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Volume XXI • Number 14 • April 3 - 9, 2014 •
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New Klein law major setback for Montefiore State Senator Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) and Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz (D-Riverdale) announced the passage of a new state law that will subject every prospective health facility in Bronx County to an exhaustive—and mandatory—community review process before the project can break ground. A community forum on the new law has been scheduled for the Riverdale Y at 7:30 P.M. on Thursday, April 3. This provision, contained in this year’s New York State budget, will apply to Montefiore Hospital’s proposed development on Riverdale and Oxford Avenues. Specifically, the provision will allow local communities to weigh-in, via public forums, and to make formal recommendations to the Department of Health regarding the suitability of the facility’s proposed location as well as the facility’s potential impact on the surrounding community. As a result of the new community review process, Montefiore will be unable to construct any new facility at the proposed Riverdale site for at least 24 months. But some suggested that under law, the already filed plans could proceed, but not be changed. “You can’t change the rules in the middle of the game,” observed one community leader with knowledge of the project. “That’s
not just unfair, but possibly illegal. That’s why you have zoning regulationds But Senator Klein promised, “this project will never get built under my watch. I have been fighting this project from day one because everything about it, from its size to its location, is wrong for Riverdale. For months, Montefiore has been ignoring the concerns of our community. Today, all of that changes. Today, Montefiore must start changing its project based on the concerns of our community, or else this project—and every future project—will never see the light of day. This is a major victory for the Bronx and with this new mandate, health providers like Montefiore will never again be allowed to run amok in our borough.” Assemblyman Dinowitz concurred. “Montefiore put forth a proposal for a huge facility in our community without the slightest consultation with community residents or its elected representatives. Month after month, local residents turned out in record numbers to express their strong opposition. Unfortunately Montefiore has not listened. This new approval process is now part of the new state budget. Senator Klein proposed this language and led the way for the Senate to include it in its budget resolution. I was successful in securing the
support of the Assembly, ensuring that it was part of the final budget. When our community is impacted by a proposal for a large facility such as this, it is crucial that there be community input. We will not be left out of the discussion. We will have our say before any final decision is made.” But a spokesperson for Montefiore warned that the new law might result in forcing the construction of the project “as is,” in order to skirt the newly imposed legal requirements, That could result in a facility that doesn’t meet the needs of patients. “Montefiore’s priority is to provide the highest quality, most accessible healthcare options available for Riverdale and the Bronx. We plan to continue working with the community, as we have been, to ensure the final design reflects the needs and concerns of our friends and neighbors in Riverdale. It would be highly unfortunate if this new provision results in the construction of a significant development, which could be built “as of right” and is not restricted by this legislative language, in place of a healthcare facility for seniors, families and children.” Charles Moerdler, the chairman of the Land Use Committee of Community Board 8 said that his committee Continued on Page 3
Pols and community ask: ‘Where’s VC Park footbridge?’ Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D-Bronx) joined with Congressman Eliot Engel, State Senator Jose Serrano, City Council Member Andrew Cohen and community leaders this past weekend to call on the city Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to fulfill its long overdue promise to build a pedestrian footbridge over the Major Deegan Expressway, which would connect both sides of Van Cortlandt Park. Plans for the footbridge were originally made over 15 years ago. “The NYC Department of Environmental Protection has broken one promise after another that it made to our community,” Assemblyman Dinowitz said. “Year after year, lie after lie, our community has suffered because of the actions – or lack of action – by DEP.” Plans for a pedestrian footbridge over the Deegan were originally conceived in 1999 as part of an agreement to build a filtration plant in Van Cortlandt Park. The New York City Council approved of the building of the Croton Filtration Plant, a project that has endured billions of dollars of cost overruns, at the site of the Mosholu Golf Course driving range, but only after a series of provisions were included. One of the provisions was for the DEP to perform a study on the feasibility of building a pedestrian footbridge over the Major Deegan Expressway, which splits Van Cortlandt Park in half. As currently configured, pedestrians have no means of crossing from the eastern side of the park to the western side. If the building of a footbridge was deemed feasible, the city would then transfer funds to have it built. Due to legal wrangling and numerous
delays on the part of the city, the feasibility study wasn’t performed until 2010. The results of the study, performed by Philip Habib and Associates, affirmed both the
legality and feasibility of building the footbridge. In spite of the studies findings, the city has still refused to allocate funding for the project.
“The Croton Water Filtration Plant is billions of dollars over budget,” Dinowitz said, “and yet the DEP has Continued on Page 2
Supporters of a new foot-bridge include (l-r): Councilman Andrew Cohen, Senator Jose M. Serrano, Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitrz, Congressman Eliot Engel and Father Richard Gorman, Chairman of Community Board 12. -- Photo by David Greene