BLONDELL COMMONS
ULURP APPROVED
This is an early artist’s rendering of the Blondell Commons building.
Dinowitz wins Henry Hudson Bridge toll rebate for Bronxites
BY ALEX MITCHELL
A pipe dream for many Bronxites
and Assemblyman Jeffery Dinowitz
will soon become a reality.
The Henry Hudson Bridge toll,
a costly charge for Bronx residents
crossing the Harlem River via the
Henry Hudson Parkway, will soon
be free for Bronx-registered vehicles
using an EZ Pass.
The Henry Hudson Bridge rebate
is scheduled to begin in the
spring of 2020 according to Dinowitz’
offi ce. When an E-Z Passequipped
car crosses the bridge,
the toll will be charged to its account,
but then immediately credited
back. The toll, which started
out at ten cents when it was fi rst
initiated, is currently $2.80 for E-Z
Pass users and $7 for those without
E-Z Pass.
“In recent years the toll has
continued to rise,” Dinowitz said
after the announcement. Many
drivers leave the parkway and use
the local streets to avoid the pricey
bridge toll, causing increased congestion
and pollution in Kingsbridge
and Marble Hill, the assemblyman
added.
Originally, Dinowitz suggested
moving the toll stations to the
Bronx/Yonkers border, however
the Bronx rebate will accomplish
the same goal.
“Bronxites shouldn’t be put in a
situation of paying two tolls. That
isn’t fair,” he said, in relation to the
additional ‘congesting pricing’ fee
Bronx drivers will be charged when
entering mid-town Manhattan.
Dinowitz led the charge and
secured the commitment for the
Henry Hudson Bridge rebate after
voting in favor of the Congesting
Pricing Program.
“I understand that there are
some transit advocates who may
be disappointed with what they
perceive as a congestion pricing
Continued on Page 4
carve out or a furtherance of incentivizing
individual car usage,
however I disagree with that characterization,”
Dinowitz said noting
his positioned softened from
adamant opposition to congestion
pricing a decade ago.
His opposition to the plan
changed in 2019 due to an overwhelming
need for revenue to fund
the proposed Fast Forward plan
recommended by NYC Transit
president Andy Byford.
That plan is a decade-long effort
for transportation improvements
by the Metropolitan Transporta-
Proposed
Westchester
Avenue
shelter creates
an uproar
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
When Parkchester residents
were notifi ed at a recent town hall
meeting about a planned 165-person
men’s shelter proposed for
2008 Westchester Avenue, their response
was less than welcoming.
Community members packed
the gym of St. Helena’s School on
Friday, April 12 to attend a town
hall hosted by Community Board 9
in which the plan was explained.
The CB 9 district manager,
William Rivera, said that notifi -
cation was received from the NYC
Department of Homeless Services
Friday, February 22 of an ‘employment
shelter’ for 165 single men
that are working or looking for
work.
The DM said that the siting is
part of the city’s Turning the Tide
program to address homelessness.
“I think we had a good turnout,”
said Rivera of the meeting,
adding that he has sent questions
to DHS to get more information
and that he expects the board to
come together by the next CB 9
full board meeting after a rally,
another information session with
DHS and Daytop Village, and two
board meetings with DHS offi cials
to make an informed decision on
possibly sending a letter to the appropriate
agencies expressing its
views.
The operator of the proposed
shelter would be Samaritan Village,
who referred all questions to
the DHS.
Rivera said at the April 12
meeting that the shelter may also
available to individuals who might
have been convicted of lower level
sex crimes.
BY PATRICK ROCCHIO
The NYC City Council unanimously
passed a resolution
to approve the construction of
a new apartment building in
Westchester Square.
The compromise agreement
will allow the developer to build
a mixed-use affordable apartment,
retail and parking complex
known as Blondell Commons.
However the height of the
building has been reduced from
nine stories to six stories with a
seventh fl oor setback.
As part of the city’s Uniform
Land Use Review Procedure, after
intense negotiations to bring
the building’s size into contextual
conformity, a resolution was
approved at the Council’s Thursday,
April 18 meeting, allowing
the project to proceed.
To accomplish the agreement
Councilman Mark Gjonaj negotiated
for several weeks with the
Your Neighborhood — Your News® April 28, 2019
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