Volume 73, Number 24 | October 15 – 21, 2003
Penn South election set for Oct. 26
Shareholders of the Penn South co-op complex in Chelsea will choose from among eight candidates for five members of the 15-member board of directors at noon on Sun. Oct. 26 at the annual shareholders meeting at the High School of Fashion Industries, 225 W. 24th St.
Five of the candidates, including four incumbents, are running on the dominant Assembly of Concerned Co-operators slate. Two candidates are running on the Voices of Penn South slate and one is running as an independent candidate.
Susan Immergut, an incumbent board member who won a seat on the board three years ago as an independent candidate, is not running.
The Voices of Penn South candidates include Vera Feingold, a Penn South resident since the co-op was completed 42 years ago. She wants to reconstitute the moderate-income limited equity co-op to allow shareholders to sell to market rate co-operators and impose a flip tax on such sales to maintain the 10-building, 2,800-unit complex. Jim Graniela, the other Voices candidate, is also a 42-year resident, who wants Penn South to switch its co-generation power plant to solar panels and fuel cells.
Gus (Bob) Larson, has lived in Penn South for 17 years and is running as an independent. The founder of a commercial color film processing firm, he promises to promote the elimination of closed meetings of the board of directors.
A.C.C. candidates include Morris Benjamin, an incumbent and a resident of Penn South for 20 years who has served on many committees and supports the A.C.C. position to keep Penn South as a nonprofit, limited equity co-op.
Marc Boddewyn, a landscape designer with the Hudson River Park Trust and Penn South resident since 1988, has been a member of the board of directors for 12 years. He is an A.C.C. candidate who supports financing necessary capital improvements using equity rather than increasing carrying charges.
Irma Lobel, another A.C.C. candidate and longtime board member, was formerly senior vice president of the board and has long experience in real estate. She also served on Community Board 4 and the 10th Police Precinct Community Council and is currently a member of the Manhattan borough president’s Senior Advisory Committee.
Jeanne F. Brennan, an A.C.C. candidate, is seeking reelection after serving a first term on the board and is committed to keeping Penn South a limited-equity, affordable and well-run housing complex. She is a public health nurse and teacher of public health at Hunter College.
Robert Sikorski, a Penn South resident since 1995, is seeking his first term on the board and is endorsed by A.C.C. A lawyer for 30 years, he has worked in the real estate field in co-op and condominium affairs. He strongly supports keeping Penn South a limited equity co-op.
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