MINUTES OF THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING
HELD ON FEBRUARY 9, 2010 AT THE
CONSERVATIVE SYNAGOGUE, 475 WEST 250TH STREET

PRESENT: S. Alexander, B. Bender, A. P. Cassino, A. P. Creaney, A. Cohen, W. S. Dolny, T. C. Durham, R. Fanuzzi, B. Feinberg, A. G. Feldmeier, B. Fettman, P. Friedman, S. Froot, R. Ginty, J. Goris, M. Khury, G. O. Koppell, I. Ladimer, Y. Levy, S. Marquez, B. Maybury, D. McShane, C. G. Moerdler, K. O’Brien, D. Padernacht, K. Pesce, J. Pilsner, S. Scheinbach, L. Spalter, I. W. Stone, B. Trebach, S. Villaverde, M. Wolpoff

ABSENT: R. Abbott, S. Balicer, D. Bowden, A. Fana, T. Feerick, T. Giallorenzi, A. Goldman, V. Gray, J. O’Reilly, J. Reyes, H. Young

STAFF: N. Stent – District Manager, CB 8
D. Bay – Community Associate, CB 8
P. Manning – Community Associate, CB 8

GUESTS: J. Dinowitz - NYS Assemblyman
R. Fedderman - rep. Congressman Eliot Engel
F. LaBoy – rep. State Senator Pedro Espada
R. Martos - Office of Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz
Y. Salih - rep. State Senator Jeffrey Klein
A. Sandler - Office of Councilman G. Oliver Koppell
J. Bounzam
A. Applebaum – Riverdale Press
N. Danyluk - NYC Department of City Planning
C. Decko
C. M. Giove – Riverdale Review
G. Ibay – Bon Secours NY Health System
E. Feld – Sotheby’s International Realty
M. Levine
P. Moerdler
J. Pimentel
T. Tureski – NY Public Library
R. Wallace – Hebrew Home at Riverdale

Chairman McShane convened the Public Hearing on the Preliminary Capital and Expense Budget for FY 2011 at 7:30 PM.

Chairman called upon Ken O’Brien, Budget Chairman to conduct the hearing.

K. O’Brien advised that preliminary responses to the Board’s Budget requests had been received and the report in its entirety together with a summary of the responses had been disseminated to the Board. Submission of Community Board 8’s requests totaled 15 Capital and 25 Expenses. He provided an overview of the responses.

Favorable Expense Requests responses: Whitehall School Annex lease extension is under negotiation; school inspections for repairs is partly funded; libraries funding for 6 days a week was restored this year FY2010, Adult Day Care Model funding approved for FY2010 (no mention of FY2011).

Other Expense requests received the following responses:

Favorable Capital Requests responses: School repairs partly funded; EMS station - will try to fund within existing resources; Ft. Four Park was partially funded; Kingsbridge library is funded, however funding for books, furniture and equipment is still needed.

Other Capital Requests responses included:

Committee chairs are urged to write letters to the elected officials for funding support of their committee’s budget requests and submit to the Board Office by February 22, 2010.

Refer to NYC Office of Management and Budget’s website: www.nyc.gov/omb  for additional reports and information on the FY2011 Preliminary Budget Responses.

Hearing from no speakers, the Public Hearing was closed.

Chairman McShane convened the Regular Board Meeting at 7:45 PM.

Gallery Session

1. Approval of Regular Board Meeting Minutes of January 12, 2010

Minutes were approved unanimously.

2. Discussion of Executive Board Committee Meeting Minutes of February 3, 2010

The minutes were accepted as written.

3. Chairman invited Captain Lindquist to address the Board.

Captain Lindquist reported on the arrest of Federal Express Delivery man impersonator who entered a residence and committed robbery; crime statistics show problem with robberies, felonies even, grand larceny down, grand larceny auto down. He cautioned safety for the pending snow storm.

4. Chairman invited Assemblyman Dinowitz to address the Board.

5. Chairman invited Councilman Koppell to address the Board.

6. Report from the Borough President’s Office

Chairman McShane presented the report submitted in the absence of the Borough President’s representative.

7. Chairman’s Report

Refer to Executive Board minutes for report. Advised that the Mayor’s proposed Charter Revision Commission was discussed at the Borough Board meeting.

8. Report from the Department of City Planning – N. Danyluk

No report.

Mr. Moerdler and Councilman Koppell inquired about the status of the Delafield Estate application. It was decided to convene a meeting of the Land Use Committee for informational purposes only. The meeting will be scheduled for early March.

9. Committee Reports

A. Law, Rules and Ethics – I. Ladimer

1. The following resolution was presented:

BE IT RESOLVED, at the direction of the Board, decisions relative to the internal operating budget, including the hiring and firing of staff, and the compensation of staff and the District Manager, shall be determined by the Chairperson in consultation with the other Officers of the Board and reported thereafter to the Board.

C. Moerdler proposed the following amended resolution with added words:

BE IT RESOLVED, at the direction of the Board, decisions relative to the internal operating budget, including the hiring and firing of staff, and the compensation of staff and the District Manager, shall in the first instance be determined by the Chairperson in consultation with the other Officers of the Board and reported thereafter to the Board for ratification, modification or rejection.

Chairman asked for a vote to accept the amended resolution. The resolution was accepted with a vote of 15 in favor, 14 opposed, and 2 abstentions.

In Favor –

S. Alexander, A. Cohen, T. Durham, R. Fanuzzi, B. Feinberg, A. G. Feldmeier, B. Fettman, S. Froot, R. Ginty, S. Marquez, C. Moerdler, D. Padernacht, I. W. Stone, S. Villaverde, M. Wolpoff

Opposed –

R. Bender, A. P. Cassino, J. Goris, M. Khury, I. Ladimer, Y. Levy, B. Maybury, D. McShane, K. O’Brien, K. Pesce, J. M. Pilsner, S. Scheinbach, L. Spalter, B. Trebach

Abstained –

A. P. Creaney, W. Dolny,

Chairman opened the floor for comments around the table. Following debate, the motion was called and seconded for a vote on the amended resolution.

Vote: 17 in favor, 12 opposed, and 2 abstentions

In Favor –

S. Alexander, A. Cohen, A. P. Creaney, T. Durham, R. Fanuzzi, B. Feinberg, A. G. Feldmeier, B. Fettman, S. Froot, R. Ginty, I. Ladimer, S. Marquez, C. Moerdler, D. Padernacht, K. Pesce, I. W. Stone, M. Wolpoff

Opposed –

R. Bender, A. P. Cassino, J. Goris, M. Khury, Y. Levy, B. Maybury, D. McShane, K. O’Brien, J. M. Pilsner, S. Scheinbach, L. Spalter, B. Trebach

Abstained –

W. Dolny, S. Villaverde

B. Traffic and Transportation – A. P. Cassino

1. Presented the following resolution:

BE IT RESOLVED, that Bronx Community No. 8, opposes any changes in the NYC Transit Access-A-Ride program that would eliminate the door- to-door services, which would require customers to have pick ups and drop offs at designated bus stops.

Vote: 30 In Favor, 0 Opposed, and 0 Abstentions

In Favor –

S. Alexander, B. Bender, A. P. Cassino, A. P. Creaney, A. Cohen, W. Dolny, T. Durham, R. Fanuzzi, B. Feinberg, A. G. Feldmeier, B. Fettman, S. Froot, R. Ginty, J. Goris, M. Khury, I. Ladimer, Y. Levy, S. Marquez, B. Maybury, D. McShane, C. G. Moerdler, K. O’Brien, D. Padernacht, K. Pesce, J. Pilsner, S. Scheinbach, L. Spalter, I. W. Stone, B. Trebach, S. Villaverde,

2. The Committee will meet on February 16th. Bike racks will be discussed and the proposal for a Pedestrian Street on Johnson Avenue. Businesses are being polled on the latter.

C. Environment and Sanitation – S. Scheinbach

Refer to Committee minutes for report.

D. Health, Hospitals and Social Services – M. Khury

1. The Committee will try to be proactive in opposing budget cuts to Health and Social Services that will have negative impact on the community and not-for profit agencies and programs.
2. Announced Schervier’s event for March 26th. See M. Khury for invites.

E. Land Use – C. Moerdler

1. Urban Pathways will send responses to questions regarding 3469 Cannon Place by February 10th and will be posted to website.
2. Before presenting resolutions passed at the Land Use Committee meeting on February 8, 2010, C. Moerdler advised of new submissions to Board of Standards and Appeals regarding the application for transient parking at 3217 Irwin Avenue. He made a motion for the Board’s reaffirmation of its prior resolution of denial of the application.

The motion carried unanimously by a vote of 30 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstentions

In Favor –

S. Alexander, B. Bender, A. P. Creaney, A. Cohen, W. S. Dolny, R. Fanuzzi, B. Feinberg, A. G. Feldmeier, B. Fettman, S. Froot, R. Ginty, J. Goris, M. Khury, G. O. Koppell, I. Ladimer, Y. Levy, S. Marquez, B. Maybury, D. McShane, C. G. Moerdler, K. O’Brien, D. Padernacht, K. Pesce, J. Pilsner, S. Scheinbach, L. Spalter, I. W. Stone, B. Trebach, S. Villaverde, M. Wolpoff

3. C. Moerdler presented the following resolutions:

WHEREAS, the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission is proposing to designate the three buildings set forth below, each of which is located in Riverdale within Bronx Community Board No. 8;

WHEREAS, the Land Use Committee of Community Boar No. 8 duly noticed and on February 8, 2009 held a public hearing on the proposed designations at the Riverdale Jewish Center, 3700 Independence Ave;

WHEREAS, although no representative of the Landmark’s Preservation Commission chose to attend the meeting, public comment was received by a quorum of the Land Use Committee members then in attendance and a series of votes thereafter were taken as noted below; and

WHEREAS, the following facts, among others, were ascertained:

Ploughman’s Bush Residence, 6 Ploughman’s Bush, (a/k/a 665 West 246th Street; Block 5924, Lot 518. An application to designate this building has previously been made and unanimously rejected by the Board. At that time the Landmarks Commission stated that the structure was the former Hunting Lodge of the Delafield Estate (a position challenged by the Bronx Historian) and now Landmarks’ states it may have been a former Summer Cottage of the Delafield’s (no proof of that claim having been presented) The building has in the intervening period been the subject of massive change and, at best, only one potential historic feature remains—a porch on the Easterly side of the building—assuming that it too is not a reconstruction. Further the Committee expressed puzzlement and concern as to how and why, years after extensive review and a unanimous vote against designation, this proposal has somehow been resurrected.

On motion duly made and seconded, Community Board No. 8, Bronx, Resolved to ratify the prior denial and to oppose designation.

Vote: 28 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstentions

In Favor –

S. Alexander, B. Bender, A. P. Creaney, A. Cohen, R. Fanuzzi, B. Feinberg, A. G. Feldmeier, B. Fettman, S. Froot, R. Ginty, J. Goris, M. Khury, I. Ladimer, Y. Levy, S. Marquez, B. Maybury, D. McShane, C. G. Moerdler, K. O’Brien, D. Padernacht, K. Pesce, J. Pilsner, S. Scheinbach, L. Spalter, I. W. Stone, B. Trebach, S. Villaverde, M. Wolpoff

4. Greystone Gatehouse, 4695 Independence, Block 5924, Lot 480. A descendant of the Dodge Family, whose Charitable Foundation now owns the premises, testified in opposition to designation. He noted that the house and land are extremely small (with perhaps 1 ½ bedrooms) and serious question exists whether a new owner could construct anything on the site under the Natural Area and Zoning Regulations. Question was also raised as to whether, other than mere age, the building had any unique or meaningful historic features.

On motion duly made and seconded, Community Board No. 8, Bronx Resolved to oppose designation.

Vote: 21 in favor, 4 opposed, and 3 abstentions

In Favor -

S. Alexander, B. Bender, B. Feinberg, R. Ginty, J. Goris, M. Khury, I. Ladimer, Y. Levy, S. Marquez, B. Maybury, D. McShane, C. G. Moerdler, D. Padernacht, K. Pesce, J. Pilsner, S. Scheinbach, L. Spalter, I. W. Stone, B. Trebach, S. Villaverde, M. Wolpoff

Opposed –

S. Froot, A. G. Feldmeier, B. Fettman, K. O’Brien

Abstentions –

A. Cohen, A. Creaney, R. Fanuzzi

5. Percy R. Pyne-Ellie Nadelman House, 4715 Independence Avenue, Block 5926, Lot 76. Mr. Trebach (who recused himself from the vote for cause) noted that this matter was first noticed by Landmarks on June 4, 1970, at which time the then owner opposed designation (as later did the successor owner). However, notwithstanding Notice the current owner chose not to attend this public hearing or to provide any indication of his/her position on designation. Numerous members of the Committee and of the public in attendance stated that the building was in every sense a historic landmark, with unique features and a dominant position on a bluff overlooking the Hudson River. No member of the Committee or of the public spoke in opposition to designation.

On motion duly made and seconded, Community Board No. 8, Bronx, Resolved to support designation.

Vote: 25 in favor, 2 abstentions, and 1 abstention with cause

In Favor –

B. Bender, A. P. Creaney, A. Cohen, R. Fanuzzi, B. Feinberg, A. G. Feldmeier, B. Fettman, S. Froot, J. Goris, M. Khury, I. Ladimer, Y. Levy, S. Marquez, B. Maybury, D. McShane, C. G. Moerdler, K. O’Brien, D. Padernacht, K. Pesce, J. Pilsner, S. Scheinbach, L. Spalter, I. W. Stone, S. Villaverde, M. Wolpoff

Abstentions –

S. Alexander, R. Ginty

Abstention with Cause –

B. Trebach

F. Parks and Recreation – B. Bender

1. Presented the following resolution:

WHEREAS, the Hudson River defines our community and is a potentially important recreational resource; and

WHEREAS, there is a study of the Hudson River Greenway currently underway that would locate the Bronx portion of the Greenway in Riverdale; and

WHEREAS, a coalition of community groups has assembled to sponsor a Riverfest celebrating the Hudson River as a community resource, raising awareness of the Greenway proposal, and offering an afternoon of entertainment, environmental education, and fun to the community, said Riverfest to take place on the afternoon of June 6, 2010 at a location to be determined in Riverdale;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Bronx Community Board No. 8 join other local organizations, such as the Friends of the Hudson River Greenway, the Riverdale YM-YWHA, the Riverdale Nature Preservancy, PS 24 Parents’ Association, Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, and others in endorsing the proposed Riverfest.

Vote: 28 in favor, 0 opposed, and 0 abstentions

S. Alexander, B. Bender, A. P. Creaney, A. Cohen, R. Fanuzzi, B. Feinberg, A. G. Feldmeier, B. Fettman, S. Froot, R. Ginty, J. Goris, M. Khury, I. Ladimer, Y. Levy, S. Marquez, B. Maybury, D. McShane, C. G. Moerdler, K. O’Brien, D. Padernacht, K. Pesce, J. Pilsner, S. Scheinbach, L. Spalter, I. W. Stone, B. Trebach, S. Villaverde, M. Wolpoff

2. Alternate sites for Van Cortlandt Park’s parade grounds have been attained. B. Bender thanked N. Stent for her assistance in that regard.
3. The next meeting will be held on February 24th.

G. Public Safety – A. G. Feldmeier

H. Aging – K. Pesce

The next meeting will be held on February 23rd, at Schervier Nursing Care Center.

I. Economic Development – R. Fanuzzi

J. Education

S. Alexander reported no February meeting.

Meeting adjourned 10:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Patricia Manning
Community Associate