Page 596 - Demo

Koch Details CityWaterfront PlansBY MARTHA DOGGETTMayor Ed Koch and 11 city officials came to Red Hook, Nov. 1 to present the city%u2019s $62 million plan for the redevelopment of the South Brooklyn waterfront and Columbia Street area.%u201cThe reason that we are here today,%u201d Koch told the 250 community residents gathered in Visitation Hall, %u201c the reason your elected officials, Borough President Golden, Councilman Cuite, and myself are here, is because we want to demonstrate to you that whatever commitment we make to you. to this community, will be met.%u201dThe plan was first unveiled July 27 at a community meeting held at Carroll Gardens' Saint Stephen's school auditorium. The Nov. 1 meeting was held in response to requests raised in July by Red Hook residents wishing to know what impact the plan would have on their community. The plan includes completion of the President Street sewer project, construction of 100-160 low-rise housing units along Columbia Street, traffic rerouting designed to protect the community during this winter%u2019s reconstruction of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, and the construction of a containerport.The meeting was characterized by shouting matches between Koch and questioners. By 10:30 p.m. when it ended, the crowd, which numbered over 250, was reduced to under 100. Said one participant, \heckling.\Fielding questions from residents were Deputy Commissioner Wittie McNeil of the Department ofSanitation Richard M. P.a c nf the Mayor's Office of Development, Commissioner Anthony Glideman of the Department of Ports and Terminals, Commissioner Nat Leventhal of the Office of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Deputy Commissioner Barry Light, also of HPD, Commissioner Erwin Fruchtman of the Department of Buildings, Director Anthony J. Tozzoli of the Port Authority, Commissioner Francis McArdel of the Fire Department, Commissioner R. Ameruso of the Transportation Administration, Deputy Commissioner Joe Davidson of the Department of Parks and Recreation and Police Inspector Emil Ciccotelli.City Planning Department Chairman Robert Wagner announced that New York has recently received a $500,000 federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to be used to secure houses along the President Street sewer. Work on the sewer was stopped in 1975 when a house collapsed killing one resident. All abutting homes will be shored up before sewer work begins. Wagner experts the sewer contract to be awarded by November 13 and work to start by late December.Housing and Preservation Department Commissioner Nat Leventhal told Red Hook residents that they were eligible for Federal rehabilitation loans offered at a rate of three percent. %u201cThis is the first time New York City has taken advantage of this opportunity,%u201d Leventhal said. %u201c We have $10 million to distribute to the owners of one to seven family homes.%u201dProtests Stop MallWork%u2014AgainBY GARY FREDERICK lem,%u201d said Witherspoon. %u201c We'reFearing a violent confrontation the pawn in the game. I%u2019m with minority workers, contractors assuming he (Pegno) is using us to stopped construction work on the get at the city.%u201dFulton Mall Monday for the second A spokesman for the Brooklyntime in as many weeks.%u201cThe general contractor is still negotiating with the minorities,%u201d said Eddie Orlando, who is subcontracted to install new water mains along the street. %u201c We felt that until he resolves with the groups in the area, I%u2019m not going to send people over there under hostile conditions.%u201dTalks between contractor Angelo Pegno, the city, and four groups of minority workers who are demandding jobs on the project have been going on. One major point of disagreement remains concerning the hiring of a coordinator to oversee the hiring of minorities.%u201c We are at a stalemate,%u201d said Kenny Witherspoon, coordinator for Free At Last, one of the minority groups. %u201c We were hung up about a coordinator and some staff. We eliminated the staff, but he (Pegno) was supposed to go back and see if there could be a coordinator. If he doesn%u2019t do that, who%u2019s gonna monitor the job?%u201dLast week Pegno claimed the city must work out the problem since they awarded him the contract and made no mention of additional local community requirements for hiring. Those requirements, proposed by the Affirmative Action Committee of Community Board Two, state that work sites must have 50 percent minority representation, of which 25 percent must come from the community.The city includes its own affirmative action guidelines in the contract to which Pegno said he was adhering. He said it was the city%u2019s responsibility to include the local guidelines.%u201c It%u2019s definitely the city%u2019s proboffice of the City Planning Commission said, %u201cThe city has strong affirmative action requirements in the contract and the city expects the contractor to live up to them.%u201d He said a coordinator %u201c is not called for in the contract. It%u2019s not a reimbursable expense.%u201dThe four minority groups are Free At Last, Black Economic Survival, Fightback, and the South Brooklyn Construction Workers. Jimmy Denegal is chairman of the four group coalition, and he called the situation %u201c very frustrating... We%u2019ve been able to come together in terms of hiring the minority part of the work force,%u201d adding the coordinator is the main hitch.-Work was first halted October 27 after two days of confrontation between workers and non-working minorities. Thirteen people were arrested for disorderly conduct and released.On November 1 work resumed, with the understanding that work would proceed while there were talks. However, last Friday%u2019s talks produced nothing but disagreement over the coordinator and work again stopped Monday, fearing more confrontations.%u201c Personally, I believe that as long as we%u2019re talking openly,%u201d said Denegal, %u201c we can resolve the issues we.have.%u201dHe said that if Pegno did try to work again, he would be opposed by the groups. Denegal did not elaborate on what he meant by %u201copposed.%u201d%u201c If we%u2019re talking and they%u2019re working, they might get all the work done,%u201d he said. %u201c It doesn%u2019t cost us anything for them not working.%u201dON THE WATERFRONT: Delivering a $62 million redevelopment package to the SouthBrooklyn waterfront, Mayor Koch, Borough President Golden and Coucilman Cuiteappeared in person at Red Hook on Nov. 1 to demonstrate that their commitments to thecommunity %u201c will be m e t.%u201d (Michael Cuiccio Photo)Board 6 Quorum ParalysisHalts Community ActionsBY MARTHA DOGGETTIn 59 districts around New York City, citizens are participating in land use planning and review of performance of city agencies through Community Boards. In the 60th district, Park Slope/South Brooklyn, the local Community Board Six hasn%u2019t been able to muster a quorum to conduct its meetings twice in the last three weeks.The Boards, working under newly-expanded powers of policy making and review enacted by voter amendment of the City Charter effective in 1977, has had steadily dwindling participation by its members.The poor attendence at Community Board Six%u2019s October 18 and 25 meetings is not a new problem for the board. Though these were the first meetings where the board was forced to adjourn for lack of a quorum, a survey of the body%u2019s attendence record since January 1978 shows that the board has functioned several times with barely over the required 26 members.Attendence at the 10 meetings held since January 1 has been approximately 60 percent with a high of 70 percent at the April 19 meeting and a low of 36 percent on October 18. Attendence has never exceeded 33 members.Though the board%u2019s size is set at 50 members by the New York City Charter, Board Six only had full membership in January. Membership has now dwindled to a low of 46. In all, six members have resigned and two have been appointed.All board members are appointed by Borough President Howard Golden and serve without salary for two years terms. Half of the members appointed are nominated to the Borough President by the City Council members representing the community board district. Most of District Six lies in Council District 30 represented by Thomas J. Cuite. A small portion is in District 29, represented by Abraham G. Gerges.Golden recently sent a letter to all Brooklyn community board chairpersons asking them for appointment recommendations from those persons who have applied for membership. In the letter, Golden addresses the attendence problems saying, %u201c I would also appreciate hearing from you with respect to the attendence record and level of participation made by those members whoseAttendance out of100% P. Buffalano, 1. Levine, K. Morgenlander, J. T aranto, K. Terjen (appointed 2/78)90% V. Dolan, J. Gmelch, R. Hubbard,A. Scotto80% M. Barnard, E. Caracaci, A. De Martini, J. Gilbert, A. Gulbrandsen, F. Lynch, F. Mastromarino,C. Scannavino, P. Zedalis70% S. Abramowitz, R. De Crescenzo,S. DeNave, L. Finney, E, Gibaldi,D. Maggiore60% C. Craig, R. T aubenblatt, R. Valchic (appointed 9/78)10 meetings50% G. Carey, A. DeMaio, M. Freeman, L. Gelormino, M. Martinez, S. Scotto40% N. Clancy, R. Mollo, T. Palermo, J. Sanchez30% N. Gooding, C. Sorrano, P. Karagias10% A. Barbagallo, F. Crisafulli, J. Hanley0% C. Barrile, E. Flynn, E. Wynneterm of office will expire.%u201d Twentytwo members are up for reappointment as of January 1,1979.The paralysis that now plagues Board Six has prompted some members and observers to suggest that the rolls be purged of %u201cdead wood.%u201d %u201c I think there has to be a uniform method for removing inactive people from community boards throughout the city,%u201d says Councilman Gerges. %u201c People don%u2019t want to vote themselves off the board so if we have a uniform procedure there won%u2019t be anything to discuss.%u201dBoard Six has actually already adopted attendence requirements. Called %u201c Individual Responsibilities for Members,%u201d the guidelines were adopted by the board early in 1978 but have never been implemented. The guidelines call for a member tobe removed from the board for three consecutive absences, excused or unexcused, in any calendar year. Members can be excused from meetings by calling the district office before 5 p.m. on the day of the meeting.If the guidelines were enforced, 16 members would be removed from the board today. Among those is chairman Gerard Carey, who has been absent from half of this year%u2019s meetings. The remaining officers, vice chairman Anita De Martini, secretary Peggy Buffalano, and treasurer Robert Hubbard have all attended 80 percent or more of the meetings.Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of every month at 6 at Borough Hall. Notices are sent out by mail about a week in advance.Rent Strike EasesBY GARY FREDERICKRent striking tenants of 186 Amity Street have reached a partial agreement in their 17-weekold dispute with landlord Martin Baumarind, promising to pay back almost $4,000 in rents while Baumarind makes repairs in the building.The money had been held in escrow by the lawyers for both sides. Counsel for the tenants, Assemblyman Mike Pesce, wrote a check last week for $1,916.36, representing the September money. Louis Gaines, lawyer for Baumarind, is holding the August money and will release a similar amount. He was not available for ctmment.Rent money for October and November is still being withheld by tenants themselves until Baumarind makes more repairs._ The action came after a Housing Court appearance by twodispossessed tenants before Judge Lorraine Miller November 2. The tenants, Mike Strauss and Martha Gonzales, had their cases postponed until November 17 to allow the landlord more time to make additional repairs.He said four issues remain: settling how much interest the tenants have on security deposits, fixing an entrance door, locking the cellar door from the inside of the building, and making sure an exterminator does proper work during a November 11 visit to the building.%u201c Legally we%u2019re satisfied,%u201d said Strauss. %u201cThe landlord didn%u2019t do the repairs for fifteen years and now he%u2019s doing them,\said. %u201c He tries to say he doesn%u2019t have to do them, but he does them. If he wants to be a bigshot about it%u2014fine. As long as the work gets done.%u201dPage 4, THE PHOENIX, November 9,1978