Proudly Serving Bronx Communities Since 1988 • FREE ORWOODn EWSn NVol. 27, No. 10 PUBLISHED BY MOSHOLU PRESERVATION COR PNORATION May 15–28, 2014 KITTEN PROWLS FAIR @ THE SQUARE Property Owner Eyes Chunk of Webster Aiding Vision Avenue Zero Plan, p. 3 By DAVID CRUZ With 80 blocks of Webster Avenue re- zoned to usher an influx of affordable hous- ing with a mandated retail component, a new wave of property managers is mulling Photo by David Greene a move to the relatively barren corridor. MrrroWWWW. This neighborhood girl gets her whiskers done up by a professional face First came the Stagg Group, at the tail painter at the Westchester Square Business Improvement District’s 6th annual Fair @ The end of building supportive housing on Square. The large venue attracted thousands to the all day event on Saturday, May 10 in West- Webster Avenue and East 204th Street. chester Square. (continued on page 13) Koppell Officially Locals: Where’s Oval Skate Park? Challenges By PAOLO MOSSETTI and DAVID CRUZ Klein, p. 6 Though Community Board 7 overwhelm- ingly voted in favor of skateboard grounds at the Williamsbridge Oval, the city Parks De- partment views it as a case of flip flopping. At their last general meeting on April 29, members agreed to officially support the skateboard park after hearing pleas from Stroke young community skateboarders. The adviso- ry vote, largely symbolic, is the latest chapter Awareness in a decade-long battle to allocate recreational space inside the Oval. Month, p. 14 But the city Department of Parks, through spokesman Nathan Arnosti, said Community Board 7 backpedaled on its request for a skate- board park years back, opting instead for oth- er park projects. “Although a skate area was one of the many possible amenities consid- ered for the renovated park, it was not includ- ed after Community Board 7 voted to use the available funds for other improvements,” said Arnosti. The explanation runs counter to what longtime CB7 members recall when Parks Photo by Paolo Mossetti officials approached them to determine what THERE’S NO DESIGNated place at the Oval to skate for this adolescent, forced to practice his amenities were needed for the Oval. A major- skateboard tricks elsewhere. ity asked for a skateboard park, though the request was verbally communicated and not A Skateboard Park to Nowhere struction by the city Department of Environ- Business Beat: written on paper. Eventually the skateboard Plans to build a skating area in the neigh- mental Protection (DEP). Because parkland The 411 on park plans were set aside after interest for a borhood go back to 2004 when the Croton would be destroyed in Van Cortlandt Park to dog run inside the Oval gained momentum. Water Filtration Plant was approved for con- (continued on page 7) KRMA, p. 16 Picture your ad here! Advertise in the Norwood News, your local community paper. Call 718-324-4998 for rates. www.norwoodnews.org 2 n May 15–28, 2014 n Norwood News In The Public Interest Aggressive Plan Unveiled to Help Fix Affordable Housing Crunch Vol. 27, No. 10 By DAVID CRUZ Norwood News is published bi-weekly on Thursdays by With two-thirds of Bronxites allocating Mosholu Preservation Corporation a large percentage of their take-home pay 3400 Reservoir Oval East towards rent, Mayor De Blasio released a Bronx, New York 10467 $41 billion, 10-year plan that looks to ease the burden. Phone: 718 324 4998 Standing outside 1269 College Ave. Fax: 718 324 2917 with city, state and federal officials, De E-mail: [email protected] Blasio unveiled a comprehensive plan Web: www.norwoodnews.org that intends to add or protect 200,000 new and affordable apartments by 2024. “Af- fordable housing isn’t good enough if it’s Publisher CEO, Mosholu substandard. It has to be quality, decent Mosholu Preservation Preservation affordable housing a family can actual- Corporation Corporation ly live in,” he said. “So we’re looking for Editor-in-Chief Roberto S. Garcia quantity and quality.” David Cruz Details of the plan are outlined in a 115- page report entitled “Housing New York,” Classified Advertising which ensures low-income families se- Dawn McEvoy cure quality housing, affordable housing Accounts Receivable apartment buildings are well-maintained, Dawn McEvoy and delays in development projects are nil. The plan would involve the city di- Proofreader Judy Noy rectly earmarking $8 billion to the plan, with the remaining coming from city and Production state funds. Monies would help beef up Neil deMause staff for the city’s Housing, Preservation Regular Contributors and Development, which would increase David Greene, Adi Talwar enforcement of building codes. Interns De Blasio used 1269 College Ave. as an Shayla Love, Paolo Mossetti, Justin McCallum, example of once derelict affordable hous- and Chelsea George ing that’s made a comeback. The five-sto- ry building is part of a collection of For display advertising, call (718) 324-4998. buildings that went into disrepair as far Photo by David Cruz back as the ‘80s. While rats occupied the MAYOR BILL De Blasio (at podium), flanked by officials, unveils a comprehensive plan Support Your building, many tenants dealt with lack of to build and protect affordable housing over the next decade. Community Newspaper! heat and hot water. De Blasio, in his role The Norwood News is a not-for-profit pub- as Public Advocate, dubbed the landlord to fix the problems of its former manage- properly managed is whether rents will lication and relies upon the support of its of the building, the city’s worst. ment company, Eli Abbott’s College Man- go up, often a sign management seeks advertisers and readers to produce a quality But Banana Kelly Community Im- agement. Since then, Wavecrest Manage- higher income tenants. But De Blasio community newspaper. To support your paper, provement Association, a community ment, a family-owned rental management says he will keep after Albany to ensure become a member and receive a subscription firm, took over the building’s mortgage rent regulations remain affordable in the for one year. group, stepped in to aid the College Ave- nue tenants. The group sought attention last year to begin repairs on the building. city. “I think that’s something New York Simply mail check or money order for $40 to the issue, inspiring a contingent of pri- Tenants will live in temporary housing City should get to make its own decisions to: Norwood News, 3400 Reservoir Oval East, vate and public monies through the city while Wavecrest makes repairs. about for our own tenants, and we will Bronx, NY 10467. Housing Preservation and Development One common issue when buildings are continue that effort,” he said. Norwood News is not responsible for typo- graphical errors. Opinions expressed in signed Filtration Monitoring Committee Meets May 27 letters and bylined columns represent the sole opinion of the author and are not necessarily The public is invited to the next meet- vited to present their plans for the testing pected to be completed in June. Construc- those of Mosholu Preservation Corporations ing of the Filtration Monitoring Commit- of the Jerome Park Reservoir. Questions tion vehicles will zip in and out of the en- or Montefiore Medical Center. Editorials rep- tee on Tuesday, May 27. The Department about access to the reservoir and further trance until the plant is completed, then resent the views of the editor and/or publisher of Environmental Protection has been in- construction to the JPR are anticipated. be redone as the permanent entrance for only. The newspaper reserves the right to limit The Norwood News has since reported the Mosholu golf course, DEP officials or refuse advertising it deems objectionable. that access to the reservoir could go into said. Adjacent to it will be a parking lot Advertisements appearing in this paper cannot the next decade as repairs around the for golf course visitors. be used without the written permission of Nor- stone perimeter of the reservoir will need The project could likely increase the wood News. Letters to the editor are subject upgrades after crews noticed cracks. The already hemorrhaging price tag linked to to condensation and editing. Writers should include their affiliation or special interest if any. Norwood News has also reported on word the project, currently at $3 billion. Meet- Anonymous letters are not published but your of construction crews looking to build a ing location has not yet been determined name can be withheld if requested. second entrance at the reservoir. Three as of press time. For more information community board chairs approved the and meeting location, log on to norwood- secondary entrance last year which is ex- news.org. —SHAYla Love Mosholu Preservation Corporation is a not-profit support corporation of Montefiore Public and Community Meetings Medical Center. • COMMUNITY BOARD 7 will meet on Tuesday, May 20 at Sister Annunciata Bethell Senior Center, 243 E. 204th St. at 6:30 p.m. CB7 committees are held on the following dates at the board office, 229A E. 204th St., unless otherwise noted: Education & Libraries and Youth Services committees meet Thursday, May 15; Housing and Land Use & Zoning committees meet Wednesday, May 21. File Photo For more information, call (718) 933-5650 or visit bronxcb7.info/calendar. All AMONG coNCERNS expected to be meetings are subject to change. Call to confirm. raised at the monthly meeting is a new secondary access to the plant, set to be • THE 52nd PRECINCT COMMUNITY COUNCIL meets May 22 at Part of the Solution constructed at this intersection. (POTS), 2759 Webster Ave., at 7 p.m. For more information, call (718) 220-5811.