- Home
- Editorial
- SPACES
- Global Village
- The Angry Buddhist
- Progress Report
- COLUMNS
- CARTOONS
- Talking Point I
- Talking Point II
- Gallery Seen
- News
- Opinion
- Arts
- Scoopy's
- In Pictures
- Real Estate
- Villager Blog
- Special Sections
- Film Fest
- Sponsored Content
- Why Pink?
- Art Corner
- 80th Anniversay
- Pride
- Meat Market
- Progress
- Union Square
- Volunteers
- Literature
- Downtown Directory
- From the publisher
- Community Listings
- Handicapped & Disabled Services
- Health Services
- Hotels
- Legal & Financial Services
- Neighborhood Associations
- Police
- Political Organizations
- Post Offices
- Public Officials
- Recreation
- After School Programs, Daycare and Nursery Schools
- AIDS Services
- Business Associations
- Cultural Organizations
- Education Colleges & Universities
- Educational Services
- Libraries
- Museums & Attractions
- Jobs
Dick Gottfried ,My Assembly member, as Failed us and Betrayed the community by grandfathering in the Heliport in HIS DISTRICT.
Gottfried's quote To reporter Dana Rubenstein of Capital New York:
“In theory if things don’t work out well, it could either stay for a longer time or we might need to change the law to put in a deadline,” Gottfried acknowledged, when I asked him if, in theory, the heliport could stay in place in the middle of Hudson River Park forever.
After years of litigation to enact the Hudson River Park Act and remove an illegal business from the park-the abhorrent Heliport-Madelyn Wils and the Hudson River Park Trust put into this legislation the ability for the heliport to remain EXACTLY WHERE IT IS…..the is no language in this bill requiring the heliport to move….UNLESS ALL PARTIES AGREE to move to some other location.
So after winning in court Dick Gottfried caves into Mike Bloomberg and his girlfriends demand to change the Act's legislation to allow the heliport to remain exactly where it is.
AND Dick Gottfried wants to build housing in his districts parkland and is looking forward to the Jan session to once again change the legislation to build luxury housing in a flood zone.
How about you fix the water fountain on Pier 84 which has not worked for 2 years already and stop representing developers interest only.
No community input but his OWN INTERESTS.
SHAME on Gottfried who has sold out the park once again.
THANK GOD this is the end of the NID now.
Thanks for the help with the union busting in the Hudson River Park, HKRes.
HKRes, your usual anonymous and vitriolic posting has made more clear than ever that both Glick,
AND the basic lack of understanding of local politics and budgeting by anonymous blogger types and
neighborhood meeting attendees, are both equally the problem.
Dick Gottfried could have been a hero and a visionary, but
had to be a pragmatist because of the combination of loud voices
and no economically viable non luxe housing alternative ideas.
Glick blocked soccer, lumping it in with housing inappropriately.
Gottfried would have gone for it.
He gave up more in his district in this new law, and risked more,
in order to get ANY kind of deal done. Difficult. But leadership.
In my opinion, he simply got tired of having to answer to the George Capsis's and HKRes's of the west side,
people with a lot to say and ZERO alternative plans or funding ideas in a situation which
was codified in law a long time ago and wasn't going to be undone, (the HRPT).
Open your eyes, HKRes. A heliport on the water? Floating? He has pushed the heliport off the mainland
and onto the river where it will be politically and structurally more impossible to continue in perpetuity.
You, HKRes, and YOU, George Capsis, and many others like you, have helped to bring this
unbelievable and dishonest, (and stealth, Glick and Gottfired and Rosenthal) result about by not organizing and coming to your representatives with viable alternatives.
"No", is boring and useless, unless with an alternative. "Yes", with a creative and viable alternative is heroic.
I count you, particularly with your continuously anonymous stance, along with Glick, in the former camp.
I count Gottfried in the middle. Trying to be heroic, but being prevented from being in the latter camp
by whiners with clout.
That is what, and who, you are, HKRes. An anonymous whiner with no solutions.
Those of us who care about Pier 40 are resigned to having to respond publicly to cowards
like you. You, and others like you, are the responsible parties, equally with our elected officials.
Responsible for this grand giveaway.
And ironically. we have to respond to you, when we don't even have the opportunity to respond to our elected representatives, on this matter, at this time. All we have left is Cuomo, and he will sign it unless there
is mass outrage immediately.
You, HKRes, and Deborah Glick, and sadly, and most unexpectedly right now, Dick Gottfried, are all the same. Just from different angles.
And, HKRes…the NID??
Really? Are you dense?
What is better, property owners four or five blocks deep paying a minimal tax and continuing to have sway,
or a very few well connected property owners within a block being given valuable air rights at a fire sale??
When people put their names on the opposition is when things get prevented.
When people put their names on the alternative, the idea, is when things get done.
HKRes, you are as complicit in this deal as Deborah Glick, Linda Rosenthal, and Dick Gottfried.
A 49 to 99 year moratorium (see the second to last paragraph of the bill) on union action of
any kind if there is any hotel, meeting or hospitality development??
Thanks, HKRes, Deb Glick, Linda Rosenthal, Dick Gottfried, and the HRPT, for your UNION BUSTING.
Patrick Shields
Union Member
Greenwich Village
This is all great news. Strong steps were taken to preserve the livelihood of the entire park organization and provide public space to everyone living nearby.
To The Villager:
Kudos to Assemblymember Deborah Glick and Senator Brad Hoylman for once again warding off the misguided, often-revived push to amend the Hudson River Park Act to allow residential development in our waterfront park. Although some may dislike the permission for air-rights transfers, I am grateful to our two legislators in finding other funding sources for our park.
Absent (and lamented by Senator Hoylman) was transparency. Proposed legislation that can fundamentally affect our precious open waterfront has to be reviewed by the community, not hidden from public view until it is done. When the Hudson River Park Act was enacted in 1998 it was only after many public hearings and committee reports.
Senator Gottfried has already announced that "provisions relating particularly to Pier 40 and Pier 76" will be on the block next year. Let our legislators and our governor pledge now that proposed future amendments to the Act — especially concerning these piers — will be reviewed by the public, not decided behind closed doors.
Jonathan Geballe
District Leader, 66th Assembly District (Part A)