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Friday, August 31, 2007

TODAY’S NEWS Freshman battles real estate bigwigs BUILDERS BACK STEWART It would appear that real estate interests East Side Councilman Dan Garodnick voter registrations, the spokesman says. are moving to support Councilman Kendall is battling two titans of New York real es- Nevertheless, Garodnick has been host- Stewart, a landlord himself, in his plan to tate: Tishman Speyer and Sheldon Solow. ing free legal clinics for tenants and says run next year against state Sen. Kevin Park- Tishman has drawn the freshman’s ire by they’ve been packed. er, a fellow Democrat. Stewart’s cracking down on tenants in Stuyvesant Garodnick is also fighting Solow—and new state committee raised its first $25,425 Town and Peter Cooper Village suspected perhaps the Bloomberg administration— in May and June, with the largest amount— of having a different primary residence. on Solow’s plan to build towers on the $6,000—coming from the Rent Stabilization “They are pursuing tenants who have site of a former Con Ed plant. After more Association’s PAC. The group opposes rent rights to be in their apartment,” he says. than a year of debate, the Department of regulation. The second-largest donation, “That creates a climate of fear and con- City Planning certified a plan Garodnick $5,000, came from P/A Associates, which cern, and it puts the burden on tenants deems unsatisfactory. “This is not what I plans a mixed-use project in downtown to defend themselves.” would like to see built,” he says. “It is too Brooklyn. Another $500 came from Triangle A spokesman for Tishman says notices big and too dense, and it includes a com- Equities, a developer building a mall in cen- have been sent to tenants if there’s evi- mercial building in what should be a resi- tral Brooklyn anchored by a Target. Stewart dence a second home is their primary res- dential area.” He has repeatedly declined raised the money with no outlay of funds. idence—for example, if it’s also in Manhat- to say if he feels the mayor’s office is sid- tan. Notices are dismissed if tenants can ing with the developer. The project needs CAMPAIGN DEBTS prove residence with driver’s licenses or new zoning from the council. To the victors go the … debts? That’s the case for Rep. Vito Fossella, R-, and Rep. , D-Brooklyn, who end- Protection says it’s too early to tell if the mu- AT A GLANCE ed the first half of 2007 with the largest nicipal noise code that took effect on July 1 campaign debts of the New York state dele- has made Gotham any quieter. But one RFP: The city Economic Development Corp. gation. Following wins in 2006, Fossella re- thing is certain: Noise complaints are up. has issued a request for proposals to devel- ported a campaign debt of $117,771, with They surged to 5,336 in July, up 81% from op an assistance plan for employees dis- cash on hand of $106,751, while Clarke re- July 2006. Complaints about construction, placed by the planned redevelopment of Wil- ported debt of $113,973 and only $49,027 barking dogs, air conditioners and ice lets Point. See www.nycedc.com/rfp. in her account. Retired House member Ma- cream trucks were the most common. jor Owens, whom Clarke succeeded, owes “When a new noise code is written, com- FILLING IN: First Deputy City Clerk Michael $83,158 but raised $650 in the first half plaints tend to go up,” a spokesman says. McSweeney has been running the City and has $4,149 on hand. “People feel empowered now and are in- Clerk’s office since Victor Robles retired a clined to call.” The code lowers decibel month ago. There’s no timetable to replace NOISE COMPLAINTS JUMP thresholds and requires noise mitigation Robles, a City Council spokesman says. The city Department of Environmental plans for construction. Comments? [email protected]