Roosevelt Island Operating Corp Board Of Directors Meeting Tuesday December 29 - Approval Of RIOC 2021-22 Budget, Authorization To Place Bike Ramp Within Motorgate Helix And Riverwalk 8 Developer $1 Million Payment For Firefighters Field Bathrooms To Be Used Instead For Other RIOC Projects

The Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) Board of Directors will meet 5:30 PM Tuesday, December 29 via video conference. You can watch the Board meeting here and ask questions or share concerns about Roosevelt Island during the opening Public Session before the start of the meeting. Sign up to submit your remarks. 

The meeting was postponed from December 17.

Among the meeting Agenda Items are:

• 1- Approval of the Proposed RIOC Budget for Fiscal Year 2021-22 (Board Action Required)...
• 3. Authorization to Approve Amendment of Lease with Riverwalk 8 Housing Development Fund Corporation and Riverwalk 8, LLC for Southtown Building #8 (Board Action Required)
• 4. Authorization to Place the Bike Ramp within the Helix Ramp (Board Action Required)

According to the Proposed RIOC 2021-22 Budget (Pages 1-2):

... The Proposed Budget FY 2021‐22 projects capital improvements in the amount of $11,910,000, a decrease of $27,882,000 over the Approved Budget FY 2020‐21 amount of $39,791,000....

Also:

...  RIOC’s Proposed Budget FY 2021‐22 projects revenues of $32,809,000, a decrease of $2,766,000 or 7.78% over the Approved Budget FY 2020‐21 amount of $35,575,000....

.... Commercial rents are projected to increase by $46,000 or 2.78% due to contractual escalations. 

Tramway revenues are projected to remain at same level as the Approved Budget FY 2020‐21.... 

... For grant and community support, the Proposed Budget FY 2021‐22 includes an extraordinary expense of $1,340,110, an increase of $172,519 over the Approved Budget FY 2020‐21 amount of $1,167,591. This is mainly due to increased costs for community service and the allocation of youth center personnel cost to support such service....

RIOC attributes most of the decrease in capital improvement spending to the completion of various projects, rescheduling of Sportspark renovation to fiscal year 2022-23 and the postponement of work on Dayspring Church and Motorgate Plaza/Atrium (RIOC Budget Page 1). Not sure what work on Dayspring Church was scheduled since it is now The Sanctuary, a private Events Space/future restaurant.

The proposed budget does not address impact of Coronavirus Pandemic on commercial rent and Tramway revenue.

Another item on RIOC Board Agenda for tomorrow is an Amendment to Riverwalk Building 8 Ground Lease which releases the developer, Hudson Related (Tenant), from constructing a Comfort Station at Firefighters Field and:

... instead have Tenant pay RIOC the sum of $1,000,000 in full satisfaction of its obligation under the Building 8 Lease with respect to the Comfort Station Work, so that RIOC will have those funds available for other construction projects on Roosevelt Island.

More details below.


Also on the Agenda for tomorrow's RIOC Board meeting is authorization to place a bike ramp 

                                                                                                   Image From RIOC

within the Motorgate Helix as shown below.

Image From RIOC

 According to the RIOC 2021-22 Proposed Budget (Page 2):

... projected receipt of a grant for TAP Funds for the bike ramp in the amount of $2,964,000 being delayed to FY’s 23 & 24....

More details on the bike ramp below.

 Full December 29 RIOC Board Agenda is below.

UPDATE 12/29:

Reaction from Roosevelt Island Historical Society President Judy Berdy and Roosevelt Island Residents Association President Rossana Ceruzzi. 

From Ms Berdy, deliberately all in CAPS:

YOU ARE HOISTING FRAUD ON THE ISLAND AGAIN. MEETINGS WITH NO PUBLIC INPUT ARE A SHAM 

TEARING DOWN OUR CHERRY TREES TO BUILD A BIKE RAMP IS A JOKE. WE HAVE SEEN BIKERS DO NOT GIVE A DARN ABOUT SAFETY AND WILL STILL GO DOWN THE HELIX!! 

WE GET A FEW DOZEN BIKERS ON A WEEKEND. THERE IS NO GROUNDSWELL OF BIKE RIDERS HERE. 

LOOSING ANOTHER GREEN AREA IS SHOWING THE CONSTANT REMOVAL OF GREEN FOR CEMENT AND UN-NECESSARY PROJECTS.. 

WE HAVE NOT SEEN ANY RENDERING OF PLANS IN A YEAR, PRINCE SHAH...WHERE ARE THE PLANS IN A PUBLCI PLACE? 

WE DEPERATELY NEED BATHROOMS AT FIREFIGHTERS FIELD. THE ONE BATHROOM AT THE TRAM CANNOT SERVICE THE DOZENS OF TOURIST AND ATLETES WHO NEED TO RELIEVE THEMSELVES. I ASSUME RIOC'S RESPONSE IS TO USE THE TREES AS TOILETS. 

THIS PANDEMIC HAS LEAD TO AN EPIDEMIC OF BAD DECISIONS BY RIOC. OUR PUBLIC SAFETY LEADERSHIP IS M.I.A. 

WE HAVE NEW, INEXPERIENCED OFFICERS, WHO KNOW LITTLE OF THE ISLAND AND HAVE NOT BEEN TAUGHT HOW TO DEAL WITH THE PUBLIC. THEY ARE BODIES, BUT NO SOUL FOR THE JOBS......ROBO-OFFICERS. WHERE IS TRAINING AND INTERPERSONAL INSTRUCTION KEVIN? 

SHELTON- TIME TO BE OPEN AND HAVE PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THE FAUX-MEETINGS. TIME TO TAKE OFF YOUR MASKS AND BE OPEN AND PUBLIC.

From Ms Ceruzzi:

This is an open statement expressing opposition to the “Bike ramp” as listed in the 12/29/20 RIOC Board of Directors Agenda under “New Business”.

While it is always important to treat the community with respect, it is very important to do so when controversial plans are being discussed. This project it's yet another rush through job that has NOT been presented to the community for consideration and when residents feel ignored or pushed around, dialogue becomes difficult. This is another project that will chop down trees in exchange for a bike ramp. Do we have any alternatives? What is the purpose of it? Who will it serve? Why has the escalator been out of service for over a decade? Escalators that would provide service to seniors, disabled and alleviate the congestion on the elevators at Motorgate? 

Most importantly the idea that RIOC is holding Board meetings where the public or Island representatives cannot speak up is unacceptable. Why were the public sessions stopped?

How can the community participate in the formulation of plans if no public session is held?

The pandemic should not be used as "the" excuse not to have public sessions in fact, Elected Officials have been holding Town Halls via Zoom platform regularly.

RIOC needs to be accountable to the community and the bottom line is that communicating with the community is a crucial attribute for the successful outcome of any venture.

We urge RIOC to reconsider this plan.

UPDATE 6:30 PM:

The Bike Ramp authorization was removed from RIOC Board Agenda tonight for further study.

UPDATE 9:30 PM - The RIOC Budget and Riverwalk 8 Lease Amendment were approved. Firefighters Field comfort station deferred. 

$1 million allocated for Comfort Station to be used by RIOC for "Health & Safety" projects instesd. RIOC staff  did not say what are Health and Safety projects and none of the Board Directors asked.

UPDATE 12/30 - Here's video of the RIOC Board discussion about the proposed Motorgate Bike Ramp.

Stay tuned for more on this subject.