New York State Independent Redistricting Commission

Ritika
January 17, 2022
Dear Members of the Independent Redistricting Commission and New York State Legislature: I am a concerned citizen of Westchester County who feels strongly that the state’s next Congressional District map should not join portions of Westchester to the Bronx and Queens. I do not believe that a single Representative can adequately represent the diverse interests of three counties in a conglomeration of urban New York City and suburban Westchester as drawn in Plans A and B for District 14. I understand that the task of map drawing has been difficult for the Commission and continues to be, but I do not want the Commission to dilute any Westchester votes in this manner, and for the next ten years. This same request was expressed by most speakers who were asked about it at the White Plains public hearing. The Sound Shore communities should remain together for environmental concerns particularly regarding flooding. Thank you, Dr. Ritika Arora

Richard
January 17, 2022
Keep Mamaroneck Together! Thanks for your service in this redistricting effort. One point that is important in Westchester…..it would make zero sense to split Mamaroneck/Larchmont into two districts. The communities are very similar, similar issues, etc…. Please keep them together as you plan this, and ideally Rye also. Sincerely, Richard Kelley 756 Soundview Drive Mamaroneck NY 10543

Barbara
January 17, 2022
January 17, 2022 Independent Redistricting Commission 250 Broadway, 22nd Floor New York, NY 10007 To the members of the Independent Redistricting Commission, I urge you to draw district lines that keep Stanley M. Isaacs Houses and Holmes Towers in the 12th Congressional district, as shown in the Plan B map. I am a long-time member of Community Board 8 Manhattan and a resident of the Upper East Side. Isaacs and Holmes are part of our community and should be part of our Congressional district. As a longtime member of Community Board 8 and an involved member of the community, I have worked with residents of Isaacs and Holmes on the effort to expand and improve the East River Esplanade, and other issues. Community Board 8 has identified parks and open space as one of our top three most pressing issues for Fiscal Year 2022. Greenery and public space are critical to our quality of life and our health, but Community Board 8's aging parks are in particularly poor repair. The Esplanade is in bad shape, with dangerous sinkholes where the seawall has crumbled. It is narrow in many parts and poorly landscaped in most areas. Until our member of Congress created a task force with the city councilmember to improve the Esplanade, the Esplanade had been badly neglected for decades. A section of the Esplanade runs directly across from Isaacs and Holmes, and the Esplanade is an important resource for residents of Isaacs and Holmes, as it is for other residents of Community Board 8. Residents of Isaacs and Holmes have been active members of the coalition to improve the Esplanade and it is in their interest to retain the member of Congress who has been taking the lead in pushing for improvements. The community board is a good way to mark communities of interest. In community board 8, the connections are particularly clear since we share schools, zip code, parks, social service organizations and so forth. I believe that Isaacs and Holmes ought to be with the rest of community board 8. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Barbara Rudder

Catherine
January 17, 2022
The draft Congressional maps splits the Town AND Village of Mamaroneck, plus split Larchmont/Mamaroneck from the rest of Sound Shore, to join with Bronx and Queens! This is a disaster for good representation. Partisan squabbling is at play here, it's obvious. Do the common sense thing and join communities by boundaries and similar needs. We would be better off as Sound Shore communities starting at southern Westchester all the way to CT. Pollution, flooding, and other concerns must be addressed. Splitting Westchester 3 ways is one of the worst ideas since the last redistricting when we got tied to the Bronx. At least they are on the LI Sound.

Julie
January 17, 2022
Dear Members of the Independent Redistricting Commission Now that the Commission has failed to propose a single set of maps endorsed by the requisite majority of its members, the New York State Legislature rejected the Commission’s first proposals. As a concerned resident of Westchester County, I urge you to propose district maps that maintain Westchester’s independent voice, not splitting it apart, diluted by surrounding areas of New York City. Redistricting is the opportunity to unite areas of Westchester County. When the lines were last redrawn, New Rochelle, Scarsdale and other parts of Westchester were joined with the Bronx. Now, ten years later, the Commission’s proposals would further dilute Westchester’s voice. The City of New York is a unique urban center with an infrastructure of its own, like none other in the state, and a set of issues and concerns that are wholly distinct from suburban communities like Westchester. The district linking Westchester with both the Bronx and Queens is particularly unfair and unacceptable because it divides communities in three counties, limiting the ability of residents in each part of the district to have an elected official who can effectively represent their interests. This area has shared infrastructure and institutions, and both proposals would split our community into not two but three different Congressional Districts. I urge you to reassess the Congressional map and take action to ensure that Westchester County is not unduly divided. Respectfully yours, Julie Kinch

Amy
January 17, 2022
I live in Larchmont NY. I am concerned about the proposed redistricting which splits Westchester County into 3 areas, with a majority in none and also splits the Sound Shore communities. The proposed redistricting further dilutes my voice. This is not to say that the concerns of NYC are not important; rather, it is to say that the concerns of my community deserve equal consideration and a dedicated voice in Congress.

Meg
January 17, 2022
I am very much opposed to the proposed redistricting maps which will result in very poor representation of Westchester County and the Sound Shore community in particular. The Sound Shore community has distinctly different concerns than the proposed NYC-dominated district. I ask that representation of Larchmont/Mamaroneck Town and Villages are not split to avoid a bureaucratic nightmare; the Sound Shore region is kept together especially for important environmental reasons, and that Westchester County is the majority of at least one of the districts so that our county can have effective representation.

Cheri
January 16, 2022
Subject: Preserving Westchester's Voice in New York's New Congressional, State and Assembly Maps Dear Members of the Independent Redistricting Commission: Now that the Commission has failed to propose a single set of maps endorsed by the requisite majority of its members, the New York State Legislature is likely to reject the Commission's first proposals. As a concerned resident of Westchester County, I urge you to recognize the importance of maintaining Westchester's independent voice and not having it split apart and diluted by surrounding areas of New York City. The City of New York is a unique urban center with an infrastructure of its own, like none other in the state, and a set of issues and concerns that are wholly distinct from suburban communities like Westchester. If the Commission is given the opportunity to propose a second set of maps, it should use that opportunity to unite areas of Westchester County. It appears that both maps under consideration would continue to artificially link portions of the north Bronx with portions of Westchester in one district, while drawing another district that would link Westchester with portions of both the Bronx and Queens. These maps are fundamentally flawed because they dilute the voice of both the suburban community in Westchester (and Putnam counties) and the New York City community in the Bronx and Queens. The district linking Westchester with both the Bronx and Queens is particularly unfair and unacceptable because it divides communities in three counties, limiting the ability of residents in each part of the district to have an elected official who can effectively represent their interests. During last year's public hearings, when residents of Westchester testified before the Independent Redistricting Commission, several were asked by Commissioners whether they would want a district connecting Westchester County to NYC. None said yes, yet the Commission still drew a Westchester and NYC district in both of its proposals. Rather than having District 14 be contained entirely in New York City and District 16 be the only district to cross the Westchester/Bronx border, as was proposed in the earlier Names and Letters draft plans, the Commission inexplicably decided to cross the county border twice. This decision divides communities throughout the region and would especially dilute the voice of the community of southern Westchester centered around Scarsdale and northern New Rochelle. This area has shared infrastructure and institutions, and both proposals would split this community into not two but three different Congressional Districts. When the lines were last redrawn, New Rochelle, Scarsdale and other parts of Westchester were joined with the Bronx. Now, ten years later, the Commission's proposals would further dilute Westchester's voice. I urge you to reassess the Congressional map and take action to ensure that Westchester County is not unduly divided. Thank you.

Mark
January 16, 2022
Here is a congressional map for your consideration. The number of majority-minority districts increases from 9 to 11. Passing a map such as this one will make the national congressional map more balanced and fair- bringing the median seat to close to 50/50 in terms of partisanship. https://davesredistricting.org/join/d3aad641-29f5-4ede-9257-c9487e9d1faa

Sarah
January 16, 2022
Dear Members of the Independent Redistricting Commission: Now that the Commission has failed to propose a single set of maps endorsed by the requisite majority of its members, the New York State Legislature rejected the Commission’s first proposals. As a concerned resident of Westchester County, I urge you to propose district maps that maintain Westchester’s independent voice, not splitting it apart, diluted by surrounding areas of New York City. The proposed maps split both the Village and Town of Mamaroneck (where I live) into two pieces. The shape of this map is a telltale sign of gerrymandering and violates the Commission’s stated principle of keeping communities of interest and municipalities together. The division of the Sound Shore community into two pieces will make it extremely difficult to get attention for Sound Shore environmental and other concerns because of the divided attention of two representatives instead of one, and the smaller portion we will represent in the district of each. The map also splits 4 communities (Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Pelham and a sizable part of New Rochelle) into a district with the Bronx and Queens and separate from Westchester County. This virtually ensures that the needs of the small Westchester portion of the district will not be met. Westchester and NYC have more differences than similarities (schools, transportation, government), including in those communities. These two regions should be kept separate. Under the proposed maps. Westchester County would be divided among three districts instead of two, which will fracture the attention of our reps and reduce the political clout of our county in Washington, D.C. Please redraw this portion of the maps to do the following: Keep Larchmont/Mamaroneck together, including Town and Villages Keep the Sound Shore together especially for environmental reasons Keep our small Sound Shore communities separate from a huge NYC area where we will get little attention Reduce the number of Westchester districts to 2 not 3 Sincerely, Sarah Dunn Resident of the Town of Mamaroneck

Philippa
January 16, 2022
Dear Redistricting Commission - As a Larchmont/Mamaroneck resident, I am very concerned that the first two attempts to remap the congressional districts combine our small part of Westchester with a larger NYC NE Bronx and Queens area, thereby making our voice a minority in the larger NYC district. It would make it less likely that our representative could prioritize the needs of our suburban community. I also am concerned that the entire Larchmont & Mamaroneck Villages and Township be included in the new district, given that there are many issues (flooding for example) that need to be addressed. Splitting parts of Mamaroneck into 2 districts will dilute the representation of the Village of Mamaroneck. Thank you for your careful consideration of these concerns. Philippa Wharton

Andy
January 16, 2022
View File
Please find the attached comments on redistricting maps from Scenic Hudson.

Kathrine
January 16, 2022
Dear Redistricting Committee, I am writing as a resident of the unincorporated portion of the Town of Mamaroneck (Larchmont PO), between the Village of Larchmont and the Village of Mamaroneck. Recently, I was upset to see that the town of Mamaroneck is split in half in both of the proposed redistricting plans after the recent census, which means that the town will effectively have a weaker voice when it comes to issues affecting us. Larchmont and Mamaroneck are very close villages that share the same high school. Most residents think of them as a left and right hand belonging to the same body. My son regularly walks to visit friends in both villages. Please reconsider these plans so that we may keep the town and its associated Sound Shore communities whole. with thanks, Kathrine Varnes

Michele
January 16, 2022
Now that the Commission has failed to propose a single set of maps endorsed by the requisite majority of its members, the New York State Legislature rejected the Commission’s first proposals. As a concerned resident of Westchester County, I urge you to propose district maps that maintain Westchester’s independent voice, not splitting it apart, diluted by surrounding areas of New York City. Redistricting is the opportunity to unite areas of Westchester County. When the lines were last redrawn, New Rochelle, Scarsdale and other parts of Westchester were joined with the Bronx. Now, ten years later, the Commission’s proposals would further dilute Westchester’s voice. The City of New York is a unique urban center with an infrastructure of its own, like none other in the state, and a set of issues and concerns that are wholly distinct from suburban communities like Westchester. The district linking Westchester with both the Bronx and Queens is particularly unfair and unacceptable because it divides communities in three counties, limiting the ability of residents in each part of the district to have an elected official who can effectively represent their interests. This area has shared infrastructure and institutions, and both proposals would split our community into not two but three different Congressional Districts. I urge you to reassess the Congressional map and take action to ensure that Westchester County is not unduly divided. Respectfully yours, Dr. Michele Sacks 48 Ellsworth Road Larchmont, NY. 10538

CLAIRE
January 16, 2022
I'm concerned about the proposed Congressional districts for the Village of Mamaroneck in Westchester County. The Village of Mamaroneck is a relatively small village (about 19,000 residents) and it is vital that we remain in one Congressional district, not split into two districts. Splitting the Village into two districts would dilute our voices and make the issues that matter specifically to our community, like flooding, easier to ignore. It would also create confusion and difficulty with residents who need constituent services from a Congressperson. Claire L. Wolkoff 890 Pirates Cove Mamaroneck, NY 10543-4717

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