BRONX TIMES REPORTER, J 12 ANUARY 25-31, 2019 BTR
Founded in 1981 by
Michael Benedetto and
John Collazzi
PRESIDENT AND PUBLISHER
Victoria Schneps-Yunis
CEO AND CO-PUBLISHER
Joshua Schneps
BRONX TIMES PUBLISHER
Laura Guerriero
EDITOR
John Collazzi
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Cuomo needs
to fund roadway
(The following letter was
sent to Governor Cuomo regarding
funding for highway
ramps into and out of Hutchinson
Metro Center.)
Dear Governor Cuomo,
I write in support of a project
of extreme importance to
the economic viability of my
district, the entire Borough of
the Bronx and the many counties
surrounding it – namely
Hutchinson River Parkway
roadway improvements for
Hutchinson Metro Center on
Waters Place.
Every day Hutchinson
Metro Center, built on the
former Bronx State Developmental
Center grounds, is the
destination for over 3,500 employees
who work there, plus
an equal number of visitors.
The complex and its immediate
environs already include
fi ve major structures that use
the same egress, Waters Place
to Marconi Street. The accessibility
of the 911 Call Center,
two 12-story offi ce towers, one
of which is totally occupied by
a Montefi ore Ambulatory Center,
a 3-story sprawling complex
that counts NYCHA, IRS
and Mercy College as tenants,
and a 12-story Residence Inn
by Marriot, are all part of my
concern.
In addition, Simone Development
Corp., Hutchinson
Metro Center’s developer, has
purchased an adjacent parcel,
which was recently excessed
by the State. It plans to construct
additional offi ce/commercial
space on the property
to satisfy the Bronx’ burgeoning
needs.
While the development in
itself paints a healthy economic
picture of the Bronx,
it’s missing one very important
element: adequate and
swift highway access to and
from the site.
A traffi c study was completed
in the spring of 2018 by
the NYC Department of Transportation
that shed light on the
feasibility of adding roadways
to ease traffi c congestion at
the busy offi ce complex. With
a projected $127 million price
tag, that includes upgrading
the area’s surrounding infrastructure
and installing
new on- and off-ramps to the
Hutchinson River Parkway,
the project will never become a
reality unless the State agrees
to split the cost with the city.
With a Metro North Railroad
station set to open parallel
to the site in 2023 it is more
imperative than ever that the
State take a greater fi scal role
in the Hutchinson Metro Center’s
roadway access.
Assemblyman
Michael R. Benedetto
Where did the
parrots go?
Dear editor,
Congratulations, Throgs
Neck Little League. I see you
got your new fi eld lights. I also
see that the green parrot nests
were removed in the process.
Where did the parrots go?
Marjorie O’Neil
Alarming
situation
Dear editor,
I live at St. Raymond Avenue
and Olmstead Avenue
near P.S. 106. The building
alarm can not be turned off.
It’s terrorizing the neighborhood.
Bobby Lee
Too many
bads ideas
Dear editor,
All is not well in
Westchester Square. Once
again nonprofi t agencies are
dumping on the Square. Covenant
House through some
back door arrangements is
about to open a homeless shelter
for 40 teenagers on St. Peters
Avenue. Protests are taking
place each week.
The neighbors have had
enough of these taxpayerfunded
programs popping up
in the area. These are programs
that no one wants or
needs.
On Blondell Avenue, a developer
wants to put up a
huge nine-story development
by changing the zoning from
manufacturing to residential.
Again funded with taxpayer
money.
This large-out-of-scale development
would bring more
than 1,000 people to a small
one-way street already congested
with cars and commercial
businesses. Housing has
no place on this block.
Both community boards 10
and 11 have held public hearings
and both have voted ‘no’
to this development. The city
is not listening.
Over at the historic St.
Peter’s Church, church elders
are proposing to put up
an 11-story housing project
with very little parking. This
neighborhood is already overdeveloped
and oversaturated.
We can’t take anymore out-ofscale
development. The neighborhood
is full.
The only thing Westchester
Square needs is a parking lot
and a grade school. Nothing
else.
I want to urge everyone to
call your elected offi cials and
tell them not to allow these
developments to encroach on
our neighborhood. Councilman
Mark Gjonaj (718) 931-
1721; Assemblyman Michael
Benedetto (718) 892-2235; Senator
Alexandra Biaggi (718) 822-
2049; and Borough President
Ruben Diaz, Jr. (718) 590-3557.
Lorenzo Lorusso
NYC’s not
moving
Respect Quaker
burial site
Dear editor,
Documents have been
found regarding the area that
is a proposed site for affordable
housing at 2500 Westchester
Avenue, St. Peter’s Episcopal
Church and cemetery in the
Westchester Square community.
These documents clearly
show lot 6 was landmarked
by the NYC Landmarks and
Preservation Commission as
of 1976. An 1865 map is further
evidence that this was the site
of a Quaker meeting house and
cemetery, as those who grew
up in this community were always
told. It is now incumbent
upon us to respect those who
came before and stop the proposed
project.
I am awed by all the people
researching this landmarked
cemetery, especially the East
Bronx History Forum. These
documents clearly contradict
the presentation given by the
pastor of St. Peter’s who said
that area was neither a cemetery
nor landmarked.
There are so many community
people who live here, as
well as members of the East
Bronx History Forum, who
support the goal of respecting
the graves of Quakers and possibly
the slaves interred here.
Dorothy A. Krynicki
Dear editor,
When it comes to the pros
and cons of bike lanes, comedian
Whoopi Goldberg took
Mayor de Blasio to the woodshed
on a recent episode of
‘The View.’ Big Apple traffi c
congestion is a city wide issue
that has grown over time
impacting local business and
commuters who travel by bus
or car.
There is a corresponding
relationship between reduction
in traffi c speed and the
corresponding loss in street
capacity. A past report released
by the NYC Department
of Transportation Commissioner
Polly Trottenberg
choose to ignore this.
Over the past 18 years under
mayors Bloomberg and de
Blasio, hundreds of miles of
traffi c lanes have been eliminated.
This was due to the dramatic
increase in the introduction
of bike lanes, street
calming and pedestrian plaza
projects.
Forcing buses to share less
street space with cars, taxis,
Uber, Lyft, UPS, Fed Ex, other
delivery and commercial traffi
c along with municipal vehicles
has contributed to a
decline in vehicle speed for
everyone in all fi ve boroughs.
The result is increased confl
icts with pedestrians.
This is like cholesterol
build up, resulting in hardening
of the arteries. All of this
contributes to increased gridlock,
pollution and adverse
impact to local businesses,
who count on timely pick up
and deliveries along with adequate
parking for customers.
Trying to travel around
town by automobile or bus is
next to impossible. Mayor de
Blasio promised to increase
bus speed by 25% in his recent
State of the City speech. Don’t
count on this happening.
Larry Penner
LET’S HEAR FROM YOU
Letters to the editor are welcome
from all readers. They should be
addressed care of this newspaper
to Laura Guerriero, Publisher,
the Bronx Times Reporter, 3604
E. Tremont Ave., Bronx, NY
10465, or e-mail to bronxtimes@
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MUST be signed and with a verifi
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