Van Cortlandt Park Alliance - The BEST Holiday Gift for Those Who Love VCP!

Do you know someone that walks in Van Cortlandt Park every day?   How about a cross-country runner, baseball lover, or tennis ace that makes VC their home base?    Or maybe you have a family member or friend who loves Van Cortlandt Park as much as we do?   Give the Gift of a VCPA Membership this Giving Tuesday! Support your favorite park while giving a special gift this holiday season!  It’s a win-win!

Winter Membership Special Join or renew now at $50+ to receive a VCPA Beanie!

Gift memberships must be received by Monday, December 11th to ensure arrival in time for the holidays.

 

Use our Membership Form to become a Member of the Van Cortlandt Park Alliance by making a secure donation online.

Membership Benefits

 

Wetland Protector – $50  

A new VCPA Beanie!

VCPA Sticker and Van Cortlandt Park Map

Two-for-one admission to Van Cortlandt House Museum

Invitations to Members-only hikes

100% tax deductible 

Trail Blazer – $100 

All the above plus a personalized tour for 5 to 20 of your friends and family

100% tax deductible 

Forest Guardian – $250

All the above plus one free lesson at Van Cortlandt Riding Stables

$190 tax deductible

Park Leader – $500

All the above plus a two-for-one coupon at Van Cortlandt Golf Course

$386 tax deductible

Gift a VCPA Membership Today!

VCPA beanie offer runs until the end of January, or while supplies last.

Your contribution to Van Cortlandt Park Alliance (VCPA) is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.* Our federal tax identification number is 13-3843182. VCPA is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, IRS Section 170(b) (2) (iii) for both federal and state tax purposes.

Our Contact Information

Van Cortlandt Park Alliance

80 Van Cortlandt Park South, Ste. E1
Bronx, NY 10463

718-601-1460

http://vancortlandt.org 

Assemblymember John Zaccaro Jr Invites You To a Job Fair & Career Expo

 

New year, new job! 

I am proud to announce that this Saturday, December 2nd, my office in partnership with the Department of Labor will be holding a job fair at Columbus High School. 

 

Bring an updated resume, dress to impress, and get ready to network with city and state agencies and companies looking for qualified individuals like yourself. 

 

Below are the details: 

• Date: Saturday, December 2, 2023
• Time: 11:00am - 3:00pm
• Where: Columbus High School - 925 Astor Ave

If you have any questions, please call our community office @ 718-409-0109

Foundations Take Shape For KIPP NYC Charter School At 75 Canal Street West In Mott Haven, The Bronx

 

Foundation work continues at 75 Canal Street West, the site of a seven-story, 1,400-seat charter school in Mott Haven, The Bronx. Designed by Perkins Eastman, the 70-foot-tall ground-up project will span 150,000 square feet for the KIPP NYC network of public charter schools located across The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. KIPP purchased the property, which is bound by Canal Street West, Park Avenue, and East 138th Street, for $21.7 million in the summer of 2021.

Recent photographs show the state of work on the 33,640-square-property, which was formerly occupied by a taxi depot. Exaction is still ongoing around the southern corner as the outline of the new charter school begins to take shape amid temporary wooden railings and formwork, and steel rebar for the upcoming walls.

Photo by Michael Young

Earlier this year, KIPP NYC secured $209.3 million in bond financing for the 75 Canal Street West school. Build NYC Resource Corporation, part of the New York City Economic Development Corporation, provided the financing with the Bank of New York Mellon acting as the trustee. The total cost of the project is expected to be $117 million.

The nearest subways from the property are the 4 and 5 trains at the 138th Street-Grand Concourse station.

75 Canal Street West is anticipated to be finished on time before the 2025-2026 school year, becoming the 19th public charter school for KIPP NYC and the tenth such school overall in The Bronx. A finalized rendering has yet to be publicly released.

2023 VAN NEST NEIGHBORHOOD ALLIANCE (VNNA) CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING Dec. 3rd - 5 PM

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2023
5:00PM
COCO, COOKIES & CAROLING!

JOIN US FOR OUR 10TH ANNUAL
CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING
MEET SANTA!! GET A TOY!!

 

Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance (VNNA)

City Planning Begins Public Review of Zoning Change to Facilitate State-Licensed Gaming Facilities

 

Citywide Proposal Would Allow Gaming Facilities in Certain Commercial and Manufacturing Districts Only if Licensed by State Gaming Commission  

Zoning Text Amendment Will Now Head to Community Boards, Borough Presidents for Recommendations, followed by Planning Commission and City Council 

New York City Planning Commission (CPC) Chair Dan Garodnick today began the public review process for a zoning text amendment that would clarify where up to three gaming facilities can locate in New York, and link city approvals to the robust state-level licensing process. The zoning change would allow gaming facilities licensed by the New York State Gaming Commission and chosen through a State-defined siting process in certain commercial and manufacturing districts. 

The start of public review on the text amendment comes as the State of New York requests applications for up to three new gaming facility licenses in the downstate region. However, because gaming facilities are not currently permitted under the New York City Zoning Resolution, applicants within the city are at a disadvantage to other downstate applicants – potentially depriving New Yorkers of jobs and economic benefits.  

“As the state considers proposals for casinos downstate, it's important that we create a level playing field for applicants within New York City so they can compete for this opportunity,” said Dan Garodnick, CPC Chair and Director of the Department of City Planning. “This text amendment would avoid duplicating the state's rigorous licensing process, which includes local representation on the CAC, while setting up a rational framework for consideration within our zoning.” 

This text amendment, if adopted, would allow gaming facilities in commercial districts C4, C5, C6, C7, and C8 and manufacturing districts M1, M2, and M3 if operating under a state gaming license authorized by legislation enacted by the state in 2022. The full zoning text amendment can be read here. 

The State Gaming Facility Location Board’s review process begins with a local Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for each application, made up of representatives from the Governor, Mayor, and local State Assemblymember, State Senator, Borough President, and City Councilmember; applications with two-thirds support from a vote of their CAC and with local zoning approval will then be reviewed by the State Gaming Facility Location Board and State Gaming Commission for final selection and licensing.  

A citywide zoning text amendment allows the City of New York to consider the regulation of gaming facilities through zoning without duplicating the public input of the State CAC process, and without considering unique ULURP applications from each gaming facility applicant before the State’s process can begin. Some gaming facility applicants may require other proposal-specific approvals, which are not a part of this text amendment.  

The text amendment will now be referred for review and recommendation by community boards and borough presidents whose jurisdictions include the applicable zoning districts, before returning to the City Planning Commission for a hearing and vote, and if passed, the City Council.  

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. 

THREE MEN INDICTED FOR OPERATING BRONX FENTANYL MILL; $300K IN DRUGS, LOADED GUN RECOVERED

 

 Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that three men have been indicted for operating a Fentanyl mill in the Bronx that supplied traffickers in the metropolitan area.

 District Attorney Clark said, “The defendants allegedly operated a fentanyl mill that packaged thousands of glassine envelopes of the drug that continues to rip apart families and kill people in our community. I thank our partners at the DEA and DETF for their work with us to shut down this factory.”

 DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino said, “This investigation is another example of how fentanyl mills feed deadly poison to drug trafficking organizations throughout New York City and the Northeast. The DEA New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, Group T-41 and the Bronx District Attorney’s Office worked tirelessly to shut down this one-stop-fentanyl shop where the defendants cut, packaged, and delivered their product with no concern to public safety. Fentanyl continues to be DEA’s priority and is the most urgent threat to public health. I commend our partners at the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, New York City Police Department, and the New York State Police for their collaboration in our fight to save lives.”

 District Attorney Clark said Miguelange Lopez, 29, and Adell Batista, 23, both of Manhattan, were arraigned today on second-degree Conspiracy, first-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, two counts of third-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, two counts of seventh-degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, fourthdegree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance, two counts of second-degree Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia, Criminal Possession of a Firearm, third-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, fourth-degree Criminal Possession of a Weapon, and Possession of Ammunition before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Kim Parker. The defendants are due back in court on February 5, 2024. A third defendant, Darlin Garcia, 33, of Passaic NJ, will be arraigned on the indictment on November 30, 2023.

 According to the investigation, on October 19, 2023, the defendants were in an apartment in 55 East 179th Street in the Bronx, where they were allegedly importing fentanyl through Pennsylvania and Connecticut and packaging it for distribution. Investigators found approximately 8,500 glassine envelopes of fentanyl, packaging materials, and a loaded handgun inside. Lopez was observed handing glassines of fentanyl to Garcia in a vehicle outside of the location. Garcia was later arrested and approximately 20,000 glassines of fentanyl were recovered. The estimated street value of the drugs is approximately $300,000.

 District Attorney Clark thanked the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division along with the New York State Division of State Police Drug Enforcement Task Force for their work on the investigation.

An indictment is an accusatory instrument and not proof of a defendant’s guilt.

Governor Hochul Announces New York Awarded Nearly $24 Million in Federal Funding to Strengthen and Modernize State’s Electric Grid

 

U.S. Department of Energy Grant Provides Support for New York Projects that Help Ensure Reliability of Infrastructure and Access to Affordable, Reliable Clean Energy

Supports The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act Goals to Transition to 100 Percent Zero-Emission Electricity by 2040

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced New York was awarded nearly $24 million in federal funding to strengthen and modernize the State’s electric grid to reduce the impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters. The Grid Resilience and Tribal Formula Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will provide support for New York projects that help ensure the reliability of the State’s power sector infrastructure and access to affordable and clean electricity for New Yorkers. Today's announcement supports the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act goals to transition to 100 percent zero-emission electricity by 2040.

“As we’ve seen, the severity of extreme weather events is not slowing down and requires ongoing preparation and the buildout of our infrastructure to minimize the impacts of climate change on communities,” Governor Hochul said. “This funding underscores the benefits that New York’s productive partnership with the federal government continues to bring to the state and will help us modernize our electric grid and its associated infrastructure as part of future powered by clean energy.”

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which submitted an application to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on behalf of New York State, will administer the grant funds over a two-year period with the opportunity to apply for three additional years. NYSERDA plans to launch a competitive selection process in the first quarter of 2024 for projects that address goals in compliance with the award, which include:

• Storm Hardening: improving the resilience of the electric grid against disruptive events such as power outages due to storms that impact critical operations;
• Predictive Analytics: development of advanced data and metrics to detect electric system conditions before they become issues to support system reliability and resiliency;
• Climate Justice: reducing carbon emissions to ensure benefits of investments flow to communities that are underserved, marginalized and overburdened by pollution;
• Energy Affordability: deploying tools and technologies and ensuring optimized utilization of resources and electricity grid assets to reduce total system costs and address the burden of inadequate electricity distribution infrastructure; and
• Job Creation: increasing access to NYSERDA’s comprehensive workforce development portfolio of services for skilled clean energy workers.

New York is one of nine states and five tribal nations that were awarded a combined total of $125 million as the seventh cohort of Grid Resilience State and Tribal Formula Grants and will provide 15 percent matching funds through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative as part of DOE's grant requirements. To learn more, visit NYSERDA’s website and the Grid Deployment Office’s website.

MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES CITY HALL, MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, ICONIC NEW YORK CITY SITES TO BE LIT ORANGE FOR ANNUAL “16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM AGAINST GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE” CAMPAIGN

 

New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that City Hall and several other municipal buildings and iconic city sites will be lit orange tonight in honor of the annual “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign. Led by the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence (ENDGBV) and the New York City Commission on Gender Equity (CGE), which sits within the Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice (MOERJ), the campaign began this weekend with International Day to End Violence Against Women on November 25 and ends with Human Rights Day on December 10.

 

“I am urging all New Yorkers to join me in this call to action to end gender-based violence,” said Mayor Adams. “Survivors need to know and feel they have the right to safety in their homes, workplaces, and communities — and our administration works tirelessly to protect them. By standing together against gender-based violence, and educating our families, friends, and neighbors, we can work to eliminate gender-based violence.”

 

“Lighting up the sky to commemorate this campaign reinforces our commitment to survivors,” said Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom.

“To any child, family, or individual who is a survivor, the city’s resources are available to help you on your journey to healing from the trauma of domestic and gender-based violence.”

 

“The ‘16 Days’ campaign is a platform to raise awareness, educate, and mobilize local and international governments to prevent gender-based violence. We must continuously advocate for policy changes and support survivors’ services,” said Deputy Mayor for Strategic Initiatives Ana Almanzar. “By wearing orange and lighting our landmarks and other buildings, we are symbolically demonstrating our collective power to prevent violence in New York and around the world.”

 

“As we light City Hall, the city’s municipal buildings, and local landmarks orange tonight in honor of ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,’ we send a clear message to survivors of domestic and gender-based violence across the five boroughs: The city is here for you,” said ENDGBV Commissioner Cecile Noel. “We hope New Yorkers will be inspired by these lights and join our campaign to spread awareness about the resources and services available to survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. Together, with our partners — the New York City Commission on Gender Equity and the Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice — we can mobilize far and wide to show survivors we support, listen to, and believe them.”

 

“Tonight, we are linking arms globally with our international partners to once again stand against violence with the ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’ campaign,” said MOERJ Commissioner Sideya Sherman. “By lighting City Hall and other historic buildings orange, we are reinforcing our commitment to promote safety and support for all New Yorkers touched by gender-based violence.”

 

In addition to City Hall, the following city buildings and iconic New York City sites will be lit up orange:

City Buildings and Sites Being Lit Up:

• The Arsenal in Central Park: 830 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10065
• Bronx County Courthouse: 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451
• The David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building: 1 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007
• Gracie Mansion: East 88^th Street & East End Avenue, New York, NY 10028
• One Police Plaza: 1 Police Plaza, New York, NY 10038
• Staten Island Borough Hall: 10 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301

 Iconic New York City Sites Being Lit Up:

• One Bryant Park: 1 Bryant Park, New York, NY 10036
• One Five One: 151 West 42^nd Street, New York, NY 10036
• One World Trade Center: 285 Fulton Street, New York, NY 10007

 The Adams administration encourages New Yorkers to learn more about the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign online.