We saw your post asking Dan's position on the ice rink, and what sorts of activities Stuyvesant Town's zoning allows. At the request of the Tenants Association leadership, we recently sent a formal letter to the Department of City Planning asking about whether Stuyvesant Town's R7-2 zoning designation allows for any or all of the new commercial activities taking place or contemplated. For what it's worth, we had investigated the Oval Amenities as they were introduced, and concluded that there was no actionable zoning violation. Since these zoning questions are frequently rather complicated (as you undoubtedly learned from your call to our office), and since there are newer commercial activities contemplated, we thought it made most sense to nail down a clear articulation of the rules, in writing, from the appropriate authorities.
We will try to get an expedited response that we can share with you.
Dan Pasquini
Communications Director
City Council Member Dan Garodnick
(212) 788-7393
www.garodnick.com
www.twitter.com/dangarodnick
"There are newer commercial activities contemplated"??? The mind boggles.
ReplyDeleteIt's about time Councilman Garodnick and the TA stepped up to the plate on this issue.
ReplyDeleteIt's unbelievable what tenants had to go through to get the TA and Garodnick's attention focused on the zoning issue here. Makes you wonder why when the quality of life - especially for the many people living near or around the Oval - has been and continues to be so negatively impacted by the non-stop commercialization of the Oval. Clearly "Owner" CW Capitol and Management company, Rose Associates, don't care, but tenants expected - and deserved - more from those elected to head the TA and be our Council member. Very disappointing. And none of them will be getting my vote next time around.
Interesting that it took a request from the TA for Garodnick to send a query letter to the Dept of City Planning concerning commercial activities here in Stuy Town. This kinda states that Garodnick himself is not that motivated about the issue, doesn't it?
ReplyDelete"There are newer commercial activities contemplated"
ReplyDeleteThat's why this ice-skating rink is pivotal now. A watershed issue.
I think Mr. Garodnick is doing as much as he can do concerning this. After all, he does't get to say what Rose can and cannot do until he has explored all the legalities. I sent him a rather huffy email and he was nice enough to call me at home and assure me that his office was looking into the legalities of this skating rink. Remember, he's a councilman, not Ruler of the World! His powers are limited, but he does what he can and I believe he is sincere. If anyone is on the take, it's someone in the Zoning department or city hall.
ReplyDeleteHas Dan Garodnick explored the zoning issues in Stuy Town SINCE the Oval Essentials?
ReplyDeleteI wish Michael Moore would come in and do an expose on this place. I think the Tishman Speyer saga and the repercussions it has had on everyone from pensioners in California to the much abused tenants of PCVST would be good material for one of his documentaries. Anyone know how to contact him?
ReplyDeleteI did lay research on the zoning issue of Oval Amenities, and to my eye there certainly seemed to be "actionable violations", both under zoning and DHCR. They took away common space to create a private club, which would be addressed under the law as (I believe) not allowable. This is a preposterous bunch of doubletalk designed to avoid the responsibility of actually going to court and litigating the issues. CW and Rose will do whatever they damm please unless a court stops them. The councilman and his staff have ample opportunity and resources to engage the administration in determining if this indeed is in the best and legal interests of the constituency. If they're ultimately telling the community to "piss off" then I think the community needs to show up at their doorstep. The time is right to stand up to this bullshit !
ReplyDeleteManagement certainly didn't waste any time announcing the joys of their new skating rink to tenants. Dropped an Oval essentials flyer containing the info right at my door. For admission rates to the skating rink, however, you have to go online to their website, which DOES NOT HAVE SEEM TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION ON IT. Such a bunch of morons running this place. Maybe they're just afraid to actually say what they are charging. Oh, and, just in case you want to know. You can skate until 9PM EVERY NIGHT. I hope that tenants take to the streets (Oval) and protest, especially if there are bright lights, loud music and noise involved. Or maybe we just need a good old-fashioned lawsuit to stop this idiocy/insanity.
ReplyDeleteI'm thankful I don't live facing the Oval area, and I truly feel sorry for those that do.
ReplyDeleteI just read the skating rink info in the flyer they dropped at my door. Says the rink is for PCVST residents and their guests. Yeah, sure. LIKE ANYONE BELIEVES THAT. Anyone and everyone with the price of admission will be allowed in. That means that the immediate world will now be coming in here and using facilities that our collective rents pay to maintain. CW Capitol, Rose Associates - you are the lowest of the low, despicable, despicable, despicable. Can we sue them for taking away our free playground and putting in a pay-to-play skating rink? Surely this is a decrease in services.
ReplyDeleteEvery event here is for "PCVST residents and their guests," but is promoted outside the community and allows attendance by non-residents.
ReplyDeleteWhile we may not be able to stop them legally (though I hope we can), we all do get one important vote on their commercial endeavors. We get to vote with our wallets.
ReplyDeleteThat means you don't:
* buy food from the trucks in the Oval
* sign up for the Evil Atrocities
* become a member at their gym
* skate in the rink, or
* shop at the farmers' market
If you do, you are tacitly endorsing their policies and furthering their cause while impairing your own.
I am not talking about the legitimate businesses on the perimeter of the property--just the recent intrusions into our community that we are trying to eradicate. They can't make it work without a steady flow of dollars. Don't be the one that provides them.
I have been one of Dan Garodnick's harshest critics on this board. I was dead set against a Co-op conversion of the place and even formed a group to oppose any such action. Mr. Garodnick was gracious and pleasant when he called me to speak. We agreed to disagree but in a very civil manner, (him more so than me, my apologies to him in that regard). I respect the way he handled the situation. I continue to disagree with him about any conversion but I am absolutely convinced that Mr. Garodnick is not "on the take". I am sure he will do what he says he will do in this matter.
ReplyDeleteSince I do not live anywhere near the Oval my only concern is that this will worsen the already awful parking shortage in the area, what with families driving here to use the skating rink and all. No one seems to have mentioned that. I personally would like to hear Mr. Garodnicks position on this aspect of this whole nightmare.
Dan Grarodnick is next to useless.
ReplyDeleteHe is the king of double talk, and
never, ever will you get a straight answer out him or his office staff. The only thing this man is interested in is furthering his poltical carrer. Anyone would be foolish to to belive that they are getting a straight answer from either him or his office staff.
>>> We will try to get an expedited response that we can share with you. <<<
ReplyDeleteI think we should give Dan Garodnick and his useless staff an expedited responce!
Maybe it's going to take a class action law suit to put a stop to the illegal and abusive practices of Rose and CW. I think this is where the TA should step up to the plate. I hope they are not holding their fire because they are still nurturing dreams of buying this place. Time to get real, TA!
ReplyDelete>>>>We will try to get an expedited response that we can share with you.
ReplyDeleteDan Pasquini
Communications Director
City Council Member Dan Garodnick
(212) 788-7393
<<<<
I bet we never hear from this guy again.
Dear Mr. Pasquini, Communications Director for Dan Garodnick: What does Dan really think in his heart about the ice rink, apart from the pro forma inquiry into the fuzzy zoning questions? I see in the papers and on Dan's website that Dan is presently standing up to Ticketmaster and major recording artists like Katy Perry for the rights of consumers to buy face-value tickets. Very commendable. But are the ticket resellers doing anything illegal? The answer is no. Yet Dan is holding hearings in the City Council because he believes it is wrong to sell $75 tickets for $300 - even if it is legal. Dan should do the same thing here and stand up to the special servicer (CW is not the owner) on principle. The ice rink is a capital expenditure decision by a global financial services company on behalf of a suite of faceless nameless investors who are fumbling to recover 25 cents on the dollar of their multi-billion dollar bad investment. Please help, Dan. We need your leadership.
ReplyDeleteSince Councilman Garodnick's office KNOWS that "there are newer commercial activities contemplated", I - and I'm sure every other tenant living here who might be affected by them - want to know EXACTLY WHAT those newer commercial activities are going to be.
ReplyDeleteKnowledge is power and if we know what CW Capitol Offense and Rose Ripoff are have up their sleeves, maybe we can head them off at the pass.
Councilman?
Since the rent rolls here apparently do not cover the mortgage, I am wondering just how long CW Capitol can hold onto this place before it goes into default? Anyone?
ReplyDeleteSo, tenants will be PERMITTED to skate for free ONE measly hour a day, according to Adam Rose in T&V Newspaper last week. Yet Mr. Rose also goes on to say that the skating rink “wasn’t intended as a way of bringing in extra revenue.”
ReplyDeleteIf that isn't talking out of both sides of your mouth - AND THE BIGGEST LIE I HAVE EVER HEARD - I don't know what is! Do Rose Ripoff or CW Capitol Offense have a clue how “let them eat cake” that sounds?! I have two words for Adam Rose and Andrew MacArthur of CW Capitol and they're not "Happy Birthday"!!
One way to fight back is to NOT patronize ANY of their commercial impositions on tenants. Everyone here needs to put on their big girl or big boy pants and NOT SPEND MONEY at the food trucks, the Greenmarket, the skating rink, Oval Essentials, etc. VOTE WITH YOUR POCKETBOOKS PEOPLE! Money is power! And money – or the lack thereof – is the best way to thwart their continued plan to turn our community into their version of Disneyland. Short of legal action, it’s the only way that this uber-marketing of STPCV nightmare will stop.
It's 47 degrees and we have no heat. The stinking bastards certainly aren't spending any money on their LEGAL obligations to the tenants, but they have money for a bloody ice rink that is probably an illegal activity. Anyone notice they just increased the a/c contract fee without notice? I hate this fucking place.
ReplyDeleteThey're spending all this money on gimmicks to draw in the market rate crowd, but those tenants are going to be so disappointed when they sign a lease for an arm and a leg and then discover that the inside of the buildings are crap and that they can't get their washing done unless they go out to a public laundromat. If Rose and CW had a brain cell between them, they would update the laundry facilities and spruce up the insides of the buildings. Or at least clean the inside of the buildings!
ReplyDeleteThis is so clearly and egregiously a diminution of services that I just don't know how the TA can do anything other than file this with the DHCR. They take away a playground that kids use 365 days a year free of charge and put in an ice rink that we can only use for free for one hour a day! This is ludicrous. Next thing will be they'll charge us to enter the grounds and then charge us to enter our buildings. When and where will this joke of a management company end its bloodsucking of the tenants in order to pimp the property?
ReplyDeleteThe heck with Dan Garodnick where is the Tenants Association? They have been just horrible for the past few years. They all need to be replaced. In fact, a new Tenants Association is desperately needed.
ReplyDelete"The heck with Dan Garodnick where is the Tenants Association? They have been just horrible for the past few years. They all need to be replaced. In fact, a new Tenants Association is desperately needed."
ReplyDeleteAGREED!!!
Even their website is useless.
to anon. at 1019a Nov. 1
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly management's strategy.... To get residents so hopping mad that they leave.
Then your apartment gets re-rented for a big $$$ increase.
It's simple economics.
"to anon. at 1019a Nov. 1
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly management's strategy.... To get residents so hopping mad that they leave.
Then your apartment gets re-rented for a big $$$ increase.
It's simple economics."
I may be mad, but I'm not leaving. I am going to devote myself to getting the word out that this is a rotten place to move to.
Curious as to the Councilman's stand if he had a noisy and crowded ice skating rink outside his window.
ReplyDeleteVery curious.
Maybe his baby likes to fall asleep to the OMG screams of crack-the-whip at 9PM while lights shine into his bedroom and his crib rattles from the sound of Katy Perry and maybe even organ music cranked up to 11! But I bet not! Maybe Dan would like to swap apartments with an Oval dweller for a week. Then, at least, his perspective would be a informed one. Right now, all the usual suspects are just spewing pablum to the masses, hoping we'll just mutter and go away while they march full steam ahead opening commercial venture after commercial venture knowing no one will stop them. Can't wait to hear from the poor fools who end up living over Oval Dry Cleaners, Oval Billiards, Oval Karaoke, Oval Bowling, Oval Cafe, and that 24-hour favorite: Oval 7/11. They're coming!
ReplyDeleteMaybe if we all work together really hard, we can get the community taken over as the city and converted into a real subsidized development. We'd be the nicest "project" in the city, and then we'd get what we all feel we're deserved: a golden ticket to a cheap Manhattan apartment for the privileged few who "got in". That sounds democratic, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteMaybe if we all work together really hard, we can get the community taken over as the city and converted into a real subsidized development. We'd be the nicest "project" in the city, and then we'd get what we all feel we're deserved: a golden ticket to a cheap Manhattan apartment for the privileged few who "got in". That sounds democratic, doesn't it?
ReplyDeleteSounds bitter.