BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR SEPT. 24-30, 2021 35
BY STEVEN GLOSSER
The Pelham Parkway
Neighborhood Association
held its fi rst community meeting
in more than a year on
Tuesday, Sept. 14 at our new
location, 2134 Barnes Ave., at
the corner of Lydig Avenue. It
was very well-attended with 60
people in attendance. Our featured
speaker was the Bronx
Borough Commissioner for
the Department of Transportation
(DOT) Nivardo Lopez.
The fi rst to speak with announcements
was state Assemblywoman
Nathalia Fernandez
who was proud to report
that her offi ce, located at 2018
Williamsbridge Road was up
and running for in-person visits,
handling fl ood problems
from Tropical Storm Ida and
assisting the community. She
reported the city’s budget was
passed on needed programs
related to COVID-19 hardship
cases that also involve non-citizens.
Her offi ce also appeared
and assisted many community
organizations with back-toschool
supplies at events this
past month. Our featured
speaker followed and Mr. Lopez
highlighted the e-scooter
program from soup to nuts.
He stated that New York City
was reluctant to start the program
because in some cities escooter
companies went bankrupt.
But then the City Council
passed a law in February 2021
formalizing a pilot program.
New York City did research
and chose the best three escooter
companies for the pilot
program. The pilot program
started in the east side of the
Bronx that has boundaries
that border the city of Mount
Vernon and the Bronx River
Parkway.
We are currently in Phase 1
of the program, which was geographically
divided into sections.
Mr. Nivardo handed out
maps of the east Bronx pilot
zones. The pilot program lasts
two years, then it’s up to the
mayor and City Council if the
program stays. There are currently
3,000 scooters in Community
Board 11, with the next
phase set to bring 3,000 scooters
to Community Boards 9
and 10.
There are many does
and don’ts to this program
that need to be followed. The
scooter cannot be ridden
on the sidewalk and must
be returned to the specially
marked corral in your area
when your time or ride is completed.
It must not be parked
on the greenway. The scooters
are unlocked with an APP on
your phone. The fee to start
the scooter is $1 with an additional
39 cents per minute. The
money is broken down with
portions going to the scooter
companies and the city. There
were many complaints of
the scooters being left everywhere.
Commissioner Lopez
said that there is a maximum
of 48 hours that one can be left
outside of a marked corral. He
added that it must be picked
up. The companies are responsible.
They have a GPS so
it can easily be found if it’s out
of the boundaries. They are
picked up, sanitized to prevent
the spread of COVID and returned.
The companies know
when they are left on lawns,
in front of houses and where
they do not belong. Here is
the contact information for
the three scooter companies:
Veo: hello@veoride.com or
855-836-2256; Lime: support@
li.me or 888-546-3345; Bird:
hello@bird.co or 866-205-2442;
and the Bronx DOT: scooter.
share@dot.nyc.gov or 212-748-
6680. Call or email them with
issues or problems you may
have.
Mr. Lopez educated the audience
further by telling us
that e-scooter companies all
have insurance and are all responsible
if problems occur.
The motor shuts off if ridden
outside designated areas and
must be ridden in the street.
They are not considered motor
vehicles but as bicycles.
The program is year-round including
winter.
The topic of educating the
scooter riders was raised with
suggestions such as radio
spots, television commercials
and public service announcements,
and to have training
sessions organized by the
scooter companies. All complaints
and data are tracked
by the companies and DOT,
and feedback will be analyzed
at the end of the program.
The next topic at the meeting
was the lack of, and poor, bus
service in our section of the
Bronx. Mr. Lopez said he will
have a meeting with the MTA
and area community boards
to attack that issue. He also
touched on outdoor dining,
which will remain effect until
2023 but with changes and
upgrades made to the program
since there have been
many complaints. There will
be new guidelines, monitoring
and stricter enforcement and
rules coming.
This was an extremely productive
meeting hosted by the
Pelham Parkway Neighborhood
Association (PPNA). The
next meeting will be on Tuesday,
Oct. 12, at 7 p.m., at our
new location 2134 Barnes Ave.
Please note the meetings are
always held the second Tuesday
of every month except the
summer months and December.
\
The PPNA works yearround
to improve the quality
of life in the Pelham Parkway
neighborhood. We can always
be reached by email at pelhamparkwayna@
gmail.com.
Also look and follow us on
Facebook for all current happenings
in the community.
Get involved in your community.
It’s time.
CIVIC CENTER
Pelham Parkway
Neighborhood
Association
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
The 1954 Johnson Amendment
prohibits Spencer Estate
Civic Association and other
501c-3 organizations from directly
or indirectly participating
in, or intervening in,
any political campaign on behalf
or in opposition to any
candidate for public offi ce.
Violation of this law can
result in the revocation of
501c-3 statuses and the imposition
of fi nancial penalty. In
accordance with both tradition
and law, Spencer Estate
Civic Association does not endorse
political candidates. Political
policy and community
welfare often intersect.
Our association performs
civic obligations through unbiased,
non-partisan intercommunity
communications
with emphasis on policy positions.
While refraining
from candidate endorsements
Spencer Estate Civic assesses
candidate policies and their
potential effects on our neighborhood
and nearby communities.
As of Right Development:
Real estate developments
through as of right regulations
are critical components
in community expansions. As
of right developments are not
subjected to reviews by community
boards, city Planning
Commission or City Council.
As Of right development,
absent of public hearings, allows
investors/developers
in compliance with all applicable
zonings codes to forge
ahead with projects in an expeditious
fashion. As of right
is the bulldozer that clears
the path for unimpeded density
increases without appropriate
upgrades to human and
essential services. As of right
development changes the
characteristics of many communities.
Low density zoning
regulations, which can be
changed by the City Council,
is a community’s last line of
defense against rampant, uncontrolled
overdevelopment.
Zoning is a series of laws
that organizes land usage.
Zoning resolutions divide
land into districts based on
relevant land use issues. Zoning
regulations limit the way
specifi c properties can be
used. The majority of properties
in Spencer Estate are
R3A-zoned. The low-density
R3A designation allows semidetached
and detached one-
and two-family residences to
be built on lots as narrow as
25 feet. In comparison, R5, R6,
and R7 zoning designations
found in neighboring communities
encourages developers
to demolish modest homes
and erect much larger buildings.
Upzonings in low density
areas will eventually lead to
their eradications. The old adage
looks can be deceiving applies
to zoning. The following
examples show neighborhood
segments are often incongruous
with their districts’ peak
zoning allowances.
SEGMENTS OF DECEPTION:
Block 4168 Lot 13 Address
1616 Crosby Ave. –Sitting
in an R7-1 zone this
modest three-family home,
that could blend into many
lower density communities,
is slated to be legally replaced
with an 8-story, 74-foot tall, 31
occupant “As of Right” building.
Block 4293 Lot 46 Address
2093 Matthews Ave. — R7-1
zoning allows a 60-foot tall, 38
resident “As of Right” building
to replace a charming
two-family home. Permits for
this project were fi led in November
2020.
Know Your Zone: To locate
your home’s zoning designation
and the effects zoning
changes can have on your
community visit the NYC
Planning website https://zola.
planning.nyc.gov
CITY COUNCIL ELECTION
2021:
The New York City Council
functions as New York City’s
congressional body and serves
as a check in the mayor-council
dynamic. A council member’s
duties include land use
reviews and zoning change approval.
The City Council is a
powerful body that crafts legislation
and can override mayoral
vetoes with a 2/3-majority
vote. The policy of a council
member can alter the course
of a community, infl uence
property values and quality
of life. It is imperative that every
candidate for City Council,
including Council District
13, publicly disclose and specifi
cally detail their housing
and zoning policies. It is our
responsibility, civic duty, to
ensure communities are not
adversely affected by zoning
changes and subsequent uncontrollable
as of right builds.
If we want to keep and reap
the blessings of our fi ne quality
of life, we must endure the
fatigue of supporting it. Our
community has traditionally
exhibited a “We are Family attitude.”
Now, is the time to let
it shine. Communicate; make
that phone call, text message
or email. Please check on family,
friends and neighbors, especially
the elderly and vulnerable.
Next meeting, Wednesday
Oct. 20 7:30 p.m. at Knights of
Columbus (Ampere and Research
avenues). Any area
homeowner or renter interested
in membership to the inclusive
Spencer Estate Civic
Association attend a meeting
or send an email to spencerestatecivic@
gmail.com.
Remember: Community=
Common-Unity and Inclusion
Brings Solutions
CIVIC CENTER
Spencer Estate Civic
Association
The Pelham Parkway Neighborhood
Association meeting was
heavily attended in large part to
discuss the e-scooter polit program.
Photo Jewel Webber
/planning.nyc.gov
/gmail.com
/zola
/gmail.com
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