Submissions

Public Comments Return to Archived Submissions Page

• Ray
  February 28, 2023
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• Joshua
  February 27, 2023
  My name is Joshua Kinberg, and I have lived on the Upper West Side with my family for 12 years. I am also the District Leader for Part A in the 67 Assembly district. The Commission's proposed lines for the 67 Assembly District fail to keep communities of interest together. Those living in the West 80s and 90s are part of the same neighborhood sharing many of the same houses of worship, elementary schools, playgrounds and public transportation. The residents in this area also share similar demographics, which separates them from those living near Columbia University. Potentially dividing the community at West 86 Street, as the Commission proposes, would splinter this like-minded constituency. Additionally, the Commission's draft plan to divide the West 50s from the Upper West Side would have the impact of shattering communities of interest. Many of the newer buildings in that area have rent regulated units because of 421a benefits. It is important that rent regulated tenants are kept in communities with similar housing stock, such as the Upper West Side, to ensure that their interests are protected. Redistricting parts of the West 50s into another area downtown that contains fewer rent-regulated units would negatively impact this constituency. The Commission is constitutionally required to keep communities of interest together. It must reject its proposed lines for the 67 Assembly district, and instead, keep the district's current lines in place.
  
• David
  February 27, 2023
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  Testimony to the IRC re 44th and 52nd Assembly Districts My name is David Pechefsky and I have lived in the northern part of Park Slope with my wife and children for over 24 years. My mother-in-law who is in her eighties also lives a few blocks north of us, while my sister and her husband live off of Grand Army Plaza near the library. The IRC’s current proposal fixes the strange situation created by the 2022 lines where the 44th Assembly District has most of Park Slope but then “jumps” over where I live to include a part of Prospect Heights. When I’ve spoken to people from Prospect Heights now in the 44th AD they find it very odd that they are currently included in a district that includes Windsor Terrace and Kensington but cut off from their neighbors in the rest of Prospect Heights. I find it equally odd to not share a district with most of my Park Slope neighbors. In terms of keeping neighborhoods and “communities of interest” together, it certainly seems like all of Park Slope up until Flatbush and east of 4th avenue should be in the 44th. There is also an argument that the North Slope, especially the area north of Union could be included in a district that has Prospect Heights (the 52nd or 57th ADs). Grand Army Plaza, Flatbush commercial activity, subway stations, and the impact of Barclay’s stadium and associated development on neighborhood life are all things that this portion of the North Slope and Prospect Heights share. To quote my sister Rebecca Pechefsky (with her permission) who as mentioned lives on Plaza St. East. “Plaza Street is a little bit tricky, but I would still say the dividing line between Park Slope and Prospect Heights is Flatbush. Prospect Heights is in some ways both connected to Crown Heights and Park Slope. My neighborhood definitely includes the area bounded by Flatbush, Atlantic and Vanderbilt and extends in the other direction at least to Washington Ave. It definitely does not include Windsor Terrace. I hardly ever go there.” While the carving up of Prospect Heights and Park Slope in the lines that now exist is problematic, a glaring problem with the IRC proposal is the part of Windsor Terrace and Kensington cut out of the 44th and included in the 51st AD across Greenwood cemetery. In our flawed system - I believe we would be better served by multi-member districts and proportional representation - lines of course have to be drawn somewhere. There are boundaries - roads, parks, canals for example - that don’t change while neighborhood demographics and character do change compounding the task of the IRC. I encourage you to take a good look at the Windsor Terrace/Kensington AD 44/51 issue and after correcting this to include everything on one side of the cemetery together see what works best regarding the North Slope/Prospect Heights. Thank you for your work.
  
• Robert
  February 27, 2023
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• Janet
  February 27, 2023
  To whom it may concern: I disagree with breaking up towns in the redistricting maps. I am a resident of the Town of Haverstraw. We are one. There are no "two Haverstraws". There is one Haverstraw. Breaking up the Town of Haverstraw (or the Town of Clarkstown or any Town) from an Assembly district will throw out decades of precedent and hurt representation for the residents. Please reconsider this plan. Thank you. Janet Guerra 32 Bridge Lane Haverstraw NY 10927
  
• Avrohom
  February 27, 2023
  My name is Yisrael Avraham Wolfson. I am currently living in the 44th Assembly District for the past 38 years. I am also involved in the community and serve on the Community Board. From what I see in the new draft; by taking away Dahill, Tehama, and Clara Streets, etc. this will cause divisiveness in the community. Please leave Kensington, Park Slope, and Windsor Terrace together.
  
• Paul
  February 27, 2023
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• Patricia
  February 27, 2023
  My name is Patricia Still and I have lived on the Upper West Side for 54 years. I am also the District Leader for Part B of the 67 Assembly District and a longtime member of the West Side's political club. The current lines of the 67 Assembly district are representative of the West Side's shared interests and values. The Upper West Side and Hell's Kitchen have always shared like-minded constituencies who successfully organize and advocate for affordable housing, better public transportation and much-needed resources for the many parks we share as a community. My political club is made up of people from across our district, and many of the issues facing members in the West 90s to the West 50s are unique to our neighborhood. Additionally, for as long as I've called West 74 Street home, the Upper West Side has never been divided at West 86 Street. That arbitrary and perplexing boundary splits our community. Many members of the West Side political club live in the West 90s, and for decades we have worked together on many of. the same issues impacting both the northern and southern portions of the 67 Assembly district. This Commission is constitutionally required to keep communities of interest together. It must reject the proposed lines for the 67 Assembly District, and keep the current district intact.
  
• Marion
  February 27, 2023
  My name is Marion Harris, and I have lived on the Upper West Side for 45 years. The draft proposal for the 67 Assembly District is not representative of our West Side community. For decades, the Upper West Side and Hell's Kitchen have been a part of the 67 Assembly district because of their shared interests and values. Residents in both the northern and southern portion of the district utilize the same social organizations, such as the JCC, share many of the same public transportation routes and have similar housing stock, which is incredibly important to me as a rent regulated tenant. It is critical that like-minded neighborhoods and constituencies be kept together. The Commission must reject its draft plan of the 67 Assembly District. The current lines of the 67 Assembly district are far more representative of the actual makeup of the West Side, and must be kept intact.
  
• Prudence
  February 27, 2023
  I was redistricted from Congressional District 4, represented by Kathleen Rice, to District 3. I received no official notice of this change. It was difficult to become informed about the candidates running for Congress in District 3, as I received no written information about the candidates in District 3, other than the signs posted on the lawn of local homes. This was the failure of the Democratic and Republican Parties. Tragically, our district elected George Santos, a man who lied extensively about his qualifications and who is unfit for office. Perhaps if we had know about our redistricting, we would have been better able to explore our candidates. I also wonder if the redistricting was done to favor the election of Republicans, since all 4 of Long Island's Congressional seats were won by Republicans, whereas in the past, the members of each party won seats, reflecting the almost even division between the 2 parties in voter registration on Long Island. Prudence Emery Westbury, NY
  
• Mohammad
  February 27, 2023
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  February 27, 2023 To Whom It May Concern My name is Mohammad Razvi and I am the founder and executive director of the Council of Peoples Organization (COPO) at 1077 Coney Island Avenue. I am writing with the urgent request that the IRC allow for our block of Coney Island Avenue between Foster and Avenue H to remain in the 44th Assembly District. In the wake of 9/11, I founded COPO in 2002, and have operated from a centrally located office on Coney Island Avenue in Midwood, Brooklyn and assisted low-income immigrant families in reaching their full potential as residents of New York City. COPO is a “one-stop-shop” that provides free, high-quality, and trusted social services to more than 12,000 households per year. Our food pantry programs help more than 150,000 people each year. COPO serves a citywide population with most clients coming from surrounding Brooklyn neighborhoods, many of which are from the 44th Assembly District. Our services are targeted to meet the specific language and cultural needs of immigrants from South Asia (Pakistan and Bangladesh). For the past 30 years, COPO has been in the 44th Assembly District, but in the IRC’s draft plan released on December 1, 2022, you have drawn our block out of the district and thereby divided the Pakistani community and the greater South Asian community from one another. The IRC map divides the 44th Assembly District at Foster Avenue, severing the Pakistani-American community and cutting key social services providers, Makki Mosque, and Al-Rayaan Muslim Funeral Services, Brooklyn’s premier Muslim funeral home. To allow our community to remain whole and maintain our voice and political power, the 44th should continue to Avenue H, as indicated on the attached map, which was submitted by Assemblymember Robert Carroll. Thank you for your consideration Please feel free to contact me if there is any question. Sincerely, Mohammad Razvi Chief Executive Officer
  
• Yeruchim
  February 26, 2023
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• Christine
  February 26, 2023
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  I speak in favor of the draft map with a few adjustments for AD75. The northern boundary of AD 75 should rum primarily along West 57th Street, a large commercial cross-street, instead of along West 53rd, a narrow residential street. You can read more about why this should and how it would work in my attached letter, with maps.
  
• Susan
  February 26, 2023
  My name is Susan Gwertzman, and I have lived on the Upper West Side for over 50 years. I am also a longtime member of one of the West Side's political clubs, which includes residents from both the Upper West Side and Hell's Kitchen. The Commission's proposed draft plan of the 67 Assembly district is flawed. For about 30 years, the 67th Assembly district has long included the Upper West Side and Hell's Kitchen, and as a result, we have forged a community that has similar interests and concerns. For example, the JCC, a Jewish community organization located on West 76th Street, has a large number of Jewish members who hail from both the Upper West Side and Hell's Kitchen. Additionally, with the JCC as our base, we have built friendships, as well as organized community programming to help like-minded people in Hell's Kitchen and the Upper West Side find refuge in their faith during recent periods of antisemitism. Additionally, as a resident of the West 80s, I have far more in common with my neighbors in the surrounding area and in Hell's Kitchen than those far uptown. The current draft plan of the 67 Assembly district splits the West Side's jewish population. This Commission is obligated to keep communities of interests together. It is critical, especially given the recent rhetoric and attacks against Jewish communities, that we keep the current 67 Assembly district intact. The Commission must reject its proposed map.
  
• Gail
  February 26, 2023
  My name is Gail Dubov, and I have lived on the Upper West Side for over 40 years. I am also the longtime President of the West 83rd Street Block Association. The Commission's proposed draft lines of the 67 Assembly district are inherently flawed. The proposal inexplicably divides the Upper West Side at West 86 Street, however, for as long as I have lived in the area, our community has always extended well into the West 90s. The very issues plaguing me and my neighbors on West 83 Street, such as rats, a lack of affordable housing, a need for better bus service, etc. also impact my neighbors and friends living on 86 Street and in the West 90s. In addition to having many of the same issues, those living on West 83 Street attend many of the same synagogues and schools and use the same supermarkets as those living in the high 80s and low 90s. This line is completely arbitrary, and ultimately decimates the influence of like-minded communities. I urge this Commission to reject its proposal of the 67 Assembly district. The current lines of the 67 Assembly District must remain intact. Thank you for your consideration on this important topic. Gail Dubov Pres. W. 83rd St. Block Association