Daily News from New York, New York • 7

'in 1' ML 7 Ask Biocese DAILY NEWS, MONDAY, JUNE 16, 1975 to pel i have to open their books to back up ap- peals for hardship approvals. He also noted that the church -was leasing the property, not selling it. Panel's Response The committee's response, according to board members Jim Morgan and Ger- aid Gartner, was that the lessee, Helms- ley, is one of the city's biggest real estate operators and moneymakers. As a result of the committee's move j-V McGrath reportedly agreed" to put off until fall a further request for the local board's approval. The committee's par- ent.

Planning Board 5, does not -have charter powers to delay or block the high-rise tower, but negative decisions of. mark "Villard Houses at Madison Ave. and 50th St. and the buildings, while considered superb turn-of-the-century architecture, have been costly to the church to maintain. 1 in Agreement The church recently reached agreement with Helmsley, who has long coveted the site.

He came in with plans for a 52-stoVy hotel to be built behind the Villard But his architectural design calls for demolition of several outstanding interiors of the buildings, as well as parts of facades of two of the six houses. One of the rooms earmarked for 'demolition is the gilded Gold Room, a magnificently decorated room that fea- By OWEN MORITZ A mid town planning board panel has asked the Archdiocese of New York to disclose its financial records if it wants hardship approval of its plan to lease the historic Villard Houses site to real, estate mogul Harry Helmsley. He plans to build a 52-story office "and hotel tower on the property. Members of the Real Estate Committee of Planning Board 5 confirmed yesterday that the committee had met with -Kevin McGrath, attorney for the archdiocese, and then listed six points which must be resolved. One of the points raised was that the church, in seeking hardship approval on the grounds that the houses lose money, must open its books.

McGrath argued that nonprofit organizations do not in the1 offices of board chairman William Stuhlbarg, have raised the six points in the hope this will spur Helmsley and tha church to consider a new design. Want Room Preserved 'Among points, according to Mor-' gan and Gartner, were these: that the proposed hotel's height and width exceed the zoning limitations, tTlat a planned driveway off. 5th St. to accommodate taxis presents problems and that the Gold Room should be preseerved. Normally, builders seeking hardship ap- -proval and the Villard Houses would require hardship approval becauss the plan exceeds zoning limitations submit economic data to support their appeal.

The issue in this case centers on whether the archdiocese by leasing that property needs to divulge such data. Efforts -to reach Kevin McGrath wera unsuccessful. 'tures elaborate frescoes and gold ceilings. Conservationists and key members planning boards are often supported by Borough President Percy Sutton, who-y has votes on the Board of Estimate, which will make the final and crucial decision. The church has long owned the land Board 5 are drawing the line at this Voom, declaring that they want it preserved.

The Real Estate Committee, which met On ihe Waferfront A Mmigme By OYBIL BAKER Millionaire garage builder Abe Hirschfeld, who reportedly spent $200,000 in last year's Democratic primary for U.S. senator and finished third, js being sued to satisfy an unpaid mortgage of $414,540 on his apartment building at 52 Riverside Drive, it was Jp Ps Is. I I -v; I pJifv learned yesterday. Hirschfeld said that he probably won't contest the foreclosure proceedings brought by Tobias Heller, from whom Hirschfeld bought the rent-controlled building in 1969. This brings the specter of abandonment usually confined to' slums to the unlikely neighborhood of Riverside Drive in the 70s.

"I lost $60,000 on that building last year," Hirschfeld maintained. "It's impossible to keep it up with the present costs." Run? Hirschfeld, an Israeli immigrant who made his fortune here building garages and -now is building the Yankee Stadium garage complex, is thought by many to be girding for another shot at the senatorial- primary next year. The Riverside Drive building is assessed Hirschfeld, who said that he hasL "lost close to $300,000 in the last fow years" on its operation, contena-ed that "rent control has destroyed Bedf ord-Stuyvesant and the folksy style, Hirschfeld observed: "Thank God, God gave me tha other business." His residential property at 52 Riverside Drive has been involved in litigation for several years. The first case was when the tenants blocked his efforts to convert it into a cooperative. Then one tenant went to court, charging that needed repairs were not made in her apartment.

Hirschfeld insisted that they had been and won the case. Heller, who is bringing th foreclosure action, is not interested in assuming management of the property, according to his attorney. Thus, the attorney said, the 45-unit building most likely will be sold at auction. "What tenants in New York don't realize," Hirschfeld said, "is who suffers finally." Contending that his five other residential buildings also are losing money, he said: "If I lose a building. I can still live nicely.

If the tenants lose one, they lose their housing." Abe Hirschfeld News photo by Keith Tome Cyclists head down ramp at East River Drive and Houston St; on way to Battery yesterday. Ride was. part of promotion of East River Bicycle Parkway, which would run from East River Park at 14th St. to the Battery along river's edge. Bronx; now it's starting to de-stro.

Manhattan." In his customary, colorful, on East Side ike Jobbers Pedaling Fear 73,000 Jobs for Kids A federally funded program to give summer jobs to about 73,000 youngsters in New York State was announced yesterday. The program, part of the national Comprehensive Employment and Training 'Act passed by Congress, last will provide jobs paying a minimum of $2.10. The program authorizes $456.35 million for summer jobs nationwide. To be eligible, youngsters must be between 14 and 21 and come from families whose annual income is under $5,050 a year. Typical jobs include directing children's recreation in parks and community centers, inventorying school supplies, sorting and storing library books, working in day care cen- -ters, cleaning up alleys and vacant lots and guiding visitar in museums.

By JOHN LEWIS Roving bands of bicycle robbers, -operating in gangs from' two to five members, have been preying on children from Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper V.i 1 1 a the two privately owned, middle-income housing developments on the "East Side. According to parents of children who have had bicycles taken, the robbers' usually wait for their victims to take their bicycles outside the development since" bike riding is prohibited inside the housing complex grounds. Then, while one gang member threatens the child with a knife or other weapon, the other-gang members steal the bike. Parents said the robberies have been taking place in the open during daylight hours. At least one youngster has had three bikes taken.

Last week, three such robberies occurred within a half hour of each other. A 9-year-old boy was riding his bike on E. 20th St. when he, was pounced on by -two boys, described as' between the ages of 10 and 13. One of the thugs pulled a knife, held Road and two brothers, aged and 9, we're riding their bikes when they were stopped by five youths.

The younger boy, who had only days before received the bike as a birthday present, was struck over the head with a toy rifle when he resisted. 1 His older brother tried to intervene; For his efforts, his bike, too, was taken. The value of the bikes was put at $80 each. A mother whose 10-year-old son's bike was taken in the street entrance of his building said one robber laughed while a second held a knife to her son. Since the bike was "on its last legs," she said, ahe believed the youths were taking it just for the kicks.

Police from the 13th Precinct said that they did not know of any organized gangs but there have been reports of a deranged woman who takes bikes and then abandons them. Officer Howard Ross of the precinct's community affairs department and the Explorer Scout Post there has been conducting a year-long campaign to get parents to register their children's bikes. A code number is engraved on the bike and a record of the owner's name and address and the bike's make and color are kept by Ferry Delays Service Cut Cutbacks in rush-hour service on the Staten Island ferry run, set to begin this morning in an effort to save million a year, have been put off at least until July 1 at the request of Staten Island Borough President Robert T. Connor. Marine and Aviation Commissioner Vito Fossella will use the time to try to come up with other ways' to save the $1 million.

He said last night, that the "most feasible" plan now appears" to be to lease two hovecrafts and put. -them on the midnight-to-6 a.m. ruus. The craft, Fossella said, could make the runs in 8 to 10 minutes, compared to 25 minutes for the ferries. it to the throat of the boy and ordered: "Get off the bike or we'll cut your throat!" The frightened boy did as he wa3 told and lost his bike.

His father said afterward that it was the third bike that had been taken from his son. A short while earlier, at Peter Cooper.