Setback For Roosevelt Island Cornell Technion NYC Applied Sciences & Engineering School - Proposed SEQRA Environmental Review Resolution Sent Back By RIOC Directors To Be Redone, Ground Lease Rent Payment At Issue

Image of Proposed Roosevelt Island Cornell Campus From You Tube

As reported in this previous post on proposed Roosevelt Island Cornell Technion NYC Applied Sciences & Engineering School, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) March 1 Board of Directors meeting Agenda Item includes this:

... Authorization to Take Planning and Related Actions in Connection with the Proposed Applied Sciences Project on Roosevelt Island(Board Action Required � Materials to Follow)...

Before the RIOC Board Of Directors Operations Committee met yesterday, they added an Agenda item for their meeting to discuss the proposed Roosevelt Island Applied Sciences Project resolution scheduled for the full RIOC Board Meeting on Wednesday March 1.

RIOC President Leslie Torres began the meeting saying she hoped it was clear that in no way does the proposed resolution drafted by RIOC Staff purport to convey any Roosevelt Island land controlled by RIOC to Cornell. According to Ms. Torres, the sole purpose of the proposed resolution was to authorize Cornell to begin the NYC and NY State Environmental review process (known as SEQRA).

Ms. Torres briefly recounted RIOC's role in the proposed project explaining that Cornell's plan for its campus requires additional Roosevelt Island land that is not controlled by New York City but which RIOC controls. RIOC Board approval is necessary in order for Cornell to secure the additional RIOC controlled land. Cornell also requires access to Roosevelt Island infrastructure which requires RIOC approval as well.

However, as Ms. Torres reviewed the terms of the proposed resolution, it became clear that there was more than the just the SEQRA process approval that the RIOC staff prepared resolution sought from the RIOC Board of Directors. Also included in the resolution was language authorizing RIOC staff to enter into non binding Letters of Intent or Memorandums of Understanding concerning proposed terms of transfers of Roosevelt Island land.

The RIOC Directors, while emphasizing they had no objection to approving a resolution authorizing Cornell to commence the SEQRA environmental review, strongly objected to having any language in this resolution inferring that RIOC staff is authorized to enter into any agreements with Cornell regarding conveyances of land. As RIOC Director Margie Smith said during the meeting, when the SEQRA review is completed she wants it clear that RIOC;

... will be negotiating a reasonable ground rent...

with Cornell. That concept was not in the proposed RIOC staff drafted resolution.

RIOC Director David Kraut added:

... The Resolution as worded does not protect the future interests of the corporation...

The result of the meeting was that the RIOC directors told RIOC staff that they would not approve the resolution submitted by staff and to redo it.

Here's the video of the discussion.

You Tube Video of RIOC Ops Committee Meeting on Cornell Resolution

This was a great job by the RIOC Directors acting in their independent fiduciary duty to protect the interests of Roosevelt Island Operating Corp and the residents of Roosevelt Island.

After attending the Operations Committee meeting and watching the video of it, it is hard to conclude anything but that the resolution to approve Cornell beginning the SEQRA Environmental Review process was either drafted extremely poorly or deliberately to obscure other intentions.

From Cornell's perspective this cannot be a good sign. Cornell is under a great deal of time pressure to begin their environmental review because of financial penalties in their agreement with New York City if certain benchmarks are not met by dates certain. The RIOC directors are aware of these time pressures and indicated they are ready to meet and approve the SEQRA Environmental Review Resolution as soon as the unnecessary language regarding land conveyances is changed.

Here's an audio webcast of the February 27 RIOC Operations Committee meeting. In addition to the Cornell discussion, the RIOC Directors and staff discussed Tram Operations, inadequate RIOC communications between Staff and Directors as well as RIOC communications with the public and media. All very interesting if you like this kind of stuff.



Update 3/2 - The language of the resolution was redone to the RIOC Directors satisfaction and indicates that there will be reasonable compensation for any RIOC conveyance of land to Cornell. The redone resolution was approved at the March 1 RIOC Board of Directors meeting. The web cast of meeting is now available.

Here is the approved resolution and link to it.



Will have more on this later. It will be interesting to discover why any language at all was added to SEQRA environmental review approval resolution regarding future conveyance of RIOC land to Cornell.

Should Roosevelt Island's FDR Memorial Honor and Recognize Overcoming Disabilities Or Architect Louis Kahn - Meeting 5/27 To Discuss

Image of FDR Memorial Wheelchair in Washington DC from Ability Unleashed

RIOC President Steve Shane reports that the Frankin & Eleanor Roosevelt Institute (FERI) will be giving a public presentation regarding their proposed Southpoint Park Roosevelt Island memorial to the architect Louis Kahn, regularly mischaracterized as a memorial to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, on Wednesday May 27, 7PM at the Good Shepherd Community Center.

Kahn FDR Memorial Sculpture Room From Village Voice Runnin Scared

From RIOC President Steve Shane:

We have just posted on our website under the Community Information tab the FDR Four Freedoms Park SEQR EAF & Environmental Assessment with its exhibits. Please be advised that it has not been reviewed or acted upon, but is for information and question, to make sure that the "hard look" required bySEQRA has been accorded by RIOC's Board, including such issues and questions as the community may have. Please feel free to copy and disseminate further.

As you know, FERI is going to be making a presentation of the whole project, again, including all that is contained in the EAF, on Wednesday evening at the Good Shepherd, 7 PM.

Roosevelt Island Doctor Jack Resnick will also be making a presentation at the meeting in support of the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association's (RIDA) idea to truly honor President Roosevelt as a man and President with a disability who overcame tremendous challenges to become a great leader. The RIDA Board Of Directors issued the following statement explaining why it is so important to publicly recognize that FDR was disabled with Polio and used a wheelchair:

On behalf of the Roosevelt Island Disabled Association and it's many disabled members we want to voice our opposition to a glaring deficit in the current proposal for the FDR Memorial to be built at the Southern tip of Roosevelt Island.

President Roosevelt was disabled by Polio before he was elected President of the United States and used a wheelchair almost exclusively. A statue of President Roosevelt sitting in a wheelchair or standing with the help of his crutches would be most appropriate here on an Island where many disabled people reside, both in apartments and in the two chronic care hospitals. In the same manner that our first black president, Barack Obama, has inspired so many school- aged black children to aspire to higher achievements, once thought to be impossible, such a memorial would have the same effect on the disabled community when viewing a statue of one of our most beloved presidents and realizing that he, too, was disabled and was able to overcome his disability and be elected to the highest office in the country. What an inspiration that would be for the multitude of disabled visitors, especially our wheelchair bound war veterans returning from Iraq, to visualize that despite their disability anything is possible. The memorial, as shown in the artist's sketches. does not portray FDR as disabled and we feel that this is an injustice to us all. It is said that “A picture is worth a thousand words.” In this instance, a statue of FDR depicted as our first disabled President would speak volumes to the millions of visitors, disabled and non-disabled who will be visiting The FDR Memorial for generations to come.

Roosevelt Island Disabled Association Board of Directors and it's members

Dr. Resnick proposes:

... The FDR Memorial on this Island should focus on the President’s strength in conquering his disability. Many possibilities come to mind. For instance, he should not be memorialized with a bust. We should see a greater-than-life-sized statue of him sitting in a wheelchair – and he should face north toward Goldwater and Coler Hospital...

The Executive Director of Roosevelt Island's Coler Goldwater Hospital has lent his support to achieving a Roosevelt Island FDR Memorial:

... particularly one acknowledging the tremendous goals he achieved in spite of his disability - a major factor in a large part of the President's life.

The full text of statement is below.

Coler Goldwater Chief Supports Disabled FDR Memorial For Roosevelt Island

The decision as to what a FDR Memorial on Roosevelt Island will ultimately be is in the hands of the Roosevelt Island Board of Directors, of which 7 of the 9 are residents of Roosevelt Island. As stated in the February 6, 2009 Conditional Designation Letter for the proposed FERI supported FDR Memorial below:

... RIOC retains all rights at any time to revoke this Agreement and the FDR Project will be subject to approval by RIOC's Board of Directors...

A vote of the RIOC Board may be scheduled for the June 25 meeting.

There's more here.

Report From RIOC's President- FDR Environmental SEQRA Process, New RIOC Director, No Southpoint July 4 Fireworks & Other Roosevelt Island Issues

Image of RIOC logo

RIOC President Steve Shane sends the following report to Roosevelt Island residents. Mr. Shane addresses issues on Approval of Public Purpose Fund Allocation, A new RIOC Director, Southpoint Park Developments including the 4th of July Fireworks celebration not taking place at Southpoint because NYC is moving the fireworks show to the Hudson River, proposed FDR Memorial Environmental SEQRA permitting process and the Tram Modernization among several other items of importance to Roosevelt Island.

1. Board of Directors: Special Meeting was held April 22, 2009. Public Purpose Fund allocation recommended by RIRA, after reconsideration, was approved. Next meeting scheduled for May 14, 2009 at 4:30 PM with a Town Hall meeting to follow. Mr. Howard Polivy’s appointment by the Governor and Senate confirmation is scheduled for this week. Mr. Polivy will occupy the seat that has been held by Michael Shinozaki. Charlee Miller has announced her intention to retire from the Board at the end of her appointed term in June. Our thanks to both Mike and Charlee for their service to the Roosevelt Island community.

2. Southpoint: As to projects:
(A) Renwick Ruins: Stabilization work nearing completion. The entrances to the building will be boarded up to secure the interior and prevent trespassing.
(B) Green Rooms/Wild Gardens: The contractor, Coppola Paving & Landscaping Corp., has started with mobilization, rough grading, paths and stone walls. Phase 2 will be the finish grading and capping of the site, utilities, fencing and planting.
(C) FDR Memorial: FERI is working on engineering and permitting with DEC, Army Corp. of Engineers, Coastguard, etc. FERI has delivered its Environmental Analysis to RIOC as lead agency and our consultants are reviewing as part of the SEQRA process. The State Budget’s $4 million capital appropriation to RIOC, conditioned on a matching $4 million from the City and at least $8 million from FERI as necessary to complete phase 1 seems to complete the financing hurdle when finally committed. Even after permitting process, much remains to be worked out, including coordination of funding and supervision among State Parks Department, NYC Parks Department, RIOC and FERI before bringing the project back to the Board for further consideration.

3. Tram: Work is underway on design and fabrication. Spools of cable are to be shipped from Europe by early May. Scheduling of tower reinforcing and top replacement, cable pulling, street and park closures, crane locations, etc. with permitting for everything is ongoing. Met with Community Board 8 on April 7. On schedule for July 6, 2009 shutdown and December reopening. Thornton Tomasetti has undertaken architectural work in addition to its previous structural engineering engagement. As soon as designs and sketches are available, will make available to the community. Studies of present day code requirements (ADA, fire, electrical, lighting, access & egress, communications, security, HVAC and sprinklers for sub-grade rooms, wind, rain and snow barriers, etc.) as applied to both stations is in the works. Likely to reorient the approach to the Manhattan station to Second Avenue. The last Tram Emergency Evacuation Drill for this equipment is took place April 26. We are coordinating with NYPD and NYFD to develop familiarity with and establish protocols for the new system.

4. Red Bus, Tram and Subway: By running the Tram and a connecting Red Bus all night, the late night 36th Avenue bridge closures passed without incident. Hopefully, the last scheduled closures in late June will be similarly painless. Coordination with emergency services will be done again. Follow our website and notices from DOT for updates. MTA has put out notices that due to emergency track work, trains will be slowed down, reducing the rushhour schedule by two trains, increasing the degree of difficulty when the tram will be out of service from July 6 to mid December. Despite our questioning, there is apparently no good answer to the inconvenience and discomfort.

5. Projects: Replace the exterior of the AVAC building, install replacement chambers for AVAC, lighting at Motorgate, repaving portions of Main Street, façade at Sportspark and start on the improvements to PSD. Public Safety has temporarily relocated to 504 Main Street while the work is being done. Flowers for Main Street are here. The Board agenda will include upgrading the fire safety systems and resurfacing the pool at Sportspark and replacing the HVAC system for Good Shepherd. Enjoy the spring weather.

6. Sportspark Swimming: In response to requests, morning weekday adult swim hours are 6 to 11 AM especially to accommodate those with child care responsibility. We hope for greater participation. The synchronized swimming exhibition sponsored by the RI Seniors was an example for all.

7. Bank: RIOC received a notice from NYNB that it intends to close its branch at 615 Main Street on June 6, 2009. We met with Amalgamated to urge it to come to the Island and supplied a letter of support for application to the State Banking Department to allow opening a branch. Let us hope.

8. Southtown Buildings 5 and 6 moving toward completion. Landscaping being done and interior finishes and fixtures being installed. The roadway in front of the Tram is scheduled for paving. The Ground Rent Increase Deferral Agreement is no longer on the table as the lender would not agree to the terms.

9. Standing room only crowd for the R&R Concert April 18th. Wonderful.

10. The Mobile Van for Free Mammograms was on the Island April 18th, but was fully booked. There will be a return visit on May 30th. If interested in scheduling an appointment, call Erica Wilder at our office (212) 832-4540.

11. Blackwell Park Playground: In response to the request of some parents, we have emphasized the purpose of the tot playground by increased Public Safety presence to discourage inappropriate older people from hanging out at the area.

12. Bicycles: To clear what is becoming an increasing problem, the bike rack at the subway station will have notices posted that leaving bikes for more than 24 hours is not permitted. Public Safety will remove what appear to be permanently stored bikes to increase availability for those who utilize the space as intended.

13. July 4 Fireworks: Apparently, the City has decided to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s sail by moving the fireworks to the Hudson. RIOC’s annual July 4th celebration by fireworks watching is apparently not going to happen, but suggestions for alternative festivities are welcome.

14. Finally, the firearms incident on April 14th was determined by NYPD to have been in self defense. Thankfully, no one was injured.

This message was also published as the RIOC column in the 5/02/09 Main Street WIRE.