Vol. 55 No. 13
Saturday, March 28, 2020
$1.25
Business changes implemented during mandatory lock down in response to COVID-19 in NYC
Technological advances keep business moving forward as we shelter at home
BY ROZAAN BOONE Anyone trying to gain access to the Bartow Center this week could only go but so far as the center was locked down except for the presence of a small contingent of essential Riverbay personnel in compliance with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s March 20, 2020 executive order requiring businesses to scale back their in-office, nonessential workforce 100% by 8 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, 2020. The same scenario is being played out at the Dreiser and Einstein centers in order to encourage shareholders and other visitors to the centers to stay home for their own protection and that of Riverbay staff and contractors who continue to perform critical services for Riverbay Corporation and residents of Co-op City. Effective last Friday, all Riverbay Corporation offices in the community centers were shut down in compliance with the governor’s order, and while some administrative personnel are on staggered work schedules to adhere to social distancing protocols, others, whose job functions allow them to, are working remotely. The governor’s order was a drastic step that followed a progressive reduction of on-site staff at businesses statewide throughout the week before getting to the total curtailment, and it was issued in response to some New Yorkers not heeding the advice of health officials to stay home and, if out, to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other individuals to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Last week, in preparation for the eventual lock down which was eminent given the dramatic spread of the virus, Management continued reviewing contingent plans and making preparations for staff to work remotely to ensure business continuity during the lock down. In the absence of the full contingent of administrative and support personnel, operations have been significantly reorganized in most departments to keep the work of the corporation moving forward to the best possible extent. Riverbay’s executive management team split up and adopted staggered schedules to help protect themselves against the virus while still ensuring adequate on-site coverage, along with other staff members in various administrative departments who also report to work on a staggered schedule while others still are on a combination of remote and on-site reports. In the administrative area, the Finance department, Legal, Human Resources, IT, Parking & Leasing, Residential Sales and Procurement all have staff on staggered
President’s Message
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Senator Bailey continues lobbying for COVID-19 test site in Co-op City BY BRANDON ORTIZ
As the number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases expand past 20,000 in New York City, state legislatures and hospitals have scrambled to establish testing sites to accommodate the overwhelming burden on the healthcare infrastructure. New Rochelle, the neighborhood of the first known confirmed COVID-19 case in New York City, was also the site of the first drive-through testing facility in the city. Located at Glen Island, the test center opened on March 13 and was soon followed by one at Jones Beach State Park in Nassau County with centers in Rockland and Suffolk counties opening subsequently, according to the New York Times. A testing site has also been established in Staten Island. Currently, New York State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey continues to lobby for a testing site located in Co-op City. In a daily email update concerning the virus earlier this week, Senator Bailey informed constituents that the “city is interested in expanding the number of sites, but at present time doesn’t plan to expand. They are deeply concerned about the shortage of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) but also about having individuals who do not have coronavirus being exposed to those who do have coronavirus,” Bailey said. “Those factors, coupled with the sharp increase in hospitalization that we are facing, are the driving factors in the city’s decision.” However, Senator Bailey assured his constituents that he “respectfully will continue to lobby for a site when it is medically appropriate. The unique nature of Co-op City and its population cannot be ignored – and rest assured, I remain in daily (Continued on page 2)
Linda Berk President
As we all continue to shelter in place during these unprecedented times, it is important that we follow official medical advice and be smart. As a community, we have had to make many adjustments to ensure we keep the community and our staff safe. To that end, we have a very limited janitorial and maintenance staff, along with the staff in the power plant, CCPD and the Peartree refuse facility. The staff is doing their best to be responsive and attentive to the needs of Co-op City. Please be patient and understand our challenges. If you have important issues to report or address, please call 718-3203300, press option 2. With additional time on our hands, now is the time to respond to two important questionnaires distributed to shareholders. One is the request for preferred contact information. The questionnaire has been printed in the CC Times and can be (Continued on page 2)
Supreme Court says ‘No’ to Baychester Retail BY TORIEA McCAUSELAND
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court of New York denied Baychester Retail III LLC’s petition against the New York City Department of Buildings for declining their applications for permits to install signage on the corner of Baychester Avenue. Baychester Retail III submitted applications to install signage at 2001 Bartow Avenue, disregarding city laws and rules. Ultimately, the Supreme Court denied their petition to “annul a resolution” made by the Board of Standards and Appeals of the City of New York (BSA) – who determined that the DOB “properly denied petitioner’s applications is rationally based in the record and not arbitrary.” Baychester Retail argued that the disapproval of their application conflicts with “other previously approved signage installations that used a similar multi-panel assembly and were found to constitute multiple signs.” According to court documents, the DOB found that “each 27-panel face of the installation should be treated as a single advertising sign for purposes of calculating the surface area.” Their discovery led the DOB to determine that the sign’s 27panels that cover a 9,000 square feet area would be used for a single advertisement, rather than 27 small ads – all of which would be attached to the large monopole. Also, the document noted: “Respondents also rationally found that the resulting massive illuminated assembly would be a hazard to motorists on the nearby New England Thruway and a disruption to residents of nearby Co-op City.” In February, Councilman Andy King announced during a press conference that Baychester Retail III agreed to take down their signage but will leave up the large monopole to become an art installation for the neighborhood. That was ultimately deemed not to be entirely accurate as at that time, Baychester Retail III took their cases to the high courts in an attempt to replace the signage that gave way during the wind turbine collapse that took place on Dec. 30, 2019. The turbine was brought down by strong winds and heavy rain, falling apart, knocking down an adjoining pole, and landed on top of a car parked outside the small shopping center. A part of the turbine also fell onto the neighboring 60-foot, three-sided LED billboard next to it. One entire panel of the sign fell between rows of parked cars in the 500 Baychester lot. As reported in the Feb. 21 edition of the Co-op City Times: “On Feb. 25, lawyers for the property owner will appear before the New York State Court of Appeals in an attempt to reverse a February 2019 decision by state Supreme Court Judge (Continued on page 5)