(MSCC) Sharon Jasprizza, February 23, 2023
SUMMARY
- Layla Gisiko, CB5 Chair of Land Use, Housing and Zoning Committee: Community-Led Plan for Penn Area as an alternative solution to Vornado/Governor Hochul’s plan to develop Penn. Rob Robinson, Senior Managing Director at Student Leadership Network, Teacher of the Master’s Program Urban Design and Ecology Program at the New School, Partners for Dignity and Rights: Dan Garodnick, Director of the New York City Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission, released The Office Adaptive Reuse Study in January 2023. There is a need for communities to be involved with the City and developers to ensure the correct type of housing and accommodations are built
CHAIR: John Mudd, MSCC
POLICY MEETING UPDATES
- Due to time constraints, a very short update was given at the end of the 9.30 AM meeting. The Committee concentrated on several health equity and housing issues. Updates for the CROC fight for healthcare were also discussed. The committee is seeking to hold the health meeting each month. John Mudd and Nancy Pascal: Our healthcare system is very destabilizing, causing homelessness and death, these reasons we need to fight for Traditional Medicare and to support CROC and other coalitions in New York; we need critical mass for change
- John Mudd, MSCC, asks people to join the Health Committee. Please get in touch with john.mudd@usa.net
JANUARY HIGHLIGHTS
- John Mudd and Sharon Jasprizza’s interview about the MSCC Urban Farm Program with Gardening Know How was reported in the Gardening to Know How newsletter in January 2023 at https://blog.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-sponsorship/midtown-urban-farm-grows-community-program/
- The January Homeless and Housing meeting featured Wendell Potter, Analyst at The Center for Public Integrity and president of Wendell Potter Consulting. Author, Healthcare Activist, Advocate, and former journalist spoke about the fraudulent practices of Medicare Advantage Programs
- MSCC continues to lead health justice with our MSCC Health Committee meetings. The widening network includes groups from Ithaca, MA, Delaware, and others concerned for their communities’ health and the takeover of traditional Medicare (see January 24, 2023 meeting (Passcode: !=#xsxF5) and share the resources)
- PNHP and its coalition, including MSCC, continue their work to stop the takeover of Medicare
- Judy Arnow, CROC, reported that the New York City Council has no plan to pass a bill that would allow Mayor Adams to charge retired city workers for health care
- The City Council leaders announced Thursday they have no plan to pass a bill pushed by Mayor Adams that would allow his administration to charge retired municipal workers for health insurance — and multiple sources in the chamber told the Daily News that the legislation is unlikely ever to get a vote. The bill would support Adams administration’s efforts to enroll the city’s roughly 250,000 retired workers in a cost-cutting Medicare Advantage Plan that critics say would result in inadequate health coverage.
CB5 LAYLA GISIKO, COMMUNITY-LED PLAN FOR PENN AREA
Layla Law-Gisiko, CB5, office@cb5.org, 212-465-0907, 450 Seventh Ave, Suite 2109, New York (area CB5 covers 14th and 59th Streets, between Lexington and 8th Ave), Chair of Land Use, Housing and Zoning Committee. Layla’s presentation slides are available here.
- Penn Station and Maddison Square Garden fall within the CB5 district
- Two years ago, NYS introduced a land use and zoning proposal to erase city blocks to build office towers with 18 million sq feet of office space. CB4 led the charge against this plan and formed a coalition with many groups, including MSCC
- This coalition has developed alternative solutions to the problems
- The General Project Plan GPP is delineated on the slides
- “Eminent Domain (also known as Condemnation) can happen to almost any property owner or business tenant. Forced takings of property for public use are not uncommon and can leave property owners and businesses with uncertain futures.” Eminent Domain in NYC is being used to demolish residential and city blocks and obliterate social services, including a food service program run by a Church, a homeless drop-in center on 30th Street
- The renderings are pretty but misleading and do not account for things such as sanitation, transport, Madison Square Garden activities, and loading
- Vornado, the principal property owner and developer, has said they have put the plan in limbo because of interest rates and the reduced office space usage
- It seems the funding scheme is not adequately conceived
- The Public Authorities Control Board’s (PACB) job is to ensure NYS authorities act responsibly when they enter project financing agreements such as Penn Station. Although in 2022, “instead of voting on actual financing plan with actual dollars, the PACB chose to approve a non-binding, framework agreement which includes no dollar figures.” The PACB has not approved the proposal. The PACB must vote no.
- CB5 is developing a community-led improvement plan. “CB5 will undertake the effort to create a resilient, ambitious, pragmatic, and comprehensive plan to address the transportation, infrastructure, zoning, socioeconomic, fiscal, and urban design needs of an area that has proven vexingly difficult to fix.” The plan needs to take into account all of these factors, and also the fact that it is a central transport hub
- CB5 plans to create a working group “made up of members of the community board, community stakeholders, civic organizations and others who have great minds, great skills and great expertise and can work with us to help us come up with the best possible plans,”
- CB5 will review the area’s boundaries as part of this group. View the slides for more information.
- We must not repeat mistakes of the past by demolishing our history, such as the original Penn Station built in 1910 and demolished in 1063. Hotel Pennsylvania is already under demolition and will be erased by the end of 2023. This is a tragedy. The Sky Bride is also planned to be demolished. Demolition is not the way to solve the challenges
- President Biden, in NYC last week, noted that infrastructure is essential in NY. It is all connected to our developments around Penn Station
- Thru-running is needed for increased capacity in the 21st century. The infrastructure is already there and needs to be refigured to allow the passengers to move this way
- The Long Island concourse is almost complete. The slides illustrate what is in the pipeline
- Maddison Square Garden (MSG) is up for a City permit renewal in July 2023.
- The City Council and members need to vote no to this permit because MSG needs to be moved so that Penn Station can be fully developed
- Affordable housing is critical in this area, and existing housing needs to be maintained. There is a federal program that addresses deeply affordable housing through community land trusts
- CB5 is committed to sound financing and to partnering with our Federal, State, and City partners to identify sources of funding
- Your support and voice are invited to be part of the CB5 community-led group and provide an alternative plan. office@cb5.org, 212-465-0907, 450 Seventh Ave, Suite 2109, New York
- Our officials need to be educated about our communities’ needs, https://council.nyc.gov/districts/
DISCUSSION
- Rob Robinson, Senior Managing Director at Student Leadership Network, Teacher of the Master’s Program Urban Design and Ecology Program at the New School, Partners for Dignity and Rights, says it is important to consider partnering with the urban planning programs at one of the universities. Rob referred to a project, The HOPE VI, a federal program to transform Public Housing in Tennessee, where a community-led group won a case against the government’s design plan. Such work requires capacity and University programs can supplement the capacity of the community-led organization. This will help with the fight needed to have MSG moved
- John Mudd, MSCC, offers the support to build a team to support CB5’s community-led organization
- Barbara Blair, President of The Garment District Alliance, asks where Council Members Bottcher and Powers are on this topic and whether they are buying into the concept of a master plan for Midtown rather than one-off shots
- Layla Law-Gisiko, CB5, replied that Council Member Bottcher favored moving MSG, as reported in the media recently. Council Member Bottcher posted on Twitter on Feb 16, 2023, that ‘Moving Madison Square Garden to the Western Rail Yard in Hudson Yards would allow New York Yorkers to have a new, world-class sports and entertainment arena AND a new, world-class Pennsylvania Station.”
- Layla Law-Gisiko, CB5, agrees that something other than piecemeal is needed. The Department of City Planning is craving comprehensive planning but is constrained. Our community groups all must call for the same thing so we can move the needle
- Rob Robinson, Senior Managing Director at Student Leadership Network, Teacher of the Master’s Program Urban Design and Ecology Program at the New School, Partners for Dignity and Rights: notes there are a few progressive members in City Planning. Rob and Layla will talk further about contacts and how to bring these people into the group
- John Mudd, MSCC, will plan a forum with Layla to work on this community-led organization
ACTIONS
- Your support and voice are invited to be part of the CB5 community-led group and provide an alternative plan. office@cb5.org, 212-465-0907, 450 Seventh Ave, Suite 2109, New York
- Our officials need to be educated about our communities’ needs, https://council.nyc.gov/districts/
- John Mudd, MSCC, will plan a forum with Layla to work on this community-led organization
OFFICE REUSE IN NYC
Rob Robinson, Senior Managing Director at Student Leadership Network, Teacher of the master’s Urban Design and Ecology Program at the New School, Partners for Dignity and Rights: rob.robinson423@gmail.com
- Dan Garodnick, Director of the New York City Department of City Planning and Chair of the City Planning Commission, released The Office Adaptive Reuse Study in January 2023. Communities need to understand what this means and be involved in the process
- There are many vacant hotels and hotel owners realize that business is different. The challenges for the type of housing in Manhattan need to be figured out. We must be involved to ensure the right type of housing and accommodation in these houses are built
- At the height of the week (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday), NYC office occupancy is at 60% compared to past recent years
- Rob refers to the five principles for decision-making: Transparency, Accountability, Universality, Participation, and Equity (TAUPE)
DISCUSSION
- Allen Oster, CB4, we are in a good position compared to a year ago. The wind is shifting as Vornado pauses NYC Penn District Redevelopment Plans
- John Mudd, MSCC, says the community-led plan is the best way to approach this fight
- Allen Oster, CB4, will send the letter (LINK; Allen’s letter here if he sends it and permits us) to the committee that CB4 has written concerning a building previously planned for a women’s building. CB4 is hoping the building will be kept for community use and is a tremendous asset
ACTIONS
- Rob Robinson, Senior Managing Director at Student Leadership Network, Teacher of the master’s Urban Design and Ecology Program at the New School, Partners for Dignity and Rights notes that it is essential that we are all part of the decision-making process. Contact john.mudd@usa.net and rob.robinson423@gmail.com for further information and involvement
- Allen Oster, CB4, will send the committee the CB4 letter referred to above. Allen will also set up a visit for the committee to view the building
SPECIAL INTRODUCTION(S) AND OR UPDATES:
Rue Parkin, Executive Director, helpNYC Corporation, rue.parkin@helpNYC.org, 212.287.5027
https://www.helpnyc.org/, Social Media: https://helpNYC.link/follow, Resource Navigator: https://www.helpnyc.info/
- Listings at helpNYC are now by invitation because of the extremely successful resource
- MoxPox Research Roundtable is Wednesday, Feb 8, at noon on zoom. https://helpNYC.link/mpoxevent, RSVP Required.
- A series of outreach events called AWARE: Spoken Word, Performance Jam, and Resource Fair, Https://helpNYC.link/aware. If your org/group would like to table, please email events@helpNYC.org.
- The Garden party is in May
- Other Events: Https://www.helpNYC.org/events
Leonard Polletta, Penn South Resident and New York Progressive Action Network Community Member
- would like to be part of the community-led group Layla is running
Dena Schmerzler, nysenate.gov, Liaison for CB4,
- is interested in MSCCs and the work of its network
Danielle Mindess, Project Director, Midtown Community Court, Project Director, dmindess@nycourts.gov, 646-248-3061
- The court is open one day a week
- The Court hearing cases on Fridays
- Services are available Monday to Friday with people on site all week
- Programs include Community First, a social service clinic, and some diversionary programs on site
- Nancy Pascal, MSCC,is looking for information about help for people on the street needing help with mental health
- Danielle Mindess, The Court has many outreach programs to connect with people on the street, specifically in Times Square, and those needing harm reduction services. The misdemeanor mental health approach is where the court determines if people are candidates for services at the Midtown Community Court
- Rob Robinson, Senior Managing Director at Student Leadership Network, Teacher of the Master’s Program Urban Design and Ecology Program at the New School, Partners for Dignity and Rights, spent 13 years working on the NYC Coalition on Continuum of Care (NYC CCOC), “a broad-based coalition of homeless housing and shelter provider, consumers, advocates, and government representees working together to shape citywide planning and decision making.“ Rob is meeting today with The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), “the only federal agency with a sole mission to prevent and end homelessness in America.” The USICH is concerned about the Mayor’s approach to this issue. They reached out to Rob directly to get a better understanding. Rob will report back to this committee. Rob suggests the committee reach out to Safety Net Project – NYC – Urban Justice Center, “A dedicated legal team in pursuit of a city that guarantees social & economic justice to all New Yorkers”. NYC CCOC also meets with the Safety Net Project, Urban Pathways, and people with lived experience while they are in town. There is an extensive campaign by Urban Pathways and Care for the Homeless because of the need to raise the pay to bring more staff on board. Rob will report back to this committee and email contacts to John Mudd from the Safety Net Project.
- Rob Robinson, Senior Managing Director at Student Leadership Network, Teacher of the Master’s Program Urban Design and Ecology Program at the New School, Partners for Dignity and Rights
- Donna Shashoua, Community Liaison, Assemblymember Rosenthal. We have no updates. Please reach out if you ever need anything; feel free to email me at shashod@nyassembly.gov or 212-873-636
CHAT BOX
- Robert Robinson, Partners for Dignity and Rights, PTH isn’t currently active, and they worked on this campaign with Vocal. Rob is a former PTH member and board member
- Danielle Mindess – Midtown Community Court
- I can look at our data, but I don’t think any of the cases that have come through our mental health court have been on those charges
- If you want the whole picture for Manhattan, you’d need to inquire with the Manhattan DA’s Office
- I suspect very very few with urination or defecation as top charges get prosecuted
- André P, Thanks, Danielle. Why would normal physical needs be channeled to a mental health court? But these *are* criminal offenses, aren’t they?
- Danielle Mindess – Midtown Community Court, Yes, according to the penal law. But in NY County today, I don’t think they’ve generally handled that way unless there’s a superseding criminal charge
- André P, Disorderly conduct, public urination, and resisting arrest?
- Danielle Mindess – Midtown Community Court, those are not the charges coming through the misdemeanor mental health court.
- Dana Schmerzler, Community Liaison for Senator Krueger’s Office, Senator Krueger’s office, you can contact me at schmerzl@nysenate.gov
COMMUNITY CONCERNS
- Richard Vernon, Executive Director of Shower Power, info@showerpowernyc.org, focused on safe, respectful hygiene access and advocacy for all New Yorkers. They direct people to services (mental health, job readiness, social contact) and hygienic products. Shower Power is looking for an indoor space; please direct people to Richard. will contact Charisma White and Janice. Please get in touch with New York Legal Assistance Group NYLAG for solutions; The intake line is active on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 9 am – 3 pm. Leave a message, and someone will call you back. (212) 613-5000
- Richard Vernon, Executive Director of Shower Power, is concerned that the city stopped funding Mental Health Training during Covid. Please support the push to have this started again
- Nancy Pascal, MSCC, worked at the mayor’s office during the Mental Health First Aid Program’s operation and when it stopped. Itwas shut down by the community through the media attention referring to its cost for no benefits. There is a need to mobilize it as it was an excellent program, and there is a need to fight the misinformation. Nancy outlined the benefits of the Program and should be added to the MSCC action list
- Richard Vernon, Executive Director of Shower Power, will contact Charisma White and Janice regarding their housing vouchers. The contact for New York Legal Assistance Group NYLAG for solutions at (212) 613-5000, The intake line is active on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 9 am – 3 pm. Leave a message, and someone will call you back. (212) 613-5000
- John Mudd, MSCC will reach out to the network to support Janice
- Rue Parkin, Executive Director, of helpNYC, must be careful of people’s details being shared in the forum and on Facebook. Rue believes the funding for the Mental Health First Aid Training is still there. It is an excellent program because it brings awareness and educates people. Rue Parkin and John Mudd will speak with Richard Vernon, who is a trained Mental Health First Aid trainer, about training, for helpNYC and MSCC networks
- Charisma White, NYCCOC/Housing and Homelessness Advocate, is very concerned about the perceptions and stigma attached to people suffering from mental health challenges and how it often limits people from housing
CHAT BOX
- Lili Lopez NY Connects Outreach Specialist 646-457-5364 llopez@cidny.org NY Connects a free-of-charge program that connects people with any disability, any age to services, resources, or it can be based on people’s needs. Contact us at 844-862-7930.
- Derwin Manigault, Director of Community Relations for RevCore Recovery Center, Manhattan/Harlem, dmanigault@revcorerecovery.com 646-256-8259
- André P. Do you have a list of restrooms available to the public in your area?
- Robert Robinson, Partners for Dignity and Rights, “Andre, I don’t! You may want to contact Vocal-NY. They have an ongoing campaign called “Free to Pee.”
- André P, Thanks, Rob. AFAIK, ‘FreeToPee’ was a Picture the Homeless campaign trying to persuade the City Council to pass legislation requiring restrooms, but I don’t know if they’ve made any lists. This is something neighborhood groups like this one are well-positioned to do.
- Robert Robinson, Partners for Dignity and Rights, PTH isn’t currently active, and they worked on this campaign with Vocal. I’m a former PTH member and board member.
- André P. I’m looking for a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts in Midtown, with tables, chairs, power, WIFI, and restrooms open to customers. Hello, everyone.
- Rue Parkin helpNYC, Whole Foods Hudson yards has a large cafe, coffee stand, bathrooms, and more. I go there and sit all the time.
- André P, Thanks, Rue. Any other Whole Foods, do you know?
- Rue Parkin helpNYC, SoHad ~89 Madison. Bowery and Houston. And the one in SoHo.
- Emily Weiler (All of Us Research Program), Hello! I am with the All of Us Research Program at Columbia/Cornell/Harlem Hospital. We aim to enroll 90,000 in NY to reduce health disparities and accelerate research to improve the delivery of prevention, treatment, and care to individuals. To learn more, you can e-mail me at ew2762@cumc.columbia.edu and visit our website at https://www.joinallofus.org/new-york-city-consortium
- André P asks Danielle Mindess, “Would you know roughly how many people are charged with public urination or defecation, and how many of these charges are and are not dismissed?”
- Danielle Mindess, Midtown Community Court, I can look at our data, but I don’t think any cases that have come throughout missed mental health court have been on those charges. You must inquire with the Manhattan DA’s Office if you want the whole picture for Manhattan.
- André P. Right. If you’re with the misdemeanor mental health court, you wouldn’t necessarily see the bigger picture. But thanks for this and the pointer to the Manhattan DA.
ACTIONS
- Rob Robinson, will report back to this committee and email contacts to John Mudd from the Safety Net Project
- Richard Vernon, Executive Director of Shower Power will contact Charisma White and Janice
- John Mudd, MSCC, will reach out to the network to support Janice
- Hilton N. Webb, Jr. – Fair Chance for Housing. “Perhaps you can have Andre Ward and me back at a more opportune time”
- Emily Weiler (All of Us Research Program), Hello! I am with the All of Us Research Program at Columbia/Cornell/Harlem Hospital. We aim to enroll 90,000 in NY to reduce health disparities and accelerate research to improve the delivery of prevention, treatment, and care to individuals. To learn more, you can e-mail me at ew2762@cumc.columbia.edu and visit our website at https://www.joinallofus.org/new-york-city-consortium
- Danielle Mindess, Midtown Community Court, I can look at our data, but I don’t think any cases that have come throughout missed mental health court have been on those charges. If you want the whole picture for Manhattan, you’d need to inquire with the Manhattan DA’s Office
- MSCC to update the public toilet list and follow up on the; VIDEO. contact Sam – 646-314-6423/ sam@picturethehomeless.org
AOB
Next Meeting March 7, 2023, 9,30 AM – 11.00 AM on zoom. Invites are sent out in the newsletter, or
contact hello@localhost or john.mudd@usa.net for more information and Zoom invitations.
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