[there is still more info I need to get here, but honestly I’m ok with not publishing this story, there isn’t so much news here, the board voted to take a little time to think over joining a coalition and a guy presented concept art for his dream penn station. I’m glad i got to cover a community board meeting but i learned from this i should have used it to find a story (in this case the coalition) rather than try to make the meeting itself into the story…]
/the L train part of this would have made a fine breaking news story, with comments from riders and more info from the people on both sides of the issue./
During their monthly full Board meeting, which met on the Evening of Wednesday October 5th at Mount Sinai West Hospital In Hell’s Kitchen, Manhattan’s Community Board four Voted to table a resolution form with other local Community Boards a Coalition to advocate for neighborhoods on Manhattan’s the West side in regards to the 18th month closing of the L Train in Manhattan. While the MTA has made accommodations for commuters on the east side during the L trains closing, such as a ferry service and extensive renovations to the 1st Avenue and Bedford Street stations during their closure. The proposed coalition’s goal is to fight for those same accommodations to be offered to the West Side, including the ferry service and renovations to the West Side’s 6th and 8th Avenue Stations.
While many Board members supported the goals of the coalition, they were also apprehensive of joining any groups which would expand their purview over area’s they weren’t appointed to represent or allowing other boards who were not appointed to represent them to speak for the needs of CB4’s Constituents. Jean Daniel Noland a member of the board said “I’m always wary of joining coalition’s because they might come up with a position which is contrary to Community Board Four’s positions, so then what do you do? It’s kind of difficult.” /I think this is a very good story, FYI/
Noland said that likely the coalition is a good Idea, but that he would need to know more before he supports CB4 joining it. “we can’t join until we know what the coalition is and what they stand for. All that kind of stuff we have to know first. The community board is sort of a city agency so we have to be careful about joining other groups. Everything that we write has to go through the public process.” He said.
On the other hand Jeffrey Le Francois who supported the idea of Joining the coalition said (TK cause this guy keeps pushing me off and then not responding to emails! Hopefully I can get ahold of him tonight!)
The community Board, which Covers the neighborhoods of Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen met for over two hours, fielding complaints from the public, addresses by representatives of local elected officials, and a variety of presentations, as well as voting on several bills from the boards constituent councils.
Amongst the public complaints issues related to disability access in local buildings and noise complaints due to local restaurants were raised. Representatives from the offices of local elected officials also addressed the crowd. Following that there was a brief hearing on a dispute regarding parking spaces in a new Luxury apartment building in Chelsea [Gomez’s story, we could put a link], and announcement for the NYC Compost Project’s annual pumpkin smash.
The largest Portion of the Evening was a presentation by VIshaan Chakrabarti, of the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) on a potential Plan to renovate New York’s Penn station, and relocate the Madison Square Garden arena which sits atop it. Both of these buildings fall within CB4’s Neighborhood. As of Yet the plans are only theoretical, since gaining the required financial backing and convincing the Arena to move is not an insignificant feat. In addition Governor Cuomo recently announced an alternative plan to revamp the station. Nonetheless Chakrabarti believes that if the city ever had the desire his plan is a feasible and superior option. The Plan would involve moving Maddison Square Garden across the street into the area of what is now the Iconic James a Farley Post Office Building, while the garden’s current building would be mostly demolished it’s frame would be preserved to build a large glass structure which would bring much needed light into the station and provide a space for luxury shopping.
After Chakrabarti’s speech the board voted on several resolutions all except the Westside Coalition were passed with little or no dispute.