Monday, December 7, 2009
Wakefield Area News
By Mary Lauro
The first step is to do it in the dark of night; that is, you don't tell the community. If you tell them, they might object to having a seven-story AIDS center, which could house 60-80 homeless AIDS victims, built right smack in the center of their business district. Instead, you go quietly to some key figures in the community, get their approval and start building.
In our case, the building to be constructed would be in the empty lot across the street from the MET supermarket at 4339 White Plains Road. The agency that wants to destroy our business community is a non-profit group called Praxis which, apparently, runs several such residences throughout the city.
From what we could gather, news of this possibility was first sent to Rev. Richard Gorman, chair of Community Board 12, in a letter some time in October. He did not respond to it until the middle of November. Praxis wanted to meet with a select group of CB 12 people. To his credit, Gorman insisted any meeting would have to be with the entire Board. Not to his credit is that he did not advise the League, which after all, is the voice of the Wakefield community. Odder still, is that at the November 19 meeting of the Board, he did not mention it in his report to the community.
During this time period Praxis went to Councilman Larry Seabrook to discuss the possibility with him. We understand that Seabrook said it was fine with him. The problem is the location is not in his district but in that of Councilman Oliver Koppell whom Praxis eventually contacted. What Koppell thinks is in question, but it is important to note that neither Seabrook nor Koppell are members of this community. We are the community.
At this time we do not know why Praxis wants nor needs the community's approval. The location is in a R6 zone. Legally, Praxis can build without community approval. Since it is, however, a non-profit organization, we believe that its funding source or sources want the community approval. Please note an important fact. The property has not yet been bought! Apparently purchasing is dependent on community approval.
We first learned of the Praxis proposal on November 19 at a beakfast meeting of the Bronx Business Alliance (BBA) where director Margaret Arrighi mentioned it and when questioned by this writer who is secretary of the Executive Board of BBA said it was a “done deal!”At this point we call CB 12 to get further details. However, note, that the League which has supported BBA since its inception again was not notified immediately. Ask yourself, also, why BBA should have know about it, if not even Councilman Koppell knew about it at the time. Had we not attended the beakfast, we would not have known! And, we might still be in the dark.
We will have much more to say about how this scheme next week. But we want to point out that we have been joined in protesting the scheme by some live wires who, like us, want to see White Plains Road rehabilitated. (Indeed, we had thought we were on the way.) A petition drive has begun.
If you want to join in the effort to keep an AIDS center from being built on White Plains Road call 718-324-8564 and we will send you some petitions to be signed. The force of our protest will depend on you.
By Mary Lauro
The first step is to do it in the dark of night; that is, you don't tell the community. If you tell them, they might object to having a seven-story AIDS center, which could house 60-80 homeless AIDS victims, built right smack in the center of their business district. Instead, you go quietly to some key figures in the community, get their approval and start building.
In our case, the building to be constructed would be in the empty lot across the street from the MET supermarket at 4339 White Plains Road. The agency that wants to destroy our business community is a non-profit group called Praxis which, apparently, runs several such residences throughout the city.
From what we could gather, news of this possibility was first sent to Rev. Richard Gorman, chair of Community Board 12, in a letter some time in October. He did not respond to it until the middle of November. Praxis wanted to meet with a select group of CB 12 people. To his credit, Gorman insisted any meeting would have to be with the entire Board. Not to his credit is that he did not advise the League, which after all, is the voice of the Wakefield community. Odder still, is that at the November 19 meeting of the Board, he did not mention it in his report to the community.
During this time period Praxis went to Councilman Larry Seabrook to discuss the possibility with him. We understand that Seabrook said it was fine with him. The problem is the location is not in his district but in that of Councilman Oliver Koppell whom Praxis eventually contacted. What Koppell thinks is in question, but it is important to note that neither Seabrook nor Koppell are members of this community. We are the community.
At this time we do not know why Praxis wants nor needs the community's approval. The location is in a R6 zone. Legally, Praxis can build without community approval. Since it is, however, a non-profit organization, we believe that its funding source or sources want the community approval. Please note an important fact. The property has not yet been bought! Apparently purchasing is dependent on community approval.
We first learned of the Praxis proposal on November 19 at a beakfast meeting of the Bronx Business Alliance (BBA) where director Margaret Arrighi mentioned it and when questioned by this writer who is secretary of the Executive Board of BBA said it was a “done deal!”At this point we call CB 12 to get further details. However, note, that the League which has supported BBA since its inception again was not notified immediately. Ask yourself, also, why BBA should have know about it, if not even Councilman Koppell knew about it at the time. Had we not attended the beakfast, we would not have known! And, we might still be in the dark.
We will have much more to say about how this scheme next week. But we want to point out that we have been joined in protesting the scheme by some live wires who, like us, want to see White Plains Road rehabilitated. (Indeed, we had thought we were on the way.) A petition drive has begun.
If you want to join in the effort to keep an AIDS center from being built on White Plains Road call 718-324-8564 and we will send you some petitions to be signed. The force of our protest will depend on you.
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