Daily News from New York, New York • 7

DAILY NEWS, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1975 ML7 By OWEN MORITZ A major New York City plan designed to halt the flight of the middle class a flight that officials fear could accelerate because of the city's financial drain has been approved, by federal authorities, it was learned yesterday "induced" by blockbusting and racial steering: "the channeling only of minorities into an area" by real estate firms. "A stabilized neighborhood, the commissioner "is one where movement out occurs only or largely as a result of natural occurrences (death, old age, upward mobility, etc.) opening up possibilities for natural permanent integration. Talking of the three borough' areas involved, Mrs. Norton said they are largely middle class, occupied by one-and two-family homes to a large extent and undergoing racial pressure frora nearby neighborhoods. The Queens area targeted has a total population of 134,542, of whom 102,391 people are whit and 30,872, or 23 are black.

The Brooklyn area has of whom 244,379 are whits and 67,410, or 21, are black. The Bronx area has 118,812 fo whom 88,538 are white and 29,127, or 24.5, are black. effort to upgrade an area through cleanups, block plantings, street fairs, increased security and the like. Hand in- glove with these efforts goes stepped-up city and state law enforcement "to prevent redegregation, as Mrs. Norton put it, through crackdowns on blockbusting, exclusive renting and selling practices and racial steering.

One program involves a home-finding service designed to attract whites. Beyond this is an effort to "improve morale" of neighborhoods undergoing change, to ease the fears of the long-time residents, the commissioner said. In confirming the federal approval, S. William Green, the regional director of the Housing and Urban Development Department, said: With approval of the plan comes $450,000 in federal funds to help finance it. The strategy involves a number of activities to stabilize three pivotal areas in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

The areas consist of: Laurelton, Rosedale, Cambria Heights and parts of Queens Village and Bellerose in Queens. East Flatbush, Flatbush Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and parts of Crown Heights, Cana-rise and Brownsville in Brooklyn. Woodlawn, Wakefield, Eden-wald, Williamsbridge, Olinville, Fishbay and Baychester in the Bronx. Bronx in particular has been eroded of its once vast middle class. "The austerity doesn't help us," said Eleanor Holmes Norton, the "city's human rights commissioner, addressing herself to fears that a decline in services and a heavier financial burden could hasten the exodus of middle-class families.

"What balances things out right now is- that the costs of mortgages and running a house are giving people second thoughts about suburbia." Mrs. Norton added: "Most cities are sitting back and letting themselves be drained of the middle-income families. Whether the mayors are black or white, they are wringing their hands over the problem. In New York, we are not." Basically the city's strategy, known as the neighborhood preservation program, involves channeling money and technical assistance to block and tenant associations. There is a special They're Having a Ball A Sale Sproutts afl fthe ioftanical By ALBERT DA VILA Everyone in the family even Archie Bunker would have been pleased with ft 1 J2.

Z'; "I hope and believe that the move by the city to address the fears of long-time residents of changing neighborhoods will be successful. It would be most unfortunate if malicious rumors and senseless stereotypes wreak havoc with the life styles of residents. "Also, I am gratified that the Human Rights Commission program includes a campaign against blockbusting and steering, two evil practices which are banned by federal law and which have had the sorrowful effect of scaring some white middle-class families. Surely, the municipal health will be improved as these practices are rooted out." The areas involved include neighborhoods that have under gone or are about to undergo racial change. Mrs.

Norton said it is city policy to block "unnatural integration" in which the flight of middle-class whites or blacks is New York Botanical Gardens Shirley Jenkins isn't nosy, pine trees, Audrey Knell made her puppet people with the aid of a few rags, some color pencils and ordinary utensils. There were many "ooohs" and "aaahs" as the puppets took shape, and one 2-year-old girl asked: "Will thev walk, Mommy?" Scores of artists and craftsmen displayed and sold everything from a bottled desert landscape to a handmade belt. At one display, 3-year-old we have had you have not com plied with this request (for economic data) except to give us some raw construction estimate data. At the present moment I do not see how we will be in a position to have enough solid factors to make a recommendation to the planning board by our Sept. 11th meeting." Don't Accommodate Him In fact, the local planning board has raised six points in its negotiations with Helmsley and the archdiocese.

Other -points concern parking; the preservation of the gilded Gold Room, a highly-regarded room within the Villard Houses, and vehicular access to and from the hotel entrance. One of the sternest crities of the Helmsley proposal is Darcy JLewis, a subcommittee member, i -v kAisin yesterday. News photo by Clarence Davis just interested in plants. Kevin Coleman, who came all the way from Hollis, Queens, pointed his finger at an abstract painting and asked: "What's that in there, Dad?" "I don't know, son; I guess it's some people fighting in a war," explained the father, Charles Coleman. "That," said Joel Goldsholl, the artist, "is a classroom scene.

I know. I'm also a first-grade teacher." who" has questioned the "red carpet treatment being afforded McGrath." The archdiocese has long owned the Villard Houses, fine turn-of-the-century buildings, and for years they were used as church headquarters. But the archdiocese recently consolidated its pastoral, educational and charitable agencies in a new 20-story building at 1011 First known as the New York Catholic Center, which also contains the new Cathedral High School and the parish Churoh of St. John the Evangelist. The Villard Houses, costly to maintain, were leased to Helmsley with the understanding that the facade could not be tampered with under the city's landmark laws.

The Helmsley tower would rise behind and over the houses. 1 4 Owen, Morita the very special bash at the It was a fine, crisp Sunday, and New Yorkers came by the thousands to see the arts and crafts exhibits and to buy exotic tropical plants during the annual lanniy Labor Day weekend spe cial" at the garden. There's more of the same-today. Archie would have been happy to find the Tropical Bleed ing Heart. He would have thought it the perfect gift for his son-in-law.

The bleeding heart, no relation to liberals in the tropics, is known scientifically as Clerodendrum Thomsoniae. It has heart-shaped red flowers. Survival Money "In the old days, we used the proceeds of the sale to buy new, exotic plants," said Larry G. Pardue, the plant-information officer at the garden. "Today we use the money to survive.

We 11 use it to renovate this building," he added, pointing to the glass roof of the herbs conservatory building. "I'm afraid it'll collapse under a heavy snowfall this winter. Over at a corner of the con servatory building, near the two Peruvian cacti, a bearded young man turned to his lady, dressed in denims, and said: "Hey, see them red fruits in the cactus Think they give you a nice high?" Later Pardue explained to another visitor that although the cactus fruit was edible, it wouldn't do anything for the head. Outside, near the shade of two would allow an 81-story building but on a plot so narrow 100 by 100 feet that he would gain considerably more rental space from a 52-story building with coverage on a larger plot of land. A third meeting between the real estate subcommittee and Keviir McGrath, the archdiocese's attorney, is slated for next Friday.

After the last session, Hal Negbaur, chairman of the real estate subcommittee, firel off a letter to McGrath protesting the lack of information, writing: the most part I have been very disappointed in the wav the subcommittee meetings have been going." Negbaur fnued, "So fot Vtje, two meetings, Columbus Park in Chinatown vibrated with the cheers of enthusiastic volleyball fans and local residents yesterday as some of the best Chinese volleyball players" from as far away as San Francisco and Canada kicked off play in the two-day 31st Annual Interstate Chinese Volleyball Tournament. The 15-team competition caps a week's bicentennial festivities that have a been held by the Chinatown community. A highlight of the tournament will be exhibition matches played today by a visiting team from Taiwan. The park is at Bayard and Mulberry Sts. The Archdiocese of New York and real estate bigwig Harry B.

Helmsley have divulged the first economic details of thei property deal that calls for a $41.5 million 52-story hotel and office complex on the site of the historic Villard Houses on News photo by Dan Godfrey approval until satisiactory economic data is delivered. In two meetings with the board's real estate subcommittee, the attorney for the archdiocese, which has leased the Villard Houses site to Helmsley, has turned over documents giving a breakdown of the costs involved in Helmsley's project. The papers show the Palace would have 725 hotel rooms and 24 elevators. Cost breakdowns are given for plumbing, labor, excavation and foundation and demolition. But the subcommittee is known to want to see hardship data to justify Helmsley's need for a variance that would allow the, building to go to 52 stories.

Pf esenti laws, 4 Madison Ave. at 50th bt. But the chairman of Planning Board 5, whose real estate subcommittee has examined the initial financial records, said yesterday that the data is too scanty and that the impasse over the fate of the Villard Houses remains. Plan 725 Rooms "Whether on purpose or not on purpose, we're getting the runaround," said the chairman, William Stuhlbarg. Stuhlbarg also said it's unlikely the full planning board can approve the planned tower known as the New York Palace at itsf Sept.

11 meeting and will ask 'cityi agencies; tq delay.