The CB4 full board takes a vote.
BY EILEEN STUKANE | The Community Board 4 (CB4) full board meeting, held in the Fulton Senior Center Auditorium on March 4, did not seem rushed — but it may have set a speed record. Called to order at 6:45 p.m. and adjourned at 8 p.m., the evening (usually a two-hour-plus affair) moved at a brisk clip. Along with community news, there were notable announcements about changing faces, both on and off the board.
The possible arrival of the Japanese ramen chain, Ichiran, to 123 W. 20th St. was not on the board’s agenda for the evening, but it was brought up nevertheless. At CB4’s earlier Business Licenses and Permits Committee (BLP) meeting, the vote on whether to support Ichiran’s liquor license was split 5/5, requiring another meeting. Still, the issue was on the forefront of W. 20th St. resident Diana Beacon’s mind as she told the board that a 110-capacity fast food establishment should be on an avenue, not on her quiet residential side street. Bill Borock, president, Council of Chelsea Block Associations, told Chelsea Now that Ichiran representatives had been cooperative and changed their request from full liquor to a wine/beer license. But, he added, the side street location (btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.) continued to pose a problem for residents and some board members.
High-profile chef Mario Batali and his partner Joe Bastianich have taken over the Maritime Hotel venue La Bottega (88 Ninth Ave., at W. 17th St.). to create Maritima, a new 474-capacity Italian cuisine restaurant. On the board’s agenda was a vote on its letter to the NY State Liquor Authority (SLA) regarding the owners’ application for a liquor license. During the public session Miguel Acevedo, president, Fulton Houses Tenants Association, spoke out against approval, citing the already-existing traffic congestion in the neighborhood from Tues. to Sun., with taxis triple parked, horns honking, and Fulton residents asking “When is it going to end?” He noted that there were two schools within 500 feet, prohibiting a liquor license — but later on, CB4 chair Christine Berthet explained that there would only be a problem if a school were within 200 feet of an establishment.
Miguel Acevedo (Fulton Houses, speaking about Maritime Hotel), Erycka Montoya (Friends of the High Line, about hiring taking place), Jeffrey LeFrancois (Meatpacking District Improvement Assn., introducing himself as director of operations and communications).
Acevedo also said that the owners had been asked to do community outreach and speak with him, and he had not been approached. Chelsea resident Frank Lowe supported Acevedo’s opposition to Maritima and questioned whether the restaurant fell within the SLA’s rule that a liquor license should not be granted if there are already three liquor licensed establishments with 500 feet of an applicant. Lowe repeated what is heard so often at CB4 meetings, that Chelsea residents need more services, not more restaurants and bars. Berthet suggested that Lowe and anyone interested attend CB4’s Balanced Business Working Group meeting on April 21 with ideas for resolving the imbalance. That meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. and takes place at the CB4 Office (330 W. 42 St., 26 Fl., btw. Eighth & Ninth Aves.).
When it came time to vote on the Maritima liquor license, the board heard from Paul Seres, co-chair, CB4’s BLP Committee, that the owners were combining the mezzanine and 2nd floor areas into one space, enclosing more of the bar area, and asking for a daily 2 a.m. closing, two hours earlier than La Bottega’s 4 a.m. Seres felt these actions signaled owner-awareness of the community. In its letter to the SLA, the board sanctioned a liquor license as long as owners abided by an agreed-to stipulation that there would be no music or amplified sound when windows and doors were open. After discussion about sidewalk traffic and the need to have ongoing communication with Maritima, Berthet added to the letter that a CB4 committee would be contacting owners for follow-up. The board then voted to approve the letter.
Among the 18 agenda items requiring a vote, only two — the Maritima and the board’s support of a borough-wide resolution to crack down on illegal hotels — drew discussion. Clarification that a landlord’s use of vacant apartments for transient rentals, a use that reduces the stock of the district’s affordable housing, was at issue, not an individual’s renting of his/her co-op or condo according to building bylaws, or the renting of a room in an apartment where a tenant is also in residence. All agenda items were approved. Noteworthy is CB4’s letter to the MTA recommending improved weekday and increased weekend service on the M 11 bus on 10th Ave., a recommendation advocated in the public session by Douglas Leland, president, Manhattan Plaza Tenants Association.
COMINGS, GOINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Diana Howard, CB4 liaison for Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, reported that Brewer’s office had received 722 applications for positions on Manhattan’s 12 community boards. Appointments will be made in April. CB4 will have a number of openings to fill. Board members Kemraj Singh and John Doswell recently passed away. At the meeting, CB4 chair Christine Berthet praised four current members who, for various reasons, are leaving: Tanya Odom, Hugh Weinberg, Eric Latzsky, and Miranda Nelson. Berthet encouraged CB4 residents to think about serving and “really making a difference in the community.”
Others in public service have moved into new positions. Jeffrey LeFrancois, former chief-of-staff for NYC Councilmember Corey Johnson, introduced himself in his new position as director of operations and community affairs for both the Meatpacking Improvement Association (MPIA) and Chelsea Improvement Company, which will merge when the Meatpacking’s Business Improvement District (BID) becomes official. NY State Senator Brad Hoylman announced that his deputy chief of staff Robert Atterbury has been hired by US Congressman Jerrold Nadler.
Erycka Montoya, community liaison for Friends of the High Line, made it known that the High Line was looking to the community to fill six job openings, among them Custodian, and Director of Communications. Job descriptions and applications can be found at thehighline.org/about/careers. Montoya emphasized that High Line positions require people who are comfortable relating to the public. A custodian on the High Line has high visibility, so customer service is part of the job.
NEWS FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS
NY State Senator Brad Hoylman, just having returned from Albany, spoke about his legislative package “Clean Up Albany,” which includes ethics reforms such as limiting outside income to 15 percent of an official’s base salary. His bill would ban lawmakers who practice law from taking on private clients. “The public doesn’t know who you’re representing,” said Hoylman. “You’re serving two masters. You’re not only representing your constituents but you’re also representing private law clients. One could surmise that they want access to your votes and that is unacceptable.”
Hoylman also reported on his #5000TooMany Campaign to increase funding by $2.4 million for sheltering runaway homeless youth in New York State. The campaign is named for the 5,000 homeless youth that are turned away from shelters each year due to overcrowding. A newly released government study has found that in the winter cold, homeless youth engage in “survival sex,” turning tricks to have a warm place to stay. Hoylman called this “a phenomenon which I think we all need to work to eradicate.”
Edgar Yu, representing the NYC District Attorney (DA) Cyrus Vance’s office, reported that March 27 is the deadline for application submissions for the DA’s High School Internship Program for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. The six-week paid internship ($150 weekly) offers a chance to be on the inside of the criminal justice system. Applications are online: manhattanda.org/high-
school-internship.
Yu also announced the indictment of James Dixon on charges of manslaughter and assault in the 2013 death of the 21-year-old transgender female Islan Nettles. The indictment charges that Dixon punched Nettles in the head and she died days later from her injuries. “We look forward to prosecuting this case,” said Yu. He also reported the indictment of 50 defendants in a widespread bribery housing fraud scheme that involved employees of the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) and NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). A number of buildings involved in the scheme are in CB4’s district. Newsletters from elected officials are available on the CB4 home page online: nyc.gov/mcb4.
Jesse Bodine, center, giving the CB4 district manager’s report.
FROM THE DISTRICT MANAGER AND THE CHAIR
One of the highlights of Jesse Bodine’s District Manager report was that he had attended a Community Advisory Council Committee meeting about the Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) at 127 W. 25th St. (btw. Sixth & Seventh Aves.), and saw relations improving between the BRC and the community. Chelsea Now has reported (May 15, 2013) that neighborhood residents and business owners have felt harassed by BRC residents who they say, have changed and diminished community life. Bodine announced that the neighborhood is now getting its requested dedicated phone line in the BRC lobby. The line goes directly to the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) peace officers and should greatly improve turnaround time between complaint and response. The DHS has also begun tracking monthly incidents, interventions, calls to BRC and to 911, to compile data for future action as needed.
Important news from CB4 chair Berthet was that the CB4 Quality of Life Committee had made a breakthrough with Brookfield Properties Manhattan West development (W. 31st to W. 33rd Sts., btw. Ninth & 10th Aves.). Noisy construction has been going on for 18 months, day and night, and will continue for five years, much to the dismay of surrounding neighbors. The committee, after months of negotiation, reached an agreement with the developer, who has started to implement a satisfactory sound mitigation plan to improve the lives of residents in the 220 apartments facing the construction. “This is a big break for our community,” said Berthet, “the first of this scale in the neighborhood.”
CALENDAR NOTES
• A Rally to Albany to Fund Public Housing, March 16. Buses depart at 7:30 a.m. from Ninth Ave. (btw. W. 23rd & 24th Sts.) and 10th Ave. (btw. W. 58th & 59th Sts.), return at 6 p.m. RSVP by March 13, to Bianca MacPherson in Assemblymember Richard Gottfried’s Office: 212-807-7900 or MacPhersonB@assembly.state.ny.us.
• Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer is looking for recommendations from the public regarding the needs of the borough, for the annual Borough Budget Priorities Report. Deadline for participating in a “Virtual Town Hall” survey is March 17, 5p.m. Visit bit.ly/mbpobudgetsurvey.
• New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Assembly-member Linda Rosenthal, and Councilmember Helen Rosenthal are sponsoring “Know Your Rights” Forum on Coop/Condo Conversions, April 2, 6–8 p.m., Congregation B’nai Jeshurum, 257 W. 88th St., To RSVP: KnowYourRightsRSVP@gmail.com or 212-788-6975.
CB4 serves Manhattan’s West Side neighborhoods of Chelsea and Clinton/Hell’s Kitchen. Its boundaries are 14th St. on the south, 59/60th St. on the north, the Hudson River on the west, Sixth Ave. on the east (south of 26th St.) and Eighth Ave. on the east (north of 26th St.). The monthly full board meeting, open to the public, takes place on the first Wed. of the month. The next meeting is (no joke!) April 1, 6:30 p.m. at Roosevelt Hospital (2nd Fl. Conf. Rm. B, 1000 Tenth Ave. at 51st St.). Call 212-736-4536, visit nyc.gov/mcb4 or email them at info@manhattancb4.org.
