Randall's Island Redistricting Deal Alleged

The controversial Randall's Island tennis facility. Under redrawn City Council district lines Randall's and Wards Island would become part of District 22 in Queens if adopted. (Photo by Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) 

Manhattan

Randall’s Island, a tract of less than a square mile in the East River, is part of the borough of Manhattan.

The move may violate the New York City Charter, according to one good-government group.

Yet a panel that recently drew New York City Council district lines, which are set to stand for the next decade, moved the sparsely populated island from its current Manhattan council district into a district that is otherwise entirely in Queens. That’s even though Queens is geographically farther from the island than Manhattan and the Bronx are, according to Crain's New York Business.      

And East Harlem and South Bronx community activists call the move politically motivated, arguing that Randall’s Island was corralled into Queens because the island’s current council member, Melissa-Mark Viverito of Manhattan, and local activists have emerged as thorns in the side of city officials who are pushing private development on Randall’s Island.

For years, community activists in the South Bronx and East Harlem have argued that the island should be the public backyard for their communities, where quality parkland is scarce. Instead, they argue, the Bloomberg administration has attempted to turn Randall’s Island into a country club for the rich, full of golf courses and tennis courts.

The 15-member Districting Commission was appointed by the City Council and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. At public hearings, South Bronx and East Harlem activists argued for the island to remain in a Manhattan-based district. There was little public support for moving it to Queens.

“I think it was an effort to get Viverito out of there,” said Harry Bubbins of Friends of Brook Park, a South Bronx community group. “People in Queens are going to feel less connected to it and pay less attention to what’s happening [than Manhattan and Bronx groups].”

Common Cause New York released a statement arguing that the new lines likely violate the charter.

“The New York City Charter is very clear that districts should not cross borough borders unless absolutely necessary,” the good-government group wrote. “There is no question that Randall’s Island has a much closer association with the community of East Harlem than with Astoria, sharing a borough, community board, and current Council District 8.”

Under the new district maps, Randall’s Island would be represented by whoever wins a 2013 race for the seat currently held by term-limited Queens Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.

A Districting Commission spokeswoman said Randall’s Island was grouped with Queens in order to make Ms. Mark-Viverito’s district more Hispanic.

“The commission decided that in order for the proposed District 8 to become more of a Latino district and to reflect the Hispanic population growth in the Bronx, they decided to include more of the borough and had to remove Randall’s Island from the proposed map,” she said.

Randall’s Island has a population of only about 1,600 (largely made up of homeless people and residents of a psychiatric ward), so it’s unlikely that its population numbers played a major role in its move from Manhattan to Queens. (However, a supporter of Ms. Mark-Viverito noted after this article was initially posted that the population shift actually could have made a difference in controversially making her seat narrowly majority-Bronx.)

Since 2003, the Bloomberg administration has given $155 million for 65 new ballfields, new bike and hiking paths, comfort stations, and shoreline reconstruction to the Randall’s Island Sports Foundation, a public-private group that manages the parkland, the Daily News has reported. A number of controversies have erupted, including over a 2006 deal between the city and Upper East Side private schools in which the schools were to pay $52.6 million for their construction and refurbishment in exchange for exclusive use. (The deal was struck down in court.) A deal for a controversial water park was also scuttled in 2007 amid opposition. More recently, a swanky tennis center with high court fees run by tennis star John McEnroe was opened amid rancor from East Harlem park advocates, who noted the project did not go through the normal city land use process. Mr. McEnroe is now seeking to add new courts.

“All of this has been pay-to-play. It’s public land being given to private developers,” charged Geoffrey Croft, of New York City Park Advocates. “If Bloomberg wants to give his own land to private developers, that’s his choice.”

Mr. Bubbins and other advocates say bringing litigation charging that the new district violates the charter is an option. But they’re hopeful that the furor over the Brooklyn Council district that could help Assemblyman Vito Lopez run for a council seat will lead to the council’s rejection of new district lines by a Dec. 7 deadline. Mr. Lopez has been embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal.

If the City Council rejects the new lines,  district lines would go back to the commission for further revision.

Read More:


Randall’s Island redistricting deal is alleged
Crain's New York Business - November 27, 2012 -  By Chris Bragg   

Quinn can’t change district lines on her own: experts

Crain's New York Business - November 26, 2012 - By Chris Bragg 

Redistricted Out: East Harlem’s New District Lines Split Community

City & State - October 23, 2012 - By Nick Powell 

Common Cause/NY Statement on NYC Proposed Redistricting Maps

NEW YORK, NY (11/20/2012)(readMedia)-- On November 15th, the Districting Commission released its revised proposed map for the 2013 redistricting of the New York City Council. Although the maps for Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island represent a reasonable proposal based on Charter criteria and population statistics, the plan for Upper Manhattan and the South Bronx continues to be problematic.There are three aspects of the maps which raise substantial questions: the ratio of representation between the Bronx and Manhattan, Council District 8, and the removal of Randall's Island from Manhattan into Queens.

"The Districting Commission's proposed map for the New York City Council appears to be influenced by political forces outside of the Charter's objective criteria. This raises serious concerns about the Commission's independence and calls into question the validity of the process," said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause/NY.

The Bronx vs. Manhattan

In the current New York City Council map Manhattan has ten city council seats that are either entirely or majority in the borough (districts 1-10) while the Bronx has eight (districts 11-18). The reason is very simple: Manhattan has roughly 200,000 more people than the Bronx. As of the 2010 census, the relationship has not changed proportionally.

	2010 Total Pop.	Council District Average Pop.	Council Districts
Manhattan	1,585,873	160,710	9.87
Bronx	1,385,108	160,710	8.62

However, the Districting Commission has proposed to give the Bronx and Manhattan equal representation on the City Council with nine districts each by moving the majority of District 8's population into the Bronx. In order to do so, the Commission has systematically overpopulated the Manhattan districts in comparison to the Bronx districts. Districts 1,2,3,4,5,6, and 8 are all packed to the maximum legal limit, pushing the average deviation of Manhattan districts to +4.14%. In the Bronx, the average deviation is only +0.7%.

Council District 8

The absurd lengths to which the Commission has gone to give the Bronx equal control on the council is reflected in East Harlem's Council District 8. The other districts in Manhattan are packed just to the right extent to shift District 8 to a majority-Bronx population. The Bronx-Manhattan breakdown for District 8 is now 84,377 (Bronx) and 84,357 (Manhattan), giving the district a majority Bronx population by a mere margin of 20.

There is no question that District 8 must move farther north into the Bronx as a result of population declines registered in Washington Heights and the need to balance populations and follow the Voting Rights Act, but there is no reason it needs to move so far into the Bronx that it becomes a majority-Bronx district. At an October 4th public hearing, Common Cause New York presented testimonydemonstrating how the Commission's September draft could be adjusted to have District 8 maintain its current boundaries in East Harlem and Randall's Island. Despite testimony from East Harlem community residents to maintain the current boundaries of East Harlem in District 8, the Commission only restored a few blocks along Park Avenue.

Randall's Island

The New York City Charter is very clear that districts should not cross borough borders unless absolutely necessary. The Commission staff was specifically instructed to respect natural boundaries. Further, the City Charter provides: "district lines shall keep intact neighborhoods and communities with established ties of common interest and association, whether historical, racial, economic, ethnic, religious or other." Yet Randall's Island, part of Manhattan, has been shifted into the Astoria Queens-based District 22. There is no question that Randall's Island has a much closer association with the community of East Harlem than with Astoria, sharing a borough, community board, and current Council District 8. The Commission has provided no justification for this arrangement, which appears, on its face, to violate the Charter.

Background

New York's City Council redistricting process is intended to adjust political representation in line with changes to the city's population as measured by the decennial Census. The City Charter (Chapter 2-A § 52) stipulates that districts must be redrawn according to a strict set of criteria to assure proportional and accurate representation:

• Districts may vary from the average population by a maximum of +/- 5%
• Districting plan must ensures the fair and effective representation of the racial and language minority groups in New York protected by the Voting Rights Act of 1965
• District lines must keep intact neighborhoods and communities with established ties of common interest and association
• Each district shall be compact and shall be no more than twice as long as it is wide.
• A district shall not cross borough or county boundaries.
• Districts shall not be drawn for the purpose of separating geographic concentrations of voters enrolled in the same political party into two or more districts

http://readme.readmedia.com/Common-Cause-NY-Statement-on-NYC-Proposed-Redistricting-Maps/5108439 

EDC Strikes Easement Deal For Randall's Island Connector/South Bronx Greenway Project

Existing Randall's Island connector path. The pedestrian and bicycle span will link the South Bronx to the Island's parks and ballfields. The City needed an easement in order to build a path from the bridge to E. 132nd St. on the Bronx side. An agreement was reached last month with Harlem River Yard Ventures according to New York City Economic Development Corp. The land between the bridge and the South Bronx is part of a sprawling 96-acre rail yard owned by the State Department of Transportation but controlled by the private Harlem River Yards Ventures company under a 99 year lease it secured in 1991.

(Photo: New York City Economic Development)

Rendering of the Randall's Island Connector and pedestrian bridge that links the South Bronx and Randall's Island. (Image: New York City Economic Development Corp.)

Bronx/Randall's Island

By Geoffrey Croft

Low Tide - The Bronx Kill. The Randall's Island Connector bridge, which links the South Bronx and Randall's Island was built last year but has yet to open. The project was orginally supposed to be completed in 2010. (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on image to enlarge

The quarter-mile Randall's Island Connector is a part of the 1.5 mile South Bronx Greenway, an initiative meant to increase waterfront access in the borough. The Connector will link to a greenway network that stretches from Randall's Island to Astoria, Queens and East Harlem.

The delays isn't the only source of contention on the project. For years South Bronx residents and environmental groups have been pushing for Con Edison to remove its deteriorating concrete conduit (above) located under the bridge. The company has utility cables buried in the structure that spans across the Bronx Kill that blocks human-powered craft including kayaks, canoes and rowing vessels from navigating the waterway.

"A navigable passage through the Bronx Kill is essential for the development of safe recreational boating in New York harbor and ongoing paddling and rowing programs, as well as the NYC Parks Water Trail," a April 30, 2008 letter sent to Mayor Bloomberg and EDC president Seth Pinsky stated.

The eleven signatories on the letter included representatives from numerous boating, park, and environmental organizations.

Last month a Con Edison spokesperson told A Walk In The Park that the Fire Department recently removed its electrical equipment which will pave the way for the structure's removal.

Con Edison's deteriorating concrete conduit is now located under the newly built Randall's Island Connector bridge. In June 2011, Con Edison finally agreed to remove the concrete-encased cables which blocks kayaks and canoes from navigating the Bronx Kill waterway.

Read More:

City Strikes a Deal for Bronx Bridge to Randall's Island

DNAinfo - May 24, 2012 - By Jeanmarie Evelly

Pact will let city build bridge to Randall’s Island

Mott Haven Herald - May 21, 2012 - By Bernard L. Stein

Randall's Island/South Bronx Connector Path Land Easement Still Not Secured

A Walk In The Park - January 24, 2012

Con Ed Finally Agrees To Move Cable Barrier Freeing Up Bronx Kill Waterway

A Walk In The Park - June 22, 2011

Randall’s Island Connector (RIC) project

Friends of Brook Park - April 30, 2008

Randall's Island/South Bronx Connector Path Land Easement Still Not Secured

Existing Randalls Island connector path. The pedestrian and bicycle span would link South Bronx to parks and ballfields. The land between the bridge and the South Bronx is owned by the State DOT but controlled by a private company, Harlem River Yards Ventures under a 99 year lease. The New York City Economic Development Corp. needs an easement so it can build a path from the bridge to E. 132nd St. (Photo: New York City Economic Development)

Bronx

The city could be building a bridge to nowhere, thanks to a muddled South Bronx land deal.

The Randalls Island Connector, a planned pedestrian and bicycle bridge, will eventually span the Bronx Kill, a narrow waterway separating the South Bronx from public ball fields and green space on Randalls Island.

But land between the bridge and the South Bronx street grid is controlled by a private company, Harlem River Yards Ventures. The New York City Economic Development Corp. needs an easement so it can build a path from the bridge to E. 132nd St, according to the New York Daily News.

The EDC and HRYV have worked together on the project for years and now that the city is ready to start bridge construction, it has made the company an easement offer. But no deal has been struck and now the project is in doubt, sources said.

Anthony Riccio, senior vice president of HRYV, said negotiations are ongoing and claimed there is no cause for concern.

"There is no problem," he said. "We are confident we will reach a satisfactory resolution soon."

But the viability of the $6 million bridge is at stake, said an EDC spokesman.

The Connector will link the South Bronx to a greenway network that stretches from Randalls Island to Astoria, Queens and East Harlem.

We are hopeful that the negotiations with (HRYV) can be resolved quickly, so the city can move forward with this important project," said Kyle Sklerov, EDC spokesman, claiming the bridge will help South Bronx residents enjoy the outdoors.

The strip of land needed for the path is actually public property already, part of a sprawling 96-acre rail yard owned by the state Department of Transportation.

But HRYV controls the land because it secured a 99-year lease for the site in 1991 under terms later slammed by the state controller as a sweetheart deal.

Harry Bubbins, executive director of Friends of Brook Park, a South Bronx group, called the Connector "an extremely important" project with widespread community support. But he blasted the easement negotiations.

"The site belongs to the state. It is unfathomable why we even have to pay to use it and (HRYV) should expedite the easement."

The EDC and HRYV are also in talks about building a new headquarters for Fresh Direct at the rail yard. The Queens-based grocery delivery company is mulling a move to the site, with the EDC offering it millions of dollars in public benefits.

Despite the timing, Sklerov said the Connector and Fresh Direct projects are unrelated.

U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano (D-South Bronx) is betting on the Connector.

"I am confident any last minute problems will be worked out and this important project will move forward," he said.

Read More:

Randalls Island Connector could become bridge to nowhere due to

muddy South Bronx property deal

New York Daily News - January 24, 2012 - By Daniel Beekman

Port Morris Gantries Access Could Usher In South Bronx Waterfront Access

"We have no official public waterfront access along the coast of the South Bronx," said Harry Bubbins, Director of Friends Of Brook Park. "The gantries are an example of the rich nautical history of New York and could become a bridge to future community use."

The historic Port Morris ferry gantries located at 134th Street and the East River in the South Bronx could become the heart of a new waterfront park in the South Bronx. Friends of Brook Park and the Historic District Council are hoping to preserve and transform the ferry gantry site that launched passenger ferries decades ago into a vital new public space. The new park would provide recreation, youth programs, education, preservation and create desperalty needed waterfront access for the South Bronx. (Photo: Alexandra Corazza)

Bronx

Two remarkable but unheralded Bronx sites could be remembered, restored and reborn thanks to recognition from a powerful advocacy group.

The Historic District Council this week recognized the Port Morris Gantries and Van Cortlandt Village as New York neighborhoods in need of preservation, according the New York Daily News.

"Neighborhoods throughout New York are fighting an unseen struggle to determine their own futures," said Simeon Bankoff, HDC executive director.

The soaring gantries arched cranes once used to lift ferry boats in and out of the East River could become the heart of a new waterfront plaza in gritty industrial Port Morris near E. 134th St.

Meanwhile, highlighting the rich history of middle-class housing in Van Cortlandt Village could help local residents beat back what they call inappropriate real estate development.

The sites were two of six recognized by the HDC this week. Last year, no sites honored by the nonprofit were in the Bronx. "To some degree, the Bronx is overlooked, said Bankoff, pledging to put the borough on the map."

Friends of Brook Park, a South Bronx community group, asked HDC to recognize the Port Morris Gantries. The group is working on a proposal for the redevelopment of the abandoned ferry terminal as a waterfront recreation and education center, said Harry Bubbins, executive director.

"We have no official public waterfront access along the coast of the South Bronx," said Bubbins. "The gantries are an example of the rich nautical history of New York and could become a bridge to future community use."

The Historic Districts Council, the city-wide advocate for historic buildings and neighborhoods, included the Port Morris Gantries in its recently announced Six to Celebrate, the group's annual listing of historic New York City neighborhoods that merit preservation attention. "By bringing these locally-driven neighborhood preservation efforts into the spotlight, HDC hopes to focus New Yorker’s attention on the very real threats that historic communities throughout the city are facing from indiscriminate and inappropriate development,” said Simeon Bankoff, HDC’s Executive Director. (Photo: Jake Dobkin)

The Port Morris site was a ferry terminal from 1906 through the 1960s, carrying New Yorkers from the Bronx to Queens, Long Island and North Brother Island.

Used briefly as a police marina, the site is now mostly abandoned, and the gantries are decrepit and rusty. But the property is still owned by the city. Bankoff said HDC plans to help Friends of Brook Park gain access to the site for youth programs and boating.

In Van Cortlandt Village, the Fort Independence Park Neighborhood Association has been fighting a handful of land grabs and new housing projects.

The community sits atop the ruins of a Revolutionary War fort and was designed by legendary landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead. It boasts small Tudor revival homes and during the 1920s became a mecca for socialist factory workers fleeing the tenements of the lower East Side to build cooperative housing.

Now that former co-ops such as the Shalom Aleichem Houses have fallen on hard times and the character of the neighborhood is threatened by overdevelopment, HDC will help FIPNA get it listed on the national historic register, said Kristin Hart, president of the community group.

“We want people who live here to know about and celebrate the great history of the neighborhood,” she said.

Friends of Brook Park hope to launch human-powered watercraft and provide recreational and educational youth programs from the Port Morris Gantries site.

Read More:

Historic District Council names Port Morris Gantries and Van Cortlandt Village for preservation Powerful advocacy group recognizes two Bronx sites

New York Daily News - January 13, 2011 - By Daniel Beekman

Port Morris Gantries Preservation

Friends Of Brook Park

Con Ed Finally Agrees To Move Cable Barrier Freeing Up Bronx Kill Waterway

Con Edison has finally agreed to remove concrete-encased cables blocking kayaks and canoes navigating Bronx Kill waterway. (Photo: © Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates

Bronx

The Bronx Kill, a waterway long closed to kayaks and canoes, could become navigable by the end of the year, buoying the spirits of urban paddlers, according to the New York Daily News.

Con Edison cables currently block even small boats from using the narrow strait between the South Bronx and Randalls Island.

But under rising pressure from community groups and local officials, the utility has agreed to remove the cables and open the channel, which connects the East River and the Harlem River.

"Four years of tireless advocacy have paid off," said Harry Bubbins of Friends of Brook Park, calling the Bronx Kill a "tranquil and beautiful waterway."

The concrete-encased Con Ed cables span the strait near the RFK-Triborough Bridge. Only during low tide can canoes and kayaks squeeze under the cables, and then for no more than an hour, said Bubbins.

"They limit recreation and education by prohibiting the safe and easy passage of canoes and kayaks," he said.

But Con Ed is working with the city's Economic Development Corp. to remove the cables.

It recently built a trestle between the South Bronx and Randalls Island that will hold new cables and support a pedestrian and bicycle pathway, helping Bronx residents access Randalls Island.

Con Ed wouldn't set a time line for removing old cables, but Bubbins expects them to be gone within a year.

"We will continue to coordinate with Con Ed on the removal of the old conduit structure," said EDC spokesman Kyle Sklerov, calling the pathway a "key link in the city's greenway system."

Construction on the pathway is slated to begin next year.

Kayaks and canoes can already float from the East River to the Harlem River using the Hell Gate strait south of Randalls Island. But the route is less sheltered than the Bronx Kill and the water there is more turbulent.

Rob Buchanan, co-founder of the NYC Water Trail Association, called the planned Bronx Kill opening a "significant victory" andan outgrowth of the NYC Water Trail, a 2007 project that mapped local canoe and kayak launches and routes.

"The Bronx Kill is a really unique urban waterway that's very protected and kind of swirls through a bucolic landscape of green," said Buchanan. "It connects the Harlem River and the East River in a practical way."

He said the Water Trail Association hopes locals who learn to boat as kids will protect the city's waterways when they grow up.

Friends of Brook Park, in Mott Haven, leads kids on paddle tours to promote exercise and awareness of the environment.

Read More:

Urban Kayakers gain victory with Con Ed agreeing to move cable barricade at Bronx Kill by year's end

New York Daily News - June 21, 2011 - By Daniel Beekman

Private Tennis Club Operating On Randall's Island - Critics Charge

The Bloomberg administration allowed a $19 million dollar private tennis club to be built on Randall's Island. Sportime charges $72 to $105 per hour for indoor courts, on top of fees of $500-750 to join, and monthly dues paid by its 2,000 members. The December 31, 2001 agreement between the City and the Randall's Island Sports Foundation (RISF) allows the license fees to be paid to the (RISF) instead of to the City's general fund. RISF collected approx. $750,000 last year. The project - spearheaded by RISF - avoided ULURP which is required for a “new building of more than 15,000 square feet ... located on park land.” (Photo: Warga/NY Daily News)

Randall's Island

The city's elite are holding court at a swanky tennis center on Randalls Island, with members shelling out more than $1,000 a year for perks, shutting out poor players from the South Bronx and East Harlem, critics charge, according to the New York Daily News.

Park advocates and local leaders from both sides of the East River have been slamming the Parks Department for allowing a private club to operate on public parkland, and skipping the public review process.

They want Parks to review its contract with Sportime on Randalls Island and force the club, which opened 18 months ago, to lower its rates.

"It is outrageous that our public land has been sold to the highest bidder," said Marina Ortiz of East Harlem Preservation.

The facility is generating cash for the Randalls Island Sports Foundation, the nonprofit that manages the park, but none for the city's depleted coffers.

Sportime charges $72 to $105 per hour for indoor courts, on top of fees of $500-750 to join, and monthly dues paid by its 2,000 members.

"No one I know can afford those rates," said Ortiz.

Sportime members get discounted court time and the right to book courts before nonmembers. They also enjoy access to "members only" locker rooms with steam baths and a massage therapist.

"This private club is for wealthy New Yorkers and private schools," said Geoffrey Croft of New York City Park Advocates.

Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito (D-East Harlem) called the perks "ridiculous."

"What benefits are there for the average Joe off the street?" she said.

Croft said Parks could force Sportime to change its membership system or even revoke the club's contract.

Sportime rents court time to Manhattan private schools. The club's shuttle bus stops only on the upper East Side.

In 2006, private schools offered funding for new ball fields on Randalls Island in exchange for exclusive field time, and advocates blocked the deal arguing Parks bypassed the city's public review process.

Boden said the review was unnecessary for Sportime because there already were tennis courts on Randalls Island.

But Croft said those courts were located elsewhere and noted that the process is required for buildings over 15,000 square feet, such as the tennis club.

The enormous new tennis facility which had NOT previously existed at this location was allowed to be built avoided ULURP. (Photo: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates) Click on image to enlarge

Read More:

Tennis, anyone (rich)? It's advantage wealthy at swanky Randalls Island club

New York Daily News - January 25, 2011 - By Daniel Beekman