Kyle thanked Solar One and the New York City Economic Development Corporation for their stewardship of this wonderful space over the last two decades. And he congratulated the countless workers and firms that brought this project to fruition. And on behalf of CB6, a City agency, Kyle highlighted our sister city agencies: Design and Construction, the Mayor’s Office of Resiliency, Parks and Recreation, Transportation, Environmental Protection, and City Planning. Without whose tireless efforts and inter-agency cooperation, the entire ESCR project would not be possible.
Manhattan Community District 6 has the least amount of open space in the borough, so this newly rebuilt Stuy Cove Park really is something precious for our community. This park will offer residents, New Yorkers at large, and visitors to our great city a wonderful place to sit and enjoy being outside. And if we’ve learned nothing else from living through a pandemic, it’s that our open spaces are some of the most vital resources our community has. We should protect them and call on our local officials create more of them.
A New Type of Crosswalk Coming to Our District
A new type of crosswalk coming to Manhattan Community District 6, at the intersection of Second Avenue and East 54th Street: a Raised Crosswalk.
Raised Crosswalks are similar to speed humps, except that they have a flat top for pedestrians to cross on. This new type of crosswalk is expected to slow vehicle speeds, improve pedestrian visibility by elevating the pedestrian to the height of the curb, and increase accessibility by providing a level crosswalk for pedestrians. This pedestrian treatment is new to the district, but not new to New York City, as this crosswalk treatment has been applied to other crosswalks in Manhattan. This crosswalk is currently under construction, and the New York City Department of Transportation anticipates completing this by mid-June.
Affordable Housing Opportunities Coming to Our Neighborhood
There are three affordable housing opportunities in our neighborhood currently! It’s important for you and your neighbors to be aware of all these opportunities, because these housing developments are all allocating 50% of its affordable housing units to residents of the districts the units are built in. The opportunities are at:
- 508 3rd Avenue: Learn more about the affordable housing opportunity through this flyer, and apply for the opportunity through NYC Housing Connect.
- 300 East 39th Street: Learn more about the affordable housing opportunity here, and apply for the opportunity through NYC Housing Connect.
- 200 East 23rd Street: Apply for the opportunity through NYC Housing Connect.
Please pay attention to the income ranges eligible for different apartments, as that will affect your eligibility for the apartments. Also remember to pay attention to the application deadlines.
Mayor’s Proposals to Amend NYC’s Zoning Rules Begin Public Review
The Mayor’s City of Yes initiative seeks to amend zoning rules to help the City recover more quickly from the pandemic, to create a greener city, to support small business growth, and to incentivize the creation of housing, at all levels, in all New York City neighborhoods. There are three proposed zoning text amendments that would be part of this initiative:
aims to modernize the zoning regulations in support of the City’s climate goals. The changes would focus on supporting a renewable energy grid, making our buildings clean and efficient, support for electric vehicle charging and micro-mobility options, and reducing waste and storm water. The text amendment was formally presented to the New York City Planning Commission on April 24th (you can view the video here ), and is now in the public review process. The matter was heard at the May 22nd meeting of the Land Use & Waterfront Committee. The committee decided to vote favorably on Zoning for Carbon Neutrality, and a corresponding resolution on this Text Amendment will be before the Full Board meeting on Wednesday, June 14th.
is focused on providing small businesses with the flexibility needed for them to change and grow, especially as the city recovers from the pandemic. The proposals would remove certain limitations on small businesses and ensure that our storefronts are occupied, and our neighborhoods remain lively spaces. This proposal will hold a public information session on Tue., June 13th at 7 PM. You can register for the June 13th information session here.
is a direct response to our City’s housing crisis. This text amendment seeks to ensure that every neighborhood does its part to help meet housing needs and provide equitable access to housing for all New Yorkers.
To learn more about City of Yes, visit the Department of City Planning’s website here. Flyers describing the proposals are directly available here.
Upcoming Meetings
Our upcoming meetings in the next several days include a Transportation Committee meeting on Monday, an Environment & Parks Committee meeting on Tuesday, and a Health & Human Services Committee meeting on Thursday.
You can find information on these meetings and others by visiting the CB6 website, which you can do by clicking on the button below. Please make sure to check our website regularly, as meeting agendas are subject to change.
CB6 Office Closure this Month
The CB6 office will be closed on Monday, June 19th for Juneteenth.
Even though the CB6 office is closed on that day, 311 will still be available. Additionally, if you have a service request issue, you can still reach out to help@cbsix.org and we will follow up with you after our office reopens.
Alternate Side Parking will also be suspended on June 19th, but you will still need to feed the meter.
Please check the Department of Sanitation’s social media accounts (Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram), their press release page, or 311 for more information on trash and recycling collection as we get closer to Memorial Day.
Stuyvesant Park Gardeners recently had an It’s My Park Day at Stuyvesant Square Park, where they had some planting fun! A CB6er–Environment & Parks Committee Chair Neil Barclay–joined in on the fun.
You can learn about upcoming It’s My Park Day events on the Parks Department’s website. Volunteering at It’s My Park Days are a great opportunity to beautify your local park.
Community Updates
- Central Business District (CBD) Tolling Program public availability period for the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) will end on June 12, 2023. The Final EA and draft FONSI for the CBD Tolling Program, more commonly known as Congestion Pricing, are available here. After June 12th, the Federal Highway (FHWA) Administration will make its final decision, completing its review of the potential environmental effects of allowing the CBD Tolling Program. Following entry into a tolling agreement with the FHWA, tolling could begin up to 310 days later, during which contractors would design, build, test and activate tolling equipment.
- Manhattan Commercial Revitalization Program: The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) currently has the Manhattan Commercial Revitalization (M-CORE) program, which provides owners of commercial office buildings with a range of tax benefits to support transformative renovations of office buildings located in Manhattan south of 59th Street. View the EDC website for more details, including on how to apply for the program.
- Homeless shelter for families with children at 130 East 39th Street:As previously reported, there is a homeless shelter for families with children coming to 130 East 39th Street. At our May 15th meeting of the Housing & Homelessness Committee, representatives from the Department of Homeless Services as well as the shelter provider were present to discuss the shelter as well as answer questions from the community. You can listen to the video from our May 15th meeting here.
- East Midtown Greenway: The construction of East Midtown Greenwayand Andrew Haswell Green Park Phase 2B is scheduled to be complete by the end of Dec 2023. Although the greenway esplanade looks nearly complete, looks can be deceptive. The Greenway won’t be open to the public until all safety features are properly in place.
- East Midtown Public Realm Improvement Governing Group Meeting:On Tuesday, June 6th at 1 PM, the East Midtown Public Realm Improvement Governing Group will meet to elect directors and alternate directors, vote on the annual budget for fiscal year 2024, vote to approve a new auditor contract, and have status updates for public realm improvement projects approved by the Governing Group. The meeting is open to the public. You can register to attend here.
- Apply for other affordable rental and homeownership opportunities through NYC Housing Connect
How You Can Advocate for Our Libraries
CB6 is aware that libraries are facing $36.2 million in budget cuts. This would have an impact on the services our city’s libraries have, including the ones in our district: the Kips Bay Library and the Epiphany Library. The impact will be greatest for the most vulnerable among us.
CB6 has advocated for baselining library funding among our annual budget requests, even before we were made aware of these cuts. However, you can also advocate for our libraries by signing this New York Public Library petition to tell City Hall that you do not want budget cuts to our libraries!
Upcoming Rent Guidelines Board Public Hearings
The New York City Rent Guidelines Board will hold several public hearings and meetings on the proposed rent guidelines for the period of October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024. Following those hearings and meetings, the Board is scheduled to meet on June 21, 2023, to adopt final rent guidelines. You can find information on the hearings and meetings, as well as how to submit testimony, on the Rent Guidelines Board website. You can also find a summary of proposed guidelines on the Rent Guidelines Board website.
While harming our city’s wildlife is prohibited, the City’s Parks Department is putting out a call to please squish and dispose of this invasive pest if you see it!
You can find more information about the spotted lanternfly on the Parks Department’s website.
Make Sure to Know Your Evacuation Zone This Hurricane Season
While New York is most at risk for tropical storms and hurricanes from August to October, the Atlantic hurrican season begins June 1st. NYC Emergency Management encourages residents to take three key steps to prepare for hurricane season:
- KNOW YOUR ZONE – Areas of the city subject to storm surge flooding are divided into six evacuation zones. During a coastal storm, an evacuation order may be issued for those living in hurricane evacuation zone. To find out if you are one of the three million New Yorkers living in a hurricane evacuation zone visit, NYC.gov/KnowYourZone.
- MAKE A PLAN – Have a plan before the storm arrives to help keep you and your family safe. New Yorkers can find resources to help them develop an emergency plan by visiting NYC.gov/ReadyNY
- STAY INFORMED – Stay informed by signing up for Notify NYC, the City of New York’s official, free emergency communications program. Register for emergency notifications by getting the free Notify NYC mobile application, visiting NYC.gov/notifynyc, contacting 311 or following @NotifyNYC on Twitter. Notify NYC messages are available in 14 languages including American Sign Language.
For more information on how to prepare for coastal storm season, visit NYC.gov/KnowYourZone
#FDNYSmart Safety Tips for Devices with Lithium-Ion Batteries
At our most recent Public Safety Committee meeting, we heard from the FDNY on lithium ion battery safety tips.
Here are a few of the notable tips we should be aware of, in order to prevent fires coming from lithium-ion batteries:
- When purchasing devices, be sure that the equipment has the Underwriters Laboratories Mark. The UL mark shows that the product has been safety tested.
- Do not charge a device under your pillow, on your bed, or a couch.
- Store batteries away from anything flammable.
These tips, and others, will prevent fires caused by lithium-ion batteries. But if you do have a fire, you’ll want a smoke detector so that you know there’s a fire in your home. If you don’t have smoke detectors in your home, you can get them for free with the American Red Cross by scheduling a free Red Cross Home Fire Safety Visit. You can do that here.
For more tips with lithium-ion batteries, please consult the FDNY’s flyer on lithium-ion batteries or listen to the presentation on this subject heard by our Public Safety Committee recently.
Council Member Carlina Rivera’s office is looking for volunteers to assist with surveying the tree beds in Council District 2! Some of the questions will be: whether the tree is there, concerns about health, is there a tree guard, are there rat burrows, is there litter and what type, and is there signage. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up here or email the council member’s office by clicking on the image above. Please contact Eddie Amador from Council Member Rivera’s office at eamador@council.nyc.gov with any questions.
Check Out the CB6 Website!
Your one-stop-shop for all things CB6: including board resolutions, YouTube videos of past meetings, a database of meeting minutes, information on streetwork notices in the district, and more! Visit our website by clicking on the button below.
