View this email in your browser ([link removed])
** Dear Neighbors,
------------------------------------------------------------
I hope you will join me for next Friday's (Sept 20th) Climate Action Strike. The day's activities include a 12:30pm rally at Foley Square (111 Worth St) and a 3-5pm rally in Battery Park at which climate activist Greta Thunberg will speak. Learn more here ([link removed]) .
Scientists have made it abundantly clear that we have a little more than a decade to put ourselves on the right course and avoid what promises to be a very dim future. Join me in calling on every level of government -- especially the City of New York -- to put forward an aggressive, workable timetable for a full transition to 100% renewable energy. We cannot afford to demand anything less.
Earlier this week at City Hall, Borough President Brewer and I joined other elected officials and student senators from CUNY in urging New Yorkers to participate in the Sept 20th Climate Action Strike.
Time to Submit Your Ideas for Participatory Budgeting!
Participatory Budgeting (PB) empowers residents to decide how to spend $1 million to improve our neighborhood. The 2018-2019 project competition was our most successful to date --- almost 5,300 residents voted for their favorite community initiatives. We are now soliciting project ideas for next year's vote. In order to qualify for the ballot, PB projects must 1.) be physical improvements or equipment (not staff or programming); 2.) be located on City property; and 3.) cost at least $50,000. Click here ([link removed]) to learn more about the PB process and submit a project idea!
50 W. 66th Street
This week I was proud to testify again at the Board of Standards & Appeals in strong support of the application filed by Landmark West to revoke the building permit for the 50 W. 66th Street tower.
At the hearing I objected to the BSA’s admonishment that opponents to the project should stay within the "legal parameters" established by court precedent. These parameters, on their face, favor the developer. They reflect a meaningful bias which does not serve New Yorkers, and clearly does serve luxury real estate developers.
It is unacceptable for Extell, a luxury residential developer, to continue to assert that this building is 35 stories tall (not including mechanicals). The original Lincoln Square Special District rules contemplate buildings from 20 to 30 stories in height. Since then, technology has changed the landscape for building height. We don’t know what the City Planning Commission would have written in the zoning rules had they known that a building could include 160 feet of void space.
The BSA hearing will resume on Tuesday, September 17th at 10am. No public comments will be accepted. It is important to reiterate that despite its enormous scale, this project does not achieve any of our public policy goals -- like bringing affordable housing to the Upper West Side. In August, the BSA intimated that in the event of a tied vote, they were obligated to side with the developer. This is outrageous. I would ask the BSA to recognize that true leadership requires you to not hide behind "what is usually done," and instead side with the overwhelming sentiment of the community as represented by the local community board, all of its elected officials, as well as the building’s neighbors.
Support for Shelter Residents: UWS Hospitality Project
I am delighted to report that some of our neighbors have come together to form the Upper West Side Hospitality Project, which works to support and build community with residents of our local homeless shelters. In June, my office organized a Town Hall on Homelessness ([link removed]) with the specific goal that such a project could begin on the Upper West Side. We are thrilled to see our neighbors moving this forward.
The Hospitality Project is supporting a clothing swap at the W. 92nd Street Central Baptist Church this Sunday (Sept 15th), from 1-5pm. It's a wonderful way to assist mothers at a local shelter and welcome them to our community. If you have gently used children's clothing, please consider bringing some of these items on Sunday. Learn more here ([link removed]) .
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Just a reminder about other timely events coming up. Please spread the word!
* Please join Assembly Member Danny O'Donnell and me for a Community Forum about the New State Rent Laws on Tuesday, September 17, 6-8pm, at Goddard Riverside. Click here ([link removed]) to learn more.
* The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) will be in my office on Wednesday, September 18, from 11am – 5pm. Learn more here ([link removed]) . Please call (212) 873-0282 to make an appointment. HPD will provide assistance for tenants & building owners, including: how to file a housing-related complaint; how to address open housing violations; property registration assistance; how to finance improvements and repairs; and referrals for issues such as affordable housing, foreclosures, and tenant harassment.
* Our Monthly Housing Clinics resume on Wednesday, October 2nd, from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Please note the later starting time and new location: Bernie Wohl Center, 647 Columbus Ave, between W. 91st and 92nd Sts. The topic for our first clinic will be Intro to Rent Stabilization & Rent Control: tenants rights, preferential rents, and illegal de-regulation. Attorneys will be available for free consultation with residents (Bilingue: Español). For any disability accommodations, please contact my office at (212) 873-0282.
* E-Waste Recycling on Sunday, September 15, 10am - 4pm. Location: 110th Street & Amsterdam Avenue (part of Bloomingdale Family Days). Info: Lower East Side Ecology ([link removed]) or 212-477-4022. Accepted: Computers and peripherals (monitors, printers, faxes/scanners, keyboards, mice, wires, etc.); TVs; stereo and A/V equipment, VCRs, DVD players; cell and wall phones. Not Accepted: Microwaves, refrigerators, air conditioners, smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. *****Textile Recycling will also be available on Sept 15th from 11am to 4pm.
Don't forget to check our September Events Calendar ([link removed]) for other happenings across the Upper West Side!
NEWS FROM CITY HALL
Domestic Violence Legislation & September Hearing
This week I introduced legislation (Int 1712) ([link removed]) which would require the City's Department of Social Services to report publicly about its outreach efforts and services to transgender and gender non-conforming people in domestic violence shelters. We urgently need better information about how this particularly vulnerable population is being served.
My legislation requires the DSS to document the number of TGNCNB persons in DV shelters and how long they stay, types of services offered and utilized, reasons why TGNCNB persons leave, and where they go next. Most important - my bill requires the DSS to present any issues with their services and outreach, and recommendations for improvement.
Please be advised that the date for the committees on Women & Gender Equity and General Welfare joint hearing regarding City services for DV survivors has been changed to Tuesday, September 24th at 10am in City Council Chambers. The hearing will examine emergency shelter and permanent housing, mental health support, financial counseling, and other critical services.
As always, don't hesitate to contact my City Hall (212-788-6975) or District (212-873-0282) offices with any questions about our work.
Warmly,
============================================================
** ([link removed])
** ([link removed])
** ([link removed])
Copyright © 2019 Council Member Helen Rosenthal, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website, helenrosenthal.com; you attended a meeting hosted by Council Member Rosenthal or someone on her staff; or you used the services offered by the Council Member's district office. If you would rather not receive this newsletter, just let us know by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link below.
Our mailing address is:
Council Member Helen Rosenthal
563 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
