A men’s shelter is being planned for 2443 Poplar St., instead of its initial
location on Stillwell Avenue. Photo Jason Cohen
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, O BTR CT. 1-7, 2021 13
letters & comments
To the Editor,
I am writing today in regards
to my concerns for
the proposed 200-bed, single
room occupancy, homeless
shelter for single men at the
address of 2443 Poplar St.
Currently, the lot is vacant
after many years of being a
junkyard for cars or the like.
I am a neighboring homeowner
of a private two-family
house, surrounded by dozens
of other private homes. We
all would love to see something
take the place of what
was there previously, but it
cannot be a shelter for the
homeless.
The main concerns of the
homeowners, residents and
business owners are as follows:
-Placing a homeless shelter
on a street where it will
be literally bookended with
private one- and two-family
residences is absolutely unconscionable.
These are families
with young children and
homes they have invested in
and maintained. The homes
have front and side yards.
The houses are actively occupied
and well cared for.
-The facility will be along
the Amtrak lines and the
future Metro-North lines.
There is already a tremendous
amount of trespassing
on the train tracks, with no
policing by Amtrak or the
NYPD. The railroad lines
are easily accessible, and unsafe,
for those people gaining
access as well as the people
who have homes against
these lines.
-Easter Seals Bronx Child
Developmental Center’s entrance
is around the corner
at 2433 E. Tremont Ave., just
400 feet away. They provide
services and education for
children with learning and
physical disabilities. The
play-yard for these children
is a mere 100-150 feet away.
-St. Raymond’s Elementary
School is less than a
500-foot walk from 2443 Poplar
St. The school services
students from pre-K through
eighth grade. Van Nest Academy
PM/MS 498 and Icahn 2
Charter schools are also elementary
schools less than
a third of a mile away; a 5-7
minute walk.
-The area under the
nearby Bronxdale Avenue
Amtrak bridge — less than
500 feet away — is already
dangerous, especially at
night, because it is poorly
maintained and barely illuminated.
The presence of
this shelter nearby will only
further heighten safety concerns
for anyone passing
through this area. This is
an important route for many
local residents traveling on
foot to bus routes on East
Tremont Avenue.
-There is an existing family
shelter at 1564 Saint Peters
Ave., less than a half-mile
from 2443 Poplar St. There is
an additional plan to build a
200-bed shelter on Blondell
Avenue, also less than a halfmile
from 2443 Poplar St. The
location of 2443 Poplar St., is
in Community Board 11, but
it closely neighbors the Community
Boards of 12 and 10,
which will both be affected
by the development.
-While it is understood
that the Stillwell Avenue site
was not viable, Poplar Street
is an equally non-viable option.
Yes, the lot is empty, but
that is its only qualifi cation;
it is a lazy and poor thoughtout
choice for a shelter for 200
single, transient men. The
neighborhood has its present
share of issues, blights and
crime without the additional
stress on the residents, business
owners, the people who
work in the area and the 49th
NYPD Precinct.
The area in question is
in need of developments that
will improve what is presently
surrounding these
streets, not the construction
and development of a Social
Service residence. It also
begs the question who this
shelter is servicing? While
homelessness is a known and
important issue throughout
the fi ve boroughs, I am
not personally aware of the
need for 2-3 shelters within
the proposed communities.
If this is to suggest they take
the burden from other neighborhoods
or boroughs, I fi nd
it hard to believe hundreds of
homeless will actually come
to these sites, therefore rendering
them under occupied,
and therefore making the
need to develop them non existent.
I am prepared to continue
this dialogue with community
board representatives
and my elected offi cials.
There appears to be no factual,
concrete information
presented publicly. We have
heard the decision was made
without a vote from the board
or much discussion. I could
see how this could take place
due to the pandemic when
everyone is completely overwhelmed
and distracted. I
feel this should be addressed
immediately before any more
steps are taken. I look forward
to obtaining more information
on the potential
plans for 2443 Poplar Ave.
I invite the communities
to join the discussion on
Facebook by searching for
“Proposed Homeless Shelter
2443 Poplar Street Community
Discussion.”
Maria-Shell Filardo
To the Editor,
The author states MTA
Chair Janno Lieber proclaiming
riders coming back
in record numbers to be “a
glass half full.” How? Would
the author be so kind as to
share specifi c numbers so
maybe an intelligent judgment
could be made?
The author goes on to predict
that fewer people will
ride the rails due to telecommuting.
So in addition to being
an “expert” on transit,
the author can now accurately
predict the future?
The author then states
how no expansion of the subway
should be done until all
systems are brought up to
good repair. Fair enough.
But in a July 9, 2021, opinion
piece in Mass Transit
magazine, the author states
“Why not extend the NYC
Transit #6 subway line beyond
the Pelham Bay Park
Station terminal to directly
into Co-Op City?” In a Nov.
18, 2020, opinion piece for
“Mass Transit” magazine,
he advocates spending $150
million to reopen the Hilton
Passageway. So which is it?
No system expansion until
everything is brought up to a
state of good repair, or spend
money on projects the author
feels are worthwhile?
Doesn’t the author care
enough about his opinion
pieces to provide details?
Does the author bother to
read his other pieces? Doesn’t
he see how they confl ict with
each other? Why should the
author be taken seriously?
Because he proclaims himself
to be a transit historian
and advocate? And who exactly
bestowed those titles
upon him?
Larry Penner
To the Editor,
Those attending the
United Nations General Assembly
could lead by example
when it comes to Global
Warming and Climate
Change.
Hundreds of heads of
state, ambassadors, military
attaches and security
personnel can give up limousines
taking them to and
from their embassy, hotel or
residency to the UN. These
motorcades contribute to
traffi c gridlock and increase
air pollution.
Join several million New
Yorkers by riding the subway
or bus. Enjoy some fresh air
and walk several blocks from
any nearby subway or bus
stop. Mingle with ordinary
citizens to develop a better
understanding of America
and its people.
Nat Weiner
To the Editor,
Many people are surprised
to learn about the
connection between Big Oil
and plastic production and
to learn that Ethane, one
of the primary chemicals
used to produce plastic, is
a fracking byproduct. Refi
ning and manufacturing
plastic is a highly greenhouse
gas intensive process,
which generates single-use
items which will likely be
used for 15 minutes.
With natural gas prices
low, and with renewable energy
infrastructure growing,
Big Oil sees the plastics
industry as a lucrative backup
plan. If New York aspires
to divorce itself from oil as
reported in the article “NYS
selects 2 green energy projects
for massive NYC decarbonization
plan” (Sept. 21,
2021), then we must fi rst actualize
our Plastic Bag Ban.
Presently, the ban continues
to be ubiquitously ignored
by every deli and bodega,
small grocery store
and food truck or stand. It
doesn’t suffi ce to simply
enact this ban, the Department
of Environmental
Conservation must follow
through and begin fi ning
these establishments for
their failure to follow the
rule.
With more and more
studies pointing towards
the harmful effects of accumulative
ingestion and inhalation
of microplastics,
we must begin to change
our habitual over-reliance
on plastic. Once these businesses
start to follow the
rule, the people will respond
by bringing reusable
bags to stores.
Alex Corbett
LET US 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@cnglocal.com.
All letters, including those submitted via e-mail, MUST be signed and with a
verifi able address and telephone number included.
Note that the address and telephone number will NOT be published and the
name will be published or withheld upon request.
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right to edit all submissions.
more letters & comments on page 24
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