Rally on the Steps of City Hall on School Overcrowding – Wednesday, May 6, 4:00 p.m. Broadway & Chambers Streets (Take the 1/2/3 to Chambers Street or 4/5/6 or J/M/Z to City Hall). CB 2 has been working closely with local parents, elected officials and advocates on finding new classroom space (you can read about our collective efforts here in this week’s Villager editorial. The crisis is now more urgent than ever as nearly 100 neighborhood children have been waitlisted for spots at P.S. 41 and P.S. 3. On Wednesday, stand up, speak out, and be heard on this important issue!

Dear friend,

Good news! Last night, Community Board #2 voted to reject variances to allow a 55% increase in the size of a planned development at 347 West 13th Street (at Washington Street) in the Meatpacking District. GVSHP and its members hadpushed hard to get the Community Board to reverse a unanimous vote by its Zoning Committee to support almost all the variances requested by the developer.

The owner of 347-51 West 13th Street is proposing to demolish thehistoric meatmarket buildings on the site and build a 215 ft. tall office tower with a 3-story big-box retail space in its base. The proposed building would be 55% larger than the zoning allows, and the retail space three times the size the zoning allows. Thedesign of the proposed building would be all-glass on three sides with a 215 ft. tall blank windowless wall directly abutting the Gansevoort Market Historic District, to which GVSHP also objected. The building would replace the current Art Deco meat market buildings which are located in theGansevoort Market State and National Register Historic District, and which were intended to be in the NYC Gansevoort Market Historic District (which would have prevented demolition), but were removed from the proposed district by the City after heavy lobbying by the owner.

The Community Board did vote to support doubling the size of allowable retail space, as opposed to tripling the size as the developer requested (or no increase, as GVSHP had urged). The variances will now go to the Board of Standards and Appeals, which will decide whether or not to allow the increased bulk and retail size the developer is asking for. When that hearing has been scheduled, we will let you know.

Thank you to all the GVSHP members and supporters who turned out to these hearings and wrote the Community Board with your concerns. Have a great weekend.

Best,

Andrew Berman
Executive Director

Dear Neighbor:

I thought you would be interested in the results below from our survey of M8 bus riders. Thanks for your assistance with this important project. Remember that the MTA public hearing on the M8 is tonight, Wednesday, January 14th at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel (1335 Sixth Avenue and 53rd Street).

Best regards,

Brad Hoylman
Chair
Community Board 2

Rider Survey Shows that M8 Crosstown Village Bus Crucial to Seniors, Parents with Young Children and People with Disabilities

M8 Bus called a “Lifeline”

Small Business Issues Also Rank High in Ridership Poll

A survey of more than 400 riders of the crosstown M8 bus was taken between January 6 – 14, 2009, by Community Board 2 and State Senator Tom Duane, along with other elected officials, including New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Congressman Jerrold Nadler, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly member Deborah Glick and Council member Alan Gerson. The survey was taken by the Community Board and elected officials in preparation for the MTA public hearing taking place on Wednesday, January 14th at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel (1335 Sixth Avenue and 53rd Street).

The M8 bus route, which is slated for termination by MTA because of service cuts, runs river-to-river across Greenwich Village between Avenue D/East 10th Street and West Street/Christopher Street, and is the only crosstown mass transit available in the neighborhood.

The unscientific web-based survey found that 98% of respondents either use the bus or have friends or family members who do so. For nearly 85% of the respondents, the M8 bus was their primary mode of crosstown transportation.

Below are some of the findings and individual rider responses:

* The M8 bus appears to be crucial to riders who have difficulty walking long distances, either because of age, disability or because they have young children. 46% of survey respondents were themselves or knew someone using the M8 who was a senior citizen, while the same percentage (46%) have young children and 29% have a disability or know riders who do.

* Many seniors agreed with a respondent who said the M8 bus was used as “their primary crosstown carrier – especially those who are coming from senior centers in the East Village to go to St. Vincent’s hospital, as well as the meal centers offered by The Caring Community.”

* Respondents didn’t think it was viable to use the 14th Streetcrosstown bus or the L train as an alternative because the distance was too far to walk for seniors, parents with young children and people with disabilities. Also, the additional stairs on the subway are problematic for these groups.

* Respondents noted that the M8 bus serves seven schools, both public and private. Without it many parents will be forced to drive their children to and from school, increasing traffic congestion in the area considerably and having a negative impact on quality of life.

* Business reasons rank high for M8 users in the survey. 40% of respondents used the M8 to get crosstown for work, while approximately 92% of riders shop at the small businesses along the M8 bus route or know someone who does. Many riders listed the specific small businesses they patronize along the M8 bus route, such as the respondent who said they shop at “Citarella, Life Thyme, Staples, K-Mart, and other stores along 8th Street. Also use restaurants and to-go food establishments along the 8th and 9th Street corridors and 6th Avenue. Also, I use the M8 to get to and home from libraries, professional and medical appointments, and social engagements (which are almost exclusively in the Village).”

* If the M8 bus is terminated, over 40% would have no alternative transportation or would not know of an alternate mode of transportation to get crosstown. 37% said they would have to walk — which was noted not to be a viable option in inclement weather — while 18% said they would resort to taxi cabs.

* But many respondents said they were too frail to walk and didn’t have enough money to pay for taxis, which don’t run regularly at peak hours, anyhow. Said one person: “I have elderly neighbors who have no alternative to the bus. They are not able to walk long distances because of health limitations. In addition, they are on fixed incomes so they cannot pay taxi fares. In the West Village, the M8 bus is our lifeline to shopping, medical appointments, and other necessary life activities.”

* Riders seem prepared to consider alternatives, but only during off- peak hours. About 45% of respondents said that the use of a smaller, crosstown shuttle bus during off-peak hours would be acceptable. However, 63% of riders said that it would be unacceptable to reduce the M8 bus to peak hours. Respondents said that “in NYC, not everyone shares the same peak hours” and that medical and other appointments are often scheduled at off-peak times, making this option problematic for senior citizens, in particular.

Said one respondent: “Public transportation is one of the wonders ofNew York City. It makes it possible for the residents to function in this maelstrom that is New York City. Without the help of a nearby transport — in my case the M8 — I would find my life greatly diminished in New York.”

Complete results of the survey, which had 444 responses, can be found online by clicking here.

“A 26-story dorm is being built at 120 East 12th Street for NYU. The developer of the dorm purchased air rights from the neighboring Post Office with the intention of increasing the size of the planned development by about 65%. While air rights transfers from neighboring properties are legal under New York City zoning regulations, this case is special. The air rights come from the Post Office, a federal agency which is NOT subject to NYC zoning regulations or NYC law. Therefore GVSHP and neighbors argue the air rights transfer should NOT be authorized by the City, because the City has no power to enforce its terms. The Post Office could “sell” their air rights and then build on their site again in the future using the air rights they have supposedly sold off, and the City would have no power to stop them. The Post Office, NYU, and the developer would profit, but neighbors would have no recourse against this kind of “super”-over-development in their neighborhood.

HEARING ON NYU-MEGA DORM AIR RIGHTS APRIL 17: The legal challenge by neighbors to the air rights transfer for the planned 262 ft. tall NYU mega-dorm at 120 East 12th Street will be heard at the Board of Standards and Appeals on Tuesday, April 17th, at approximately 10:30 am. ANYONE WHO CARES ABOUT OVERDEVELOPMENT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND ENFORCEMENT OF ZONING PROTECTIONS IS STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THIS HEARING AND WRITE TO THE BSA ABOUT THIS CRITICAL, PRECEDENT-SETTING CASE.See www.gvshp.org/NYUdorm.htm for more background and information.”

Via GVSHP

Case-in-point: In May of ’05, almost exactly two years ago, the emails were flying to rally folk to attend a CB2 meeting to testify against PM Lounge so that they would be denied a sidewalk cafe application.

Now, emails are flying to rally folk to attend a CB2 meeting to testify against PM Lounge so that they will be denied a liquor license application in a new space across the street. Really, I could just re-post the old blog post, and replace SIDEWALK with LIQUOR and Monday, May 9 with Tuesday April 10. (you can get a history of some of this blog’s posts about PM Lounge by clicking “PM Lounge” in the ‘tags’ listed at the bottom of this post – nifty, huh?)

In all seriousness, however, this is a bit different. This time, PM Lounge (as part of a group called AM Operation Group, LLC – oh the witty wordsmiths) is applying for a liquor license at the space across the street, occuped by SASHA (53 Gansevoort Street) … Revoking a liquor license, well, that’s almost impossible but if you are one of the many who calls 311 repeatedly about noise levels at PM Lounge, here’s an even better place to make yourself heard. Bring your log of complaints to 311, your letters to local politicians, your letters to management, bring it all, and get a chance to testify.

The application is to be reviewed by CB 2 Business committee at a hearing Tuesday evening April 10 at 6:30 at Tony D’Apolito Recreation Center ..3 Clarkson St. THIRD FLOOR (It’s near Carmine and Seventh Ave South).

As an interesting comparison, it’s much easier to report on the Hotel G’s various (truly creative) skirmishes with the nieghborhood. First there was the contention that the site of the hotel was the original site for the water tunnel construction, which instead took over Seravalli playground; then there was the (no adjective necessary) design of the hotel; then the noise problems, first with music blaring from the roof; then the whirring sound of an airplane engine emanating from the hotel restaurant ventilation system. And now, of course, now we have their illegal, horrid billboard. I really wonder what’s next for them. Nothing horrid has appeared on the sidewalks out front. Perhaps they’ll accidentally defile the sidewalk next?

Do you think the Prostitution issue, especially at the corners of Horatio Street and Greenwich Street and Jane Street and Greenwich Street could be addressed AGAIN?

Ditto the endless all night horn-honking?

I recently contacted the Sixth Precint to inquire who controls where the construction site at Gansvoort and Greenwich places their construction office trailers. The two gigantic ones on Greenwich Street are a traffic nightmare, not only blocking part of a narrow street but also preventing traffic from observing each other. It would make sense to have them around the corner, where the site workers [illegally] park their cars during the day.

Finally, after nearly five days [some went without service for more], we now have phone service restored. It seems Verizon refuses to address a permanent solution to this problem which often happens in heavy rain and snow.

Now, I’m very pleased that they have finally come to fix the massive hole in our street, but honestly that hole was noticed months ago and warning cones were placed around it to stop vehicles from falling in…

Why after MONTHS of no action is it suddenly an URGENT MIDNIGHT WAKE UP ALL THE RESIDENTS type of job?

I’m sooooo tired! Make them stop so i can go back to sleep….

This lack of sleep is definitely going to delay me writing and posting my scattered notes from tonight (last night’s) Town Hall…