Town Hall Mtg Tonight re Transportation Issues….Columbia to Begin Focused Study

At 7:00pm tonight within the Good Shepherd Community Center, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation is holding a Town Hall meeting to discuss transportation issues affecting the island. The meeting will also mark the commencement of a new urban planning study of the island with a defined focus on transportation.

Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture’s Urban Planning program, under the direction of Dr. Floyd Lapp, a former Director of City Planning in the MTA’s Transportation Division from 1991-2000, will be examining the transportation alternatives and infrastructure.

The Columbia study will be the second study currently underway of the island by an academic institution. Hunter College's Urban Planning program is conducting a separate studio, termed AccessRI, with a broader focus on access to many issues including transportation, health services, shopping among others. That study is being sponsored by State Senator Jose Serrano.

Dr. Lapp has indicated that for any study to be worthwhile and effective it requires the participation of the public in the gathering of information and feedback. The Main Street WIRE in its last issue, dated Saturday, January 17, 2009, included a front page article about the study and included comments from Dr. Lapp.

Can NYC and NYS Justify $8M for FDR Park?

This weekend when I read RIOC President Steve Shane's column, in the Main Street WIRE, and was reminded that NYC and NYS have jointly committed $8 million in total to the planned FDR Four Freedoms Park to be built at Roosevelt Island's Southpoint Park I could only cry. How in this economy could this make sense? I don't see how either legislative body could allow such appropriations to continue? How can the constituents of any legislator supporting these appropriations not let them know this is wrong? Yet each of our local legislators supports this plan and no one thinks its improper in today's world.

Think how many job training programs this money could fund? How many New Yorkers could be kept in their homes? How many meals can be provided to out of work City residents? Would you close a city shelter to justify a park?

Are these statements alarmist? Perhaps not. Both Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson are predicting the worse is yet to come. Each has already called for massive cuts in existing and prospective budgets. So I ask each of you now how can we keep in the City's and State's budget $8 milion dollars for a park even if the intent is to honor as great a president like FDR? The answer is we can't and we should not.

---------

PS: The $8M is only for Phase 1 of the park's construction and is dependent on FERI matching the $8M. The projected costs for the complete memorial is in excess of $40M and you can bet if the park is started and FERI can not raise the additional funds they will be looking to the City and State to bail them out and to pony up additional funds.

A Poll for a New Private School by a Local Dad

At the top of this blog's right hand side bar is a poll requested by a local Roosevelt Island father who wants a local alternative to PS 217 and is willing to go as far as paying a private school if one were to open up on the island. This blog is running the post as an opportunity for parents and others to discuss their thoughts about the public and private education alternatives available to children living here on Roosevelt Island.

For purposes of full disclosure, as I have stated in the past, my own kids go to public school off the island. My older child started pre-school at an off island District 2 school before we moved to Roosevelt Island and that child continued there. My younger child followed into that program.

It is unclear to me what research this father has undertaken about either PS 217 or other schools but again I offer this post and the side bar poll as an opportunity to discuss the issue.

Currently the Roosevelt Islander blog (right hand side bar - about 1/3 to 1/2 way down) has an ongoing poll asking whether a Gifted and Talented program shoudl be established at PS 217. With eight days left in that poll 98 individuals have voted "yes" and 20 votes have been cast for "no".

This current poll asks whether you would send your child to a private school if one were to open on Roosevelt Island. The bottom three answers were not requested by the local father but added by me as I thought the poll needed to include these answers. Hopefully they do not dilute the father's polling intent.

Community Viewing of Inauguration Today at 11am

Starting at 11am watch the inauguration live with your Roosevelt Island neighbors at the Good Shepherd Community Center.

Bicycles in the Snow

Ritwik Dey from Deydreamers has posted a number of wonderful shots of Roosevelt Island in the snow over on his Flickr pages and are definitely worth checking out. The above shot can be found HERE.

Does Roosevelt Island Get the Full Creepy from Cold Souls?

A number of residents who recall the movie "Cold Souls" being filmed here on Roosevelt Island can now read the reviews of the film on line at Variety, Cinema Blend, and other web sites.

The plot line includes a stop by the actor "Paul Giamatti" playing a version of himself who at one point comes to a clinic on Roosevelt Island where they will relieve you of your soul for a time. Based on the review the scenes on Roosevelt Island are limited but repeated so we don't get the complete creepy treatment we got from "Dark Waters" but enough apparently.

Per the Cinema Blend website the Roosevelt Island based lab is named "Soul Storage". According to past blog posts there were scenes filmed at the Octagon and aboard the Roosevelt Island Tram but it is unknown what interior or exterior shots of the Octagon, the Tram or the Island have made it to the final cut. No official movie poster yet or stills that I can find featuring the Island.

A Former Resident Powers Up "The Electric Company"

As a kid in the 1970's "The Electric Company" was always a pretty cool show so when I heard PBS was bringing it back (see official website) in time for my own kids I was thrilled.

As the blog title states, former resident Jenni Barber who is now starring on the show, as Lisa, once lived here on Roosevelt Island (granted it was a sublet). So if your kids end up watching the show and you recall this actress's face you may have seen her on Main Street.

Is Roosevelt Island the Sixth Borough?

In response to last Sunday's NY Times piece about NYC blogs one blog, Idealist in NYC, compiled a list of currently updated NYC blogs and for some reason elevated Roosevelt Island to its own borough and severed our connection to Manhattan. Amusing. Is that possible?

Like Washington Square Park I was caught off guard by this political developement. Has anyone notified Jessica Lappin (our City Council Member) that she has just lost a chunk of her voting constituency?

Has Brooklyn Paid Roosevelt Island for our Granite?

Stop. Thief! Has Brooklyn Heights paid for the Roosevelt Island granite it plans to use in the construction of a new staircase for its East River Promenade park? We actualy want our granite back. Supposedly an FDR memorial is to be built on our island and we want to help reduce their costs by using our own granite.

So Brooklyn give us back our granite or pony up the bucks!

The mystery is when did Brooklyn grab our granite? And what is the article talking about where it refers to a rescue of the granite from the old Roosevelt Island Bridge? That bridge is still standing? Did someone steel the brick from its foundations? Are we in danger just to help some folks go down a stair. These are important questions.

I first brought up this travesty of justice back in October yet no response from Brooklyn has been received?

NYT: Focus on Dr. Resnick and Home Health Care

Today's New York Times blog "The New Old Age" profiled Dr. Jack Resnick's efforts to bring health care back into the home with a focus on the Community Health Forum he organizaed and moderated on December 29th at the Good Shepherd Church. Kudo to the doctor and please link through to the blog post on the NYT as for anyone who did not attend the forum it is well worth your time.

Flat Stanley Visits Roosevelt Island - Again

For the second time within a year I played host to a visiting Flat Stanley and took pictures of him on the Tram but also this time within the subway station here on Roosevelt Island.

So if you saw a reasonably sane guy taking pictures with a paper cut out drawing of a boy that was just me and Flat Stanley.

For those uninitiated about Flat Stanley check this LINK. For the complete set of pictures taken of Flat Stanley during this NYC adventure, mostly off-island, in the subway and GCT link to Flickr here.

Hunter College: AccessRI Community Survey

From AccessRI:

"Tired of waiting for the Subway? Concerned about the quality of life on Roosevelt Island? Worried about the Tram closing? Satisfied with the shopping on Roosevelt Island?

AccessRI, an urban planning studio commissioned by New York State Senator Jose Serrano, is announcing the release of the Roosevelt Island Community Survey. The survey covers many aspects of life on Roosevelt Island including housing, healthcare, transportation, recreation, retail and public safety. The purpose of the survey is to inform an accessibility plan that will address the major issues identified by the community.

The Community Survey can be taken by clicking the link below:
Roosevelt Island Community Survey

In order for our effort to be truly comprehensive, AccessRI is requesting the guidance of the Roosevelt Island community. Please visit our blog at http://accessri.blogspot.com/ keep track of the studio's progress."

Check out the survey and the AccessRI blog.

NYT: "You Talkin' to Me?" is Not My Style

Today's New York Times City Section includes an article titled "You Talkin' to Me?"about NYC bloggers by Gabriel Cohen. While I was happy to be recognized as a neighborhood blogger I had reservations seeing my blog listed. Other than transportation issues I have tried to limit my posts to my own views without being too controversial.

I will admit I see myself as the lighter of the two main blogs we have here on the island. The Roosevelt Islander, an excellent blog in my opinion, covers much more deeply many of the political and social issues affecting the island. I am just trying to have fun and only occasionally find myself getting deeper into the weighty issues. Perhaps this is a death knell to state this publicly but I did just start this blog for my own fun. I have come to hope you have kept coming back for that fun and occasionally to learn something more about our island.

It is apparent that our residents need increased access to public forums where they can express themselves freely and perhaps anonymously on issues they feel strongly about. Take in point the ongoing discussion / argument taking place on my post regarding the name change to Roosevelt Landings from Eastwood. As stated in the NYT article New Yorkers will when given the opportunity (granted sometimes not when it is applicable) find themselves arguing class wars, gentrification vs. affordable housing. The comments being left on my blog on this post almost daily reflects these feelings. Currently 40 comments have been left since the Octiber 14 publication of that post. I did nothing to inflame or encourage these posts. Although I admit they deserve further investigation and reporting. I would love to see an Eastwood based blog be created where these issues are examined from a residents point of view.

What was more amusing to me about being included in the article is that during the last several weeks I have not been able to devote as much time to this blog, due to work and other matters, and I admit I have felt some guilt about this. But then again it is only a blog right?

R.I. Historical Society Exhibition: One Family's Photos from 1914-1919

Like many of us no one thinks that families were living on Roosevelt Island during the early 1900's. We all know about the prison, the alms and work houses, the hospitals and the lunatic asylum but few think of the island at that time as a home for a family as we do today. Yet the Effler family did just that and their family photos are on exhibition now at the Octagon through January 31, 2008.

I can truly say the photos will surprise you, make you smile and laugh. I know as I scanned them all for the Historical Society (the benefit or burden of living in the same building as the society's president). I am being good and not running any photos other than those in the press release.

Per the news release there is an opening reception this Sunday with special events including the following:

12 PM - Children’s Tour of Exhibit
1 PM - General Tour
2 PM - Dog Look-Alike Contest
3-6 PM - Reception and Refreshments

The Octagon, is an apartment building, located at 888 Main Street. DIRECTIONS: Take the Tram at 59th Street and Second Avenue or the F train to Roosevelt Island. Take the Octagon Local red bus for 25¢ or walk 20-minutes north on Main Street.

Fordham U. Students Examine R.I. Housing Issues

YouTube Video Posted by drtoulouse

At first when I watched the above video it seemed like the Fordham University students were under the impression that Roosevelt Island was dominated by public housing. But as the video progresses and focuses on Roosevelt Island (4:04 minute mark) it becomes clear that the students are aware that private development is one of the island’s biggest issues. Look for their interview of Geoffrey Fishman, Manager of Roosevelt Landings, formerly known as Eastwood. Mr. Fishman discusses the effect of the open market on the island.

It will be interesting to see Hunter College’s Access RI’s take on the same issue as their larger study progresses throughout the coming months. FYI, Access RI is not only about physical access to Roosevelt Island but also to services, housing and various other issues.

East River Time Lapse from Roosevelt Island

YouTube Video by conorfuhduh

The above time lapse on YouTube features a view of Manhattan, the East River and the Queensboro Bridge from Roosevelt Island around dusk. The building that is centered in the video which is lit brightly at its top is the Bloomberg building owned by Vornado Realty Trust (not Bloomberg).

What Does It Take to Start a Subway Mural Project?

Yesterday I read a great article about murals which were installed at the 86th Street subway station on Manhatan's West Side. I wonder if we could get permission to install similiar murals on the platforms and escalator passages at the Roosevelt Island subway station. It would brighten up a dreary station and add some additional pride to the island.

Now who can we call?

Duane Reade Not Leaving Roosevelt Island

If in the next few weeks or months you see a change in colors at the local Duane Reade it does not mean that the store is leaving Roosevelt Island or being replaced by some other chain it simply is the company's attempt at updating their image. See the story on the NY Times.

No Ivy League for Roosevelt Island

I had not heard of any plans for an Ivy League university to establish an outpost here on Roosevelt Island but apparently one group is ready to fight for the common man against such an idea.

For information about purchasing a patch 10 are currently available on eBay via The Netherlands.

We are currently awaiting a reply regarding the history of this effort to keep Roosevelt Island free of the dreaded Ivy League. If however a highly endowed Ivy League university wants to restore the Renwick Ruin as an educational facilty and work against FERI's plan to block the 360 degree views of Southpoint please apply immediately

The Power of a Simple Wave

I have never walked much less run across the Queensboro / 59th Street Bridge but I have always wanted to experience this view of Roosevelt Island and the Tram. Like many of us I have rode across the bridge plenty of times by car but the glimpses caught are so fleeting it has never felt real. I do still remember being a kid from Long Island in the mid 1970s seeing the Tram for the first time from our school bus as we came into Manhattan for some class trip. We were all so excited and were waving madly but no one saw us.

I came across a runner's personal blog, Pigtails Flying, this evening who herself waved to the Tram and received a wave back. She has taken this to be a good sign of things to come in 2009 as she rarely receives a return wave. My kids always wave from the Tram to runners and riders below and occasionally are awarded by return waves. Being on the receiving end does always make me smile so I hope this runner receives many more waves this year.

I put up the above photo not only for the view of the Tram but also of the Circle Line. My kids always wave to these boats and rarely if ever do the tourists see us as they all only have eyes for Manhattan's East Side as the boats head up and down the East River. It does sometimes feel as if our little island is invisible when this happens. So if you are on a boat and see a child (or adult) waving make their day just as somebody did for this runner.

Picture on Flickr by jag9889

15 Years Plus of Lighted Ruins

The night time lighting of the former smallpox hospital, on Roosevelt Island, started as a party favor from Arnold Scaasi, a Sutton Place resident, to his guests. It was then later picked up as a treat from an island based group to the larger city as a reminder that "we're part of the City".

Today the lights that shine upon the Renwick Ruin are a nightly fixture, with the cost borne by RIOC, and while the lights may be taken for granted by most of the City, they have become a fixture of the City's night time sky and still to this day a nice reminder that we are here.

Picture via Flickr by Mortbats.

Midnight Bingo Tonight at the Renwick Ruin

Ok, I lied we will not be bringing in the New Year playing bingo at the Renwick Ruin. I am trying to sell the idea to OpenHouse New York though. But don't the stones from the former smallpox hospital on Roosevelt Island, which is currently undergoing a restoration and stabilization effort look like giant bingo tiles? The stones are being removed and numbered in order to put it back together again at a later date.

The above picture is on Flickr by Trixiebedlam. The below pic is also on Flickr by embeedub. For a full size version which is readable link through the picture.

Roosevelt Island: Independence at Home: Obama Health Care Forum

Change.Gov - Obama Transition Team Video


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 29, 2008
Contact Jonathan Posen
(917) 834-7918
jonposen@gmail.com


"Independence at Home: Obama Health Care Forum
TODAY on Roosevelt Island


Independence at Home will be the topic of an Obama Transition Team Health Care Forum on Monday, Dec. 29th, at the Good Shepherd Community Center on Roosevelt Island at 7:30 PM. The event, hosted by Dr. Jack Resnick and organized in response to the Obama Transition Team's request for Community Health Care Forums, will focus on the benefits of health care at home.

"Our health care system is broken. It costs too much and provides low quality care," said Dr. Resnick. "It's not enough to fix the financing of the system. We need to make it better, safer, and more cost-effective, and this forum will give voice to the growing movement to move health care into the home."

By moving care out of hospitals and nursing facilities and into the home, our system can improve the quality of care by reducing infections and human errors, and by providing personalized, informed care from one doctor – not by a faceless rotation.

The forum will open with a video entitled "The Roosevelt Doctor: Independence at Home." The film features several elderly or disabled Roosevelt Island residents who attest to the unquestioned advantages – medical, physical, and psychological – of health care in the home.

Attendees will be invited to share their stories of success or difficulty with the health care system, and Dr. Resnick will be available to answer questions about the financial and medical benefits of care at home. "

East Side Panorama

The above panoramas each include Roosevelt Island and are from the blog "New York Panorama". Go to theblog to see full size versions of each. The top half of the above image features the Queensboro Bridge with Roosevelt Island in the background and is the blog's header image and the lower half of the image features Roosevelt Island in the foreground with Manhattan in the background.

Additionally look for the night panorama in a future Main Street WIRE as Dick Lutz, the editor, appears interested from the comment and inquiry he left on the blog.

Coat Drive : Dec 27-28 & Jan 3-4

This weekend and next drop off your gently used winter coats at the Roosevelt Island Visitors Center from Noon to 5pm.

New Double Decker Tram Design Unveiled (spoof)

As opposed to the service cuts proposed by the 2009 MTA austerity budget the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation unveiled its new design for the tram. The double decker design took most residents by surprise as it was not expected that RIOC would be so forward thinking to take into account the island's growth and transportation needs.

There are still several right of way concerns that must be worked out as the tram is not allowed to drop below a certain height as it crosses Second Avenue. City Hall has stated through an unnamed spokesman that it is exactly this sort of innovation that the MTA needs to get us through the coming years. According to the unnamed spokesman "If they could build a double decker LIRR train and now the tram why not double decker subway cars" .

Roosevelt Island residents are fearful that the new design will be followed by a decoupling of the tram from the MTA metrocard system as it is rumored that the fare for the double decker tram will double to $4.

3pm Music Bach ; 5pm Menorah Lighting

YouTube: Timelapse, Snow, and Tram

YouTube videos posted regarding Roosevelt Island in the last 24 hours:

(1) Timelapse by conorfuhduh; (2) Snow by rebknell; (3) tram by paxymax

Church Takes Flight after First Snow

Within the imagination of artist Tony Vita, the Church of the Good Shepherd takes flight and seems to float above Roosevelt Island's main plaza while a child plays by the church bell now a fixture on the plaza itself.

The painting is one of several whimsical paintings by Vita that are being shown and rotated through the Rivercross Window Gallery. Link here for a Slide show for earlier and current paintings being shown.

The Day After the Tree Lighting

I shot the above picture of Blackwell House, here on Roosevelt Island, a day after the annual tree lighting and arrival of Santa Claus.

First Snow of This December

Lilian C. Moreira has posted on YouTube a short one minute video of the first snow from earlier today here on Roosevelt Island. Lilian has a number of Roosevelt Island videos posted on YouTube that are worth checking out.

Roosevelt Island Dominoes

Ritwik over at Deydreamers Weblog took the above picture of the Riverwalk buildings on Roosevelt Island and has been waiting for that exact moment for two years. Ritwick is apparently a resident of the island up at the Octagon based on another shot of the Dayspring Church and the Octagon playground titled "From My Window". Cool shots and we'll be looking for future posts about RI.

CBS News Video re Verdant Tidal Power

CBS News on line posted the above video and a related article about the Verdant Power Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy RITE project on Sunday December 14 , 2008.

Lower Escalator Update: 2 Up & Now 2 Down

Ok, this may be good news for morning rush hour Roosevelt Island commuters but some commuters at night may not be happy with me.

Based on my November 25th post of last month, Paul Curtis, the Community Liason / Legislative Aide to Assembly member Micah Z. Kellner, asked the MTA why all four of the lower escalators are continuously running UP from the subway platforms to the lower mezzanine and not an even split of two up and two down.

Well, according to Mr. Curtis, the MTA finally got back to him and they expect, with the exception of rush hours, to now split the four escalators up with each platform having one escaltor running up and the other down. we'll see how well the station personnel do at switching the directions before and after each rush hour.

I can now see a number of evening commuters being unhappy with me as their sbway car empties by the escalator, not yet switched, going the wrong way as they see it.

Rescheduled Main St Tree LIghting Monday Night

RIOC rescheduled the Roosevelt Island yearly tree lighting to this Monday (Dec. 15th) night at 7:00 pm due to last Thursday's rains. Santa, however, has already been spotted on Roosevelt Island's Main Street, singing and dancing in the beauty parlor.

Extended Holiday Shopping on Roosevelt Island - Today, This Thursday Night

The Roosevelt Island Historiocal Society Visitors Center offers some great holiday shopping options right here without leaving the island. In addition to being open today, Sunday December 14th from Noon through 5:00 pm the Kiosk will be open this coming Thursday, December 18th from 5:00 pm through 9:00 pm.

Holiday Tram Sleigh Cards 2008 ?

Over the last two years I recall that one enterprising resident was selling great holiday cards featuring the Tram as Santa's sleigh. I have not heard or seen the gentlemen yet this year but I have placed a call to the number he placed in last year's Main Street WIRE ad. We can only hope these cards are back as they were great.

The "Kings" of Roosevelt Island

Parking is a bit messed up today on Roosevelt Island's Main Street due to filming associated with the new NBC show "Kings" expected to air in March 2009.

The show is "a modern-day reimagining of the historical story of King David featuring a young heroic soldier who winds up dethroning a corrupt monarch to become king of a great and powerful city." according to Yahoo TV and stars Ian McShane and Chris Egan. Deadwood this aint.

Mystery Photo - Where is This ?

It has been a while since I have found a reasonable, much less, a good Roosevelt Island mystery photo to post so we got lucky finding this little gem (presented here in a cropped version of the original). Most residents are familiar with the 4 "moorings" that face Manhattan by the Octagon Soccer Fields but where was this photo taken?

To skip to the answer you can view the whole picture taken by WayneWHuang on Flickr.

Mid Day Fire at 560 Main Street

A fire has been reported at Roosevelt Island's 560 Main Street, Apt 422, called in at 12:24pm on Wednesday 12/3, was "knocked down" according to FDNY reports by 12:40 pm and classified as under control by 12:50 pm.

Initially the incident was reported as a smoke condition from the flower shop and then as a fire at the shop. Fire Box 1942 sits across from the flower shop and as the closest fire box the fire is classified as reported through the box even if the report was not made through the box itself.

No indication that any residents or FDNY personnel being injured.

Due to the nature of the structure and the fact that many elderly and handicapped live within the building, the report indicated that the FDNY at one point had up to ten trucks on scene.

Roosevelt Island Attorney Indicted

According to the website North County a Roosevelt Island attorney has been indicted for grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property.

Per the article linked the attorney James John Armenakis, 65, of Roosevelt Island, and his law firm were "indicted for stealing a $735,000 deposit in a real estate transaction as well as a separate felony complaint for the lawyer’s failure to pay withholding taxes and filing his own false tax returns." The indictment was also reported in the website SILive.com.

DEP Delays Water Main Repair

-----Original Message-----

From: Stephen Shane
Date: Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:55:07
To: Rooseveltisland360
Cc: Fernando Martinez; Thomas Turcic

Subject: Re: Water Main repair

DEP has notified us this afternoon that nothing is likely to happen until next week. We are all at their mercy. Will advise as soon as we hear anything.


Stephen H. Shane
President & CEO
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp.

Access RI to Host Open House This Saturday

Access RI will be hosting an open house this Saturday at Good Shepherd starting at 10:00 am. See their post below or link directly to their blog HERE or via the above image.

Roosevelt Island Mumbai Memorial Observance

Link to Chabad RI site through Image

From: "Zalman and Nechama Duchman"
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 11:21:31 -0500
Subject: Mumbai Memorial Observance

Please can you put a post on your blog:

Communal Memorial Observance in memory of the victims of the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks

Hosted by Rabbi Zalman and Nechama Duchman in memory of our dear friends and colleagues Rabbi Gavriel and Rivkah Holtzberg

Thursday, December 4th 2008, 7:30pm
Community Room of 425 Main Street

For more information:
Nechama@RIJewish.org
212-652-5660

Thank you,
Zalman and Nechama Duchman

The New Octagon Playroom

Courtesy of Roosevelt Island blogger Populuxe Books and reported on by New York Magazine I learned that the Octagon has a new playroom for the kids. There is a second smaller playroom that I remember that still exists (for now?) that my son once played in while visiting friends.

As noted in NY Mag, buildings are now offering such amenities to help attract potential tenants. I will say as a parent with young kids that in the Winter and on a rainy day such spaces are godsends. Based on the pics on the Populuxe Books blog this is a great playroom.

Holiday Shopping Dec 4 at the Roosevelt Island Visitors Ctr

The Roosevelt Island Historical Society Visitors Center located at the old trolley kiosk is offering holiday shopping on the evenings of December 4th and December 18th from 5pm to 9 pm each evening.

So as you come off the Tram or out of the subway stop on by. A variety of gifts are offered from jewelry, cards, books, calendars and toys. Refreshments will be served..

Court Upholds DHCR 30% Max Maint. Surcharge Against Rivercross

In an Article 78 proceeding brought by Roosevelt Island's Rivercross Tenants Corporation against the Department of Housing and Community Renewal the trial court ruled that the DHCR order to increase the maximum maintenance surcharge from 20% to 30% be upheld.

In an internal memo, dated November 26, 2008, circulated among the tenant shareholders, the Rivercross Board announced it intends to appeal the decision to the Appellate Division. The memo indicated that it would be about 6 months before any decision could be expected in their appeal.

The Rivercross Board asserts as one component to their case that in 2001 the DHCR argued that Mitchell Lama Coops be allowed to set their own surcharge schedule and that now DHCR is claiming that the Coop Board now not be allowed that to do just that.

The Roosevelt Islander discussed this case with a good amount of background info this past August linked HERE.