"This is one of several public meetings which have demonstrated overwhelming opposition to the development of luxury apartments. And yet, the project continues on the drawing board... I respectfully ask the RIOC Board to give it the knock-out blow which the majority on this Island clearly desire.

"Please, RIOC, don't shame yourselves and U.S. democracy by ignoring local opinion."

Jolly was applauded loudly for over a minute when he finished.

Richard Donovan, who broke up a Town Meeting about the project in March of 1999 over RIOC President Jerome Blue's failure to attend it, presented figures showing that plans for reduced class size at PS/IS 217, as well as Southtown construction, "will produce a shortfall of from 250 to 426 [student] spaces." Donovan urged that the properties be held for possible educational use. Later, members of the Board relied instead on a handwritten note from a Board of Education official saying, "Thanks for the offer. The minis are not needed."

Representatives of Assemblymember Pete Grannis, City Councilmember Gifford Miller, and Representative Carolyn Maloney all spoke against the project, echoing the "no" expressed in September, 1999, by members of the Capital Planning and Development Committee, an advisory group that reports to the RIOC Board.

Among others speaking against the plan:

• Rivercross resident Ed Igel called the May RIOC Board meeting "one of the most disgraceful public meetings I've ever seen. The developer made a presentation, and then ran out of here. I've never met anyone who had pride in their work who didn't stay to hear comments. She was shepherded out of here by her attorney." Igel noted that Wilson had "failed to provide models" or a mock-up, and had "failed to do anything that would bring confidence to this program. We have to recognize the total inadequacy of the builder and architect." He then passed out a photocopy of the project architect's listing in a reference book of architects, showing a blank instead of a listing of qualifications or past projects.
• Arnold Webb read a resolution against the plan from the Rivercross Board, of which he is a member. He urged that the schools be held for an alternative high school with a speciality in marine biology.
• Rhoda Jacklin, a member of the RIRA Common Council, asked that an option be preserved to use the minischool properties for expanded library facilities. "I request that we don't dumb down [Roosevelt Island] and become a model slum for the rest of the country because of a lack of opportunity... Please do not take away all our options."
• Island House activist Kitty Berman read a letter from the Westview/Island House Task Force, then summarized: "We recognize that we are [only] the first phase [of housing]... We do not feel that new housing should tack luxury housing onto our state-regulated Mitchell-Lama buildings." She quoted another resident, Paul Doganges, as saying the Wilson plan "would result in the entombment of some of us."
• Mary Camper-Titsingh, who served on the Capital Planning and Development advisory committee when it voted down the Wilson proposal, reviewed that committee's work and called its negative vote on the minischool condos "unanimous."