Riverdale News: Riverdale Avenue Street Festival

Riverdale Report

By Robert Press

BRONX, NEW YORK, October 22- Sunday December 2^nd is the scheduled date for the 2^nd Riverdale Avenue Street Festival. This year Riverdale Avenue should be closed to all traffic between West 236^th and West 238^th Streets from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. #7 buses will be rerouted to the Henry Hudson Parkway service road where the #10 and #20 buses currently run. It may be a slight inconvenience, but drivers can go easily around the two blocks at either W. 236^th or W. 238^th Streets. There are several different ideas for the festival including food tastings of the many new restaurants on the street, and musical entertainment to be provided. As more details on the event are announced we will have them for you.

Councilman G. Oliver Koppell wants to make sure that tenants know their rights as “Heat Season” has begun. Heat Season is from October 1^st through May 31^st. Landlords must provide heat and hot water between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., if the temperature outside falls below 40 degrees, the inside temperature is required to be at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Councilman Koppell says to first notify your Building owner, management agent, or superintendent. The next step would be to call 311 and put in a complaint if heat is not restored (being sure to get the complaint number from the 311 operator). Councilman Koppell adds that his expert staff at his district office can be called on if needed at 718-549-7300.

For the latest listing of events that are going on at Wave Hill you can go to my blog at www.100percentbronx.blogspot.com and check the archive section on the left for Wave Hill.

At last week’s Community Board #8 Traffic & Transportation Committee meeting the possible closure at times of West 230^th Street between Broadway and the Degan Highway for tractor trailer trucks to back in to the new shopping center was brought up by CB 8 Vice-Chair Maria Kurry. The developer has said that there is no way other than having the trucks to the new shopping center cross over the entire length of W.230^th Street (and stop traffic both ways) in order to back the tractor trailer trucks into the unloading area. Ms. Kurry said that she owns a business around the corner on Broadway, and other merchant friends of hers are concerned about the possible closure of W.230^th Street. It was said that in certain areas of Manhattan truck size is limited, and maybe that could be done here. We have to wonder however if the Vice-Chair of Community Board 8, who owns a business (and spoke for other merchants in the area), could then have a possible conflict of interest when it comes to any involvement (as she has) in new business or development near her and her friends businesses such as the new shopping centers on West 230^th or West 238^th Streets that has come before CB 8.

There are proper procedures and rules when it comes to being a public official, and we have seen far too many of our public officials removed from office. A Community Board member is an appointed public official, and must remember that he or she must abide by the rules that are in place for such public officials. At times rules and regulations do change, and it is crucial that Chairpersons and District Managers of Community Boards know and keep up with any changes as they happen. It should be clear that Community Board #8 in the existence of a youth committee that was out of compliance, and the street activity permit process that was not updated by its Chairman or District Manager needs to be looked at closer.

Finally, if CB 8 Chairman Fanuzzi is complaining how long meetings of CB 8 are and the nitpicking over procedure, he has only himself or his District Manager to blame.

If you have any comments about this column or would like to have an event listed or covered in this column or on my blog, you can e-mail us at 100percentbronxnews@gmail.com or call 718-644-4199 Mr. Robert Press.