Who are they fooling? Yeah, sure it's free... But you'll have to move aside when the events that won't be free will be occurring during "programming hours." Like:
"Keep your kids active with youth baseball clinics & batting cages by Peter Stuyvesant Little League, soccer clinics from PCVST favorite Super Soccer Stars, instructional basketball leagues from Dribbl, and even youth golf clinics from Kate Tempesta's Urban Golf Academy. Play basketball throughout the cold months with the NYC Basketball League, running organized games for adults."
At Playground 11. Another gimmick with a cost attached to it. Approved by the Tenants Association and our councilman, Dan Garodnick.
Meanwhile, we learn that Management refused to let the police distribute flyers alerting residents to thefts taking place in ST/PCV and never alerted residents about the sex assault suspect that tried to rape a woman in Stuy Town last week.
71 comments:
Welcome back
How do you know that this is approved by the TA and Garodnick?
Meanwhile, we learn that Management refused to let the police distribute flyers alerting residents to thefts taking place in ST/PCV
I had not heard this one. Can you provide more details? It doesn't surprise me and it would not surprise me if hey were not reporting or discouraging the reporting of crimes to the PD.
>>How do you know that this is approved by the TA and Garodnick?<<
http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/winter-indoor-sports-coming-to-a-stuyvesant-town-playground
>>Welcome back<<
Thanks!
>>I had not heard this one. Can you provide more details? It doesn't surprise me and it would not surprise me if hey were not reporting or discouraging the reporting of crimes to the PD.<<
Reported on the TA Facebook by someone who attended a police community meeting: "At the 13th police precinct community meeting this evening, one of the officers said that after a number of burglaries by Management contractors occurred in STPCV, he tried to distribute flyers in buildings on how to prevent burglaries but - surprise, surprise - Management refused to let him."
Welcome back STR. We promise to behave ourselves!
You are right! Those quislings at the TA did approve! I'll never trust them again.
Indeed, welcome back! You were TRULY missed!
Ultimate goal is to have The Oval Pool...naturally for residents and their guests only...wink, wink. Then the rape of our community will be complete.
But where will they put the Summer Oval Concerts which we all love and miss? The soothing sounds of the megas blasting at 140 decibels...ah...to be replaced by the splashing, unwashed throngs waiting for a dip in the feces and pee infested water hole...the humanity of it all...lol
The Summer Oval Concerts are going to be held on the New Resident Services roof. Bye the way, another playground(11) taken away from me for MY recreational use? Isn't this technically a reduction in services? What a joke.
It would only be fair to set up a sound system that shares the noise pollution with those giving themselves a power to approve it and "approving" it, Dan and The Steinberg/Marsh Association.
To have each and every whistle that blows, bat cracks or screams and cheers and all accompanying sounds that go with sports facilities as this simultaneously sound off at the apartment buildings of those "approving" this.
To have 1000 people parade in and out of their apartment buildings 4X a day every day as on the first ave loop - when they come to and from work and to and from lunch hour.
And pipe the Oval concerts into their apartment buildings at the same decibel during each and every concert.
That would be fair.
CW Capital through Compass Rock is monetizing our open space. Legal?
We, the members of the TA, including anyone who signed Unity Pledge-- should take CW Capital and Compass Rock to"the Courts", as in time to sue, see you in Court for diminution of services. PG 11 is not underutilized and did not need a developer to fix it because it's not broken.
Again, James Roth’s 5/12/2012 letter to the T&V. Let’s all ride down that slippery slope. A very foretelling letter. Indeed.
To the Editor:
It is unfortunate that Council Member Garodnick has gone along with CW and Rose in sidestepping the zoning rules (and apparently ignoring the “clearly incidental” and “customarily found” requirements found in the Zoning Resolution definition of Accessory Use) to allow the return of the greenmarket to the Oval under the pretense that its availability will be limited to “residents and their guests only,” and the return of food trucks at “special events.”
Notably, “special events” are not defined so, presumably, anything that CW and Rose declare to be a special event, perhaps even the greenmarket, will qualify. By agreeing to this pretense, the Council Member has ignored the primary complaint about the greenmarket – its location on the Oval – and opened the door to CW and Rose further exploit the Oval as a commercial and event space, without limit, merely by claiming the activities are limited to “residents and their guests only.”
According to the Council Member, management has agreed to add language to its perimeter sidewalk signs and on any of their materials referencing the market that the market is for “residents and their guests only” and are in the process of correcting any outstanding public references to the market being open to the public. While GrowNYC has removed the reference to the market being open to the public, it contains a map of the market’s location and a link to management’s website for more information and, as of April 29, one week before the market’s opening, neither that site nor management’s own site has added the language for “residents and their guests only” or any other language that would indicate that it is not open to he public.
During his tenure, Council Member Garodnick has, generally, represented the ST/PCV community well and has done many good things on behalf of it. His acquiescence in CW and Rose’s charade to continue the presence of the greenmarket on the Oval is not one of them and will only embolden the property’s current mercenary management to create more Oval annoyances, of course — wink, nod – for “residents and their guests only.”
James J. Roth, P
Words proven true.
Dan Garodnick and the so-called TA sicken and disgust me. I want nothing more to do with them. I wish I could get back my annual dues for the past 35 years!
Garodnick has totally hijacked the TA and they just are NOT a trustworthy group any more.
So....if this is "pay for play"...,,,
how about a rent rebate for reduction of services?
Sounds valid.
PS. Greedy money grubbing management.
PPS. Again thanks Mr. Councilman Garodnick aka corporate shill and sellout.
Yep. you are so right STR. And now they are upgrading the LIGHTS in the building (not needed) and the stairway (not needed). KA CHING MCI.
thanks Dan.
Dr. @ Bellevue tests positive ebola.
Yep. you are so right STR. And now they are upgrading the LIGHTS in the building (not needed) and the stairway (not needed). KA CHING MCI. >>>>>
That's to accomodate the bros who shit in the stairwells.
What building? And everything they do is NOT an MCI! Relax.
http://www.stpcvta.org/ta/post/winter-indoor-sports-coming-to-a-stuyvesant-town-playground
STR - Please stop inferring that the TA has real control or influence over what CWCapital does here. IT DOES NOT. The TA does NOT own the property.
Regarding the "farmers market" signs should be posted, a far superior legitimate true farmers market is located at Union Square.
>>STR - Please stop inferring that the TA has real control or influence over what CWCapital does here. IT DOES NOT. The TA does NOT own the property.<<
I'm not inferring that it does. What I am inferring is that the TA's statement on "The Courts" was a limp surrender.
Oval pool baby, Oval pool! Can't wait to see how low this place can go! Doesn't the TA have any say in ANY of this B.S.? ANY SAY?
That is the Ebola Decontamination Tent.
8:13 Hi Compass Rock - It most certainly is an Mci, it most certainly is and will be. We're not as stupid as you'd like to think.
CW Capital runs focus groups all the time with new tenants -not us olds- and this may be a result of that. So, like the rink, it will probably be welcomed by newer, younger residents and hated by us old timers. If the noise from the indoor court isn't disturbing people in surrounding buildings and if it's use is limited to residents and their guests, there probably isn't much the TA can or should do.
Filed an overcharge form with Dhcr months ago. Where is the poster who has done same and how long does it take before Dhcr verifies and audits charges?
Have heard nothing since filing.
I can't believe that anyone would run a letter from James Roth. He is a deeply confused guy with a very unpleasant agenda....right out of the FBI playbook.
Quite correct, but... The TA could have organized picket lines outside the entrance to the skating rink. I'm sure that at least the residents of the nearby buildings would have joined in. I would've, and I'm not even that close.
How many residents would cross a picket line full of their neighbors? We could have starved the beast to death, and buried it 3 years ago.
Playground 11 is already prepped for outside entities, organized adult leagues, teaching clinics, sport camps, etc.. These events will not be free, installed lighting will dictate beyond dusk activities, Avenue C loop will be another parking disaster.
Regarding batting cages, the constant "pinging" from aluminum bats will be a joyous sound to nearby tenants & serene Oval dwellers.
>>STR - Please stop inferring that the TA has real control or influence over what CWCapital does here. IT DOES NOT. The TA does NOT own the property.<<
I'm not inferring that it does. What I am inferring is that the TA's statement on "The Courts" was a limp surrender.
Of course you are. You act as if the TA can control everything that happens around here when it can NOT. In this article, STR, you said: "At Playground 11. Another gimmick with a cost attached to it. Approved by the Tenants Association and our councilman, Dan Garodnick."
Approved? It was NOT approved by the TA and, if that isn't inferring that the TA has real control or influence over what CWCapital does here, I don't know what is.
SO another 4 weeks of living over a building site as that intrusion knows as a skating rink is constructed where no skating rink belongs. And there will be another 4 weeks of the same 7 day a week general construction mayhem when they take it down in the spring. SO... 8 weeks of chaos, one sixth of the year disturbing the peace of our community for the "pleasure" of maybe 200-300 families... and that is a generous estimate. SO the thousands of families who live around the Oval are punished having their peace and quiet and enjoyment of the Oval poisoned for the pleasure of 200 or 300 families who show up once or twice a week. Yes, sounds like a real resident focused, in tune management plan to me.
Next .........McOval.
I thought it was the Mom Zomb Box Wine Refill Center?
@11:10 AM The TA is an impotent group of volunteers. They don't have much power over anything other than their sad postcard mailings.
>>Approved? It was NOT approved by the TA<<
It's what is called "tacit approval." The TA stepped into it with that notice on its website.
"The TA could have organized picket lines outside the entrance to the skating rink. I'm sure that at least the residents of the nearby buildings would have joined in. I would've, and I'm not even that close.
How many residents would cross a picket line full of their neighbors? We could have starved the beast to death, and buried it 3 years ago."
Maybe you would have come out, but what about all the people who didn't show up to protest outside the leasing office about the midlease increases? What about all the people who live in the buildings near the new management office who didn't attend the meetings with management to protest? What about all the ineffective venting here by people who address the TA on someone else's blog and expect an answer? How about coming out to question people using the ice rink and Playground 11 to see if they really live here? What about writing objections directly to Andy Kane?
One of the other commenters is right--a lot of people love the "amenities" already imposed on us and I'll bet they're going to love the activities in Playground 11. The best way to get rid of these things is to not use them--don't use the ice rink, don't go to the obnoxious concerts, don't use Oval whatever. CW has put them in to suck more money out of us. If they don't make money, the outfits running them will pull out or CW will have to pay them off to stay.
The TA could have organized picket lines outside the entrance to the skating rink.
The TA isn't likely to organize picket lines any time soon after the embarrassing tenant response to the mid-lease leasing office picket line.
STR- The TA can't do shit about the owner installing a tent over playground 11. And IMO that wasn't tacit approval on their website, it was (a) a notice to residents about the coming tent that the landlord didn't bother to issue and (b) a warning to mgmt to not let it get loud under the tent at night and not to allow it's use by non-residents - which the TA can actually do something about.
>>The TA isn't likely to organize picket lines any time soon after the embarrassing tenant response to the mid-lease leasing office picket line.<<
Absolutely right.
>>STR- The TA can't do shit about the owner installing a tent over playground 11. And IMO that wasn't tacit approval on their website, it was (a) a notice to residents about the coming tent that the landlord didn't bother to issue and (b) a warning to mgmt to not let it get loud under the tent at night and not to allow it's use by non-residents - which the TA can actually do something about.<<
I read it differently. No fight in that posting, just some passive cautions thrown in. If the TA can't manage to respond to such "amenities" (commercial ventures), then they should keep quiet and not embarrass themselves.
BTW, prepare yourself, because I'm going to come down hard on the TA in future postings. Right now, it is sadly an organization that is not looking out for tenants' interests and affordable housing, but still pipe-dreaming about condos. Its secrecy and lack of response on crucial issues is overwhelmingly damning. A revolution is needed inside that organization.
STR - Since the new Playground 11 amenities are slated to be for residents and their guests only, they fit with the unfortunate finding of the City Planning Commission's definition of not being commercial. If you ran the TA, please state EXACTLY what you would do to prevent Management's stated plan for Playground 11 from being implemented. Thank you
Do we still have a Tenants Association? I hadn't noticed.
The TA facebook has turned into a classifieds/kvetch page. There is nothing of substance ever posted by the TA itself. The only time John Marsh/Peter Stuyvesant bothers to comment is to correct somebody's syntax or chide them for what he considers rudeness. I'm assuming that Peter Stuyvesant is Marsh, though it could well be some other old lady. I really fail to see the point of the TA's existence.
>>STR - Since the new Playground 11 amenities are slated to be for residents and their guests only, they fit with the unfortunate finding of the City Planning Commission's definition of not being commercial. If you ran the TA, please state EXACTLY what you would do to prevent Management's stated plan for Playground 11 from being implemented. Thank you<<
At this point it's a lost issue because of the allowance of commercial ventures into ST/PCV ("for residents and their guests") courtesy the surrender on this issue from our councilman Dan Garodnick. The one possible caveat is that charging for use of Playground 11, even part-time, may be a reduction of services.
Again, if the TA can't do anything, they should stay mum on the issue instead of tacitly agreeing to such usage of a playground.
what TA. We have no TA and we all know this even the TA knows this. Let's ask them to kindly step down and we rebuild.
"The TA facebook has turned into a classifieds/kvetch page."
And this differs from other Facebook pages how exactly? Plenty of kvetching going on here too. Every business has a Facebook page which is used for unrelenting promotion. Web sites can be used for informational purposes.
Next up? OVAL BEER GARDEN. Why not? Might as well dig the hole even deeper, don't ya think?
STR - They're tenting the basketball courts so that same residents playing there now can continue playing in the winter. Now CRock can advertise year round b-ball.
Yeah the tent may be an eyesore, and yeah it's something to keep an eye on, but that's about it for now. Really. I just checked and the sky's not falling.
The excerpt below from the TA's website announcement about Playground 11 says it all. Very simply, the TA was getting inquiries from tenants about what was going on and responded to those requests for information. You know, STR, one thing a good TA does is keep its tenants informed about what's happening on the property. Why you have a problem with that is beyond me and many others, I am willing to bet. They even say straight out that they were not advised or consulted about Management's plans for Playground 11. I agree with the TA that it could be a positive addition, if it isn't disruptive to the community.
"Wonder what is happening? The digging is in preparation for a tent to be constructed over the playground, and the trench in progress is for electrical wiring to provide light and heat, so that sports can take place during the winter.
While we all would have appreciated it if CWCapital had advised and consulted with the community in advance about this project, it could be a positive addition provided that (1) the noise from the heating equipment is not disruptive; (2) the hours do not extend to a time when it disturbs residents around the playground; (3) it is limited in use to residents and their guests and that use is enforced; and (4) that there is free and convenient open time for all members of the community.
At this time, we don’t know precisely when the project will be open and other relevant details. We understand management will be communicating with tenants in the near future, and expect them to address these questions.
Oval Beer Garden: You do know that CW applied for a liquor license for the cafe awhile ago? They withdrew that application but could apply again. If you care about booze being served in the Oval, keep an eye on the Community Board 6 schedule.
"The TA facebook has turned into a classifieds/kvetch page. There is nothing of substance ever posted by the TA itself. "
I don't know about you but I appreciated the email from the TA telling me about the attempted rape in ST. The info was posted on Facebook. Even STR printed the email--the only info that went directly to tenants. I posted the email on every floor in my building. Anybody else here do that?
Anonymous said...
I can't believe that anyone would run a letter from James Roth. He is a deeply confused guy with a very unpleasant agenda....right out of the FBI playbook.
October 25, 2014 at 12:52 AM
The letter seems to have been a pretty accurate prediction.
Can you elaborate on deeply confused and unpleasant agenda?
And what does out the FBI playbook mean?
>>I agree with the TA that it could be a positive addition, if it isn't disruptive to the community.<<
A positive addition that uses facilities, in part, for commercial purposes.
>>I agree with the TA that it could be a positive addition, if it isn't disruptive to the community.<<
A positive addition that uses facilities, in part, for commercial purposes.
You need to get over this, STR. Even if Garodnick hadn't caved, there was no way that the mercenary CWCapital was going to give up on commercializing this property. They would have found a way.
This place is ruined forever and is not being run properly, and EVERYONE knows it! Maybe METLIFE will buy this place back at the current low price and get rid of these people once and for all. We need to get rid of this circus atmosphere, but unfortunately, we do not have much power to do so.
Gee, I remember when all the recreation facilities were completely free and included as part of your rent. Met never charged an extra 5 cents for the use of any playground. The way I see it now, between the admission charge to 11, the Christmas tree store in 9 and the rink in 10, they've taken 75% of the Oval playgrounds away from tenants. If that doesn't qualify as a dimunition of services, I don't know what would.
What "commercial purposes," what "in part," STR?
Is this a fact or is this you speculating?
You must have missed this:
"Keep your kids active with youth baseball clinics & batting cages by Peter Stuyvesant Little League, soccer clinics from PCVST favorite Super Soccer Stars, instructional basketball leagues from Dribbl, and even youth golf clinics from Kate Tempesta's Urban Golf Academy. Play basketball throughout the cold months with the NYC Basketball League, running organized games for adults."
All of these are commercial entities. Payment required.
>>You need to get over this, STR.<<
Why? It's a part of our tenant history.
Get over what? Maybe we should NOT PAY RENT-- due to diminish of services.
"Gee, I remember when all the recreation facilities were completely free and included as part of your rent."
Not only were they free, there was a Recreation Dept. staffed with real live people to organize games and make sure everyone played nice. Of course that was when we had attendants in the laundry rooms, green grass everywhere, and security patrolled on foot.
The determination that needs to be made is whether the playgrounds are considered de minimis, meaning that the courts will refuse to consider matters regarding the playgrounds because they consider those matters to be trifling. If they are de minims, then restrictions on their use (or their elimination altogether) would NOT mean a reduction in services. It's technical and legal, despite how clear it seems to tenants to be a decrease in services.
STR
>>All of these are commercial entities. Payment required.<<
From the TA website: "it could be a positive addition provided that... (3) it is limited in use to residents and their guests and that use is enforced; and (4) that there is free and convenient open time for all members of the community."
It strikes me that your commercial entities could come in conflict with points (3) and (4) in the TA's notice. If the TA gets complaints from resident b-ball and/or volleyball players about lack of access because of commercial entities then I'd expect the TA to act. Remember zogsports?
I like 934's answer.
We're screwed.
I'm curious about the ROBERTS ruling.
Correct me if I'm wrong: TS inflated rents way beyond what was legal since the property is part of J52 and many rents were rolled back.
? Yes or ?
I only ask because isn't the current landlord doing same with MR who are new or very recent? Please explain someone.
Have all the playgrounds been open till 9pm as stated the new indoor courts will be open from 9am thru 9pm
To 8:30 a.m.: The Roberts case can be confusing and I can't explain it all. It decided that a landlord can't deregulate apartments while getting a J-51 tax benefit (essentially double-dipping). If I recall correctly, MetLife and TS claimed that the J-51 applied to only some apartments, not all of them, so they could take some apartments out of rent regulation altogether. After a number of appeals, the courts sided with the plaintiffs and what landlords had been doing for decades (with the acquiescence of government) was clearly prohibited. The terms of the settlement are complicated and not always beneficial to the tenants, but one result is that all apartments here now fall under rent stabilization even if the rent is over $2,500 and household income is above $200,000 dollars. This changes in 2020, when the J-51 expires. While all this has been going on, CW (and TS before it) churned the apartments to get the rents as high as they could. Some are way above market rate. In those cases, they charge less than what they're legally entitled to. That's called a preferential rent. When the lease comes up for renewal, they can jack the rent up all the way to the legal amount (which includes the annual RGB increase and MCIs)--that can be hundreds of dollars more. Through all this, the apartment remains rent stabilized (until 2020). That's the short version.
It's pretty simple, if you don't like it and are so miserable then just move.
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