Years in the Making, a Norwood Park Will Finally Get a Makeover

By DAVID CRUZ

An underused play area in Norwood is finally getting its $2 million makeover it was promised seven years ago. Officials from the New York City Parks Department and Bronx Borough President’s Office will break ground for the revamping of Whalen Park tomorrow. The park found off Perry Avenue between 205th and 206th streets and abutting the Mosholu Public Library, houses nothing but public benches surrounded by a perimeter fence. At the moment, the park seems neglected, with mounds of unpicked trash spotted pile high on its trash cans. By next year, residents can expect a playhouse, spray shower and a

Building Woes for Stagg Properties in Norwood

By DAVID CRUZ

For more than a decade, The Stagg Group, a family-owned real estate and construction firm, has been a powerhouse in building hundreds of units of affordable housing across the Bronx, becoming a saving grace to many low-income New Yorkers. But an incident at one of its Norwood sites in late April, which exposed some deviations from approved construction work, represented some setbacks for the omnipresent construction group. Meantime, residents have some environmental questions for one of the group’s other properties slated to be built in Norwood. “I think we still need to keep asking questions. We’re not making accusations, but

By DAVID CRUZ

Andrew Sandler, Community Board 7’s district manager who took a leave of absence in late January for an undisclosed medical condition, is expected to return to his post next month. The timing comes as the board faces an election season that could see a minimal shift in its executive board. “Andrew Sandler has notified the board that he intends to return to work by mid-June. According to protocol, we have sent Mr. Sandler today the appropriate forms to be completed in order for the board to consider his reasonable accommodation request. Once he returns the forms, the reasonable accommodation request

How Big Do You Want Your Buildings in the Bronx?

By DAVID CRUZ

For residents attending a presentation on the feasibility of downzoning two neighborhoods in the northwest Bronx, tech-heavy jargon such as “Floor Area Ratio,” “compliance,” and “sky exposure plane” admittedly caused confusion for a topic focusing on the size of buildings. “Is this too complicating?” asked Paula Caplan, an independent urban planner hired by Community Board 7 to study the possibility of downzoning the two neighborhoods and present her ideas to the city. Residents answered “no,” with some shrugging their shoulders. A handful responded “yes.” Such is the subject of zoning, a topic that, if presented dryly, can confound and perplex

By DAVID GREENE

A diverse group of successful women who all grew up or lived in the Bronx gathered for the first annual Women’s Empowerment Summit 2017, extending March’s Women’s History Month into April. The panelists came from high positions in government, with a surprise televised appearance from Merryl Tengesdal, an astronaut who grew up in the northwest Bronx. She was introduced by her cousin, Gwendolyn Thomas-Steed, a member of Community Board 7. The civic panel hosted the event at Lehman College’s Lovinger Theater on April 8. On hand panelists included Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, New York City Public Advocate Leticia James,

By DAVID CRUZ

A major sewer project in Norwood is slated to have round the clock work taking place to speed up the process, which could be disruptive to residents’ sleep and their drinking water. Community Board 7 members approved the idea by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, where crews from the New York City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) have spent seven months excavating roads to replace century-old sewer pipes along Bainbridge Avenue. The approval clears DDC to obtain a nighttime work permit from the New York City Department of Transportation, which holds oversight on any work happening

Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

COMMUNITY BOARD 7 committee meetings are held on the following dates at the board office, 229 E. 204th St., at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted: Executive Committee meets on April 4; Public Safety & Quality of Life Committee meets on April 6; Environment & Sanitation Committee meets on April 11; Health & Hospitals Committee meets on April 11 at 7:30 p.m.; Senior Services Committee meets on April 12; and Parks & Recreation meets on April 12 at 7:15 p.m. For more information, call (718) 933-5650. COMPTROLLER SCOTT STRINGER hosts a meet and greet at Tracey Towers, 40 W. Mosholu Parkway

(L-R) HONOREES CHANTEL BROWN, Antonio Landron, Brittany Martinez, Robert Aboaqye, and George Nunoo are this year’s recipients of the New York Yankee Scholarship Award. The group was honored by Community Board 7 on March 21 for devoting several hours to community service, a requirement of the prize. The honor comes with a $750 scholarship and participation in an award presentation at Yankee Stadium on April 17. Congratulations to the group for hitting it out of the ballpark. Photo by Miriam Quinones

Elevator Planned for B/D Line Bedford Pk. Statio

By DAVID CRUZ

An elevator is coming to the Bedford Park B/D line train station. The MTA revealed those plans at a Community Board 7 Transportation Committee meeting on March 9. They told members the lift will be installed at the center median of the Grand Concourse near Bedford Park Boulevard after reconfiguring the intersection with help from the city Department of Transportation. The plan requires no approvals from the board, though Transportation Chair Lowell Green backs the project, telling the Norwood News, “The more elevators we get, the better off we are.” Ridership on the B/D line has remained steady in recent