Volunteers Embark On Earth Day Cleanups by Roger Clark - NY1.com

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Volunteers all over the city spent Friday cleaning up recreational areas to mark Earth Day.

In Queens, the Hindu community took part in a cleanup of Jamaica Bay where offerings from religious ceremonies are creating environmental concerns.

The space, part of the National Park Service's gateway recreation area, is near the North Channel Bridge in Broad Channel.

"We come here and we make our offerings to the mother, because we believe the water for us is mother. She is a deity, what we worship. But at the same time we need to keep our mother clean, too. So after making our offerings into the water we should clean up after that," said Hindu Priest Chunelall Narine.

"We do promote a healthy environment, and although it's hard for some to understand the different situation that we're in, we do respect the community and we hope to clean up for Earth Day and to promote a good environment," said Clean-Up Volunteer Kamelia Kilawan.

For the past five years, park rangers have been working with the Hindu community to educate worshipers about the dangers posed to the environment and wildlife when leaving behind ritual items, like pieces of fruit and coconut shells.

"They can disrupt food chains and delay migration, they certainly can affect the water quality of Jamaica Bay," said Kathy Krause, Gateway National Recreation Area.

"It is our responsibility and duty to protect, to do whatever we can to protect the earth and keep the earth as clean as possible," said Hindu Community Leader Bhoj Dindiyal.

Other events across the city are focusing on green businesses and green cars.

Friday marks the 41st annual Earth Day celebration.

EAST NEW YORKERS ORGANIZE AGAINST MEGA-DEVELOPER RELATED COMPANIES FOR FAILING TO COME CLEAN ON WALMART

Barron, Small Business Owner, Local Leaders Say Related Wouldn’t Have to Duck Gateway Mall Questions if it Partnered with Trustworthy Stores

Barron to Go Store-to-Store to Mobilize Small Business Owners in Fight Against Developer’s Plans for a Wal-mart

Today Councilman Charles Barron joined with community leaders, residents, local business owners including the owner of New Lots Hardware Eddie Peralta in front of his local business to slam Gateway Mall developer Related Companies for failing to come clean on plans for Gateway II with regard to Wal-mart

Neighborhood residents and business owners oppose Wal-mart because they say the world’s richest retailer can’t be trusted, with its past record of pushing out local retailers, discriminating against African-Americans, Latinos, and women, and running expensive public relations campaign instead of answering questions at public hearings.

“Wal-Mart is trying to buy its way into our communities with a massive ad campaign, fancy commercials, and a slick website, instead of participating in open and public hearings and answering the community’s concerns. We are demanding that the Related Companies honor the City Council agreement not to bring Wal-Mart to our community,” said Councilman Charles Barron. “The reality is that Wal-Mart is a predatory retailer that pays low wages,provides inadequate healthcare and pensions and are anti-union. If Wal-Mart comes in, jobs will be lost.

Nathan Bradley of Community Board 5 says, "I have placed many phone calls to Related companies to asked them to come to our community board meeting to present their plans for Gateway II to CB 5, but they have ignored the community and have not responded to the many requests".

“I have tried to communicate with Wal-mart with no success. We would like them to participate in our community forum on April 28, 2011. It will be a good opportunity to speak with community residents. Unfortunately no one has responded," said Anna Aguirre, from community organization UCC.

• Wal-mart says it will build stores with union labor and pay employees above-average wages. They said the same thing in Chicago- spending $2.5 million on favorable advertising in the first 6 months of 2010. But as soon as Wal-mart won the zoning approval it needed, it said it never made a wage promise (June 2010), and publicly distanced itself from union labor (Feb 2011)
• According to an April 2011 Crain’s Chicago investigation, Wal-mart’s “benefits to minority contractors didn’t match the hype,” with much of the large-scale work going to non-minority firms.

“Wal-mart doesn’t share our values- they’re facing the largest gender bias class-action lawsuit in U.S. history, they sell more guns than any company in the world, and they deny workers a fair day’s pay and breaks,” said Maria Maisonet, East New York resident. “New Yorkers know better. We know past track records matter. And that’s why small business owners, tenant leaders, and community leaders are coming together to agree: Wal-mart doesn’t share our values, it can’t be trusted to keep its word, and doesn’t belong in East New York.”

Related suffered a week of negative press around its rumored partnership with Wal-mart, including a flash mob at the company’s head quarters, public scrutiny of the Gateway appraisal, and criticism for obfuscating its plans to bring Wal-mart to New York City.

East New Yorkers urged Related Companies to ditch Wal-mart, and instead choose responsible retailers and grocers like Shoprite, who has publicly expressed interest in the site.

According to a recent Crain’s New York article, full-time workers at ShopRite start at $11.75 an hour, and those wages go up to $12.50 within a year on the job. Wages continue to rise, based on experience, and the average full-time wage at the supermarket chain is $16 an hour. Employees also receive either a $1-an-hour bonus or time-and-a-half for working Sundays, depending on their length of service. Health care and pension benefits are fully paid by ShopRite, and 87% of ShopRite workers receive health coverage.

Wal-mart, on the other hand, says it pays an average hourly wage of $13.09 to full-time associates in its New York state stores, but it won’t release starting salary information, and has consistently denied an invitation from New York UFCW locals to have the state controller audit its records to ascertain actual wage levels. According to IBISWorld the average Wal-mart sales associate working full-time hours earns$8.81/hour.

After the press conference, Councilman Barron visited nearby small business owners to engage them in the fight against the developer’s plans to bring in Wal-mart.

“We make New York great and keep the money in our communities where it belongs. We can’t let Wal-mart, or Related Companies, push us out now,” said Eddie Peralta, small business owner of New Lots Hardware.

JFK Expansion Options Debated by David J. Harvey - The Forum Newsgroup

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John F. Kennedy Airport is one of the nation’s busiest airports and travellers face frequent delays. As air travel around New York increases, it could get worse. A new report on air traffic capacity contains, among several options to alleviate overcrowding, the possibility of expanding JFK Airport into Jamaica Bay. Local residents and conservation groups have reacted in an uproar.

At the beginning of the year, the Regional Plan Association (RPA)—an independent urban research and advocacy group—released a report on the growth of aviation traffic in New York City.

The report’s authors predict that passenger volume in New York will grow from 104 million passengers in 2010 to 150 million passengers in the 2030s. This growth, without improvements to the current aviation infrastructure, could cost billions of dollars in lost wages and business income. The report predicts that by 2030, as many as 125,000 jobs, $6 billion in wages and $16 billion in business sales would be lost yearly due to airport congestions and delays.

Among the possible solutions for accommodating increased commuter traffic is expanding JFK into Jamaica Bay. One proposal suggests an expansion of nearly 400 acres—almost two-thirds the size of LaGuardia Airport—while another would involve no reclamation of the bay.

Click on image to enlarge

After RPA released their report, a tide of criticism rose in the community that left some residents calling the RPA tools for the Port Authority.

On April 7, at the American Legion Hall on Crossbay Boulevard in Broad Channel, Dan Mundy of the Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers hosted a presentation to counter the RPA report.

Mundy opened the presentation by arguing that the central premise of the RPA report—that New York will have a significant rise in airline traffic—is based on a growth that would bring the city’s aviation to “a crippling halt.”

Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-Kew Gardens) who flew in from Washington D.C. and was running late for a flight back to Washington, spoke briefly during Mundy’s presentation and promised he would do everything in his power to stop expansion into the bay.

“I have made it very clear that while there is ability for the Secretary [of the Interior] to make minor changes to the map, this is not minor, this is major, I’m against this, and I’m not going to let it happen,” Weiner said.

One of the biggest complaints Mundy had with the RPA report was that previous reports about air traffic growth were always overestimated.

“It’s a doomsday prediction,” he said. “We went back 55 years and looked at all these reports. What we found was that the predictions were always overstated.”

A 1969 RPA report predicted that by the year 2000 there would be at least 250 million air passengers per year in the New York area—there were actually 90 million. Mundy said that by following historical data, an increase to between 115 and 125 million air passengers by 2030 could be predicted, rather than the 150 million predicted in the RPA report.

RPA Director of Transportation Richard Barone, one of the report’s authors, defended the current report and joked that he “wasn’t even born when [the 1969] report came out.”

“[The 1969] predictions were very optimistic, it was a period of very aggressive growth in air travel,” he said, adding that the old RPA reports used a six percent growth rate.

The recent report was based on a conservative, two percent growth rate, he said.

Barone said the RPA had attended the meeting to get input and hopes to return to the area and present updates.

“Obviously in the report we state that expanding into Jamaica Bay is huge deal,” Barone said. “We’re not opposed to making changes.”

Despite Barone’s concessions, and insistence that the RPA has no other agenda than presenting their analysis to “start a conversation,” the immediate response after he finished speaking was vitriolic. “I should take that as a direct insult to my intelligence,” said John, a local resident.

Don Riepe, Director of the American Littoral Society’s Northeast Chapter, pointed out that the bay has been reclaimed for development since New York City was founded. At one time, the bay was twice its current size, spreading out as salt marshes across Brooklyn and Queens. Today, the bay’s wildlife, including migrating hawks, peregrine falcons, osprey, herons and more than 100 types of finfish, compete for less and less livable space, Riepe said.

He noted that JFK already has problems with animals trying to coexist with planes. Last year, the city euthanized thousands of geese over fears the migrating birds would cause an incident like the forced Hudson River emergency landing. JFK now has a full time biologist on staff to deal with local wildlife.

“Just because you have an urban airport doesn’t mean you won’t have wildlife,” Riepe said.

Bradford H. Sewell, Senior Project Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, explained that proposed changes would alter the flight paths, adding to noise pollution over the bay—disturbing the natural “soundscape” of the bay. He added that new flights would pass, at an elevation of 1,000 to 1,500 feet, directly over the Jamaica Bay visitor center. If the frequency of traffic doubles at the airport, flights could pass overhead every 30 seconds.

“I hope that we can double our efforts … because the impacts of this sort of expansion into Jamaica Bay would be unacceptable,” said Sewell, who has had prior experience in airport expansion battles.

In the RPA report, there are four proposals for the expansion of JFK. Three include reclaiming some of the bay. The report’s authors noted—based on NY Port Authority reports—that the area of expansion is a dead zone, depleted of oxygen as a result of dredging. Mundy, Riepe and Sewell all refute that claim.

Vinnie Calabro, a Jamaica Bay fisherman and charter boat captain, said the area the NY Port Authority considers a dead zone is teeming with wildlife, and is the site of several recent catches.

“We’ll be on the boat some days looking at the people on the tarmac reading the New York Timesand we’ll catch another one of these big fish.” said Calabro. “They don’t realize what’s going on. They’re caught up in the headlines, but there are headlines right here in the bay. We have to speak out.”

One RPA proposal that does not include expansion of JFK into the bay, which Barone said was overlooked by Sewell, would require upgrading the airport’s air traffic control with NextGen capabilities. NextGen, being implemented by the Federal Aviation Administration over the next few years, includes Global Positioning Systems and operational and procedural changes.

The biggest hurdles JFK must overcome—be aided by NextGen—is reducing flight delays and optimizing capacity, said the report.

Despite the report’s findings, no one is planning an actual airport expansion so far.

Edward Knoesel, manager of the New York Port Authority’s Environmental Services Aviation Department, said that the RPA report was commissioned by the Port Authority, stressing that the organization has a responsibility to look into their facilities and plan for the future of commerce and travel in the tri-state area.

“The RPA is a long-standing, very respected organization,” he said. “They have produced a series of options for further study. … The Port Authority is not proposing to do any fill in Jamaica Bay.”

“We’re not proposing to do any expansion at any airport,” Knoesel added. “What were doing is taking a look at what the RPA proposed and what [the community says] and see what is feasible.”

Bay Area Locals Fret Over JFK Plan by Domenick Rafter - Queens Tribune

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Residents and environmentalists living around Jamaica Bay are concerned a recent report detailing possible expansion plans for JFK Airport will severely impact the environment around one of the East Coast's largest wetlands.

Earlier this year, the Regional Plan Association released a 158-page report on the future of air travel in the New York area. Among its recommendations was to expand all three major airports, including JFK. Three of the four options the RPA outlined would require building new runways into Jamaica Bay, reclaiming as much as 400 acres of the bay.

The report sparked outrage among residents in neighborhoods around the bay, including Howard Beach, Broad Channel, Rosedale and the Rockaways. The Jamaica Bay Task Force, a group of private citizens and organizations concerned about the bay, met April 7 at the American Legion Hall in Broad Channel to discuss the potential the RPA's plan has to damage the ecological makeup of Jamaica Bay. The meeting was attended by more than 150 residents and civic leaders, including U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Kew Gardens), who flew back to New York from Washington D.C. during last week's budget negotiations just to make an appearance at the meeting.

"I'm against this and I'm not going to let this happen," Weiner said to the crowd, noting that any reclamation of land needed to expand JFK would require federal legislation. Most of Jamaica Bay is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, owned by the federal government and managed by the National Park Service.

Dan Mundy Sr., of the Jamaica Bay Eco Watchers, criticized RPA for both the general tone of the report and for a lack of outreach to civic leaders and groups around Jamaica Bay.

Mundy also said the plan showed RPA did not have good knowledge of the bay. A section of Grassy Bay, part of Jamaica Bay directly off the main runway of JFK, was termed "dead" by the RPA because of a lack of oxygen does not support life, but local fishermen fought the accusation, saying the location was anything but dead.

"The people in the back of the Bay, they know the Bay," he said.

Don Riepe of the American Littoral Society showed photos of birds and animals that live 150 yards or less from the airport. Some of them live and thrive along the boundaries of the airport. The bird populations, he said, could interfere with air traffic coming in and out of new runways in nesting areas.

"Birds like the snow goose can really get into trouble with aircraft," he said.

Capt. Vincent Calabro, a fisherman who fishes in Jamaica Bay, fought the labeling of Grassy Bay as "dead," showing pictures of fish he has caught within yards of JFK, including two-to-three-foot-long striped bass, flounder and fluke.

"We have to speak up for the Bay," Calabro said. "The Bay asks nothing for us."

An expansion project reclaiming land in the bay would be a "disaster," he added.

Mundy suggested that the Port Authority, which will use RPA's report to examine how to deal with future air traffic growth, should utilize airports like MacArthur on Long Island, Westchester County, and Stewart Airport in the Hudson Valley before expanding any of the existing ones, which is another option named in RPA's report.

Besides environmental concerns, some were worried about noise issues and the potential for disasters like the crash of American Airlines Flight 587 into a Rockaway neighborhood in 2001. One proposal calls for a new runway to be constructed on the west side of JFK that would send air traffic directly over Broad Channel at low altitudes, a problem that has already plagued Howard Beach, South Ozone Park, Rosedale and the Rockaways.

"Putting aside the potential environmental catastrophe, what about the quality of life issues," asked Councilman Eric Ulrich (R-Ozone Park).

The implementation of NextGen, new air traffic control technology, will allow planes to fly closer together, meaning planes would be flying over residential neighborhoods as often as every 30 seconds.

Unions Squeeze Walmart Partners - by Daniel Massey Crain's New York Business

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Opponents of Walmart plan to ratchet up the pressure on heavyweight developer The Related Companies this week, in a concerted campaign to show the city's real estate community that there's a potential cost to doing business with the nation's biggest retailer.

Related has had contact with Walmart about leasing a site at its 650,000-square-foot Gateway II shopping center in East New York, Brooklyn, that already received the City Council's approval, enraging those unions, small storeowners and council members that oppose the retailer's entry into the city. Opponents hope to persuade Walmart's local partners—with threats of pickets outside their headquarters or homes and other actions—that doing business with the retailer will damage their future council dealings.

“The Walmarts of the world may think they can ignore us, but the Relateds of the world can't,” state Sen. Diane Savino, D-Staten Island, told Crain's last month. “These are guys who want to develop in other places in the city. They could find that their relationship with Walmart may permanently damage their relationship with the city.”

Opponents believe they have leverage over Related in part because it is one of 29 firms that have expressed interest in redeveloping Willets Point, a run-down section of northeast Queens slated to be remade with retail outlets, housing, a hotel and office space. The city will issue a request for proposals for the redevelopment in April.

On Monday, three elected officials who represent the Willets Point area—Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras, state Sen. José Peralta and Assemblyman Francisco Moya—will send a letter to Related Chief Executive Stephen Ross, pressuring him to shun Walmart.

“We have a long working relationship together, creating new economic opportunities for New Yorkers and building more vibrant neighborhoods, and we hope to continue that strong partnership moving forward, perhaps at Willets Point,” reads the letter, a copy of which was provided to Crain's by the Walmart Free NYC coalition. “That's why we're urging you not to do business with Walmart at Gateway II or any other New York City location.”

Mr. Ross said Walmart has expressed interest in the Gateway II site, but the two sides are not yet negotiating a lease. Related officials were so upset that labor engineered the defeat of its Kingsbridge Armory mall in late 2009 that it is believed to be willing to buck the council this time. “We're not going to back down, and we're going to do what's good for the city of New York in the long term,” Mr. Ross said.

“Very dangerous”

Other industry leaders denounced the opponents' strategy, saying it could send an anti-business message to companies that are considering locating or expanding in the city.

Robert Knakal, chairman of Massey Knakal Realty Services, says he has several as-of-right sites that he's trying to market to Walmart. “It gets very dangerous when politicians start saying who you can rent space to and who you can't,” he said.

Mr. Knakal added that some developers and landlords might be concerned about backlash over dealing with Walmart, but that “ultimately if you believe something is best for the city, you do it.”

While the council does not have a say in which developer the city chooses for Willets Point, its Queens members will have to approve the sale of land to the winning firm. Those members won't weigh in until the developer is chosen, but the council could presumably use the vote as a pressure point.

A majority of council members oppose Walmart's entry into the city, arguing that it would drive down wages of unionized workers and hurt small businesses. As many as 20 council members are expected to sign a similar anti-Walmart letter to Mr. Ross. Plans are in the works to bring a group of former Walmart workers to Mr. Ross to talk about their experiences with the retailer. Other actions against Related are also being planned, including demonstrations outside board members' homes and the firm's Columbus Circle headquarters.

Sending a message

“They need to feel like, 'You know what, we don't need to be the people who bring in Walmart, it's just not worth it,' ” said Jon Kest, director of New York Communities for Change and a member of Walmart Free NYC. “We want to drive them to that point.”

By pressuring the firm on Willets Point, opponents hope to send a message to other developers, landlords and brokers that dealing with Walmart isn't worth the risk, especially when unionized companies like ShopRite are waiting in the wings, willing to open stores.

Vornado, the landlord of Walmart's North Bergen, N.J., store, tried to team up with the retailer in 2005 in Rego Park, Queens, but the deal fell apart amid heavy opposition. The developer would also become a target if it started talking to Walmart about New York City again.

Related's flirtation with Walmart didn't hurt it last week, when it was selected by the city as part of a team to build nearly 1,000 affordable-housing units at Hunters Point in Queens. Some took that decision as a sign that Related's connection to Walmart would not hurt its chances to win big city projects. But the council didn't have a say in the pick.

Walmart is looking at sites controlled not just by major developers, but also by smaller landlords that may not have other business before the council, said Director of Community Affairs Steven Restivo.

Kenneth Fisher, a partner at Cozen O'Connor who deals with land-use issues and a former councilman, said that the council should ideally base decisions on the land-use impacts of projects.

“Is it some form of extortion, saying, 'I won't give you my government approval if you are doing business with a third party?' ” he asked. “If I were Speaker [Christine] Quinn, I'd ask my lawyers to look at it pretty carefully before encouraging members to go down that road. I think there's potentially some exposure there, though any prosecutor would be reluctant to stick their nose in.”

Jeremy Smerd contributed to this story.