts above would be greatly appreciated. If you can, it would be very helpful if you can provide me with a letter stating your support that I can present to the Town and post on the website. I have many posted on the website already and more are on the way, but we need to have as many as possible. These letters of support will be crucial at the time of a public hearing.

If you prefer it on your letterhead, send a fax or Word attachment. Please tell everyone you know. Please include your name, Town, State, Job Title if applicable.

That’s it for now, Thanks for all of your help !!

Let’s keep up the fight !!

Steve Fulgoni