Jeff Klein stood with community

Posted

To the Editor:

In your Aug. 14 editorial, “All politics is local,” you noted the New York State Senate candidates’ views on two controversial development proposals, the Montefiore Medical Center and the Hebrew Home expansion. Your analysis of local issues omitted a third contentious development. 

Last September, more than 200 residents of North Riverdale attended a community meeting to express their dismay over the plan to build a mixed-use residence for severely mentally ill individuals and senior citizens. Among other issues, the plan lacked appropriate support for the population it was seeking to house. The community voiced concerns over the height of the building, lack of parking and the impact of the addition of more emotionally challenged individuals on a neighborhood which already hosts over two hundred people diagnosed with mental illness at the Riverdale Manor. 

All the elected officials and candidates in attendance, save one, recognized the disastrous impact this plan would have on the community.  Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz commented, “If I wouldn’t want this in my neighborhood, I don’t want it in yours.” State Sen. Co-majority Leader Jeff Klein listened to the neighbors and set to work. He prevailed upon the sponsor, Selfhelp, to eliminate the emotionally ill component. He succeeded in making it a residence for well elderly.

Last month, Mr. Klein sponsored a meeting with the developer, elected officials and community members to begin to resolve the other concerns.  In addition, Mr. Klein, as part of his quest for affordable housing for the middle class, is seeking to make local seniors eligible for residence in the project. This represents yet another instance where Mr. Klein put the community first and stood with the neighbors. His challenger, not so much.

Sincerely,

DEIRDRE BURKE

Jeff Klein, Oliver Koppell, Deirdre Burke

Comments