Quinn ignores community
To The Editor:
Re “Stars add glitz to garbage plan” (news article, March 27 – April 2):
Josh Rogers’ excellent article about the Dept. of Sanitation’s plan to place a three-district sanitation garage and regional salt shed at Spring/West Sts. quotes Christine Quinn’s spokesperson as saying, in a prepared statement, that the speaker has “worked closely with community leaders and the administration to find an equitable solution to the community’s concerns.”
As far as my neighbors and I are concerned, that’s an outright lie. Quinn has acted on behalf of the Bloomberg administration, not the community, in approving the relocation of sanitation facilities currently housed on six acres at Gansevoort Peninsula.
Quinn has been thoroughly unresponsive. The community offered to accept more than its fair share. The community, in its proposal (called “Hudson Rise”), agreed to accept a two-district garage with a public park on top. It insisted that a third garage, which serves a Midtown district, be located closer to the area it serves. A move to Spring St. would actually increase truck miles by more than 4,200 miles per year!
Yet, members of Quinn’s staff did not seriously consider alternatives. Even though the borough president suggested in August 2008 that the Mn. 5 garage should be located in District 4, and Community Board 4, as recently as November 2008, indicated that it would be willing to accept the Mn. 5 garage, her staff opposed the idea.
On March 20, Quinn sent a letter addressed to her “neighbors” indicating that feasible alternatives were not found. Since D.S.N.Y. has provided no financial proof that the $500 million price tag would be cheaper than other alternatives, Quinn acted recklessly with taxpayers’ money by giving the go-ahead to build on Spring St.
There is a settlement agreement that requires the removal of Sanitation facilities by the end of 2012. According to your article, Friends of Hudson River Park’s executive director said his group would be open to discussing an extension of the deadline in order to study alternatives, but the city never asked for it.
Quinn claims she got concessions from the administration that are contained in a letter from Deputy Mayor Skyler. Here are just two of the outrageous “concessions”:
a) The city will provide 37 free parking spaces for employees’ cars at the garage, instead of the 76 spaces originally proposed. This contradicts the Mayor’s PlaNYC, which encourages use of public transportation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
b) Skyler said the city would agree to consider a publicly accessible public park above the garage, provided the primary public access to a joined St John’s Center/D.S.N.Y. garage roof occurred through the St. John’s Center. Since the D.S.N.Y.’s garage is proposed to be 120’ high, and the St John’s Center is 75’ high, it would be impossible to connect the two buildings – unless the city is thinking of creating a man-made ski slope!
Not so coincidentally, the ridiculous letter came out a few days before the “picnic” attended by famous Hudson Square residents to protest the three-district garage and regional salt shed. I think Quinn tried — badly — to justify why she abandoned the community. How stupid does she think we are!
Denise Levine
Schools over garbage
To The Editor:
Re “Stars add glitz to garbage plan” (news article, March 27 – April 2):
Why is the city talking about putting a three-district garbage garage in a neighborhood where 100 kindergarteners don’t have a seat in September in their locally zoned public school? The city tells us they are searching high and low for sites for schools. Greenwich Village Middle School, on the top floor of P.S. 3, is too small for a middle school and too big to be taking up space in overcrowded P.S. 3 and 41, which will have kindergartens of 25 children next fall and still not have room for the 300-plus kids who registered. The Spring St. site is near the park and the Pier 40 fields and smack between overcrowded schools in Community Board 1 and overcrowded schools in C.B. 2. Garbage doesn’t need to stay in its neighborhood the way a five-year-old does.
Ann Kjellberg
To The Editor:
Re “Southbridge views” (Letter by Michael Altman, March 27 – April 2):
Just to address some of Mr. Altman’s inaccuracies:
Mr. Altman talks about the flip tax not paying for all the capital improvements that will become necessary in future years.
If we stay in Mitchell-Lama, we will pay for these capital improvements Mr. Altman mentions in one way, and one way only — large maintenance increases. At least privatization gives us other avenues to explore to cover these large improvement costs.
Mr. Altman talks about $32 million transfer tax we would have to borrow. Mr. Altman is well aware that may not be true. The transfer tax is an unresolved issue.
Mr. Altman goes on with his scare tactics by stating privatization will be a “financial disaster” for all the “people who want to live here for the rest of their lives.” On the contrary, privatization would be a blessing to those wanting to live here for the rest of their lives especially the elderly. Residents of Southbridge Towers, especially the elderly have an opportunity to stay comfortably in their apartments for the rest of their lives without the worry of being moved to the dreaded nursing home. The elderly will be able to have a home health aide or other assistance at their apartment if and when necessary. How can this happen, you ask? The answer is one word: “Privatization.” If Southbridge goes private, the various avenues for additional income for the elderly will leave them with security, comfort, and peace of mind for the rest of their lives.
Michael Wishner
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