www.BXTimes.com BRONX WEEKLY March 15, 2020 6
Indoor baffl ing considered to mitigate gun range noise
in association with
BY JASON COHEN
Could temporary baffl
ing and a permanent
indoor shooting range
fi nally be coming to
Rodman’s Neck? While
NYPD offi cials claim so,
community members are
doubtful.
On Wednesday,
February 26, the 45th
Precinct Community
Council Rodman’s Neck
Monitoring Committee
held a meeting where
NYPD representatives
announced plans to have
temporary baffl ing in
place by the end of 2021
and in the next fi ve to
eight years construct a
permanent indoor shooting
range.
In 2017, Mayor de Blasio
announced a $275
million redevelopment
to Rodman’s Neck, yet
nothing has come to fruition
since.
Bob Bieder president
of the 45th Precinct Council
sees this as a step in
the right direction, but
said ‘do not count the
THE
chickens before the eggs
hatch.’
“At least we have a
vision in sight,” Bieder
said.
Joseph Notaro, deputy
inspector commanding
offi cer of the facilities
management division for
NYPD, did his best to assuage
the nerves of the
attendees. Notaro explained
they are preparing
the bid for the baffl
ing and should have a
contract by the end of the
year.
Notaro agreed that
this decade-long battle
to implement sound baffl
ing needs to come to a
fi nal resolution.
“We want to move
forward with indoor baffl
ing” Notaro said. “It’s
the only way we’re going
to mitigate the issue.
There’s really no other
place to put an operation
of this size in NYC.
If there’s another place
we could go we would explore
it. There just really
isn’t it.”
Meanwhile John
Doyle, a precinct council
board member and a City
Island community leader,
told the Bronx Times he
hopes the NYPD keeps
its word. He understands
the police need to train,
but feels there must be
a solution sooner rather
than later.
“There is a lost of
trust with some people
because this has been going
on for so many years,”
Doyle stressed. “Obviously
you guys aren’t going
anywhere. Everyone
on City Island myself included
has grown up with
you guys being there. Really
things we’re dealing
with now is how are we
going to be good neighbors.”
Doyle, who is a lifelong
resident of City Island,
said things have
gotten progressively
worse over time. Since
9/11 police have been
training with automatic
weapons, which are
much louder than arms
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used in the past.
Furthermore, in 2007
they were told the shooting
range was moving to
Queens, but those plans
fell through.
Doyle also explained
that this battle has persisted
over four administrations.
Mayor David
Dinkins promised
soundproofi ng in the 90s,
Giuliani and Bloomberg
tried and now its on De
Blasio.
Councilman Mark
Gjonaj was also in attendance.
He said this generation
long fi ght needs
to end.
“We’ve gone through
this for decades and my
fears, their fears, are that
administration after administration
has pledged
to fi nally end this problem,
but the residents of
City Island always seemsto
get lost,” Gjonaj said.
“If this project gets undermined
again, it will
be a decade before we revisit
it again.”
NYPD offi cials and members of the 45th Precinct Council Rodman’s Neck Monitoring
Committee at a meeting on Feb. 26
Photo Courtesy CM Mark Gjonaj’s offi ce
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