This post has been read 3029 times!
August 23, 2012 By Steven Greer, MD
For decades, the entrance to Gateway Plaza on South End Avenue has been a problematic zone caused by a small minority of dog owners who inconsiderately allow their pets to urinate on the sidewalk, right in front of the Chase Bank and ice cream shop. In the hot “dog days” of summer, the urine stench is unbearable. Unknowing visitors and young children sit on the same sidewalk. Thousands of others who live in Battery Park are forced to track the filth into their apartments. The wisest residents cross over to the other side of the street avoid the sidewalks.
As previously reported, BatteryPark.TV took action recently and spoke with the management of LeFrak’s Gateway and the local PEPs. More frequent power washing of the sidewalks has been the first improvement. Now, we have learned that the Gateway management is making changes to the leases with riders that ban numerous breeds of large dogs.
Vocal dog groups leaders
This content is restricted to site members. If you are an existing user, please log in. New users may register below.
Hi
If only every dog owner actually knew what the “Curb Your Dog” law means. It means they are supposed to do their business beyond the curb and NOT AT ALL on sidewalks, buildings, trees, etc. And then, if only such laws were ever followed as well as enforced.
Here is a useful summary:
https://dogboynyc.com/behavior-and-training/curb-your-dog/
Yuck.
Thank you for posting this. I am a Gateway resident and welcome efforts to clean up the complex and the sidewalk. I wish that the tenants assoc. would recognize the problem and work with management and dog owners to come up with solutions rather than chalk the new policies up to an unreasonable landlord. Many of the leaders of the tenant assoc. are the most responsible pet owners I have ever seen, but they don’t seem to want to acknolwdge tha there are others whose dogs have urinated in stairwells, in elevators, in the lobby, in carpeted public hallways and of course in front of Cafe Express.The media coverage will male it seem like everyone thinks the new rules are draconian, but the fact of the matter is that hundreds of residents support the new efforts.
there are more oversized dogs in gateway than anywhere else in ny….i am a dog lover and not sure if this is the answer by banning large dogs but it is a start to a cleaner street area….amen f
Your passionate reports don’t include the following: We are totally in favor of dog owners exercising good dog etiquette and having the dogs walked in appropriate places.
However, all “luxury” buildings with a large pet population always power wash the sidewalks almost daily; perhaps you can shed some light on why the management doesn’t have the correct equipment and doesn’t wash the sidewalks more frequently. Beyond this, This issue is much larger than dogs or cats; if the management can insert a “rider” about dogs which is oppressive and overly harsh, it opens the door to their changing the lease in many other ways. Perhaps residents would be forced to only have one child per apartment or not be allowed to have overnight guests.We believe that the Pet Rider is a breach of the 2009 stabilization agreement.
All the best, Glenn.
Mr. Plaskin
Your reply indicates that you just don’t get it. Under no circumstances ever should a dog owner let the pet urinate on a sidewalk. Power washing cleans the problem just once a day. The other 23 hours there is filth given that so many inconsiderate law breakers like yourself have dogs urinates in that sewer. we filmed you allowing your dog to urinate right in front of the bakery, by the way.
Editor
Glen,
Yes the managers should power wash daily, but don’t owners have a responsibility to “curb” dogs as per the law? The owners have to bear the cost of dogs urinating in elavators, stairwells etc. Last month a dog diariahed in our elevator. Several times dogs have urinated on carpet in front of the elevator.this is a great opportunity for responsible owners/ leaders in the community to work with lefrak to make things better for everyone instead of screaming” fire.”
Compromise is the word here. That TV spot only interviewed 2 residents. Both of whom I know and both are very responsible pet owners who consistently heel and curb their dogs. Unfortunately they are the exception. Something needs to be done.
Reply to Brent, above
Thank you for the post. Actually, we filmed Mr. Glenn Plaskin allowing his dog to urinate on the sidewalk immediately in front of the Cafe. He is one of the two people interviewed by ABC.
Editor
I am a responsible pet owner at Gateway. My dogs have never caused any damage to the property in the eight years I’ve lived there. If you people hate dogs so much, you shouldn’t have moved into a building with such a large dog community. If there is a problem with cleanliness the answer should be more cleaning, not fewer pets. Some young children on my floor have completely ripped the wallpaper off part of the wall in the hallway. Should all parents be fined and discriminated against as well? Think about what your saying. You are in favor of punishing an entire class of peolpe for the actions of a few. Just remember, you could be next.
Reply to Jessica Harris
We posted your comment because it represents the flawed logic of most of the inconsiderate dog owners who are shocked by the changes in LeFrak leases and by our video coverage. You are such a bad pet owner that you do not even know what “curbing your dog” means, apparently. You seem to think that the only place a dog can relive itself is on the sidewalk. Therefore, cleaning more frequently is the only solution.
In short, you are clueless and need to be taken to court to learn. Try disciplining the dog just enough to walk the extra ten feet to the street. That is called “curbing your dog”.
By the way, even daily costly power washing would not be the solution since there are four different busy shifts of dog walking whereby the sidewalks are polluted thoroughly each time creating disgusting filth and health hazards.
We hear often from inconsiderate people such as yourself “Why don’t you move?”. Why don’t YOU try moving to the country where your pet can be free to urinate and defecate wherever it wants? Why do you think that you have a right to come to the city and pollute the streets?
If a human got drunk and urinated in public, they would be arrested, and for good reason. Dog urine is no different.
You represent the type of person who expects others to help them. You think that you are entitled to live in cheap rent that is 40% cheaper then the surrounding apartments, and also have the right to pollute our sidewalks. You will be in for a rude awaking soon.
Editor
Why is no one mentioning how dangerous pitbulls are? Every week the news reports that someone was attacked/maimed/killed, often by their own pitbulls. Otherwise non-aggressive dogs attack people for the 1st time ALL THE TIME: what could a 45 pound husky do to a 4 year old child locked in an elevator for 40 seconds should it decide it’s time for attack? Large, vicious and unpredictable dogs such as pitbulls, are NOT family pets! The Gateway is a family residence, and like most family residences, should not allow potentially lethal dogs to coexist with small children in confined spaces.
These, “Draconian” rules are similar to MOST nyc apartment complexes. Thats why the Gateway is the only building in Battery Park that allows Pitbulls!
Glenn: This pet rider has nothing to do with small, docile dogs like yours–with the gross exception of its relieving itself in front of the Cafe Express. It has everything to do with dogs that are large, dangerous, unpredictable and unmanaged. And, as much as you may treat your dog like the equivalent of a human baby, there is simply no comparison between a pet and a child. As someone who has pets and children, they are worlds apart. Moreover, my children do not urinate and defecate in the elevators, common areas or sidewalks. They do not scream (or bark) at their neighbors. Nor do they bite or attack them. If they did, I would be held responsible!
Jessica: The parents of those children who ripped the wallpaper in your hallway should be held responsible. And, if in response to that action, management posted a note requesting that parents do not allow children under a certain age to walk around unsupervised, I would understand and follow those rules–even if my child didn’t destroy property. Sometimes a few bad eggs spoil it for the rest. Rather than get angry at management or non pet owners, you should be supporting rules which protect your pets. One of these dogs could gobble up your precious dogs with nary a belch.
When I moved into the Gateway, we did not have children. There were dogs, but there were few, if any, purebred pit bulls. That has changed in very significant numbers. I now have children who are sometimes face level with these dogs. I have to opt NOT to ride in elevators at times just to avoid having my children in a confined space with a potentially lethal dog.
Dear Glenn,
Now perhaps you’ll consider leashing your precious animal and not allow it to run up and down the hallway scaring my son and I half to death.
Face it, you’re in the minority here as my letter to the previous building manager is finally getting some traction:
Date: Wed, Nov 24, 2010 at 2:36 PM
Subject: Menacing pit bulls in building
To: James Heller
James,
Did you know that Pit bulls and pit-bull crosses have caused more than a third of the nation’s dog-bite fatalities since 1979?
Are you aware of the little old lady who owns the 80lb tan colored pit bull who lives in the 400 bldg? There are several pits in addition to this one in the building as well.
I have been growled at, lunged at by pit bulls in the lobby (this week in fact), my son has had close calls with pit bulls (when entering the elevator for instance he was lucky to escape an attack by a large pit bull owned by an Asian man), and since these dogs are extremely popular (third most popular in NYC) and with dog licensing compliance at only 20%, I must ask: when a tenant occupies an apartment in Gateway, is the resident required to present a verified dog license or is there any limit as to the size/breed of the dog?
If there isn’t any limit to size/breed, and if licensing verification isn’t a requirement of tenancy, please consider implementing one.
Respectfully
I don’t think it’s appropriate to have pit bulls in the buildings. There are people with legitimate fears and those who simply prefer not to be in a small elevator with that type of animal. I avoid it at all cost but if I am already on and the pit bull gets on at 6, I am trapped. I find the owner either has no clue or is drunk on power.