Message from Councilman Mark Gjonaj
BRONX TIMES REPORTER, A 40 UGUST 23-29, 2019 BTR
COUNCILMAN MARK GJONAJ
BY GEORGE HAVRANEK
It is time to bring the ‘M’
word into community conversations.
The M word is absent
of vitriol; however, it relays
strong messages to the nefarious
developers that prey on
our community. The M word
is Moratorium, the legal temporary
prohibition of certain
activities. It is evident that
moratoriums on ‘as of right’
buildings must be enacted to
improve our quality of life.
Real estate developments
through as-of-right regulations
are critical factors in
the quality of life equation. Asof
right developments are not
subjected to reviews by community
boards, City Planning
Commissions 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.
The concept of as-of-right
is to speed up the legal processes
to relieve the burdens of
the NYC housing crisis. However,
in recent years a steady
stream of real estate developments
has brought a massive
infl ux of people into our community
without an increase to
essential services.
Developer friendly, as-ofright
building regulations
have created mushroom fi elds
of vertical and low level buildings.
These substantial increases
to environmental density
and population have been
greeted with unwarranted
cuts to essential services including
the attrition-based
losses of police personnel in local
precincts. As-of-right development
has negatively affected
our education system. A rash
of new housing developments
have occurred in severely over
crowded school districts without
a plan to accommodate the
anticipated deluge of new students.
It is not surprising that
the current four-year graduation
rate for Bronx high school
students is an abysmal 68%.
The abuse of as-of-right builds
by greedy investors and inaction
by our city offi cials has severely
burdened every aspect
of our community’s infrastructure
and essential services.
The spirit of the as-of-right development
is well intentioned.
However, when continuously
utilized in stressed communities
the intentions become at
best questionable and at worst
unethical. The time has come
to place a moratorium on unimpeded
as-of-right developments.
This pause is needed
to properly analyze and assess
the state of our community
with the hope of elevating our
quality of life.
Cease and desist is a regulation
designed to protect homeowners
from unwanted real
estate solicitations. Technological
advancements have
created new pathways for unscrupulous
investors to prey
upon our communities. The
old method of wallpapering
a neighborhood with cash offers
to buy homes has been replaced
by computer generated
phone calls, text messages, and
e-mails. This new dynamic
makes it troublesome for many
individuals to properly document,
detail, and report all
unwanted solicitations. Due
to this dramatic change, the
option to enroll in a Cease
and Desist program should be
available to all homeowners.
The stroke of a pen can turn
a warehouse into a high rise;
that pen can easily make a
cease and desist option available
to every homeowner. In
this circumstance, total inclusion
is the proper solution.
Earlier this year legislation
1004 overwhelmingly and quietly
passed the City Council.
The legislation established a ‘pilot
program’ in a small portion
of Brooklyn that legalized certain
basement apartments. According
to City Council member
Brad Ladner, “Converting
basement units into safe and
legal housing is an important
way to address the NYC affordable
housing crisis…it will also
enable us…to smartly expand
the program to neighborhoods
around the city.”
All eligible homes must be
owner occupied; however, the
screening and inspection procedures
are clearly fl awed.
Currently, a vast majority of
311 complaints related to illegal
tenancy/ certifi cate of occupancy
in Bronx County are
closed due to access refusals.
The unreliable method of monitoring
this assertive housing
plan is an enticement to absentee
landlord investors. Recent
studies by the National
Institute for Health revealed
a strong relationship between
absentee landlords and a negative
quality of life. The studies
logically concluded that homes
with absentee landlords are
more likely to be neglected and
become points of neighborhood
nuisances than those with an
owner living on premise. Area
residents must take a proactive
stance and make it abundantly
clear that this pilot program
will not be permitted to land in
our community.
Political leaders to gauge
a community’s strength use
the attendances at local civic
association meetings. Large
turnouts by our community
showed our elected offi cials
that we have the fortitude and
resolve needed to confront adversity.
The next meeting of
the Spencer Estate Civic Association
is Wednesday, September
18, 7:30p.m., at the Knights
of Columbus (corner of Ampere
and Research avenues)
Our valued friend, Councilman
Mark Gjonaj is the scheduled
keynote speaker for our
second half kick-off. Any area
homeowner or renter interested
in membership to the all
inclusive Spencer Estate Civic
Association in box George
Havranek on Facebook or
send-email with subject matter
Spencer Estate to gghh55@
aol.com.
Hi again and hope you are
enjoying the end of the summer.
I don’t give in until the
fi rst snowfl ake falls!
On Sunday, September 15
Korony Post regular meeting
resume at American Turners,
the Turner Club, regular time
at 11 a.m. All Legion family
members are invited. Please
bring a potential new member.
Lunch always follows. Please
come out and make sure to
support our new post offi cers
and see what’s happening as
we start our new season in the
Legion’s 101st year.
On Sunday, September 15
there will be a10 a.m. Mass at
St. Frances de Chantal Church
with a procession to the Redwood
Club for a wreath presentation
remembering those
who perished in the attacks of
9/11.
Just found out Sunday, October
13, is the Annual Columbus
Day Parade for the Morris
Park area.
Have a safe, happy and fun
fi lled Labor Day Weekend. Remember
those who work hard
every day...and it’s a holiday
so fl y you fl ag.
Until next time: Only when
there is the power of love instead
of the love of power will
there be peace. - Jimi Hendrix
Public Safety remains a concern
throughout NYC, however the Bronx
has historically had the highest crime
rates out of all the boroughs. After attending
several community meetings
throughout the district, meeting with
the Community Board and constituents,
it is evident that we do not feel
safe in our neighborhoods. Hence, I
have made it my priority to devise a
plan with our local precincts to enhance
safety and further collaborate
with the NCO’s and the community.
A fundamental aspect of achieving
safety involves the installations of
NYPD Argus cameras throughout the
district. Argus cameras are located approximately
20 feet off the ground, underneath
white boxes that are clearly
marked with the NYPD insignia and
“NYPD Area Under Surveillance.”
These cameras have not only captured
hundreds of images that have led to the
capture of perpetrators, but also serve
as a major deterrence against crimes.
As such, in Fiscal Year 2019 I allocated
funding for the installation of
several NYPD Argus cameras. After a
year of anticipated wait, I am happy to
report that NYPD Argus cameras have
been installed across the 13th Council
District at the following locations:
• northeast corner of Bridge Street
and City Island Avenue
• Bruckner Boulevard, westside, 1
block north of Wilkinson Avenue
• Wilkinson Avenue, northside,
1 block east of Bruckner Boulevard,
southbound Service Road
• southeast corner of Tratman Avenue
and St. Peters Avenue
• Lane Avenue, northside, 1 block
east of Benson Street
• southwest corner of East Tremont
Avenue and Waterbury Avenue
• northwest corner of Dewey Avenue
and Cross Bronx Expressway
southbound
• northeast corner of Brush Avenue
and The Home Depot entrance
• Zerega Avenue, northside 1 block
east of Westchester Avenue
• Crosby Avenue and Westchester
Avenue
It is my hope that with the installation
of these Argus cameras, in conjunction
with the dedicated work of
our local precincts, City Council District
13 will be that much safer for everyone
to live, work, and enjoy. But,
our work is far from fi nished.
Although District 13 is considered
relatively safe based on reported
crimes by constituents, it is important
that we report crimes to 911 and then
follow up with you NYPD Neighborhood
Coordination Offi cers (NCOs). If
more crimes are reported, the NYPD
will provide the 45th and 49th precincts
with more police offi cers. Together
we can make our neighborhoods
safer, cleaner and better.
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