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 December 21, 2001 |
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Voices of the Contending Parties
Attorney Stephen Kass, who represented RIOC: I think the opinion was a clear vindication of the actions taken by RIOC, and I hope it will now clear the way for the Southtown project to proceed without further obstruction. I think the opinion dealt comprehensively with all the issues raised in the litigation, and it made clear that while the petitioners certainly had their day in court, all of the objections they raised were unfounded. The Steering Committee of RIRSD: We are, of course,unhappy with the Appellate Court ruling. We're particularlydisappointed that the court failed to even acknowledge our argument that the September 22, 1999 RIOC Resolution exceeded RIOC's power under the RIOC Act which is a statute, not a contract, making the court's argument regarding contracts moot. In any event, their opinion that we, as residents andtaxpayers, have no legal standing tosue the State for anycontracts that the RIOC board chooses to pursue, no matter how harmful or misguidedthey may be, is appalling. It confirms our status as third-class citizens. They actually claim that residents are merely incidental, rather than intended beneficiaries, of the GDP. Who then, one might wonder, are the intended beneficiaries of the GDP? The developers? We further believe that Justice Nardelli erred in permitting RIOC to build anything in BlackwellPark, whenthe GDP clearly states that a six-acre park must be maintainedbetween thenew andolddevelopments. This decision proves again that our fundamental rights will continue to be violated until we have democratically-elected government on Roosevelt Island that works for the best interests of its residents rather than outside business interests. Our attorneys are carefully reviewing the decision, and we are considering a further appeal at this time. David Kramer, Hudson Companies: Needless to say, we're very satisfied with the Appellate Division's decision, which confirms everything we've said about the project. We're very excited to proceed with the development of Southtown, which we believe will be a tremendous addition to the Roosevelt Island community.
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