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Develop-
don't destroy
BROOKLYN Contact: Daniel
Goldstein, Spokesperson. 917-701-3056 press@dddb.net
For Immediate Release:
July 18, 2005
"We Demand MTA Accountability
and Transparency"
45 Community and Watchdog Groups Call on MTA to
Release Ratner and Extell Bids for Vanderbilt Yards,
Act Fairly and Deliberatively by Postponing Board Action
Until September
NEW YORK, NY "With a project of this magnitude on land
owned and operated by a public authority it is imperative
that there be absolute transparency and accountability"
stated Doug Israel, policy and advocacy director of Citizens
Union, "and the decision-making process must be informed
and deliberative, with input from the public.
Forty-five organizations, including such heavy hitters
as the Regional Plan Association, NYPIRG/Straphangers,
Citizens Union, The National Taxpayer’s Union, The Sierra
Club and Tri-State Transportation Campaign faxed and mailed
a letter to the MTA leadership on
Friday, July 15. The letter was sent to MTA Chairman Peter
Kalikow.
Copies of the letter were sent to Governor Pataki, Mayor
Bloomberg, State Assemblyman Richard Brodskywho fought
for transparency with the dispensation of the Hudson Yards,
State Senator Vincent Leibell whose Public Authorities
Reform Act of 2005 (Assembly counterpart, Brodsky) will
have an effect on the RFP process for Vanderbilt Yards.
Copies were also sent to MTA Executive Director Katherine
Lapp, MTA Director of Real Estate Roco Krsulic, and the
entire MTA board.
“The public will not accept a repeat of the West Side
process. We are expressing very clearly to the MTA that
there are two legitimate proposals that they must give
equal consideration. The MTA and Ratner have been negotiating
for two years, the least they can do is refrain from rushing
to a decision in two weeks. Also, the land they are dispensing
is public land and therefore the bids should be made public
before a decision is made,” said Develop Don’t Destroy
Brooklyn spokesperson, Daniel Goldstein.
To view the letter and co-signers go to:
http://www.dddb.net/mtaletter/MTALetter071505.pdf
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CO-SIGNERS
Dick Dadey, Executive Director
Citizens Union
Bettina Damiani, Director
Good Jobs New York
Paul Gessing, Director of Government Affairs
National Taxpayers Union
Gene Russianoff, Staff Attorney
NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign
Robert D. Yaro, President,
Regional Plan Association
Lucy Koteen, Atlantic Yards Task Force
Sierra Club, Atlantic Chapter
William Dipalla, Director
Times Up! Environmental Organization
Paul Steely White, Executive Director
Transportation Alternatives
Jon Orcutt, Executive Director
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Sandy Balboza, President
Atlantic Avenue Betterment Association
Sue Wolfe, President
Boerum Hill Association
Jon Crow, Garden Coordinator
Brooklyn Bears Community Garden
Heloise Gruneberg, President
Brooklyn Vision
Micheael McLeod, President
Cambridge Place Action Coalition
David Wynyard, President
Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
Olive Freud, Vice President
Committee For Environmentally Sound Development
Beka Economopoulos, Co-Founder
Creative Industries Coalition
Downtown Brooklyn Leadership Coalition (DBLC)
Members: Black Veterans for Social Justice
(Job Masharaki), Church of the Open Door
(Rev. Mark V.C. Taylor), Brooklyn Christian Center
(Rev. Dennis Dillon), Brown Memorial Baptist Church
(Rev. Clinton Miller), Emmanuel Baptist Church
(Rev. Anthony L. Trufant), Hanson Place Central
United Methodist Church (Rev. Patrick Perrin),
Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church (Rev.
David Dyson), Old First Reformed Church
(Rev. Daniel Meeter)
Daniel Goldstein, Spokesperson
Develop Don’t Destroy Brooklyn Inc.
James Vogel, Secretary
East Pacific Block Association
Robert Witherwax, Co-Chair
The Eastern Parkway Cultural Row Neighborhood
Association
Scott Turner, Coordinator
Fans For Fair Play
Michelle De La Uz, Executive Director
The Fifth Avenue Committee
Phillip Kellogg, Chair
Fort Greene Association
Marlene Donnelly, Water Quality Representative
Friends and Residents of Greater Gowanus
Mark Borino, Presiding Officer
Kings County Green Party Organization
Cathy Wassylenko, President
New York Preservation Alliance
David Alquist, Recording Secretary
Park Slope Civic Council
Daniella Liebling, Coordinator
Park Slope Greens
Eric McClure, Atlantic Yards Campaign Coordinator
Park Slope Neighbors
Deborah Howard, Executive Director
Pratt Area Community Council
Gib Veconi, Chairman
Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council
Lee Warshavsky, President
Prospect Place Block Association
Elizabeth Broad
Revel Arts
Gloria Clarke Cassis, Chairperson
Senior and Retirees Committee of Willoughby Walk
Cooperative Apartments
Simon Bertrang, Atlantic Yards Committee Coordinator
South Portland Block Association
Christine Niles, Garden Co-ordinator
Warren St. Marks Community Garden
Eve Sibley, Co-founder
Williamsburg Warriors
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Hon.
Peter S. Kalikow
Chairman
Metropolitan Transportation Authority
347 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Re: Vanderbilt Yards RFP
July 15, 2005
Dear Mr. Kalikow,
The disposition of the development rights to the Vanderbilt
rail yards demands that the public interest be protected
not only with regard to the immediate revenue realized
by the MTA but also with regard to the long-term economic
benefits to be derived from the transaction and the environmental
and community impacts. As such, it is imperative that
the process of disposing of such a significant asset be
conducted in a manner that is transparent and which provides
for the maximum level of public oversight and involvement.
As you are certainly aware these goals are embodied in
legislation the Public Authorities Accountability Act
of 2005 - recently enacted by the New York State Legislature
and awaiting the signature of Governor George E. Pataki.
The legislation, sponsored by Member of Assembly Richard
Brodsky and Senator Vincent Leibell, will require public
authorities such as the MTA to assure the public of the
fairness of the bid review process by requiring that:
- an appraisal is conducted by an independent appraiser
where, such as is the case with the Vanderbilt Yard,
the unique nature of the property renders it not subject
to fair market pricing; and
- all bids are publicly disclosed immediately.
In a letter dated June 14, 2004 to Assemblyman Brodsky,
Mr. Kalikow said that he would be retaining the services
of a qualified appraiser to appraise the Vanderbilt Yard.
We respectfully call upon you and the other members of
the MTA Board to follow the spirit of Public Authorities
Accountability Act now, even before it is signed into
law, by releasing the appraisal of the Vanderbilt Rail
Yard and by releasing to the public all bids received
by the MTA for the sale of the property.
In addition to releasing the information, there must be
transparency in the process and an assurance that all
bids are given due consideration. Therefore we also urge
you not to rush to judgment on the bids and to undertake
the careful study of the bids that they deserve. We are
sure that you will agree that such a review cannot be
rushed to meet an artificial deadline of the July Board
meeting. We urge you to postpone Board action until at
least the September meeting to provide an opportunity
for the review and public input.
Thank you for your attention and consideration.
Very truly yours,
Daniel Goldstein
Spokesperson
Develop Don’t DestroyBrooklyn Inc., on behalf of the
Co-signers
89 Fifth Avenue, PMB #150
Brooklyn, New York 11217
Ph/Fax: 718-362-4784
Cc:
Hon. Governor George Pataki
Hon. Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Hon. Assemblyman Richard Brodsky
Hon. NY State Senator Vincent Leibell
Hon. US Congressman Major Owens
Hon. NY State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
Hon. NY State Assemblyman Roger Green
Hon. NY City Council Member Letitia James
Katherine Lapp, Executive Director, MTA
Roco Krsulic, Director of Real Estate, MTA
David S. Mack, Vice Chairman, MTA
Edward B. Dunn, Vice Chairman, MTA
Andrew Albert, Board Member, MTA
John H. Banks III, Board Member, MTA
James F. Blair, Board Member, MTA
Nancy Shevell Blakeman, Board Member, MTA
Anthony J. Bottalico, Board Member, MTA
Micharel J. Canino, Board Member, MTA
Barry Feinstein, Board Member, MTA
James H. Harding Jr. , Board Member, MTA
Susan Kupferman, Board Member, MTA
Mark D. Lebow, Board Member, MTA
James L. McGovern, Board Member, MTA
Susan G. Metzger, Board Member, MTA
Mark Page, Board Member, MTA
Mitchell H. Pally, Board Member, MTA
Francis H. Powers, Board Member, MTA
Andrew M. Saul, Board Member, MTA
James L. Sedore Jr. , Board Member, MTA
Edward A. Vrooman, Board Member, MTA
Ed Watt, Board Member, MTA
Carl V. Wortendyke, Board Member, MTA
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