by Mathew R. Warren
As part of Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer’s initiative to host a Town Hall Meeting in every Manhattan neighborhood, the Upper East Side had its opportunity on Thursday, June 14.
“This is about you telling us what we need to hear,” said Mr. Stringer. “Skylines in this borough are changing, but they should change with community input.”
In attendance as well as Mr. Stringer were Council Members Jessica Lappin and Dan Garodnick.
The lecture hall at Hunter College’s School of Sociology was packed with local residents and the line of those waiting to ask questions went around the room. An astounded Mr. Stringer said, “I’ve never seen this before.”
Residents took turns asking the Borough President and the Council Members questions on various community issues. One of the more pressing concerns to be discussed was the lack of Public School seats in the neighborhood. Ms. Lappin acknowledged that there had been “remarkable growth” in the population of elementary school age children living in the area and said that all the elected officials on the East Side were working together to get a new school built.
A number of residents expressed their unhappiness about the looming construction of the 2nd Avenue Subway. Both Mr. Stringer and Ms. Lappin were quick to say that they were in favor of the new subway, but that it was important to preserve the quality of life during its construction. “You have our assurances, this has been a longtime coming and we are ramping up for what is going to be a difficult development project with great results at the end,” said Mr. Stringer.
The proposed Marine Transfer Station at East 91st Street, which has generated a great deal of opposition, was an issue that residents and politicians could all agree on. Ms. Lappin said that she remained “baffled” by the Mayor’s commitment to the idea.
Another common concern was litter on the streets caused by advertisements, street vendors and newspaper racks. One resident even came to the meeting with garbage in hand to show Mr. Stringer the litter she had collected just on her block. Mr. Stringer said he was working to clean up old news racks and to have anti flyer laws enforced more strictly.
Throughout the meeting the one issue that residents continuously raised was the dwindling stock of affordable housing in Manhattan and the threat to rent stabilization. Mr. Stringer, who blamed Joe Bruno and the State Senate for weakening the rental laws, said that the “crisis” was Citywide and that a change in the leadership of the State Senate was needed or else we would “lose the heart and soul of this City.”
After one resident described how his landlord was trying to push him and the other tenants in his building out of their rent stabilized apartments, Ms. Lappin encouraged all residents facing similar situations to form tenant associations. “You have rights as tenants,” said Ms. Lappin. “We will work with you to do whatever we can.”
In response to a question about what legislation could be put forth to protect rent stabilization in Manhattan Mr. Garodnick said, “What we have today is a situation where upstate legislators are making those decisions for us and it is wrong. What we want is for the State Legislature and the Governor to give us the power to make the determinations governing tenants here in New York City. When they do we will have the opportunity to do that legislation.”
It remains to be seen what can and what will be done by our local elected officials to address these real concerns of Upper East Side residents.
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