"...made clear my belief that RIOC had... promised that space to Charlie. ...then-President Robert Ryan pooh-poohed the letter with a sniff... effectively repudiating the agency’s promise." That’s a quote from RIOC Board Member David Kraut in the January 14 WIRE story about the resignation of Youth Program Director Charles DeFino.

What kind of an upside-down world is it? Roosevelt Island residents deserve better than living in a situation where a hired hand can blatantly reverse the actions of the RIOC Board, and do so without being immediately shown the door.

Roosevelt Island residents deserve to be living in a democracy. The United States Constitution and the New York State Constitution both say so. The report on RIOC by Assemblymember Brodsky makes it embarrassingly clear that RIOC violates the democratic ideals of both the National and State constitutions.

Unless Governor Pataki makes good on his implied promise for local Island elections to the RIOC Board, this issue will dog him as he seeks higher elected office.

David J. Bauer

To the Editor:

I was surprised to read in the last WIRE that New York National Bank was now a State bank owned by Hudson Valley Holding Corporation and that they operated under an exclusionary clause in their contract with RIOC that precludes another bank from seeking space on Roosevelt Island. I’ve learned that USAlliance, the credit union that for two years has been trying to lease the space formerly occupied by Montauk Credit Union, learned this only last September.

What a waste of time and opportunity! When USAlliance contacted me in my capacity as (then) president of RIRA in September 2004, I encouraged them to bring their services here as a robust business ($500 million in assets) and as a potential lender as our residential buildings came out of Mitchell-Lama and the prospect for residents to buy their apartments became a reality. Why, I wonder, didn’t someone at RIOC – their in-house counsel Ken Leitner, perhaps, or their sales representative, Paul Mas – come clean with USAlliance 18 months ago? This would have given this Westchester credit union an additional year to seek a waiver in the exclusionary clause of NYNB’s contract or, simply, to cut bait and walk away without wasting a year on fruitless negotiation.

I’ve been in touch with Chris Lazowy of USAlliance, who is still eager to locate a branch here. However, NYNB has not responded to his request for a waiver of and release from this restrictive clause. I would remind you that none of our merchants still have such clauses in their leases and all are subject to competition from businesses such as Gristede’s. RIOC President Herb Berman has said that RIOC will not intervene in this discussion or in the potential for a Chase Bank at Southtown that would be under the same restrictions as a Northtown credit union.

However, the lease is with RIOC and no one else. RIOC and the RIOC Board of Directors have it within their power to influence this discussion for the good of the community. I’ve written to both Herb and the RIOC Board asking them to exert their power as landlord to aid in bringing USAlliance to Roosevelt Island at a time when their services would be desperately needed. I urge my neighbors to add their voices to mine and to contact Herb Berman (212-832-4590) and their neighbors who are resident Board members (Alberteen Anderson/Westview; Deborah Beck/Rivercross; David Kraut/Eastwood; Mark Ponton/Rivercross; Michael Shinozaki/Manhattan Park; Patrick Stewart/Island House) to urge their intervention on our behalf.

Matthew Katz

We live next to the river, but even so, we hear the deep, throaty exhaust of those full-size, powerful trucks hauling earth away from the new construction beginning in Southtown. Pity residents who live on or near Main Street. At 5:30 a.m., those residents must be shaken awake by the first run of those thunderous dirt haulers. All day long the huge trucks come and go, loudly huffing and puffing as they destroy what is left of the bricks on Main Street.

Who gave permission to the construction company to allow those trucks to start working even before first light? Is RIOC the culprit? Again, an example of the deplorable planning and feeble foresight on the part of our governing body. (Another instance of RIOC’s deplorable lack of planning is allowing 30 or so school buses to clog Main Street in the early mornings and afternoons.)

There are excavations remaining to be done for at least two more buildings. RIOC should demand of the builder that no hauling begin before 7:00 or 7:30 a.m., or demand that the contractor get a permit to bring a barge alongside the Island near the construction site and have the earth dumped in there and floated silently away.

Or better yet, why not dump the earth into the East River, thus creating new land to compensate for the rapidly diminishing open spaces on this Island? Such an approach would reduce the unnerving racket from those giant trucks and save Main Street from being broken apart. Further, such an arrangement could be cheaper for the builder than hiring a fleet of those enormous trucks or a barge.

Come on, RIOC and Board, don’t be a patsy for fast-talking, smooth city slickers. Don’t just lay down, roll over with supplicating paws uplifted, and agree to everything they want. Stand up. Demand concessions. Consider first the welfare of Roosevelt Island residents. We live here!