COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
MINUTES: February 2, 2004
COMMUNITY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE MEMBERS: José Alvarado, Chair, Thomas Abinanti, Rob Astorino
IN ATTENDANCE: LEGISLATORS: José Alvarado, Rob Astorino, Lois Bronz, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Vito Pinto. CE’O: Bill Randolph; BOL: Barbara Dodds, Steve Bass, Andrea Ettere; YONKERS PADDLING AND ROWING CLUB (YPDC): Mike Pidel, Jack Gilman, Margie Cohen, Paul Bianchi, Nancy Kalafus, Duncan Raymond, Dorothy Clarke, Bob Walters, Eileen O’Connor, Pat Slavon, Morgan Backley, Maueve O’Connor-Bethune
Chair Alvarado called the meeting to order at 2:10 p.m.
Legislator Astorino made a motion to accept the minutes of the January 26 meeting, seconded by Legislator Alvarado.
As the first item of business, Legislator Alvarado presented the legislation calling for a public hearing on a proposed Youth Sports Code of Conduct. The members present, constituting a quorum, signed out the legislation.
Legislator Alvarado had those in attendance introduce themselves and invited members of the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club (aka Yonkers Canoe Club) to present their concerns to the committee regarding the deadline to relocate.
Eileen O’Connor, Vice Commodore of the Club, gave an overview of the club’s issues: The club has been in its present location on the Hudson River for the past 70 years and has had a Westchester County license for the last 4 years. Each time the license was renewed, Mr. Sal Carrera, Westchester County Director of Economic Development, warned them that the park was being built and that at some point the club would need to find another home. Every time this was stated, they responded that they had been there for 70 years in a very good spot and felt they were important to the development of downtown Yonkers and the Habirshaw Park being constructed by the County. It is the oldest canoe club in the country and home to hundreds of paddlers, some of whom have received local, national and international recognition. A new infusion of members came in 1999/2000 and the membership is now 205. The new members said they just wanted to be on the river and to store kayaks and canoes in the boathouse or bring them down and use human-powered craft on the river.
Ms. O’Connor continued to say the club is a non-profit organization open to the public, with very accessible fees and their mission is to help people, especially youth, have access to the river. They also bring local youth who are good swimmers to the club’s kayaking classes on Saturday afternoons at our place on Lake Sebago with the idea that when they are old enough and strong enough and skilled enough they can be on the river. They’ve made partnerships with other not-for-profit community organizations, and have a merit cup competition for swimmers and kayakers every year.
She said they appreciate the support Legislators Alvarado and Stewart-Cousins have given and they understand that County Executive Andrew Spano and Mayor Phil Amicone have agreed to talk about this issue of the club staying where it is. They are devoted to the boathouse and have applied to get national landmark status because it is simple and beautiful and historical.
Legislator Pinto recalled discussions when he was on the Parks Board some years back about the park and relocating the boathouse. For example, a site out of the way of the Riverwalk near where the museum is. He asked in what condition the boathouse was in terms of upgrading the plumbing and the façade and could they get back to the Board with some estimates on repairs.
Ms. O’Connor said the building is very sturdy -- built in the 1930’s to last. She said there have been discussions about alternate sites but nothing formal. The space where it is now is perfect—set back a little and out of the way of the current where novice kayakers would find it easier rather than in a place that protrudes in the current. There have been suggestions to have the Riverwalk cantilevered in front of the boathouse. They feel the club is very much in keeping with the contemplative quiet nature of the Habirshaw Park and feel they would be stewards.
Legislator Bronz asked about the fee structure and membership. Ms. O’Connor said they have individual memberships for $75 a year and family memberships for $125 a year. There is an additional fee of $150 to store a boat in the boathouse. Legislator Alvarado asked if the club was self sufficient with those fees. O’Connor said yes. Legislator Bronz asked about non-members. You can be a guest of a member O’Connor said. Legislator Astorino asked if the club was open to just Yonkers residents or can anyone belong. O’Connor said it was open to anyone.
Legislator Stewart-Cousins thanked everyone for coming and that this was the beginning of a process that will allow for the right things to happen. She liked the boathouse where it is as well. She asked if there are opportunities for young people who cannot afford the $75 to participate. O’Connor said the Y has a program for free swimming lessons there that Stew Leonard’s is subsidizing and youngsters who are part of that program can also take free lessons with the club.
Regarding fees, one other member of the Yonkers Canoe Club made the following points: The other access points to the river are Yonkers Yacht Club and Yonkers Corinthians. Those are private clubs with an initiation fee and annual fees in the hundreds of dollars. They also require you to be a provisionary member for one to two years.
Legislator Pinto said that back in ‘97 when the Parks Board started discussing the park and the County invested in the plan, it was the intent of the County to see the boathouse relocated—over 6 years ago. O’Connor: My sense was that it was thought the boathouse was a very inactive place and no one would care if it was moved. We subsequently grew very fast from a core group and realized the value of the place. Legislator Pinto: Were any of you around for those years while the decision was being discussed—was there communication with the City of Yonkers about their obligation? How did all of a sudden the years go by and here we are today?
A long-time club member made the following points:
The County would send somebody down in the early days to talk to someone in the sewage treatment plant who would say ‘I never see anybody down at that club.’ But a lot of the activities are during the weekend not during the day so there wasn’t good feedback from the plant workers.
The old parking lot was shared with Beezak and that always worked out, with school buses using it during the week and the paddlers in the evening and on weekends. So that historically there was cooperation between the two organizations.
It was actually the County Legislature that voted in 1937 to give the club that space.
When the club had to move 70 years ago, the timbers from the original 1887 boathouse were dismantled and used to build the current one and the boathouse has been a part of the waterfront ever since
Legislator Pinto said he wanted to review some of those meetings when the money was bonded and the city was to assist with the relocation of the boathouse because of its condition. He asked if a grant for its history will be available.
Ms. O’Connor: We are more than willing to fix anything that needs fixing and not rely on the County for anything. We are eligible for grants and we have a lot of talent in our membership in terms of being able to fix things. We are looking for a sense of commitment from the County to let us be where we are so that we can invest in it.
Other comments: There were no other sites available to us and no concrete proposal. Until the city has come forward at this eleventh hour with their support and said they wanted us to be part of the park we never had anything tangible or any concrete support from the city.
Another member commented that she walked to the Canoe Club at age 12, paddled into her 20’s and learned life values. She made it all the way to the World Championships of the USA. The club has produced 13 Olympians from the City of Yonkers—2 gold medalists and 2 silvers. That is a selling point for the city and the county. The club is trying to bring children back to the river—they just made 80 boat-building kits for the children of Yonkers. In this environment of returning to history with revitalization and rebuilding, you have a 120-year-old organization with pictures on the walls from the early 1900s. Flat board straight kayaking has been an Olympics sport since 1924 and in the United States there is a national championship that the club won many times. The U.S. national trophy for Olympic style flat board kayaking has been called the ‘Yonkers Trophy’ for some fifty years. This is a big part of history.
Legislator Stewart-Cousins said everyone was so eloquent and it is very clear we have something worth preserving and everyone knows it. Each side has apparently been proceeding on their own understanding. She is very happy that there is now enough room for each to explain their understandings. “We all want to increase access to the Hudson and to make something we can all be proud of. Now you have made us want to get in a kayak.”
Legislator Pinto said the legislators who can, would be willing to attend an exploratory meeting at the boathouse and will always reach out to come to the community. Ms. O’Connor responded that perhaps they would have a ‘peace’ cup meet where everyone can paddle around and maybe have a race. (laughter)
Legislator Alvarado said the committee will encourage an extension of the February 15 deadline and will share the comments heard today. The issue is also in the Parks Committee on which he sits and Legislator Astorino is the Chair so another presentation will not be necessary. Mr. Alvarado thanked everyone for coming and said, “I will take you up on that invitation to go kayaking but not in this weather.” (laughter)
In the next order of business, Mr. Alvarado said he spoke with Legislator William Ryan, the Chair of the Board, about what the committee covered last year and the agenda for this year. Mr. Ryan had no problem with it and thought that we had a good plan especially on community issues. This makes for a very broad agenda and not just limited to this. Mr. Astorino made a motion and Mr. Alvarado seconded, to make official the mission of the Committee on Community Affairs and the blueprint for the committee’s activities.
The next meeting will be held on Feb 23. Legislator Astorino made the motion to adjourn, seconded by Legislator Alvarado.
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