Residents also rejected the idea of amending State law to clear the way for the Octagon Apartments project, voting 83% to keep the Open Spaces statute as it is and, by extension, to keep the Octagon Park area open. It seems unlikely RIOC and its Board will heed the vote, which is only advisory. The Board has approved a steady series of resolutions that firm up a commitment to the project. Early this week, in fact, a Board meeting was scheduled for Thursday to ratify the lease for the space, but on Wednesday the session was canceled without explanation.

In other referenda, Islanders panned the Public Safety Department (PSD), voting 73% "no" to 27% "yes" on the question, "Are you satisfied with the current level of service provided by Public Safety?" RIOC's maintenance of the Island also took a hit - 71% tipping the lever to "no" in response to a question about that. (For its pre-election issue last week, The WIRE had asked RIOC to provide its views on both the PSD and maintenance questions, but RIOC declined.)

Votes on the referendum questions are tallied in charts here reftally.html.

Youth Center

The impetus for the ballot question on space for the Youth Center was availability of nearly $2 million to renovate a permanent home for the Youth Program, including $1.65 million in City funding that depends on the space being held under a long-term lease. The space in question, on Main Street at the south end of Eastwood, is vacant. RIOC is attempting to market the space to a commercial renter, but none has stepped forward and RIOC had delays in firming up a working marketing relationship with a real-estate broker.

The Youth Center has laid claim to the space at 504 Main Street based on a RIOC promise, over a decade old, that the space would be made available in exchange for the Youth Program's relinquishing the space that now houses the Main Street Theatre and Dance Alliance and the worship space of the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation.

The Lilies Christian School had used the space on a month-to-month basis, but vacated just over a year ago after the RIOC Board voted not to extend the lease any further. Since then, the space has been vacant, the subject of repeated requests from the Youth Program and continued delay on the part of RIOC.

Octagon Apartments

Assemblymember Pete Grannis, who was re-elected Tuesday with an 88% vote on the Island and 77% district-wide, has said the State's 2002 Roosevelt Island Open Spaces Law prohibits use of the Octagon Park land for an apartment building. RIOC has claimed there is no prohibition.

On Thursday, Grannis told The WIRE, "With residents overwhelmingly voting in support of the referenda to preserve the open spaces at both Southpoint Park and Octagon Park for park-related activities, RIOC and its Board were given a clear message that demonstrates the necessity to uphold the Roosevelt Island Open Spaces Law. I look forward to working with RIOC and the community to add both these areas to the City's limited but vitally important inventory of parkland."

Public Safety

Roosevelt Island's Public Safety Department has only rarely been out of residents' line of fire, taking criticism for alleged ineffectiveness against drug use and drug deals, anti-social activities in residential buildings where residents complain that patrols are infrequent or nonexistent, and for `various missteps. Last week, for example, a judge tossed out a disorderly conduct summons in the case of a resident who refused to identify himself to officers responding to a complaint call over his taking photographs. The judge ruled that PSD's paperwork cited no facts to support the charge.

In the referendum vote, residents seemed to be expressing, once again, a general dissatisfaction with Public Safety's ability to provide an environment they consider safe, secure, and free of a range of unwanted activities.

Over the past year, RIOC Board member Patrick Stewart, a resident, has chaired a RIOC Public Safety Committee in what appeared to be a RIOC Board effort to address the dissatisfaction, but he announced abandonment of the committee at the last Board meeting. No detailed reasons were given, but Stewart once expressed unhappiness over the contentiousness of some committee members. One, Damon LaScot, criticized Stewart for allegedly making it his mission to see that the committee would accomplish nothing.

Maintenance

The current administration at RIOC has responded to a listing of maintenance problems presented by the newly-elected President of the Residents Association, Steve Marcus, while he was the organization's Vice President. But 71% of residents voting said they were unsatisfied with RIOC maintenance efforts. Long-time residents have complained of a general deterioration over the years, complaining RIOC's payroll is administratively top-heavy and maintenance is slighted.