By Serena Solomon
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
DOWNTOWN — Last October, a Department of Buildings inspector labeled David Scalza's sculpture garden trash, slapping the landlord of his building with almost $18,000 in fines and forcing the garden to be torn down.
After months of waiting for a court to make a decision on the matter, Scalza learned Thursday that he would have to wait another five months for a hearing.
The case was to set to be heard by the Environmental Control Board on Thursday morning, but when the representative for the landlord failed to show up, the hearing was adjourned until Aug. 26.
Scalza is hopeful that he can prove his work, which is made from recycled objects, is art so that the fines against the landlord will be withdrawn and his sculpture garden will be resurrected.
The artist started building the sculpture garden after developing cancer that he believes resulted from his volunteer work at Ground Zero immediately following the 9/11 attacks.
