The stalled construction site at 3333 Giles has been terrible for residents of Giles Place. The construction fence collapses with every significant storm and currently sags over the sidewalk, where unheeded violations flutter in the wind. The owner, the shadowy “GRA V LLC” (the subject of four tax lien sales) doesn’t pull the waist-high sidewalk weeds in summer or shovel in winter, making the sidewalk impassable.

But it’s been a much bigger nightmare for the homeowners that abut this property on Fort Independence Street and Cannon Place, since the developer — in his cynical, haphazard and illegal frenzy to beat the clock on new zoning regulations — ripped out the stone retaining wall (likely dating to the Revolution) that had held the land in place for 200 years and replaced it with plywood, rebar and an inches-deep “foundation” they hoped to pass off as complete before abandoning the property. I was happy to see the Press cover their plight.

While I wasn’t around when this drama started, I am a plaintiff in the suit against the City, the DOB, and GRA V LLC, which aims to enforce the current zoning and prevent the construction of a large apartment building on the site. I think this is a very important fight, for several reasons.

All across the Bronx, we see that profit imperative leads to small homes being bulldozed and replaced by multi-story buildings, with no concern for whether there are enough schools, or police, or parks for the new residents. What makes our neighborhood attractive, healthy and viable, is its mix of small homes, green spaces and large buildings. On a very narrow street, it seems inappropriate to replace two homes with 60 apartments. This is not a personal preference — it is the decision made by Community Board 8, City Planning and the City Council in 2004 when they rezoned a large section of our neighborhood. Zoning protects neighborhoods like ours from overdevelopment and the zoning must be followed. It is important.
The callous demolition of the retaining wall, and the rush to pour enough cement to fool the city, perfectly demonstrates how GRA V’s construction was a dangerous sham. (It also hints at what kind of building they might construct.) The same haste led them to build the foundation walls without excavating for a basement and to build the front of their building on the city sidewalk so that if they are allowed to proceed the entire thing will have to be ripped out and moved four feet west.

The city was not really fooled and the DOB’s lawyers, noting the developer’s “bad faith” and “haphazard filings,” argued that “this particular proposed construction isn’t in the spirit of what we consider common law vested rights.” From 2004 until 2009, Buildings Department lawyers fought vigorously for their right to enforce the zoning. But before the state’s highest court in 2009, they suddenly caved. This year they did not even appear before the BSA to argue the case.

In fact, in e-mails acquired through FOIL requests to the DOB, the same attorney quoted above has been quietly expediting review of the case on behalf of the developer, despite the $158,000 in unpaid violations pointed out in last week’s Press article. Now that we are challenging the BSA and DOB in court, the City’s lawyers and the developer’s lawyers are working hand in hand against us, even appearing in court as a team.

This disturbing about-face by the Buildings Department must be questioned. It shows how, under Bloomberg, DOB has transformed from a regulatory enforcement agency into yet another partner for developers, unable and unwilling to enforce even the egregious safety issues we see now at this site. DOB must insure that the retaining wall on Fort Independence Street is restored now, whatever may be built on the site.

Perhaps most importantly, this project’s approval by the Board of Standards and Appeals must be challenged because it will set a terrible precedent for neighborhoods throughout the city. A decision in favor of the BSA, DOB and “GRA V” in this case will mean one thing: a developer can pour foundations that, as a matter of law, must be removed, and they will still get vested rights. If haphazardly built partial foundations that need to be demolished earn one rights to get around zoning rules, every rezoning effort will lead to a frenzy of cement pouring. And after seven years of fighting, we can tell you this will not be a good thing.

Margaret Groarke is vice president of Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association.

Link to this editorial on the Riverdale Press website:

http://www.riverdalepress.com/stories/Why-we-fight,49862

Point of View is an occasional column open to all readers.

The Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association (FIPNA) is proud to announce what they knew for some time, that the Fort Independence Historic District has been deemed eligible for listing on the New York State and National Register of Historic Places.

Located in the Van Cortlandt Village section of the northwest Bronx inNew York City, the area was re-built on the ruins of an important Revolutionary fort.  In the next century, the curvilinear winding street plan, drawn by Frederick Law Olmsted, was carved out of the topographical lines of the existing hills.  This allowed exposure to the western expansive views overlooking the Harlem and Hudson valleys; as well as the eastern tract of land that was to become part of the Croton Aqueduct system — the park-like Jerome Park Reservoir.  As the area developed into a residential enclave during the twentieth century, it gave birth to significant New York City housing trends, including the early cooperative apartment complex, the Sholem Aleichem Houses—declared National Register-eligible in 2011—and the first Mitchell Lama coops, Park Reservoir.  This economically diverse area also boasts many well-preserved Tudor Revival and Colonial homes, and an intact group of 1920’s Garden Homes by famed architects Hopper and Koen.

This declaration of eligibility is based on a Cultural Resources Survey (“Survey”) commissioned by the Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association and completed by architectural historian Anthony W. Robins. The survey was generously funded by a Jeffe grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, with additional help from the Historic Districts Council, Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz, Councilman Oliver Koppell and neighborhood donations. The full Survey, along with contact information, can be found at www.fipna.org.

FIPNA, as part of Historic Districts Council 2012 “Six to Celebrate,” will now begin preparing its National Register nomination, which it hopes to have heard later this year.

“We want to thank the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Historic Districts Council, the State Historic Preservation Office, and all our great community partners for helping us make this happen,” said FIPNA president Kristin Hart. “Our neighborhood is unique in its many layers of history, still tantalizingly evident, and we are thrilled that its story will become better known to the community. We want to help more Bronx communities explore their pasts and start thinking about preservation.”

The New York State Office of Historic Preservation (SHPO) staff, Kathy Howe stated: “We encourage FIPNA to take the next step and garner support for listing of the eligible Fort Independence Park Historic District to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. Listing to the Registers is a recognized and visible component of land-use planning and promotes the preservation and appreciation of historic resources. As the proposed historic district is located within a qualifying census tract, one of the tangible potential benefits of listing for contributing owner-occupied houses is eligibility for the New York State Historic Homeowner Rehabilitation Tax Credits. SHPO looks forward to continuing to work with FIPNA in preserving the unique character of the neighborhood and hope that FIPNA’s efforts in grass roots community preservation advocacy will serve as an inspiration for other neighborhoods in the Bronx.”

NR Press ReleaseFIPNA

Final draft of Fort Independence 1-13-2012

Tuesday January 31st, 9:00 am to 10:30 am

171 West 239th Street

718 543-2250

“Catholic Education and Academic Excellence in a Caring, Disciplined Environment”

Visitation is a small school with a dedicated and experienced faculty.

They offer:

• christian values and sacramental program
• computer classes
• art and music
• security
• smart boards
• forensics (public speaking) and TV broadcasting
• newspaper club and drama club
• science fair
• basketball
• girl scouts
• an involved parent’s association

Scary crossing with fast traffic and no traffic light.

Having lived on Fort Independence Street since 1994, I had made the trek down
Bailey Place and across Bailey Avenue to shop on Broadway thousands of times, and
I had always been frustrated as I crossed Bailey Avenue on the painted crosswalk
that seemed to be invisible to traffic. New York State Law states that when there
is no traffic control signal, drivers must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians in a
crosswalk (Sec. 1151), but even Bx10 bus drivers seemed to be unaware of that. Despite the danger, the
crosswalk has always been much-used because of the adjacent Little
League field, basketball court, and playground as well as nearby public housing.

So on March 3rd of 2011 I wrote a letter to Assemblyman Dinowitz, Council Member
Koppell, and Community Board 8 asking for an overhead light at the intersection
of 234th and Bailey Place. I also took the matter to the Traffic Committee of the
Community Board where it attracted the attention of Mr. Koppell’s aid, Andrew
Sandler. Mr. Koppell’s office brought it to the attention of the D.O.T. which sent an
inspector to assess the problem.

Much to my surprise, and brought to my attention by Riverdale Review writer
Brendan McHugh, Mr. Koppell issued a press release on August 10th, indicating that
a new traffic light would be placed at 234th and Bailey Place, and taking credit for
the idea. But that’s OK.

Work began there on the supports in December and the lights became functional
recently. They are not synchronized with the set at 233rd, as I had hoped, but at least
the neighborhood has a safe way to cross Bailey!

Now if we can just get some painted crosswalks on Fort Independence, particularly
at bus stops, since there are none between Sedgwick and Bailey. I’m working on it!

(Photos by Kristin Hart)

This new charter middle school is opening at the intersection of W 231st Street and Corlear Avenue. The attached Riverdale Press article gives info on open houses, and how to apply.

As this is the season when parents are looking for schools for their children, we will post information on schools. If you have information you’d like to share about a school kids in Van Cortlandt Village can attend, please send it to us at fipna@fipna.org, and we’ll post it.

New charter school seeks students, teachers – The Riverdale Press.

Powerful advocacy group recognizes two Bronx sites

BY DANIEL BEEKMAN / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Published: Friday, January 13 2012

Two remarkable but unheralded Bronx sites could be remembered, restored and reborn thanks to recognition from a powerful advocacy group.

The Historic District Council this week recognized the Port Morris Gantries and Van Cortlandt Village as New York neighborhoods in need of preservation.

“Neighborhoods throughout New York are fighting an unseen struggle to determine their own futures,” said Simeon Bankoff, HDC executive director.

…………………………

In Van Cortlandt Village, the Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association has been fighting a handful of land grabs and new housing projects.

The community sits atop the ruins of a Revolutionary War fort and was designed by legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead. It boasts small Tudor revival homes and during the 1920s became a mecca for socialist factory workers fleeing the tenements of the lower East Side to build cooperative housing.

Now that former co-ops such as the Shalom Aleichem Houses have fallen on hard times and the character of the neighborhood is threatened by overdevelopment, HDC will help FIPNA get it listed on the national historic register, said Kristin Hart, president of the community group.

“We want people who live here to know about and celebrate the great history of the neighborhood,” she said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/historic-district-council-names-port-morris-gantries-van-cortlandt-village-preservation-article-1.1005455#ixzz1jdpjlA28

And if you’ve read Kristin Hart’s Riverdale Press piece about the difficulties involved in hiking the Croton Aqueduct trail, you’ll be interested in the discussion of why the promised pedestrian bridge can’t be built (or so they say).

THEN, they’ll discuss DEP’s outrageous plan to cut down any tree at or near the wall of the Reservoir — basically denuding this public space and creating a lot of erosion.

Then, as usual, they’ll discuss how much over budget they are and how far behind schedule. (Gee, I remember saying before they built this that they would never be able to build a filtration plant under ground for less money than they could build it above ground in Eastview — but I take no great pleasure in being proven right). And they’ll discuss how few jobs went to Bronxites (ditto).

Why, there’s just ever so many reasons to attend this meeting. 

The Croton Filtration Monitoring Committee meeting will be held:
Thursday, January 12, 2012
7 PM
DEP’s community office
3660 Jerome Avenue, Bronx NY 10467

The proposed agenda includes:

III  Continuation of Discussion about Croton Funded Parks and Costs
CFMC Representatives

IV  Additional Discussion about Pedestrian Bridge over Major Deegan Exp.
CFMC Representatives

V  Status of Dam Safety & Tree Removal at Jerome Park Reservoir
Mark Lanaghan, DEP

VI Construction Update, Schedule & Costs
Bernard Daly, DEP  or  Vincent Moorehead, P.E., DEP

VII Croton Jobs & Bronx Purchases
Mark Lanaghan, DEP

VIII Selection of CFMC Chair for 2012
CFMC Representatives

The public is invited to attend and comment during the meeting.

The NYC Department of Sanitation will be conducting special collections for mulching and recycling of Christmas trees.

Collections will take place beginning on Monday, January 3 through Saturday, January 14, 2012.

Residents are encouraged to put out their discarded trees at curbside as early as possible during the collection period.

DSNY asks residents to remove all tree stands, tinsel, lights, and ornaments from trees before placing them out for collection. DO NOT place trees in plastic bags. Trees will be chipped into mulch that will be distributed to parks, playing fields, and community gardens throughout the city.

New Yorkers can also participate in NYC Parks & Recreation Mulchfest by bringing their holiday trees to designated sites throughout the five boroughs on Saturday or Sunday, January 7 & 8, 2012, from 10 am to 2 pm.

All of the trees will be chipped into mulch that will be used as ground cover to nourish plantings across the City. Before dropping off your tree, please remove all tree stands, tinsel, lights, and ornaments from trees.

Free mulch will be available at Mulchfest locations —bring a bag if you would like to take home some mulch.