Pelham Bay Taxpayers Association

The Northeast Bronx Community Alliance is gaining more and more momentum.  We have received many calls from neighboring civic associations sharing our goals.  With thousands of strong voices objecting to the destruction of our communities, together we can bring to a screeching halt any further over development of our neighborhoods.

We will continue our rallies (no parking – no peace) and take our protests to Mayor Bloomberg, Governor Paterson and the Environmental Protection Agency.  The taxpaying residents are uniting together and letting everyone know “We’re Not Taking It Anymore.” We demand that our taxes be used for the necessities of our communities. We demand – no more concrete and bricks covering all our Green Space. Not one more building permit without municipal parking lots in our residential and commercials areas. Not another bank without parking facilities. No more trailers in P.S. 71 playground.

Our cities, our states, our country and the rest of the world are in the worst financial crisis in memory. Yet, our New York State has purchased a two family home in Waterbury Estates for approximately $800,000 for six developmentally disabled adults.  This home will need re-construction for the needs of these adults – at a cost of additional thousands of dollars.

Many of us attended the October 3 Community Board 10 meeting to discuss this group home. Many of our residents spoke in opposition to the outlandish cost of this proposal.  According to the Padavan law – our community has the right to offer alternative sites for this group home.  Our PBTCA president, Eddie Romeo, asked that the sponsors of this group home look into Community Board 3, where these adults now reside.  With so many foreclosures, why did the state invest in a million dollar home?

Kenneth Kearns, district manager of Community Board 10, asked for a vote. The members of the board voted 20 against the group home in Community Board 10 and 1 for the group home. The board members asked for the sponsors to look for alternate sites in Community Board 3.  Ed Romeo has also stated that since the state owns this home, and 20 still unsold homes in Waterbury Estates, that is it to stop the state officials from sponsoring a group home for recovering drug addicts? This is a very serious problem that will need screaming protests and the united efforts of Congressman Crowley, Senator Jeff Klein, Assemblyman Benedetto and Councilman Vacca. We cannot and will not allow the state to cause the downfall of our family oriented neighborhoods.

Two ideal locations for three to four group homes with a workshop would be the Hutch Metro instead of the 9ll back up center. This 911 project has come to a halt because of the added spiraling cost of flood proofing the site. Duh!! It used to be a swamp.  The second location could be the three acre land on Pelham Parkway where the horse stable was.

Assemblyman Benedetto’s office has again arranged for the MetroCard Van to be in front of the Lawrence F. Keane Post, 2879 Buhre Avenue, on Friday, November 28, from 1 to 3 p.m.