Update October 3, 2013- DNAinfo reports that a worker in a boutique retailer was punched in the face trying to stop a shoplifter.
July 31, 2013- DowntownExpress is expanding on our coverage and reporting today on the spike in grand larceny in upscale SoHo retail shops. Handbags costing more than $1,000 have been the favorite targets. As the NYPD has Continue reading
October 2, 2013- BatteryPark.TV has previously reported on at least $750,000 in free grants given to TriBeCa’s Bob Townley, ostensibly for various services provided, such as senior swim classes. After a JCOPE investigation was launched Continue reading
Update October 2, 2013- As a result of BatteryPark.TV reporting, the CB1 requested the owner of SouthWestNY to speak to the board about the complaints from the community (bel0w). Abraham Merchant explained that they have now installed a device to remove the smoke that was billowing out. They installed a Smog-Hog that seems to be working. They have also replaced a noisy rooftop exhaust fan with a quieter one.
Regarding the noise from the diners, heard through the open windows of the restaurant, it was mentioned that the windows should be closed at 10:00. Regarding the discarding of buckets of grease into the sewer drains, Mr. Merchant had no explanation, and promised that it would not happen again.
Evan Lacher of the CB1 stated that he has seen a drop-off in the number of complaints about the restaurant since the changes were made.
Update September 5, 2013- SouthWestNY has ordered new exhaust pipes and filters to address the massive amounts of burnt meat smoke.
Update September 3, 2013- By Steven E. Greer
At the monthly BPC subcommittee of the CB1 tonight, more residents than usual attended. Four different people expressed outrage over the noise coming from the open patio windows of SouthWestNY restaurant at night. Continue reading
November 14, 2013- Governor Cuomo finally signed A8031. The Villager reports, “On the same day that around 200 Lower West Side residents gathered to discuss their fears about a bill that would allow the transfer and sale of Hudson River Park’s air rights, Governor Andrew Cuomo finally signed the bill into law. Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, had just finished his introductory speech at Wednesday’s meeting, around 7 p.m., when word came that Cuomo had signed the bill. (It was The Villager that alerted Berman by e-mail after having been informed by a spokesperson for the Hudson River Park Trust that the governor had approved the bill. Assemblymember Richard Gottfried also confirmed to The Villager that the governor had O.K.’d the bill.)”
October 1, 2013– By Steven E. Greer, MD
The video of the September 26th meeting of the HRPT board is now posted online. The most important news from the meeting was the complete lack of discussion of state bill A8031 that will modify the HRPT act, and allow the sale of air rights over Pier 40 to raise cash for infrastructure repairs. As BatteryPark.TV previously reported, the governor is not signing the bill, for unknown reasons.
Pier 26 was the major construction project topic of the meeting. First Continue reading
September 30, 2013- Opinion by Steven E. Greer
The Community Board 1 (CB1) sent out a blast email of a free advertisement for Bob Townley’s Tribeca community center, Manhattan Youth. It featured a large graphic of a senior citizen swimming, promoting the “Free Senior Swim Programs” and “Manhattan Youth has run free senior swim programs for over 18 years. Please feel free to invite seniors to these free swim programs taking place every day!”.
As with most things related to CB1 and Bob Townley, there is a secret agenda behind this seemingly altruistic swim class service. Continue reading
Opinion, September 29, 2103- The “Most Self-Serving Presentation” award for the 2013 BPC Block Party goes to Bob Townley. Not only was Mr. Townley making his presence known in hopes of getting BPCA funding returned to his Tribeca Manhattan Youth, but his award to Harry Poulakakos was truly baffling. (In the video above, note the audience ignoring Mr. Townley)
The Poulakakos family has Continue reading
September 27, 2013- A viewer complained to us about a site they saw yesterday at 4:45 PM. Dog activist Glenn Plaskin had walked his dog onto the Cherry Tree circular lawn by the North Cove Marina and WFC. He then allowed his dog to urinate on the grass.
This is a busy park where children roll around and adults sunbath. The viewer said it was not an accident, that he seemed to be using the lawn as his pet’s personal sewer.
Recall, Mr. Plaskin was the most ardent opposition to Gateway Plaza when they proposed to curb the problem of dogs urinated around the entrance of Gateway. He even Continue reading
September 25, 2013- In the Downtown Express, an amateur journalist reported that a mystery agency of “New York State” had forced the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) to make draconian cuts to various cultural programs within Battery Park City. The author used the word “probably” and “likely”, and failed to list any sources from the state.
The article was misleading. In fact, no significant cuts will be made, and no programs will cease to exist, with the exception of one.
This is what we have learned. Continue reading
September 3, 2013- (Originally posted 9/2/2013, updated 9/3/2013) By Steven E. Greer
In the current online edition of the local advertising flier, The Broadsheet, a section discusses the upcoming BPC block party. The last sentence states, “Manhattan Youth is coordinating this event, and provided the community contacts.”. This is a first. TriBeCa’s Manhattan Youth community center, run by Bob Townley, has been a part of the block party previously, but never fully “coordinated” BPC’s block party before. Why now?
In the printed version Continue reading
