letters to the editor

Letters to the editor

Why lax on lingering limo?

To The Editor:
Mayor Mike’s 311 line is quite often a red herring. Problems and requests for assistance frequently get an electronic runaround. Right off the bat, anyone making a complaint to 311 is compelled to wait 10 business days simply to find out what might happen.

Parking is one of the issues that engenders the most complaints, and it’s right up there with the issue of dog-walkers. I am the chair of the West 15th Street 200 Block Association. We regret the loss of Neighborhood Policing under Mayor Bloomberg and its replacement with the legions of uniformed officers that sweep our streets and focus solely on ticketing parked cars and calling in the tow trucks.

We thought your paper might be interested in the official record we have of reports made to 311 since December 2007 of a large, gaudy, green old limousine that has not been moved since October of 2007. It’s collected a lot of tickets since then. But it’s never been towed.

That raises two questions: First, why are the cars of residents on the block towed, but not this particular car? Second, why are we instructed to deal with 311 when 311 repeatedly fails to secure an appropriate removal or even provide an acceptable reason for the delay? Early last week, the 10th Precinct advised that the car would have to be towed by the Department of Sanitation, unlike all the rest of the towing that goes on. Why is that? And the 10th Precinct said that the DOS could not tow the car until the NYPD “tagged” the vehicle. How many months more does that take to do? Shouldn’t we know more about this strange slow-motion policy?

Many residents are concerned because the gaudy limo hogs up a usable parking space. Others are concerned because it causes a sanitation problem. And some are concerned because it visibly demonstrates how the city doesn’t care, which might attract and encourage further problems. Residents wonder whether city officials are “protecting” the car. There are fears that it might be used for prostitution at night. Since about October of 2007, the car has been located in front of 220 West 15th Street on the south side of the street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues.

Stanley Bulbach

Uninspired by endorsement

To The Editor:
Re “Barack Obama for president” (editorial, Feb. 1):

The Democratic election has been filled with as many fireworks as one could imagine. It is not surprising that Chelsea Now has endorsed Barack Obama for the New York State primary. He is captivating, very easy to listen to and the perfect human being. We have all fallen into his vision of “hope and change,” but we fail to remember the last politician who placed everything on “hope and change,” George W. Bush.

Chelsea Now seems really displeased with Bush, but somehow picked a candidate who shares similar campaign traits. Bush ran on the platform that he was the instrument for change in 2000. Obama seems to think he is also the instrument for change.

Bush appealed to voters with “faith” and “hope” in 2004. Again, in Obama, we have another inspirational speaker who overuses “hope,” and has a whole section devoted to “faith” on his Web site.

My mother once commented on inspiration, and she pointed out that inspiration is for those with no motivation. Are Americans really not motivated enough to look more deeply into their candidates for president?

There seems to be a trend of candidates rising to the forefront by inspiring people. I personally would want a leader who knows how to solve America’s problems, not necessarily one who speaks well, captivates audiences and inspires Americans to lead the “hope and change” campaign. But maybe it’s just me.

Douglas Thomas
Thomas is a former ad salesperson for Community Media, LLC

Many affordable housing options

To The Editor:
Re “St. Vincent’s starts operating; Plans are at L.P.C.” (news article, Jan. 11):

The Landmarks Preservation Commission’s approval process for the redevelopment of St. Vincent’s Hospital is rightly noted as “only the first official step” in a series of planning decisions that will determine what becomes of the new hospital and residential development.

As the community, the city and developers anticipate an extensive planning and approval process, the Village Independent Democrats club reached out to us with an inquiry regarding the possibility of creating affordable housing in the new development. Indeed, the St. Vincent’s site presents an exciting opportunity to create long-term, affordable housing for working-class New Yorkers who are being priced out of the West Village.

St. Vincent’s has an opportunity to help its community — while also helping itself — by including 20 percent to 30 percent affordable units in the new residential development. The developer may say it is not financially feasible to build affordable housing; however, this is simply untrue. Public subsidies are available to make the inclusion of at least 20 percent affordable units work on this site for any developer — while still paying several hundred million dollars to St. Vincent’s for the site.

There are numerous ways to include affordable housing while respecting the context of the surrounding community and still generate several hundred million dollars for the St. Vincent’s hospital development. With publicly supported programs, such as low-income housing tax credits, tax-exempt bonds, Battery Park City Revenues, a 421-a property tax exemption, private financing through union pensions and the new $400 million Housing Opportunity Fund announced by Governor Spitzer just last week, this site can be a source for desperately needed housing in New York.

These programs can be used to guarantee permanent affordability, so that the units are not lost in just 20 years. What’s more, city, state and federal elected officials fully support a proposal that maximizes affordable housing, and any of the above programs can also give priority to income-eligible residents of Community Board 2.

The real question is whether St. Vincent’s believes that creation of affordable housing is a priority. Including affordable units might modestly decrease the sales price from the $300 million the hospital is reportedly expecting to receive. But since the hospital redevelopment is expected to cost $700 million, St. Vincent’s is already looking to a capital campaign and debt. If it wants to balance the hospital’s redevelopment needs, the preservation goals of the surrounding community and the opportunity to create affordable housing, St. Vincent’s can take a modest amount less in acquisition price, slightly increase its capital campaign and debt financing, and still create a building that enables longtime residents to continue to call this neighborhood home.

Brad Lander and Harvey Epstein
Lander is a member, Pratt Center for Community Development; Epstein is a member, Urban Justice Center, Community Development Program

E-mail letters, not longer than 250 words in length, to news@thevillager.com or fax to 212-229-2790 or mail to The Villager, Letters to the Editor, 145 Sixth Ave., ground floor, NY, NY 10013. Please include phone number for confirmation purposes. The Villager reserves the right to edit letters for space, grammar, clarity and libel.