July 1,
2015
Hon. Tony Shorris Hon.
Richard R. Buery, Jr.
First Deputy Mayor, City of New York Hon.
Alicia Glen
City Hall Deputy
Mayors, City of New York
New York, NY
10007 City
Hall
New
York, NY 10007
Re: Construction Surrounding PS 75/03M075 – Emily
Dickinson School
Dear First Deputy Mayor Shorris and Deputy Mayors
Buery and Glen:
As community leaders and members of Community Board
7/Manhattan, we have great concerns about the increasing number of significant
construction projects adjacent to schools. We appreciate that construction is a reality of living in
our City, but are keenly aware that schools present special situations in need
of heightened attention and protection from the impacts of development.
We seek a coordinated response to the most pressing
concerns raised by such construction adjacent to PS 75 (03M075 – the Emily
Dickinson School) located on West End Avenue between West 95-96 Streets. In particular, we need to provide
support and meaningful assistance to address the multiple safety issues and
disruption to the learning environment that inevitably follow major
construction next to this school.
The need goes beyond the continuing issue of whether our schools have
the capacity to absorb the enrollment of children who will reside in the
family-friendly buildings that continue proliferate in our District. We have worked closely with the PS 163
community in our District for over a year in connection with monumental
construction less than 30 feet away.
Now PS 75 is in a similar position.
PS 75 is surrounded on three sides by soft sites that
are expected to be in active construction beginning in as little as a few
months and potentially continuing for many years.
The first, and perhaps most threatening, project
likely to affect the school is the claimed as-of-right proposal to build a
platform over the top of the existing building at 711 West End Avenue (across
West 95th from the school), and then construct multiple additional floors of
luxury housing above it. This
complex project will create logistical, engineering and safety issues that will
materially compromise the learning environment for students, teachers,
administration and staff. It will
also create enormous safety concerns for the school community not limited to
drop-off and pick-up. This project
is already having a negative impact on the residents of the existing building
at 711 WEA.
Among the most pressing concerns are the blasting,
noise, dust and debris that a project of this scale will have on the school,
and the interference of a crane, construction materials and deliveries on West
95th Street outside a principal school entrance. West 95th Street is a busy street providing egress
from the southbound Henry Hudson Parkway.
Less than a year ago a neighbor was killed in front of the school by a
willfully careless driver.
Children should not be put is such harm's way.
Looking to the near future, the former Salvation Army
Williams residence at 720 WEA across from the school, and the soft development
site at the northwest corner of West 96th and WEA, will likely ensure that at
least a full generation of students will come and go at PS 75 under the barrage
of construction.
Similar to PS 163, PS 75's enrollment includes a significant
number of families who are zoned for other schools but choose this one. That choice enrollment greatly enriches
the diversity of the student body, and is highly valued by the entire
community. At the same time, parents and administrators are working hard to
boost enrollment so that the school can continue to support the enrichment
programs central to its success. The looming threat of disruptive construction
at PS 163 has already seen scores of families leave and choose different
schools. We fear a similar result
will happen at PS 75, meaning the loss of a diverse, high-quality school.
Our schools are focal points of our community but we
don’t do enough to support them when they are facing external threats. We have grave concerns about these
construction projects overall.
Our immediate concern is that the resources and
expertise of City government be available to the PS 75 community to help them
analyze the impact, understand what concerns and questions need to be addressed
in order to mitigate any impacts and protect the student population, and secure
meaningful protections. While the
DoB may have limited leverage over as-of-right construction permits, careful
oversight to ensure the safety of children and the vitality of a school
requires a coordinated plan that includes DoB’s and other agencies’ expertise
and engagement to meet these particular concerns.
To that end, we request that you convene a meeting or
working group of all relevant City agencies, including the Departments of
Buildings, Education, Transportation, Environmental Protection, and Health
& Mental Hygiene, as well as the School Construction Authority, to meet
with the PS 75 school and community leaders. The goal of such a meeting is to be proactive in protecting
our schools in much the same way residential neighbors are required to be
protected during construction.
We implore you to advocate for meaningful protections
for the entire community, including the school community, and not to allow
construction to go forward until such protections are secured.
We look forward to working with you to achieve these
necessary goals.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Caputo Eric
Shuffler Blanche
Lawton
Chair, CB7 Co-chairs
CB7 Youth, Education & Libraries Committee
Copy: Hon.
Melissa Mark-Viverito, Speaker, New York City Council
Hon.
Helen Rosenthal, New York City Council, 6th District
Hon.
Mark Levine, New York City Council, 7th District
Hon. Gale A. Brewer, Manhattan Borough
President
Hon. Scott M. Stringer, New York City
Comptroller
Hon.
Letitia A. James, New York City Public Advocate
Hon.
Jose M. Serrano, New York State Senate, 29th District
Hon. Bill Perkins, New York State
Senate, 30th District
Hon.
Adriano Espaillat, New York State Senate, 31st District
Hon.
Linda B. Rosenthal, New York State Assembly, 67th District
Hon.
Daniel J. O’Donnell, New York State Assembly, 69th District