This Week...Marlins "Learn to Swim" Registration

Starting September 15 registration begins for the "Learn to Swim Program" through the Roosevelt Island Marlins for anyone between 4 years and 14 years old. Contact RIMarlinsSwim@Yahoo.com or call the number listed on the flyer.

Roosevelt Island - A Water View - Bottom to Top

I had been wanting to film the island from one end to the other ever since seeing the Edison 1903 video filmed from the East Channel looking West. I have already filmed and posted the Island from that view but from Southpoint to Lighthouse where the Edison video starts at the North end and heads South.

I am now presenting the following video from the West Channel looking East at the Island starting at Southpoint and finishing at Lighthouse Park.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Assembly Member Kellner Confirms ESDC FMV Real Estate Tax Bills Rescinded

In a press release issued today Assembly Member Micah Z. Kellner (65th AD) confirms that ESDC Chairman Patrick Foye has rescinded the FMV real estate tax equivalency bills issued to Island House, Rivercross and Westview.

ESDC's decision puts a greater burden now on the Rivercross Privatization Committee as that buildings anti-privatization tenants will claim that the state no longer has a loaded gun to their heads and other avenues might be worthy of exploration regarding securing financing for capital projects and other issues. Pro-privatization tenants will still argue that the building has a right to leave the Mitchell-Lama program and that they expect that their plan is worthy of exploration which is all the upcoming vote is really for next week. But even such exploration has a price and it is expected to cost a few hundred thousand dollars to go through such a process.

A few excerpts of the Assembly Member's press release are as follows:

"ESDC has decided to rescind the tax bills sent last September to Westview, Island House, and Rivercross and to continue to allow the buildings to receive their tax exemptions as long as they remain in the Mitchell-Lama program. I’m glad to see, after six months of playing keystones cops, that the administration has finally come to its senses and rescinded this unfair tax bill."

“I could never understand how the administration could argue that threatening to raise taxes was an appropriate tactic to bullying struggling tenants and shareholders into remaining in the Mitchell-Lama program. This was a dangerous game of chicken that could have gone horribly wrong, costing thousands of families their homes."

“Let’s not kid ourselves, this issue is far from settled and the devil is always in the details. As we go forward I will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that the ground lease amendments are negotiated in such a way such that retroactive, unfair taxes are never again a possibility that looms over the heads of Islanders.”

ESDC Update: DHCR’s VanAmerongen Promises Response Within Week

As previously reported the New York State Empire State Development Corporation issued FMV tax equivalency bills to the Westview, Island House and Rivercross buildings during the closing months of 2007.

On January 17, 2008 NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen met with members of the Rivercross Board of Directors. Subsequent to that meeting, the Rivercross Board issued an update memo (under its resident apartment doors) to its shareholders stating that “the DHCR Commissioner has been “charged with resolving” the ESDC tax bill program”.

As per the Rivercross Board memo,VanAmerongen stated she would be in contact with the ESDC and was committed to getting Rivercross a response by next week. Presumably her efforts would also impact the bills issued also to Westview and Island House.

Riots in the Streets? Former World Leaders Renting at Westview?

Apparently Kofi Annan, former Island House resident, recommended Roosevelt Island to the former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and we are rioting in the streets. Who knew? And I just thought some Northtowners were upset about the Red Bus schedule again.

In truth the story of Blair’s arrival and our discontent is based on an article online at The Spoof and was first published two days ago. No idea who the “reporter” is as the by-line only states Queen Mudder. I guess Blair’s borrowing some China from Buckingham before he left was not appreciated.

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Note: This post originally reported by mistake that Kofi Annan lived in Westview. Thank you to the anonymous commenter who corrected my error.

Roosevelt Island Residents: Spitzer Administration Screws Mitchell Lama Residents

Updated to remove photograph.

Printed in time for the Rivercross Tenants Association 30th Anniversary Party the Main Street WIRE published a one page special previewing this coming week’s issue (Saturday November 17, 2007) regarding the issuance of full value real estate tax equivalency bills to three of the four original Roosevelt Island Mitchell-Lama buildings. The poster was not an official editorial as the situation is fluid and the WIRE's official editorial will not be set until it is is formally published. See my previous two posts for more background.

The below image is of the poster taken late Sunday night as it dominates the internal Rivercross message board.



Most residents expect the politicians to work this out as the issuance of these bills does seem to run counter to the stated goals of ensuring affordable housing but it certainly does seem that the Spitzer administration does not have control of the state agencies charged with ensuring this goal is kept by sending out FMV tax bills. Not exactly a friendly way to gather support for buildings to stay in the Mitchell-Lama program. Expect this issue to dominate island news for a few weeks at a minimum.

Roosevelt Island Mitchell-Lama Buildings Receive FMV Tax Equivalency Bills from State Despite City Resolution Extending Exemptions

This week just prior to its 30th anniversary the Rivercross Building on Roosevelt Island received a tax equivalency bill from the Empire State Development Corporation which could potentially increase monthly costs to each tenant by 45%. In addition to the Rivercross building both the Island House and the Westview buildings received similar tax equivalency bills. Such increases would destroy the affordability of these buildings to many of their tenants especially those on fixed incomes.

According to a flyer posted in its lobby, the Rivercross Board of Directors announced that if the tax bill stands it could force maintenance charges to increase by approximately 45% to cover this added cost to their building. Of the four original Mitchell-Lama buildings Rivercross is the only co-op building.

The ground lease issued to the Rivercross building provided that payments in lieu of real estate taxes would extend through 2007 the thirtieth anniversary of the issuance of the building’s certificate of occupancy. The ESDC is the successor in interest to the NYS Urban Development Corporation.

The tax bill received by Rivercross this week stated that the 30 year period had ended and that effective September 15, 2007, the buildings tax equivalency payments were increased to approximately $3.6 million per year.

The New York City Council in 2005 had passed Resolution 388-A granting real property tax exemptions for an additional 50 year period to private housing companies, including Mitchell-Lama buildings. According to the Rivercross flyer the list of applicable housing companies attached to the resolution included Rivercross. The resolution linked to here does not include that list. There had been some concern whether the City resolution applied to the Roosevelt Island buildings but in each building’s case local politician assured the buildings that as long as they stayed in the Mitchell-Lama program the resolution would be applicable to them and protect their tax status.

As reported in the most recent issue of the Main Street Wire, the Rivercross building announced its intent to formally notify the DHCR that it intended to leave the Mitchell-Lama program but no such filings have been made to date. As of today Rivercross still exists as a Mitchell-Lama property.

Roosevelt Island’s Westview Complex Cited in State Report Regarding Corruption / Mismanagement at Subsidized Housing Complexes

According to today’s New York Times, Thursday, September 20, 2007, the report issued by State Inspector General Kristine Hamann, indicated that:

"The state housing agency’s “deep and systemic failure” to properly oversee the rapidly dwindling supply of subsidized middle-income housing has led to the deterioration of the buildings, an increase in rents and a waste of taxpayer money."

The report apparently also included references to Westview:

"At the highly desirable Westview complex on Roosevelt Island, investigators found a troubling proposal to convert the building to market-rate condominiums. The Division of Housing and Community Renewal granted a proposed buyer a waiver in 2004 to manage the complex. By August 2006, 31 apartments in the complex had been vacant for about a year, despite a waiting list of 1,000 and a policy that “there should be no vacancies in subsidized housing in New York.”

It appears that the operator was warehousing the vacant apartments in anticipation of a windfall from their sale as condominiums. Nevertheless, the report said, an agency inspector “termed the complex’s inflated vacancy rate ‘satisfactory.’ ” The sale fell through in March 2006."

Another Red Bus Video: From the Octagon South

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

A while back I began videotaping various aspects of life here on Roosevelt Island and for some reason one of the more popular topics has been the Red Bus. I can only surmise is that it provides the viewer a quick view of the island and at a quarter per trip it is seen as a bargain which “mainlanders” can’t believe. The above video was taken about two weeks ago and is of a bus ride from the Octagon South to the Church of Good Shepherd Plaza.

The video is hot facing the Western side of Main Street for the most part with a few quick shots looking East capturing views of the FDNY Special Operations Command, the Gristedes when the bus turned left into the circular pick up drive.

I thought about traveling further South to make it a complete trip down to the Tram but at four minutes the video is long enough and I have captured those views in earlier videos.

Capobianco Field - Main Street - 360 Degree View

Direct YouTube Link

This video was shot from within Capobianco Field early one Sunday morning and includes views of Al Lewis Playground, the Roosevelt Island Lift Bridge, Eastwood, Westview, PS 217.