See the large aerial photograph of the site and surroundings at the end of this report.

Residents speaking at last week's Town Meeting to review plans for apartments at Octagon Park were almost unanimously negative toward the idea of an on-site parking structure under raised tennis courts.

Some were negative about changing the Island's General Development Plan (GDP) – a kind of zoning that's part of the Lease under which the State is developing this City property – that would reduce the available area that might one day be accessible parkland.

Becker and Becker, the developer recently granted an extension of site control, pointed out that their plan would actually increase the amount of parkland available because at present so much of the area around the landmarked Octagon tower ruin is overgrown and unusable by residents or the public.

As reported in previous issues of The WIRE, the plan would provide up to 450 apartments, 20% of which would be "affordable" under State guidelines, with 80% renting at market rates.

Bruce Becker told those attending the Wednesday night meeting in the Chapel of the Good Shepherd that his planners have been advised by the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation (RIOC) that parking spaces in Motorgate are spoken for and are unavailable for tenants of the new development.  But resident after resident urged other solutions:  An arrangement with Coler Hospital, an expansion of Motorgate into the quadrant not yet built, added floors on Motorgate, or no parking at all.

Joyce Mincheff, Site Director for the New York Junior Tennis League (NYJTL), pointed out that successful use of the Octagon courts by NYJTL depends upon having surrounding area available where children can wait for court time and still be under adult supervision.

Opposition to the overall plan stemmed, in part, from resident concerns that the GDP is being amended piecemeal by RIOC, or that amending the GDP may set a precedent that would ultimately result in the loss of ten acres of parkland at Southpoint, designated as FDR Memorial Park in plans for the Island.  A few residents expressed a wish that other uses might be preferable – such ideas as a botanical garden or museum.

Bruce Becker told the audience of about 100 at the meeting that, though landmarked, the Octagon tower is in such bad shape, as the result of two fires and general decay over the last 20 years, that the building was in danger of losing landmark status.  He said that landmark status was finally upheld, but estimated that renovation and reconstruction of the building would cost some $8.5 million, far more than originally thought.

The plan, in its current form, has added a dogleg to one of the wings, so that the overall shape is like the letter J.  Some residents objected that this arrangement turns most of the park area into a courtyard; Becker, in fact, referred to the area as a courtyard at one point.  The area might include a swimming pool, patios outside ground-floor units, and a cafe or restaurant.

The main purpose of the session was to hear resident comments on the plan presented by Becker and Becker.  Here's a sampling:

An unidentified man:  "...It is almost elitist that this complex should have private parking...  The concept of [taking] the tennis courts for private parking is outrageous."

Joan Christianson:  "Southtown (the development planned by Hudson/Related between the Tram station and existing Northtown buildings) is required to build an additional section onto Motorgate.  By touching the tennis courts, you're on parkland...  It's up to us [residents] to get in touch with members of the RIOC Board and tell them how we feel about it."

Joe Cristiano:  "Even if it's never used, I think [the parking] should be there.  I fear we're going to have the law of supply and demand at some point, where there's not enough space at Motorgate, and the prices are going to shoot up.  I'd rather have more supply than demand, and I think it's a good concept."

Judy Berdy:  "The parking has gotta go.  It's ridiculous for you to waste tens of millions of dollars.  Make a deal with Coler [Hospital], for God's sake."

Steve Marcus:  "The parking lot's gotta go.  That's an insult."

Lee Edelman:  "It's clear [to me] that Becker and Becker has no desire to put parking there.  It's clear RIOC doesn't want to foot the bill for additional parking."

Edelman:  "In any other local community... democratically-elected local representatives would be able to choose...  Here, we have no local democracy.  The decisions for our community and about our lives are made by appointees who, for the most part, have no intimate knowledge of, or long term commitment to, Roosevelt Island or our community.  This being the case, there is only one way for such a project to be fairly and democratically judged: submit it to a vote by the community.  That is, hold a referendum."

(Both Becker and City Councilmember Gifford Miller, who attended the meeting to hear resident comments, distanced themselves from the idea of a referendum – Becker because it would subject much work to a single yes/no vote; Miller saw it as impractical to submit such decisions to the electorate at large.)

Margie Smith:  "I'm very glad you're acknowledging that this plan violates the GDP.  This is a planned community.  We want it to stay planned.  We want to make sure the community is looked at as a whole, and that's why we're objecting to this piecemeal modification."

Byron Gaspard:  "I have a problem with the continuous amending of the General Development Plan.  This is a planned community..."

Steve Marcus:  "The General Development Plan says the area between Coler and Manhattan Park has to be parkland."  Marcus, who heads Roosevelt Islanders for Responsible Southtown Development, is suing RIOC over loss of parkland at the north end of Southtown.  He decried the loss, and potential loss, of the Island's parkland and open spaces.