Keep Washington Market Park free from filming

To the Editor:
Last month in Washington Market Park filming of a commercial TV show during the day prevented people from using the park. Why was this permitted?

Washington Market Park, like all New York City Parks, is for public recreation.  The park should not permit commercial uses which prevent public access to sections of the park, even if the commercial user paid the park for the privilege.

I am aware that both Central Park and DeWitt Clinton Park, at 56th Street and 11th Avenue, have also rented park space to commercial users: an equally bad idea.

 Since Washington Market Park is such a small park, it is even worse that it rents space to businesses.

For the record, I also don’t think that New York City’s Department of Education should accept money from businesses to name schools after them or to permit the business to display advertising banners on school grounds.

We should not sacrifice our children’s schools, fun and recreation for the sake of the rich. New York City is not in such a bad financial state that it is forced to auction off parts of the city to the highest bidder.

Peter Gale

To the Editor:
How disappointing it is to see that Washington Market Park is now being used for filming.

There were many “lean” years when the community was responsible for the funding of all the extra activities, such as concerts in the park. During that time, we could have used some extra income. Yet, we resisted renting the park for such purposes because it might interfere with the public’s use of the space.

Now, oddly, when the city has a record high surplus of funds, (mostly due to the sale of sites like 5B and 5C), Washington Market Park is being rented for film production in order to raise money.

There is no need for such income now that the New York City Parks Department has taken control of the Park. But it is not surprising to me that the Parks Department finds it acceptable to use that precious space for TV and movie production at the expense of the community.

What a shame.

Susan Sonz
Former manager,
Washington Market Park

Tribecans should not suffer because of one-way bridge tolls

To the Editor:
A foul conspiracy has pumped dangerous pollution into Tribeca’s air for more than 20 years.

Since 1986, the traffic in our neighborhood from vehicles leaving the city for free through the Holland Tunnel has exploded. This was not always the case. This overcrowding of our streets, which creates an unhealthy and dangerous environment, is the result of successful community organizing by powerful forces in Staten Island.

You might wonder how their actions could affect us.

In a recent article in The New York Times, Jeff Vandam does a decent job of describing the issue from the perspective of Staten Islanders; unfortunately, he totally ignores Tribecans.

Here are the facts as summarized by Vandam in “Staten Island Asks for Whom the Bridge Tolls.” The two-way toll on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was eliminated in 1986. Since then, it has been free to drive into Brooklyn from Staten Island (and $9 for cars to drive back to, or through, Staten Island).

Almost immediately after the Verrazano toll was changed to one way only, the traffic in Lower Manhattan near the Holland Tunnel mushroomed. It seems that thousands of commuters would rather drive in a big circle through Lower Manhattan than pay that big fat toll to leave through Staten Island.

Our Congressman, Jerry Nadler, estimates that between $75 and $90 million is lost annually from those who drive into Brooklyn for free over the Verrazano and out for free via Lower Manhattan through the Holland Tunnel.

It seems that Rep. Nadler, who has introduced legislation repeatedly meant to remedy the situation, is trying to build support again. I am sure that Rep. Nadler is aware of the negative impact of the current policy on those of us who live here. But our voices are not being heard.

The well-oiled Staten Island political machine is heaping on the propaganda and backroom pressure to once again kill Nadler’s proposal, which is simple:  Charge a fare both ways on the Verrazano Bridge.

Given the tragedy that we experienced in this neighborhood some five years ago, and the still unknown long-term consequences of the poisonous aftermath of 9/11, it is not right that we should stand for this interborough political backstabbing.

I sympathize with Staten Islanders who are concerned that traffic might back up on their side streets if the Verranzano is once again a two way toll bridge, as Nadler proposes. But with EZ pass high-speed lanes, and all of the lanes on the bridge, the negative impact on their community, if any, should be minimal. It would certainly be less detrimental than it has been to ours.

Wake up, Tribecans! Demand action.

Donald Kent

Setting the record straight on Southbridge Towers privatization

To the Editor:
Of course the Southbridge Towers privatizers like to say that maintenance rose 40 percent in the last four years—because it’s wrong!

The overeager, heedless push to privatize causes people to believe what they want to believe and to accept inaccuracies without checking for themselves. For instance, the management office provided the data that there have been two 15 percent raises in the past four years, and no raises in the previous nine, which is a better rate than rent-stabilization.

The privatizers also have promoted reverse mortgages as if they were easy to obtain, which is untrue, according to Financial Freedom, the only area provider of reverse mortgages to co-ops.

In fact, apartments under a certain square footage are unable to get reverse mortgages, which disqualifies anyone living in a studio apartment at Southbridge. This last, easily verified fact was a great surprise to the privatizers who provided an elaborate presentation at a recent Chinese Residents’ Association meeting. This is reason enough not to rely on a single, profit-oriented organization to provide information on such an enormously important matter.

Kathryn Keppler

 

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