Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Abrazo Dominicano 2015 Friday, July 24th 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM at Maestro's Caterers







Croton Facility Monitoring Committee - Task Force on Jerome Park Reservoir Access Meeting



  Here is the agenda for the CFMC Task Force on Jerome Park Reservoir Access meeting to be held Monday July 13th starting at 5 PM at the Van Cortlandt Jewish Center located at 3880 Sedgwick Avenue.



  Agenda

Croton Facility Monitoring Committee Meeting

Task Force on Jerome Park Reservoir Access

Monday, July 13, 2015 – 5:00 PM

Van Cortlandt Jewish Center

3880 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx New York 10463

I. Call to Order 

II. Election of Chair of Task Force on Jerome Park Reservoir Access 

III. Discussion - New Business

IV. Set Date of Next Meeting of Task Force 

V. Adjourn

____________________________________________________

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. 

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz

Gary Axelbank

Father Richard Gorman

Dan Padernacht

CFMC Task Force on Jerome Park Reservoir Access members. 



Mayor's OneNYC Plan Leaves Many Out of the Process



   Mayor Bill de Blasio's OneNYC Plan according to Capital One which promised an unprecedented outreach effort from every corner of the city has many Community Board leaders questioning 'What Outreach'? Capital One quotes Bronx Community Board 12 Chairman Father Richard Gorman as saying "No one called here", meaning the Community Board 12 office. 

   OneNYC Plan is a legally four year mandatory updated version of the then Mayor Bloomberg PlaNYC. According to the story, Capital One contacted all 59 citywide Community Boards to find out how many were involved in the community outreach process. Of the 31 responses, 22 CB leaders said that they had no input in the One NYC Plan, and added that some still have not been contacted even though it is more than two months since the OneNYC Plan was rolled out by the de Blasio administration. 

   While the Capital One story says that there were some community meetings, others were not held or hard copies of the OneNYC Plan were not made available. It is also said that the same consultants that were used to make up the PlaNYC for Mayor Bloomberg were used by the de Blasio administration. Also mentioned is that City Hall spokeswoman Amy Spitalnick said it was never the mayor's intention to have meetings with all 59 community boards. In response to being shown an e-mail that said city officials planned to meet with all 59 Community Boards, she replied that it was "A Typo." Go to the link at the beginning of this posting to read the entire Capital One article titled 'De Blasio planning process skips many community boards.  



  

Monday, July 6, 2015

Will Mayor Bill de Blasio face a 2017 Democratic Primary



  The talk on The Daily News 'Daily Politics' Blog is of a war between the mayor and governor Sparks talk of Primaries  The Story starts off saying that Mayor Bill de Blasio is up fro re-election in 2017. Since there has been a war of words of recent between the mayor and governor that several names are being floated as a possible Democratic primary challenger to Mayor de Blasio in 2017. Those names include City Controller Scott Stringer, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries. 

   I have mentioned Controller Stringer as a possible candidate in 2017 for mayor, which would then mean that there could be a race to fill Stringer's Controller seat. I also have mentioned Bronx Borough President ruben Diaz Jr. as one of those who might run for City Comptroller should the current City Comptroller Scott Stringer run for mayor in 2017. 

  Getting back to the Daily News item, they say that it is unlikely that Governor Cuomo would get directly involved in backing a challenger to a sitting NYC Democratic Mayor, but there could be other ways for the governor to help a de Blasio challenger. Labor is likely to be behind the incumbent mayor, but there could be one or more major unions that would go with a challenger. 

   The Daily News ends by saying that there is also the possibility of a primary challenge to Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2018, but that a Cuomo aide dismissed talking about a primary that is three years away. You can read the entire Daily Politics article at the link at the start of this story.   



Silvercup Studios Expands in the Bronx



  Lights, Camera, Action in the Bronx!

Silvercup North to open next year

Silvercup Studios expanding with a new Bronx film and television production facility; $35M project brings hundreds of well-paying jobs

 To help meet the growing needs of New York’s booming film and television production industry, Silvercup Studios, the Northeast’s leading independent film and television production studio facility, announced plans today that it is expanding with a new studio complex to open at 295 Locust Avenue in the Port Morris section of the Bronx. The $35 million project will bring hundreds of well-paying jobs as well as millions of dollars in tax revenue to the borough. With the expansion to its third location, Silvercup Studios will operate more than 500,000 square feet of studio space citywide.

Silvercup will transform an existing modern warehouse into a 115,000-square-foot full service production facility.  Silvercup North will feature four production studios with 50-foot-high ceilings. The four studios to be built at 295 Locust Avenue will have the highest ceilings of any film/TV production studio in New York City and can easily accommodate two-story sets. A full complement of shops, offices and other support space essential to support film and television production will be provided on-site.

The project will bring an estimated 80 to 100 construction jobs. The new studio space and the film and television productions that will occupy them will create an estimated 400 well-paying production-industry jobs, in addition to injecting money in the local community for materials, and other goods and services to support the productions. 

“The film and television industries have historically offered good jobs with pathways to success for New Yorkers, and the expansion of this thriving industry will be hugely meaningful for Bronxites,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Every year the production industry injects over $7.1 billion to our local economy and creates over 130,000 jobs in New York City, and thanks to Silvercup’s new studio, the Bronx will now receive its piece of this pie.”

“My office has been working to expand the film industry in The Bronx for several years, and we are thrilled to welcome Silvercup Studios to the mainland and their new home in Port Morris,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. “This expansion will not only bring new jobs and economic development to our borough, it will also help us continue to rebrand our borough and showcase the transformative development we have seen over the past decade. The Bronx and Silvercup Studios will be great partners, and I look forward to working with them on this expansion, and to make this project work for all Bronxites.”

“The film and television industry is a key component of New York State’s economic development strategy that injects billions of dollars into the economy and creates thousands of industry jobs for New Yorkers,” said Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky. “New York has become the premiere destination for filming, and Silvercup Studios’ expansion to the Bronx further supports the industry’s staggering growth as this iconic production studio continues to attract more films and televisions shows to the Empire State.”

“Silvercup’s expansion to the Bronx is indicative of the thriving creative industry that the City of New York has created and supported throughout the five boroughs,” said Commissioner Cynthia López, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “This new facility in the Bronx will not only increase stage options for the production industry, but it will also bring new jobs and business opportunities to the borough. We want the entertainment industry to experience everything the Bronx has to offer, and we applaud Silvercup on this new endeavor.”

With its iconic sign visible from the East River, Silvercup Studios has been home to famed television productions including HBO's Sex and the City and The Sopranos30 Rock, Gossip Girl, dozens of major motion pictures includingWhen Harry Met Sally and The Devil Wears Prada, and hundreds of commercials. Current productions at Silvercup’s Queens facilities include GirlsElementary, Madam Secretary, Mister RobotThe Mysteries of Laura, and Person of Interest.Silvercup North is slated to be completed by June 2016.

“For more than 30 years, Silvercup Studios has been an integral part of New York’s film and television production industry, which has never been more active than it is today,” said Silvercup CEO Alan Suna. “The Bronx is undergoing a tremendous revitalization right now. We’re excited to expand our studios here as the industry continues to grow and to bring with it high quality production jobs and the resulting benefits from having this production work remain in New York.”

Silvercup North will benefit from proximity to the Bruckner Expressway, the Major Deegan Expressway, the RFK Bridge and the number 6 subway line providing easy access to Manhattan, Queens, Westchester and Long Island. In addition, the building’s location offers access to a large skilled labor pool.



Free Fitness Class - by Seton Falls Park Coalition



Seton Falls Park Coalition

Presents

2nd Fitness in the Park

(FREE)

Saturday July 11, 2015

Seton Falls Park Stars & Stripes Playground 

(Behind MS 142) Entrance on Crawford 

& Palmer Avenues Bronx

9:45 am Registration

Get active more often on Saturday 

mornings in our Beautiful Park. 

Info: setonfallspark@gmail.com

 wildlifepark@facebook.com

Bridget     347-692-5417

Renee       917-544-8859

Suzette     646-363-3550

ALL WELCOME TO LOW IMPACT EXERCISE CLASS


Sunday, July 5, 2015

New Development at 640 West 238th Street



Demolition of a one family house at 640 West 238th Street took place. West 238th Street in front of 649 West 238th Street has an island in the middle of the street that divides the road into east and west roadways. These roadways are very narrow as you will see in the photos below, and that the demolition vehicles had to go on to the island to maneuver in such a tight area, and the resulting damage to the island.



Above -Demolition truck is blocking West 238th Street in front of a one story house that has been torn down to make way for a 27 unit (or larger) building.
Below - Demolition truck has very little room to maneuver in front of 640 West 238th Street. 





Above - What the corner of the Island in the middle of West 238th Street looks like after the demolition of the one family house at 640 West 238th Street. 
Below - A head on photo of just how little room there is to maneuver large demolition or even building equipment in front of 640 West 238th Street. Note that only one panel truck can be parked on the sidewalk in front of 640 West 238th Street.



Above - You can see that this truck is right next to the homes to the east of 640 West 238th Street in the tiny lot that was a one family home.
Below - You can see the very same truck and driver, and now see how little room is on the other side to the west which is adjacent to the Bonnie House Coop where a one story building once stood..





One last photo to show how small the lot is at 640 West 238th Street, and the problems with the size of the lot.


Thursday, July 2, 2015

STATEMENT FROM BP DIAZ RE: NBC’s Firing of Donald Trump



  STATEMENT FROM BOROUGH PRESIDENT DIAZ
RE: NBC’s Firing of Donald Trump

"NBC's actions today should send a strong message to Donald Trump that hateful, divisive rhetoric will not be tolerated, and that such rhetoric has real consequences,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.


Editor's Note:
We agree 100 Percent with BP Diaz on the matter. 
If Presidential Candidate Donald Trump is looking for publicity he has gotten it, however it is the wrong type of publicity that a candidate running for office wants. We suggest that Candidate Trump speak to his consultants on how to learn how to keep his mouth shut.


A Message From George Pataki to Donald Trump



This came to us by way of Pataki for President, Inc.



  GOVERNOR GEORGE PATAKI

132 East 43rd Street #614
New York, NY 10017

July 1, 2015

 
Governor Jeb Bush 
Ben Carson
Governor Chris Christie
Senator Ted Cruz
Carly Fiorina
Senator Lindsey Graham 
Governor Mike Huckabee
Governor Bobby Jindal
Governor John Kasich
Senator Rand Paul
Governor Rick Perry 
Senator Marco Rubio
Senator Rick Santorum
Governor Scott Walker

CC: Donald Trump

Dear Fellow Republican candidates for president, 
 
“And some, I assume, are good people.”
 
The last week of news coverage over the language used by Donald Trump to describe Mexicans has left me and a lot of other sensible people wondering what century we are living in.
 
One hundred years ago, when Irish immigrants were coming to America, my grandmother among them, they were too often characterized as "drunks."   A few years later it was the Italian immigrants, my grandfather among them, who were called "mobsters" or worse, "dagos." This type of divisive rhetoric is just wrong.  It was wrong 100 years ago and it’s wrong today.  
 
Yet here we are in 2015 and a leading candidate for the GOP nomination for president is calling Mexicans criminals, rapists and drug dealers.  This is unacceptable.

I understand we must secure our border and stop illegal immigration.  But I also understand that it’s not some Mexicans who are good people, it is the vast majority of Mexicans, who came here to work, succeed and live the American Dream.
 
My fellow Republicans like to talk about how we have to appeal to the Latino vote if we are going to win back the White House.  They speak some Spanish, boast about "telling it like it is," or counsel to not be afraid to lose the primary to win the general – yet so far have been silent when it comes to denouncing these sad and divisive remarks.
 
The next President of the United States will represent all Americans.  We won’t win by dividing Americans against one another and we certainly can’t govern effectively doing so. We must secure the border, save American jobs, and have a leader in the White House world leaders can respect.
 
But we also must have a leader in the White House all Americans can respect, not just some.
 
As Donald Trump doubles down, I’m asking you to join me in standing up.  Stand up for our party, for the ideals that made America great, and stand for the basic decency and integrity entitled to every American, no matter their heritage or nationality.

Join me.  Stand up now.  Denounce his comments today. 

Sincerely, 

PatakiSig

Governor George Pataki
 


 
Paid for by Pataki for President, Inc.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Former State Senate Leader Malcolm Smith And Former Queens GOP Leader Vincent Tabone Sentenced In White Plains Federal Court RE - 2013 New York City Mayor’s Race



  Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that former New York State Senate leader MALCOLM SMITH was sentenced today to seven years in prison for bribing New York City Republican Party leaders, including Queens County Republican Party Vice Chairman VINCENT TABONE, as part of a scheme to allow SMITH, a Democrat, to run as a Republican candidate for New York City Mayor in 2013 and for his role in obtaining New York State funding for a real estate project in Spring Valley, New York, in exchange for cash bribes paid on his behalf to the New York City Republican Party officials.  TABONE was sentenced to 42 months in prison for receiving bribes and witness tampering.  Both were convicted after a three-and-a-half week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas, who imposed today’s sentences.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “Bribes and kickbacks should never play a role in the selection of candidates for public office.  By attempting to buy and sell a spot on New York City’s Mayoral ballot, Malcolm Smith and Vincent Tabone corrupted one of the most fundamental tenets of the democratic process, that candidates cannot bribe their way onto a ballot.  Today’s sentences make clear that the cost of violating the public trust in this way will be measured in years in a federal prison.”
According to the Complaint and the Indictment filed in federal court and the evidence presented at trial:
The Bribery and Extortion Schemes
SMITH was first elected to the New York State Senate in November 2000, and represented a district within Queens, New York.  He was chairman of the Independent Democratic Conference of the State Senate and, among other positions, has served as the State Senate’s minority leader, majority leader, and acting lieutenant governor.  From about November 2012, through April 2, 2013, SMITH agreed with former New York City councilman Daniel Halloran, who was convicted in a separate trial, and an undercover FBI agent posing as a wealthy real estate developer (the “UC”), and a cooperating witness (“CW”) to bribe New York City Republican Party county leaders, including TABONE, in exchange for their authorization for SMITH to appear as a Republican candidate for New York City Mayor in 2013, even though SMITH is a registered Democrat.
SMITH participated in two overlapping criminal schemes that involved the payment of bribes to obtain official action.  First, SMITH, a registered Democrat, authorized the payment of $110,000 in cash bribes to be paid to leaders of the New York City Republican Party, including TABONE, so that they would allow SMITH to run for mayor on the Republican Party’s ballot line.  Second, SMITH agreed to use his influence to help steer at least $500,000 in New York State transportation funding to a real estate project the UC and CW had proposed to develop in Spring Valley, New York, in exchange for the UC and CW paying bribes on SMITH’s behalf to the New York City Republican Party Chairs.
In furtherance of the scheme, SMITH authorized the UC and the CW to meet TABONE, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Queens County Republican Party, Joseph Savino, the Chairman of the Bronx County Republican Party, and other party leaders.  During a meeting with the UC, TABONE accepted a $25,000 cash bribe in a dimly lit SUV parked in front of a Manhattan restaurant and agreed to accept another $25,000 after his committee authorized SMITH to compete in the Republican primary. Savino similarly accepted a $15,000 cash bribe and agreed to accept another $15,000 after he voted to authorize SMITH to compete for the Republican ballot line.  In return for his efforts in negotiating the bribes, Daniel Halloran accepted $15,500 as a down payment on a “broker’s” fee of at least $75,000 and expected to be appointed First Deputy Mayor if Smith was elected mayor.
Witness Tampering
Shortly before the start of a previously scheduled trial, the Government sought permission from the Court to take the deposition of Philip Ragusa, the former Chairman of the Queens County Republican Party. Ragusa, who was gravely ill at the time, was expected to testify favorably to the Government.  Over TABONE’s objections, the Court ordered the deposition to take place.  TABONE unexpectedly appeared at Ragusa’s home an hour before the scheduled start of the deposition and attempted to pressure Ragusa not to testify against him.
*            *           *
SMITH, 58, of Queens, was also sentenced to two years of supervised release.  TABONE, 48, of Queens, was sentenced to one year supervised release and ordered to forfeit $25,000.  SMITH was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on September 21, 2015.  TABONE was ordered to surrender October 1, 2015.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division and Public Corruption Unit.  Assistant United States Attorneys Douglas B. Bloom, Justin Anderson and Perry Carbone are in charge of the prosecution.


1135 Pelham Parkway North UPDATE


  SENATOR KLEIN PROTECTS BRONX TENANTS FROM SLUMLORD GOLDFARB PROPERTIES

DOB, City & State agencies heed Klein’s call to take action against Bronx landlord who deprived rent-stabilized tenants of gas for 29 days

Stop work orders issued on Goldfarb owned property for endangering the health and safety of Bronx tenants
After State Senator Jeff Klein called for an immediate investigation of Bronx slumlord Phillip Goldfarb for the flagrant harassment and unlawful eviction of tenants in The Bronx, representatives from the New York City Department of Buildings today issued two stop work orders on 1135 Pelham Parkway North. The New York State Department of Housing and Community Renewal, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, and New York State Attorney General’s office also visited the property to meet with residents and inspect the building.

In total, two stop work orders were issued. The DOB issued the first stop work order for plumbing work being conducted throughout the entire building that left tenants without gas service for 29 days. The second was issued on an individual apartment where haphazard construction has been taking place for months.

Senator Klein said, “No tenant should be the target of illegal discrimination or systematic harassment by dishonest, scamming landlords while trying to make a home for themselves and their families. The stop work orders issued today by the DOB on this property send a message to slumlords across the five boroughs that they will be held accountable and that this kind of misconduct will not be tolerated. I commend the joint efforts of New York’s city and state agencies to protect the health and safety of Bronx tenants and I look forward to working together to to combat tenant harassment in New York now and into the future.”

With ongoing construction at 1135 Pelham Parkway North, tenants in the building have been forced to use hot plates to cook their meals. Goldfarb Properties has made no concessions or provided any accommodations to residents who have been without heat or gas during this period.

For more than a year, residents at Goldfarb Properties in The Bronx have been victims of persistent threats by management, dragged to court under false filings, received non-rent regulated lease renewals and had their rents both unfairly and substantially increased. Mr. Goldfarb has repeatedly endangered the health and welfare of tenants – cutting off all elevator access for elderly and disabled residents, removing security systems and forbidding tenants from using buildings’ parking garages.  

“We are very grateful to Senator Klein for the great strides he has made against these very terrible and troublesome landlords. Thank you to Attorney General Schneiderman, the DOB and HPD for their swift action and involvement in protecting tenants in The Bronx. Let today’s occurrences put all landlords on notice that tenants have rights and we will exercise those rights to keep from living in less than equal conditions, free from landlord harassment and from lack of building-wide services like gas, hot water, or easy access for our handicap-able tenants. We will not stand for this treatment,” said Andrew Goebel, Tenant Leader at 1135 Pelham Parkway North.

In 2009, Senator Klein passed landmark legislation that provided New York State with the toughest tenant protection laws in the nation. Penalties for landlords found in violation of DHCR rules and regulations increased from $250 to $1,000 for the first offense, and $1,000 to $2,000 for the second offense. Fines were also strengthened for landlords found guilty of any form of tenant harassment – regardless of whether their actions were intended to drive tenants from their homes – from $1,000 to $2,000 for the first offense, and $5,000 to $10,000 for subsequent offenses.


The Bronx Chamber of Commerce holds the largest Business Exposition in the Bronx



   The Bronx Chamber of Commerce held its largest Business Exposition at The Mall at Bay Plaza on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. Bronx Chamber of Commerce President Lenny Caro called this Business Expo the largest in the BCC's history. Mr. Caro said that the BCC is bringing Bronx Business's to the people of the Bronx. Also on hand were several health providers who provided varies free health screenings to the attendees of the Business Expo. 
   On hand were State Senator Ruth Hassel-Thompson who applauded the work of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce, and welcomed everyone to her district in which Bay Plaza lies. Assemblyman Michael Blake was also on hand telling of the grueling experience of the past state legislative session, but that he is not afraid to work longer and harder if there is results. He also hailed the 2,000 jobs that were created in the area for Bronx residents. The rest of the story is in the photos of the BCC Business Expo below.






















Above - Left and Right are photos from above the BCC Business Expo in the Bay Plaza Mall.



Above- A view from the second floor of the Bay Plaza Mall of one section of the BCC Business Expo.
Below - On the Business Expo floor Milea Auto Sales on the left, and NECB on the right. Behind are more Bronx Businesses, and you can see where the BCC booth in the background. 






Above Left - Capital Bank was on hand at the BCC Business Expo. Capital Bank has several branches throughout the Bronx. 
Right -  The Bronx Driving School located on Castle Hill Avenue was also on hand to offer some safe driving tips. 



Above - Nursing students from Mercy College were doing health Screening in conjunction with Montefiore Hospital.
Below BCC President Lenny Caro poses with some of the many BCC business members.





Above - BCC President Lenny Caro is joined by most of the venders for the official ribbon cutting ceremony of the new mall at Bay Plaza.
Below - Bcc President Caro cuts the ribbon.




BCC Chairman Joe Kelleher is speaking, as State Senator Ruth  Hassel-Thompson is on the left, Bcc President Lenny caro in the middle, with Assemblyman Michael Blake next, and BCC Executive Director Michelle Dolgow-Cristofaro on the right.   







Rent Guidelines Board Freezes One Year Leases - Response by Elected Officials



BP DIAZ PRAISES RENT FREEZE

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. is praising this evening’s vote of the Rent Guidelines Board, which voted to freeze rents for rent stabilized tenants with one-year leases and to approve a two percent increase for tenants with two-year leases.

“Tonight’s vote of the Rent Guidelines Board is historic, and will provide meaningful relief for over one million tenants in this City. For too long, the people have seen their rents, and their cost of living, continue to rise while their paychecks did not follow suit. This rent freeze is a tremendous step in the right direction for the people of this city,” said Borough President Diaz.

Borough President Diaz added that his office was willing to help landlords keep their own costs down as well, and invited interested property owners to reach out to his office for information on the “The Bronx Clean Energy and Housing Initiative.”

The program, which is being spearheaded by Borough President Diaz, endeavors to partner government funding with private dollars to provide green retrofits to older residential buildings in The Bronx.

“Tonight’s vote is only a piece in the puzzle of affordable. Through programs like ‘The Bronx Clean Energy and Housing Initiative,’ we can green our existing housing stock, keep energy costs low for property owners while simultaneously keeping rents affordable for tenants,” said Borough President Diaz. “My office is ready to work with Bronx property owners on the critical issue of affordability, and I encourage all interested parties to reach out to my office to discuss this innovative program.”

Borough President Diaz’s testimony earlier this month before the Rent Guidelines Board can be found at http://on.nyc.gov/1LEHuGO.


Council Member Andrew Cohen applauds the decision made last night by the Rent Guidelines Board, which voted to freeze the rent for tenants living in rent stabilized apartments with one-year leases and approved a two percent increase for tenants with two-year leases.

“The decision made last night by the Rent Guidelines Board was a historic moment and will help millions of New Yorkers to continue to live in their homes. Tenants living throughout the City have worried for too long that the cost of living would exceed their budget. This rent freeze has provided a sense of relief to these residents and will prove to be the right step forward for people living in the City on fixed incomes,” said Council Member Cohen.

State Senator Adriano Espaillat -   "While I believe a rent role back is appropriate, the Rent Guidelines Board's historic decision to freeze rents will help keep New York affordable for over two million tenants," said State Senator Adriano Espaillat , the Ranking Member of the Senate's Housing Committee. Making sure working and middle class New Yorkers have a home in this city is paramount to its future. Tenants are being asked to pay an ever increasing percentage of their income towards rent, while landlords have increased their profits due to relatively flat operating costs."


Council Member Jumaane D. Williams, Deputy Leader and Chair of the Council's Housing and Buildings Committee, -   "Today is a win for the tenants of New York. As Chair of the Council's Housing and Buildings Committee, I am thrilled that the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) has for the first time in its history voted to freeze rent for 1.2 million rent stabilized tenants. Tonight's vote sends a clear message that the City of New York is determined to provide relief for its residents, unlike Governor Cuomo and Albany who recently enacted detrimental rent laws that could eliminate approximately 90,000 affordable housing units due to deregulation over the next four years-- units that do not just provide an affordable price point for tenants, but offer protections against arbitrary evictions as well. Separately, due to Albany's inability to close unresolved loopholes with preferential rent, approximately 27% of tenants could see their rent go up by thousands of dollars, regardless of tonight's RGB decision and without advance notice. 

"Even though Governor Cuomo completely and thoroughly let New York City tenants down, we've found solace tonight from one of the most unlikely of places: the RGB. Throughout the RGB's history, the Board has always asked what the annual increase should be, not whether an increase was needed at all. This year was different, so for that I thank them. As we move forward, I will continue to work with advocates and elected officials to solve our affordable housing crisis so that New York City can become a place for all to thrive."

Assemblyman Victor Pichardo - “For the first time in its 46-year history, the Rent Guidelines Board voted in favor of a rent freeze for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments with one-year leases. This historic move will help provide meaningful relief to the more than 1.2 million tenants whose leases expire this year. Combined with the extension and enhancement of rent regulations that I helped fight for, this freeze is another step in strengthening tenants’ rights and helping renters stay in their homes while keeping more of their hard-earned money

“I believe that every New Yorker deserves to have the economic security to take care of themselves and their family. Unfortunately, too many of my Bronx neighbors struggle to make ends meet because their incomes have not kept pace with rising housing costs, and that’s unacceptable. As a steadfast tenant advocate, I will continue fighting to not only make housing more affordable, but to raise the minimum wage so that families have the opportunity to better their lives and no longer have to choose between paying their bills and putting food on the table.”

SENATOR KLEIN, ASSEMBLYMAN SEPÚLVEDA, COUNCIL MEMBER PALMA & BRONX RESIDENTS RALLY AGAINST PROPOSED ‘HOT SHEET MOTEL’



  Klein, Sepúlveda, Palma & Castle Hill Neighborhood Betterment Association call on NYC Department of Buildings to issue stop work order on planned Bronx motel in violation of state & federal law

Klein pushes for passage of legislation requiring community review before construction of any new hotel/motel in The Bronx
                                  
NEW YORK, NY - State Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda, Council Member Annabel Palma, the Castle Hill Neighborhood Betterment Association (CNBA), and nearly 50 community leaders and residents, today rallied in front of the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) to call on the oversight agency to issue a stop work order on a proposed 62-room ‘hot sheet motel’ at 2338 Bruckner Blvd in The Bronx. The renewed call comes on the heels of the DOB’s recent approval of plans for the proposed project without the submission of any new designs or renderings by the developer.

For more than a year, Senator Klein and the Castle Hill Neighborhood Betterment Association have been working to address the construction of this motel in an area where there are no local businesses or restaurants that call for overnight accommodations, thus serving as a potential breeding ground for illicit or criminal activity.

“Seedy motels offering day rates in an area with no need for local accommodations has the potential to draw illegal activity that could hurt an otherwise strong community. The DOB has green-lit a project without proper review of the violations it presents, and continues to ignore the voice of the Castle Hill community. I stand together with local residents when I say that this type of establishment has no place in our neighborhood. Moving forward, any planned hotel or motel in The Bronx should to be subject to community review as a matter of law,” said Senator Klein.

"I stand with the residents of Castle Hill and my colleagues in government to support developments that are safe, well-planned and respect the rights and concerns of the residents they may affect. The motel currently under construction on Bruckner Boulevard does none of that.  Motels in these areas attract the wrong kinds of people who will have a detrimental impact on the Castle Hill community and the borough of The Bronx. I support the efforts of the CNBA and hope that we can further work with DOB to come to a resolution on this matter,” said Assemblyman Sepúlveda.

“It has been over a year of organizing and lobbying against the development of the ‘Days Inn Motel’ on the Bruckner, and my colleagues Senator Klein, Assemblyman Sepúlveda, and I still have serious concerns about the hotel coming to our community. Building a hotel in a questionable location without the appropriate infrastructure and population density to accommodate it, will only attract undesirable and illegal activity. Today, we stand together to demand that the Department of Buildings properly respond to the issues raised by the residents of Castle Hill. With no equivocations, our communities and residents deserve better,” said Council Member Palma.

In 2014, the DOB first issued a stop work order on the construction of the “Days Inn Motel” after plans submitted by the developer were called into question and found to be in violation of the zoning resolution, code and Multiple Dwelling Law.

In January 2015, the stop work order was lifted by the DOB without any substantial evidence that the project had come into compliance and met the applicable requirements. The lack of oversight and blatant negligence exhibited by the DOB in recent months is counterintuitive to the agency's role in ensuring compliant, responsible development in New York City.

“It is incredible that the DOB Commissioner fails to heed the united voice of our community, or even that of our elected officials including State Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda, Council Member Annabel Palma as well as William Rivera, the District Manager of CB9,” stated Fernando Penate, Castle Hill Neighborhood Betterment Association Board Chair.
“The CNBA is protesting Commissioner Chandler’s lack of respect for the Castle Hill community, if not The Bronx. Commissioner Chandler has ignored our many requests for a response to our objections and concerns, which have been submitted to him many times.  He needs to stop his disrespect and reply to us ASAP as we are the voting constituents of his boss, the Mayor,” stated Nancy Rodriguez, Castle Hill Neighborhood Betterment Association board member.

At the rally, Senator Klein also called for the passage of legislation he authored and introduced earlier this year that mandates a community review process before a motel or hotel can be constructed in The Bronx. The legislation would require that project sponsors notify the New York City Planning Commission and the local community board of any proposed hotel/motel in Bronx County, and mandate that no more than 45 to 90 days after the notice is filed, the Planning Commission hold a public forum to garner feedback from the community. After due consideration of local residents’ concerns, the New York City Planning Commission would then issue a determination approving or denying authorization of the project.

With construction on the motel well underway, Senator Klein, Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda, Council Member Palma and the Castle Hill Neighborhood Betterment Association are calling for an immediate stop work order to be issued by the DOB until a full audit of the “Days Inn Motel” is completed.