DCP Seeks Public Input for Urban Design Resource Being Created for and with Communities

 

New website offers opportunities for New Yorkers to share ideas and feedback for updated “Principles of Good Urban Design;” English-Spanish video offers overview

 Department of City Planning (DCP) Executive Director Anita Laremont today announced the launch of an interactive urban design website for the public to collaborate on updating the Principles of Good Urban Design, a resource that helps New Yorkers advocate for their communities and shape their urban environment.

“An inclusive approach to urban design is essential to making our neighborhoods the best they can be. As we continue to build a public realm that’s healthier, more welcoming and more equitable for everyone to use and enjoy, we want more New Yorkers to get involved,” said DCP Executive Director Anita Laremont. “To that end, we’re going to the experts, New Yorkers themselves! Please visit our new website to share your ideas on good urban design and help us create a vision for a more vibrant city for decades to come.”

The new website is intended as a collaborative discussion and education forum, and supplements ongoing discussions with communities across New York City around planning and urban design. It breaks down technical concepts and provides guidance on how the public can get more involved in public planning processes and urban design. The site will help more New Yorkers get involved in shaping the building blocks of the city we share. This is even more important at a time when New York City is re-envisioning the way we use public streets, sidewalks and open spaces.

“It’s exciting that all New Yorkers are invited to share their thoughts and ideas on how to make this city a better place to live, work and play. This new Department of City Planning website translates complicated concepts into an easily accessible and informative resource that every New Yorker can engage with,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President (EDC) & CEO Rachel Loeb. “The interactive features on the website allow residents to share stories about their neighborhoods, which will help guide those who are working to improve urban design and quality of life in our city.”

“Reimagining NYCHA’s public spaces for the 21st century requires multiple touchpoints for our residents to weigh-in and provide feedback on the design features they would like to see in their communities,” said New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “We applaud the Department of City Planning for creating this valuable tool and look forward to seeing its implementation across New York City.”

“Engaging residents in planning for the future of their neighborhoods is at the heart of our efforts to create an equitable and inclusive New York City,” said New York City Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Louise Carroll. “Under this Administration, HPD has partnered with DCP to put communities in the driver’s seat on decisions about the affordable housing, community resources and elements of urban design that will strengthen communities and help ensure everyone’s needs are met. I want to congratulate DCP on this new interactive urban design website that makes it simpler for people to participate in and contribute to neighborhood planning.” 

“For years, DOT has been a leader in delivering quality streetscapes and public spaces, and City Planning’s new website will help us work with New Yorkers across the City to continue those efforts,” said New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) Assistant Commissioner for Cityscapes & Franchises Michelle Craven. “This website will allow New Yorkers to actively engage with the street design process and we look forward to working with our partners at City Planning as street design elements evolve in the coming months.”

As an introduction, an animated video in English and Spanish illustrates how urban design affects our experience of the city. Educational materials on the site empower New Yorkers to take action on urban design and planning priorities, including an infographic with tips and resources to help citizens develop their ideas and navigate government.

Feedback received through the Principles of Good Urban Design website, and at related events over the next several months, will inform DCP’s coming and updated “Principles of Good Urban Design,” which was first released in 2017. The updated guide is expected to be finalized and released next year.

Besides the website, DCP will seek feedback at events starting this Friday, Sept. 17, on the annual Park(ing) Day NYC, which seeks to spur dialogue about the activation, design and use of public spaces in New York City. This year, DCP urban designers will join teachers and students from the Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School (WHEELS) and representatives of the American Society of Landscape Architects, New York chapter, and speak to New Yorkers about the design of our shared public realm.

On the Principles of Urban Design website, New Yorkers can, on their own time, share ideas, feedback and neighborhood perspectives by completing three activities.

The activities include: a photo board where New Yorkers can describe the look and feel of their neighborhoods and what improvements they would like to see; a survey for New Yorkers to give neighborhood perspectives on the Principles; and a discussion forum about the Principles. Feedback will be collected from the public until November 2021.

This digital platform is one of many DCP has produced over the past several years as part of its commitment toward increased accessibility and transparency for the public through well-designed, open source, web-based tools, including:

• Community District Profiles, which provide a robust, intuitive graphical overview of each of our 59 Community Districts, and handy comparison charts
• Facilities Explorer, which provides an intuitive interface to explore where all City or State facilities lie within New York City, and who they serve
• Population Factfinder, which provides any New Yorker the ability to quickly understand the demographics of any part of the five boroughs, and a range of deeper research options
• ZAP, which makes details and status of all land use applications directly available to the public through an intuitive, searchable map-based interface.
• ZoLa, which provide zoning districts and associated information for any lot in the City

Department of City Planning

The Department of City Planning (DCP) plans for the strategic growth and development of the City through ground-up planning with communities, the development of land use policies and zoning regulations applicable citywide, and its contribution to the preparation of the City’s 10-year Capital Strategy. DCP promotes housing production and affordability, fosters economic development and coordinated investments in infrastructure and services, and supports resilient, sustainable communities across the five boroughs for a more equitable New York City.

In addition, DCP supports the City Planning Commission in its annual review of approximately 450 land use applications for a variety of discretionary approvals. The Department also assists both government agencies and the public by advising on strategic and capital planning and providing policy analysis, technical assistance and data relating to housing, transportation, community facilities, demography, zoning, urban design, waterfront areas and public open space.

Permits Filed For 1777 And 1779 Monroe Avenue In Tremont, The Bronx

 

Permits have been filed for construction on two two-story buildings at 1777 and 1779 Monroe Avenue in Tremont, The Bronx, with vertical additions to create adjacent seven-story structures. Located between 175th Street and the feeder road for the Cross Bronx Expressway, the interior lots are four blocks east of the 174-175th Streets subway station, serviced by the B and D trains. Mendy Tessler is listed as the owner behind the applications.

The proposed 74-foot-tall developments will yield 7,722 square feet designated for residential space. The buildings will each have 18 residences. The masonry-based structures will also have cellars, penthouses, and 23-foot-long rear yards.

Nikolai Katz Architect is listed as the architect of record.

Demolition permits will not be needed as the current two-story buildings will be part of the new construction. An estimated completion date has not been announced.

DEC CONFIRMS SPREAD OF EPIZOOTIC HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE TO COLUMBIA, DUTCHESS, GREENE, NASSAU, OSWEGO, SUFFOLK, AND ULSTER COUNTIES

 

Disease Is Not Transmissible to Humans; New Yorkers Encouraged to Report Sick or Dead Deer to DEC

 The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today confirmed Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) in Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Nassau, Oswego, Suffolk, and Ulster counties. DEC is tracking suspected cases in Albany, Jefferson, Oneida, Orange, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Sullivan, and Westchester counties and new reports of dead deer to track the spread and estimate the number of deer succumbing to this disease. To date, DEC has received reports of approximately 700 dead deer. 

 

In New York, EHD virus is typically a fatal disease for deer that is transmitted by biting midges, small insects sometimes called no-see-ums or 'punkies.' The disease is not spread from deer to deer and humans cannot be infected by deer or bites from midges.

 

EHD virus was first confirmed in New York deer in 2007, with relatively small outbreaks in Albany, Rensselaer, and Niagara counties, and in Rockland County in 2011. From early September to late October 2020, a large EHD outbreak occurred in the lower Hudson Valley, centered in Putnam and Orange counties, with an estimated 1,500 deer mortalities. 

 

Once infected with EHD virus, deer usually die within 36 hours. EHD outbreaks are most common in the late summer and early fall when midges are abundant, although initial cases this year were detected in late July. Signs of the EHD virus include fever, hemorrhage in muscles or organs, and swelling of the head, neck, tongue, and lips. A deer infected with EHD may appear lame or dehydrated. Frequently, infected deer will seek out water sources and many succumb near a water source. There is no treatment or means to prevent EHD. Dead deer do not serve as a source of infection for other animals. EHD has been in New York since July, and has had time to circulate and spread prior to the first killing frosts. Consequently, it has been more widespread this year than during previous outbreaks.

 

EHD outbreaks do not have a significant long-term impact on regional deer populations, but deer mortality can be significant in small geographic areas. EHD is endemic in the southern states, which report annual outbreaks, so some southern deer have developed immunity. In the northeast, EHD outbreaks occur sporadically and deer in New York have no immunity to this virus. Consequently, most EHD-infected deer in New York are expected to die. The first hard frost is expected to kill the midges that transmit the disease, ending the EHD outbreak.

 

Sightings of sick or dead deer suspected of having EHD can be reported to DEC via a new online EHD reporting form (available at https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/123773.html) or by contacting the nearest DEC Regional Wildlife Office. DEC will continue to collect samples from deer and analyze data from deer reports to determine the extent of the outbreak. In addition, DEC has alerted Department of Agriculture and Markets veterinarians in the region to be aware of the disease and to report suspicious cases among captive deer.

 

For more information, visit DEC’s EHD webpage at https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/123773.html or Cornell University’s Wildlife Health Lab website at https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/disease/epizootic-hemorrhagic-disease.

112 Days and Counting - Give Them Basketball, Right Senator Bailey

 

Let's see, which piece of paper is this one on, here it is. This is the famous dunk by New York Knick John Starks over Michael Jordan, and John is going to join us in a NYCHA Youth Basketball League with the New York Knicks. We will set up 144 team and the NYPD has refurbished 24 NYCHA basketball courts. 

I want to bring in someone I met last week at the new Edenwald YMCA ribbon cutting, a rising star, State Senator Jamaal Bailey. Jamaal I heard that you did very well in your hoop shooting from John Starks, and I want to see you Senator Bailey in action in this new program. (Senator Jamaal Bailey speaking) Mr. Mayor I was on the Bronx Science basketball team called the Bronx Science Basketball Nerds, and we almost made it to the city championship round.  

As for other business, today is Restaurant Vaccination Day. We will be vaccinating people outside many of your favorite restaurants. Eighty percent of the adults in the city have received at least one vaccine shot, and I will be introducing the criteria for a third booster shot program very soon.

As far as Rikers Island, I am working on many items with the state to improve the site, and I will visit Rikers when these upgrades and changes are done. As you see I am stalling, and they could be finished on the last day I am in office. 

Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting

Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association Meeting 

By Robert Press

Tuesday night was the first in person meeting of the Pelham Parkway Neighborhood Association in over a year, and a crowd of over sixty people came out to hear Bronx Department of Transportation Commissioner Nivardo Lopez address neighborhood complaints of the new E-scooter program in Pelham Parkway. 

PPNA President Edith Blitzer opened the meeting by welcoming the large crowd to the first in person meeting of the organization in over a year. She asked if anyone knew who was putting out bread in the street and park that was creating a rat problem as they were the ones eating the bread. She then introduced Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez who said her office was up and running, and handling flood problems for the community. She added that she was participating in an event by the Friends of Pelham Parkway, and all were invited to join in. 

Next up was Bronx DOT commissioner Nivardo Lopez. who went over the E-scoter program, saying NYC waited, because in other cities E-scooter companies went bankrupt, and those cities were left with the E-scooter's. NYC chose three companies they thought were the best, and went into a pilot program in the east side of the Bronx that had natural boundaries such as the Mount Vernon City line, the water, and Bronx River parkway. He added when asked about the liability of the E-scooter, that it was the company that was responsible, even if someone tripped over one in front of a person's property. 

Commissioner Lopez was asked if the more people ride the E-scooter the less they will be walking or getting exercise, to which he replied that would have to be looked at. One person then said they took an E-scooter from the subway about five blocks away rather than walking to the meeting. There were plenty of complaints of the E-scooters being left anywhere and everywhere. Commissioner Lopez said that there is a maximum of forty-eight hours that one can be left outside a marked coral. He added that it must be picked up, and has a GPS so it can easily be found if it is out of bounds. He mentioned that the next phase is to bring 3,000 more E-scooters to Community Boards 9 and 10, as there are 3,000 currently in boards 11 and 12. The meeting ended with a question about an outside dining structure on Lydig Avenue that Commissioner Lopez said he would check into, but there are to be changes made to the program by 2023.

PPNA President Edith Blitzer welcomes everyone to the meeting.

Assemblywoman Fernandez addresses the audience.

Bronx DOT Commissioner Nivardo Lopez answers a question about the E-Scooters.

Bronx County Democrats Annual Barbecue and Softball Game

 

Sunday was the Annual Bronx Democratic County Barbecue and softball game at the Coop-City Field. Delicious food was set out for those who came, along with the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers that were grilled. Then it was off to the usually hard played softball game. Teams were decided on and it was Play ball. The game ended with the Stanley Schlein team beating the Jamaal Bailey/Carl Heastie team with a home run over the wall for a one run victory as it was the second and last ball that was brought. All then gathered by the clubhouse area where Bronx Democratic Party Leader State Senator Jamaal Bailey thanked all who came. Just about every Bronx elected official and most Bronx Democratic Party officials were in attendance. 

Stanley Schlein, the King of Bronx County organization, was almost unhittable when he was on the mound.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who only a few days earlier went one on one with former Knick star John Stark, plays the hot corner. He scooped up a ground ball, stepped on third, and threw to second to complete a double play. 

State Senator Jamaal Bailey would snag this fly ball.

Councilman Oswald Feliz would catch this long flyball to the outfield.

Not everyone would catch the ball, as this ball gets by this player.

Presumed Councilwoman Amanda Frias advanced to third base after getting a hit. 

Public School Chancellor Porter stopped by to see how the event was going.

State senator Luis Sepulveda also stopped in to say hello during his bike ride around the Bronx.

This home run over the wall ended the game, as Jamaal Bailey's Mets lost by one run to Stanley Schleins Bombers.

A group photo of both teams. 

After the game, Bronx Democratic Party Leader Senator Jamaal Bailey thanked all who came, Bronx DA Darcel Clark and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz are behind Senator Bailey.

113 Days and Counting

 

Our public schools have been open for the third day now, and there have been no problems. We want to assure the parents that our public schools are a safe place, now if only the unions who represent our school employees would know that, and stop fighting me on getting their members vaccinated.

Problems at Rikers Island? Yesterday I addressed that problem. All those pesky elected officials had to do was ask me about the prison, they didn't have to embarrass me by visiting Rikers and then holding a press conference. 

When am I going to visit Rikers? After the steps I put in place are enacted, and hopefully I won't, because I have 113 days left to go before Mayor Adams takes over. 

Governor Hochul Updates New Yorkers on State's Progress Combating COVID-19 - SEPTEMBER 15, 2021

 

52,878 Vaccine Doses Administered Over Last 24 Hours  

31 COVID-19 Deaths Statewide Yesterday   

 Governor Kathy Hochul today updated New Yorkers on the state's progress combating COVID-19.  

"While breakthrough infections are possible, those who are vaccinated are much less likely to experience the harshest effects of COVID if they do contract it, and are even less likely to die from the virus," Governor Hochul said. "We are approaching the season of gatherings and there's no reason why those who have gotten their vaccine should have to sacrifice the fun of upcoming events. Wear masks to avoid breakthrough infections, wash your hands, and if you remain unvaccinated, take advantage of ongoing incentive programs and get yours today."

 

Today's data is summarized briefly below:

·         Test Results Reported - 156,001
·         Total Positive - 4,852
·         Percent Positive - 3.11%
·         7-Day Average Percent Positive - 3.11%
·         Patient Hospitalization - 2,424 (-52)
·         Patients Newly Admitted - 299
·         Patients in ICU - 568 (+16)
·         Patients in ICU with Intubation - 302 (+23)
·         Total Discharges - 196,777 (+313)
·         New deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 31
·         Total deaths reported by healthcare facilities through HERDS - 44,036

The Health Electronic Response Data System is a NYS DOH data source that collects confirmed daily death data as reported by hospitals, nursing homes and adult care facilities only.

·         Total deaths reported to and compiled by the CDC - 56,139

This daily COVID-19 provisional death certificate data reported by NYS DOH and NYC to the CDC includes those who died in any location, including hospitals, nursing homes, adult care facilities, at home, in hospice and other settings.

·         Total vaccine doses administered - 24,440,421
·         Total vaccine doses administered over past 24 hours - 52,878
·         Total vaccine doses administered over past 7 days - 365,654
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose - 79.3%
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series - 71.7%
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 81.8%
·         Percent of New Yorkers ages 18 and older with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 73.4%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose - 67.1%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series - 60.3%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with at least one vaccine dose (CDC) - 69.3%
·         Percent of all New Yorkers with completed vaccine series (CDC) - 61.9%