Friday, January 7, 2011

RIRA Rep Defends Southtown From RIRA Housing Committee Report Alleging Affluent Exclusiveness & Gives Walking Tour Of Northtown - RIRA Common Council Responds To Report By Censoring Future Distribution Of Information

Image Of RIRA Southtown Resident Aaron Hamburger Defending Southtown

The Public Safety Committee Report presented to the Roosevelt Island Residents Association (RIRA) January 2011 Common Council Meeting was not the only controversial submission that resulted in a majority of RIRA Council members approving a Resolution censoring future reports for distribution to the Roosevelt Island community. The Housing Committee submitted a report which elicited a fierce, yet humorous, defense and response from Southtown Common Council Delegate Aaron Hamburger. Fortunately, we have a video of Mr. Hamburger's response provided by Roosevelt Island resident Trevre Andrews as well as the text of the remarks below.


You Tube Video Of January RIRA Meeting

RESPONSE TO RIRA’S HOUSING COMMITTEE REPORT TO THE 1/5/11 COMMON COUNCIL MEETING

In an outrageous attack on Southtown residents, the Housing Committee report charged that:
“We now have the phenomenon of a nearly complete lack of contact between the populations of Southtown and Northtown, leading to community conflict and the tarnishing of its reputation as an inclusive, caring place to live. Day and night, the million- dollar apartments of Southtown telegraph the message to the people of Northtown: We have money, you don’t; we do not need to know you much less lay eyes on you; ....... Southtown is where the money is; that’s why Southtown residents never set foot in Northtown and definitely do not care to interact in any way with Northtown residents”.
I first pointed out that if Southtown folks want no contact with Northtown people, why is over 21% of the Common Council composed of representatives from Southtown? Then I addressed the issue of Southtown residents not venturing into Northtown. Basically, few of us go to Northtown because there’s little there to attract us. Yes, many go to the Farmer Market, but that’s only once a week. My walk to Gristedes on Wednesday morning (1/ 5/11), illustrates the real problem. Leaving Southtown, the first thing I saw in Northtown was the Thrift Store. A terrible introduction to Main St. The front display window showed a disorganized and haphazard collection of items. The window was covered with pieces of tape and bits of paper and was probably the dirtiest window in all of Roosevelt Island. Then, if you go in to make a donation, they refuse to give you a receipt (the only thrift store I know doing this). So, many of us are now donating off-island to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Across the street is a chiropractor, who hasn’t been in business for about a year. Hidden in the basement of Rivercross are two excellent doctors and a fine dental practice. Many of us use these doctors, but that doesn’t get us very far into Northtown.

Continuing my walk, I next pass the Public Library. This library has a fair collection of reference books, children’s books, DVD’s and periodicals, but their general book collection is very limited. About 20% of the book shelves are empty. Usually, if you want a book, it has to be ordered from another library and that takes anywhere from one week to a month to arrive on Roosevelt Island. Oh, there’s no bathroom. Actually, there is a bathroom, but it’s kept locked for use by the staff only! Across the street is a nail salon, but we have a nail place in Southtown. Then, it’s the Trellis, which a number of us patronize especially on live music nights. Next is a dry cleaner, but again we have a good dry cleaner in Southtown.

Now I’m passing the Senior Center, where I have to maneuver around a large group of Northtown seniors waiting to get on the Shoppers Bus which will take them off-island to shop. This is while I’m going to Gristedes to spend my money on-island (and where I get a 10% senior discount on Tuesday and Wednesday and free delivery if I want). Is there something wrong with this picture?

Across the street is the deli, but we have a better deli in Southtown. Oh, I’ve already passed the closed fish store and soon pass the closed flower shop where many of us used to get our flowers. Then another nail place. Does Roosevelt Island really need 3 nail salons? In the final stretch of Main St, there’s the closed liquor store which a number of us routinely patronized, then China 1 where a number of us order take-out, and a new bank. The old bank closed forcing most of us to open accounts and get credit cards elsewhere - I transferred to Chase. Now nicely established at Chase, it’s not worth the hassle to come back to Roosevelt Island.

Finally, before I enter Gristedes, I go to the post office. This is the most customer- friendly, helpful branch post office I’ve ever encountered. So, I end my walk with a happy experience. On to buying my groceries at Gristedes.

To repeat, Southtown people don’t venture very often to Northtown because there is little there to attract them. We badly need more and better stores.

There’s a positive ending to the story of the Housing Committee report. After a bit of discussion, the RIRA Common Council voted to reject the report and asked the Housing Committee to rewrite and resubmit the report to the next Common Council meeting on 2/2/ 11.

Aaron Hamburger, Chair – RIRA’s Island Services Committee
Below is the RIRA Housing Committee Report submitted for the January 2011 RIRA meeting.This is the type of report that the majority of members of the RIRA Common Council do not want you to see in the future. For the record, this report was not preliminary, or mere work product waiting further refinement but was intended to be the official report of the RIRA Housing Committee to the full RIRA Common Council.

From the RIRA Housing Committee Report to the January 2011 Common Council Meeting.
Our Committee met to consider the three questions on the Agenda:

1. Section 8 tenants in Eastwood that eventually exceed the Section 8 income guidelines are not then automatically transferred to the LAP Program; this violates the exit agreement whereby all of the tenants of Eastwood were to be protected upon exit from Mitchell Lama.

2. Southtown is not in compliance with the guidelines set forth in the General Development Plan, as it was not developed inclusively and does not provide low-income or affordable housing, a vital component of the General Development Plan, which is still in effect. Unfortunately, the lack of affordable housing at Southtown and the sense that Southtown is an enclave has exacerbated social tension and resentment on RI. Whereas RI was previously an oasis where the socioeconomic mix provided opportunities for building bridges and friendships across the ethnic, economic, social spectrum, we now have the phenomenon of a nearly complete lack of contact between the populations of Southtown and Northtown, leading to community conflict and the tarnishing of its reputation as an inclusive, caring place to live. The divisions of NYC, which were previously absent on RI, have now arrived on RI. Day and night, the million-dollar apartments of Southtown telegraph the message to the people of Northtown: We have money, you don’t; we do not need to know you much less lay eyes on you; Northtown residents don’t count because they can’t afford million-dollar apartments; Southtown is where the money is; that’s why Southtown residents never set foot in Northtown and definitely do not care to interact in any way with Northtown residents. Buildings 7, 8, 9 should be developed as truly affordable Rent Stabilized housing open to tenants with fixed incomes, moderate incomes, and those receiving Section 8 subsidies– this would help rebalance the socioeconomic mix on RI.

3. The RIRA Housing Committee would be happy to assist and support efforts in any of the complexes on RI; however, we can only assist at the request of the building associations. If a building or complex does not have a building committee or association, the Housing Committee has no-one with whom to coordinate efforts within a particular building. Landlord intimidation may be a factor preventing tenants from organizing building committees in some buildings.

The attendees had a thorough discussion about the lingering issue of the Section 8 tenants of Eastwood, who, because of economic circumstances such as families doubling up due to rampant unemployment, children becoming adults, managing to get jobs but still not being in the position to move out because of high rents, or Section 8 tenants slowly getting pay increases through the years so that eventually their income may exceed the Section 8 guidelines, and many more possible situations whereby a household may no longer qualify for the Section 8 subsidy, these families are suddenly exposed to the excessive
market rate rents being charged by Urban American, and because of this unjust economic circumstance, are usually then forced to face the harm of having to give up their apartments. This represents an unfair displacement since the other tenants that were in place at the time the building exited Mitchell-Lama in 2005, those that did not qualify for Section 8 subsidies are permanently protected from excessive market rate rents by having been placed in the LAP Program. Yet all Eastwood tenants at the time of exit from Mitchell Lama were promised they would be forever protected from market rate rents. The Committee agreed there is unfairness with the above scenario – the loophole whereby the landlord can prey on Section 8 tenants that may wind up even slightly exceeding the Section 8 income guidelines
by suddenly imposing excessive rents on those tenants -- and considered how the situation can be corrected.

First, we must find out how many Section 8 tenants are vulnerable to displacement as outlined above. We agreed that many Section 8 tenants, those on fixed incomes for example retirees or disabled, would likely not exceed the income guidelines, but that many other Section 8 tenants, those whose children have grown up and gone to work but cannot afford to leave home, or other families that may have taken in a grown child or relative that may be down on their luck but eventually may earn some income, may be affected. It is possible that this data may be available from the DHCR so that we could have an idea of the size of the problem. If in the end it turns out that the number of households in danger of displacement is in the range of 300-400, then the issue is a major problem with the risk of displacement affecting hundreds of residents. We would like to have this data before proceeding with next steps such as having meetings with RIOC, Urban American, elected representatives, etc., to plead that the
exit agreement and the agreement worked out with the tenants and the new owner upon exit could be amended to extend LAP protection to Section 8 tenants that may eventually exceed the Section 8 income guidelines. We need to find a way to keep people in their homes especially in these times of high unemployment and high rents.

We recognize that the Tenants Association of Eastwood/Roosevelt Landings is currently fighting the landlord over electrical sub metering, that is, electrical sub metering the way the landlord wishes to carry it out –making electrical bills a lucrative source of income as well as providing another way to evict tenants that may be unable to pay grossly inflated electrical bills, by considering the non-payment of inflated electrical bills as equivalent to the non-payment of rent, and extending to the landlord the power to evict tenants even if the tenant can afford to pay the rent but cannot afford the unjustly inflated electrical bill. As the Tenants Association is currently focused on this problem which threatens the future of all Eastwood tenants, the issue of Section 8 tenants exceeding income guidelines and not being transferred into the LAP Program, may not be immediately addressed. Also, the above possible steps can only be carried out under the auspices of, and as an effort by, the Eastwood tenants and their organization. We discussed that it is vital for Section 8 tenants of Eastwood to become active and involved in the Tenants Association. If requested by the Tenants Association the Housing Committee is happy to lend support and help with these issues.
Preventing embarrassment to RIRA and controversy is not a good reason to restrict information made available to the Roosevelt Island community by their own elected representatives. Does Roosevelt Island need our own unique version of Wikileaks?

UPDATE 1/10 - Click here for the two RIRA resolutions and for spreadsheet showing how RIRA Common Council Delegates Voted.

32 comments :

Anonymous said...

I think what the oldtimers have to realize is that Roosevelt Island is slowly transforming into just another NYC neighborhood with all the gentrification. Maybe there is a difference between "Southtown", "Northtown", and "The Octagon" (I kind of feel that they needed to be singled out as well because Northtowners are having a hard time accepting the privileges those folks have). There are even distinct physical dividers between each of those "blocks", just like anywhere in NYC. I think any attempt to unify these three sub-neighborhoods will be more or less impossible.

skipper said...

I think the oldtimers realize that times are changing but do not feel that RIOC executes its responsibilities properly - apart from possible privileges that the folks at Octagon and Southpark were granted- it allows Red Bus service to deteriorate and encourage parking on public roads which slows down traffic.

Jay said...

I don't understand what people are bitching about.
As far as I'm concerned things have changed for the better since the development for Southtown.

- We all now have 7 new businesses on Roosevelt Island for EVERYONE to use if they like.

- The Tram system is now completely renovated.

- There is the potential for more money being spent on Roosevelt Island then ever before.

I don't see people on either side turning their noses up to each other. Honestly.

That report is hyperbole of the highest order. Seriously. For the most part, complete and udder bullshit.

It just seems like people are getting upset about some kind of impossible scenario where Related bulldozes there way through the WIRE and builds luxury condos there in place.

Relax people ... not going to happen.

Now ... let's talk about real possibilities.

I look forward to someone ... be it Related or Rivercross ... to step forward and hammer out a deal to renovate and take over leasing of the shop space in downtown. That will raise the standard of living for all of us.

Jesse said...

We need more reporting to tell us who is on this committee and what buildings they represent. Methinks this is a North Town old guard-dominated group.

I live in North Town, in Roosevelt Landings, and I don't feel subjugated by the existence of South Town. In fact, I think South Town represents the direction of retail development that is required to make this a livable community for everyone.

All of the businesses in South Town are useful to residents of any complex on the island. They are clean, bright, and reasonably priced.

In North Town, the dingy stores have no respect for the community -- to the point where many don't bother to lift the gates from their windows while they're open. We have the lowest crime of any ZIP code in NYC, yet most of the stores in North Town don't trust their neighbors enough to take the metal bars from their storefronts?

Not to mention the stores are dirty AND overpriced. If North Town residents are concerned about being priced off the island, why isn't the focus on the poor retail choices on Main Street?

And how does dedicating three new buildings entirely to low income housing diversify the island's socioeconomic mix? Why not achieve the balance we seek by placing low, moderate AND upper income units in each building?

Anonymous said...

We all yearn for the day when Kalkin and Smith finally get going with their Retail Store Plan for Main Street. These RIOC Board Members talked a lot about this Master Lease Holder Sceme, but after all this time - still NOTHING!

We're waiting....

Vinicius said...

Regarding the Housing report, it should be made clear that it was rejected by RIRA Council as inaccurate and inappropriate, and requested to be revised.

Anonymous said...

Well, does it matter that the RIRA rejects something? I am very sure the RIRA does not a lot of influence.

Anonymous said...

Dear neighbours,

for you who did not attend the meeting, you should start attending, you missed a whole lot of other information that no one is discussing on this board.
I see how the focus is strong twoards RIRA becoming secretive like RIOC, no transparency, resrict publications, while it is really more twoards protecting RIRA, Council Members and you from some one who has evil intentions of missusing RIRA's name and putting their reputation on the line because he/she has personal agenda/s and wants to hurt you, your career, or other organization's efforts to make R.I. a civilized , loveable, peaceful and community oriented place.
I believe that we shouldn't foster individuals with evil intentions.
This is my journalistic perspective:
Since meetings of RIRA and the committees are open to all to attend, hear and witness the action, why are you accusing them of non-transparency?
Nontheless, I belive that RIRA has the right to vote on what should be public to best serve the community and what should not be published to protect the wellfare of this community.
Again, we voted for those folks and we should give them our support, not our grieve.
Since when residents of R.I. are evaluated by their income, or should be respected according to the size of their hats? Unless some individuals here are extremely missing out and have some/alot bones.

Anonymous said...

I've lived on RI for more than 3 decades and watched Northtown deteriorate over the years. I'm glad that Southtown finally opened and that there is a Starbucks, a Duane Reade, a pizzeria and a Japanese restaurant, like every other neighborhood in New York City.

There is a new governor. Perhaps it is time for RIOC to seek an exception to the regulations that have made Main Street, Northtown a wasteland, rather than pursue the Master Lease. I would like more Mom and Pop stores. If Islanders and RIOC would understand that RI is a housing development in New York City, one subway stop from midtown, and begin to act that way, it should be possible to attract normal businesses.

Anonymous said...

Now after Southtown managed to get the bus route changed,
the parking place across from the subway reserved for deliveries to Riverwalk instead of busses bringing commuters to the subway and 30+ parking spots on the West Road Road
the new parking places have little utilization compared to Main St and East Road. You are tempted to think some "temporary" users just like to watch their cars from their apartments.

Anonymous said...

"after Southtown managed to get the bus route changed"?? This is exactly the rhetoric that puts a giant rift between the residents on Roosevelt Island. Maybe you can think of a million other reasons why the route was changed in the first place. Reasons that had been complained about for so long by others (and those were not Southtown residents - they couldn't care less about the bus).

Anonymous said...

Your animosity toward Southtown residents is absurd. Why would any Southtown resident want the bus route changed? What Southtown resident would take the bus the 15 feet from the subway or tram?

This rhetoric is all about people feeling slighted because others have more or make more or live better than they do. And it's all in your head.

Anonymous said...

Before Southtown, Roosevelt Island residents parked their cars at Motorgate,took the bus and could safely cross the streets. Street
parking became an issue with residents from Southtown clamoring for parking places "where-ever" because the builders did not provide any.The complaints are not
"because others have more or make more or live better than they do".

Anonymous said...

"Before Southtown, Roosevelt Island residents parked their cars at Motorgate"? I guess I am hallucinating all these cars parking all along Main Street in front of Rivercross, Island House, Westview, and Manhattan Park. And those have been around way before Southtown has been built. Why should Southtowners not expect something similar? I am not saying that everybody has a right to a parking spot - I am all for banning cars from RI altogether - but blaming Southtown alone for the car mess here is not fair.

Joyce Mincheff said...

Clearly, by its rejection, the Housing Report does not reflect the sentiment of RIRA. The Council, in an unprecedented decision, voted not to accept the report.

For Rick to place it on the blog as if it had acceptance is sensationalizing. He is far more interested in creating discord to drive commentary on his blog, than in dealing with the facts.

A member of the Housing Committee stood and said, this is simply the work of the Chair Person and does not reflect either the dialogue or the sentiment of the Housing Committee.

Additionally, Rick states that the resolution was to prevent committee reports from finding their way to his blog. Such is absolutely not the case. In fact, the resolution has nothing to do with committee "reports" which are the end product of discussions by a committee. It has only to do with on-going discussion within the working group in an effort to uncover facts that will ultimately shape it'sconclussions.Discussions can contain information that is ultimately be found untrue. And if it gets distributed to the blog, eroneous information becomes pulic information.

Lives are lost by this form of public bullying. Rick should not be using his blog to quote from others in a manner that tarnishes anyone's reputation, without investigating the facts as a good journalist would.

Residents and service providers in our community have the right to privacy in dealing with their issues when they come to RIRA in confidence. When a problem that could defame a person is brought to our attention, it is unconsionable that it be given to the press and tried on the internet.

Rick has clearly demonstrated this past week, that he fails to use journalistic judgement in favor of using sensationalism to promote conversation on his blog. Personally, I'm repulsed by it.

Anonymous said...

"Lives are lost" based on the publication of "erroneous" RIRA reports? Now who's sensationalizing?

Anonymous said...

Let's call this what it is. The problem isn't this blog posting what rira wrote. The problem is this does reflect the views of most of the old guard of rira. They hate everyone new here for no reason despite the fact that rira membership is mostly made up of the new buildings now. The idea thay there are divisions on the island are created by those same people who complain about them that frankly have no idea what they are talking about. I for one am really tired of having the same 10 people on the island (check the main street wire its the same 10, try to run this place. They only think about themselves. Try to take their parking spaces in front of their building and watch them scream. Now they are angry that their outlandish views and bizarre class warfare tactics are out in the open. They should only be mad at themselves.

skipper said...

Referring to the earlier comment
"Why should Southtowners not expect something similar?" to Mainstreet,which disregards that:

* there are buildings on both sides of Mainstreet and parking in the eastern lane was prohibited.

* the tenants in Southtown on the other hand demand rights to park on both sides of their buildings.

* Today's parking regulations are enforced by PSD which is operating with lots of new exemptions that did not exist before whether real or perceived.

* The level of public transportation is suffering by the repeated demands for "equal treatment" by late comers who new what they were buying before they came here.

Anonymous said...

This is exactly the kind of blatant entitled rhetoric that permeates this island and animosity that comes from rira. Late comers? Are you kidding me. This island is not a party where people get in line. These are peoples homes and this is not some socialist collective or weird hierarchy where people who live here longer have more or less rights. Should people that live here longer have more or less space or the same amount of bedrooms? Last time I checked this country was based on capitalism. Also this place was falling apart and all the money to finance anything new or affordable housing comes from the sale and ground rents of the new apts. If anyone is an entitled person its those that think they have more rights than the person next to them because they lived here longer.

Anonymous said...

How is public transportation suffering because of the new parking?

If you measure the distance, being dropped off in the southbound lane of West Channel Drive requires an almost identical amount of walking to the new drop-off at the subway.

And the new parking spaces seem to have arisen as a result of an opportunity created by the new bus route; they were not the impetus for the route change.

With all this animosity toward Southtown, what would the old guard suggest we do? Tear it down? The previous poster is correct: the ground rents from the Octagon and Southtown are the only reason any new improvements are being made to the Island.

Anonymous said...

RIRA should be disbanded. I've seen high school student councils with more influence.

Anonymous said...

I think Joyce Minchef was right on the mark. I'm sure she meant "Livlyhoods" and not "Lives". I got her message as I'm sure Rick did too. Problem is this Blog and the WIRE would rather stir the pot and have folks commenting against each other than bring peace to the community by being part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Anonymous said...

There is one thing that is very essential in our democracy: the freedom of the press. It is not the press's task to edit public materials. If the housing report was indeed representative of how the committee members feel it is the press's task to report this to the public so we can stay informed and make changes when we have the voice to do so.

If the committee report was just badly written then there is a lesson to be learned: make sure you only release material you are happy for everybody to see. Take the responsibility and don't shift that to the reporting media.

Anonymous said...

The opportunity to park in front of the subway station was there all the time but not pursued. Once the status quo had been changed it became tempting to take the Southtown privileges a step further .......and money talks.

Anonymous said...

"Problem is this Blog and the WIRE would rather stir the pot and have folks commenting against each other than bring peace to the community by being part of the solution and not part of the problem."

Who are the people who are part of the "solution?" Why is joining them the only way to "bring peace to the community?"

If dissent is "the problem," and I think that's what was implied by your comment, something is even more seriously broken on this Island than even the commenters on this post have considered.

Progress is the product of compromise. Compromise is the product of debate. Attempting to silence those who "stir the pot" by posting or commenting on this blog is the best way to undermine the democracy RIRA purports to represent.

If a committee chair was able to submit a report to the Common Council that was a reflection of only the chair's point of view, there is something wrong with the procedures RIRA follows to bring something from committee to the full Council. On every level, THAT IS NEWS that the community is entitled to read about.

RIRA is not dealing with matters that require or deserve any measure of confidentiality. Anything this blog obtains or posts from sources within RIRA is fair game.

Anonymous said...

RIOC obviously cannot meet the tram schedule (15 min.intervals) with the same number of busses as they did in the past.But it is not fair to try to reduce the bus service to Main Street and Manhattan Park residents to 20 min intervals and then create one-way streets and also allow new parking for Riverwalk residents in the freed up lane(which does not seem to be highly utilized)

Anonymous said...

What is is with the empty parking spots at Southtown? Why did they make the Main St West 1-way if no-one uses those parking spots?

Anonymous said...

Right now, they are allowing 2 hour parking as a courtesy until the new meters arrive. The reason the spots are not filled is because it's only 2 hour parking. I don't believe the intent of these spaces was to have them all filled. If anything, I think they want less cars parked on the street and that is why that area is so strictly enforced.

Anonymous said...

What Irony: Roosevelt Island is one of the most class stratified neighborhoods in New York.

As this week's New Yorker reflected, all the planned elements on the island are a disaster. The article mentions the unplanned cherry trees, a gift of the ladies on Sutton Place, as one of the few positives on the island.

Anonymous said...

Ref anonymous blog at 6.12 p.m. saying that "If anything, I think they (preumably RIOC)want less cars parked on the street"
While Riverwalk residents are asking for more privileges from RIOC,the residents from the WIRE buildings, Manhattan Park and Octagon are short-changed when it comes to the Red Bus service.
RIOC cannot (and will not be able to) match the bus service and the tram service without also cutting down the tram service; but RIOC will test how their cut back in service works and meanwhile leave people waiting and freezing on the streets.

Anonymous said...

This prior comment is ridiculous! Since when are Riverwalk residents asking for more privileges - the fact that they aren't even using the new parking spots speaks for itself. And why would Riverwalk getting additional parking spots mean the rest of RI is shortchanged? Would an Octagon resident want to park at Riverwalk? So how does Octagon lose anything by Riverwalk gaining parking spots?

The comment about the bus/tram schedule is also inane. I'm sure RIOC will have a bus meeting the tram just like it used to once the tram schedule is worked out. Patience!

Anonymous said...

Ref above blog

I hope you are right about the Red Bus being coordinated with the tram schedule (arriving before the tram leaves and waiting for the incoming tram to arrive)but am pessimistic.

On RIOC's priority list Car owners seem to come first and RIOC seem unable to reduce the parking privileges on Main Street.

The developper provided some parking for the Octagon residents
----- not so at Riverwalk.

The rest of the island is hurt by the new bus routings/schedules by slower commutes and brief stops at the Tram station.Last night there were more people freezing while waiting for a bus at the tram station than you could pack into a few cars parked on the West Drive.