Transcript of 2001 Southtown Court Case Decision

Southtown before Riverwalk development from Main Street WIRE

As part of an ongoing effort to collect and make easily available to Roosevelt Island residents important governing documents concerning the history and development of Roosevelt Island, here is a link to Main Street WIRE transcript of the 2001 New York State Appellate Court legal decision in the case involving the development of the Hudson/Related Riverwalk Southtown development that was opposed by some residents. The name of the case was:

Roosevelt Islanders for Responsible Southtown Development, etc., et al.,
Petitioners-Appellants

-against-

Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, et al.,
Respondents-Respondents,

City of New York, et al.,
Respondents

Among the arguments made by the residents opposing the Southtown development was:

that the Related/Hudson plan violates the GDP, as amended in 1990, because it reduces the size of Blackwell Park from "approximately six acres" to 3.86 acres.

The Court disagreed finding that:

...the park was actually encroached upon by prior development in connection with Northtown. Further, the Related/Hudson site plan increases the total amount of open space from 8.2 acres to 15.1 acres, with 5.4 acres of open space between Northtown and Southtown, which is "approximately six acres," and although this space is not contiguous, it is not unreasonable to conclude that the proposed layout is not significant as the separating line is a road, not a building. Nor is it unreasonable to conclude that the movement of soccer and softball fields, as well as a children's play area, to the south is insignificant, especially in light of the fact that the Ramati Plan had actually eliminated the soccer fields.

Thanks to RIOC Board nominee candidate Jonathan Kalkin for providing link to article.
Links to other important governing documents such as the Roosevelt Island Master Lease, General Development Plan and Chapter 889, the RIOC governing statute, together with the Southtown legal decision are provided at the top of the right column of this page. Please let me know if there are other documents that should be added to the list.

Image of Southtown before Riverwalk buildings from Main Street WIRE.
Here is Main Street WIRE chronology of Southtown development from 1997-2002.