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Elevator Update
Building manager Al Rivera tells us that on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week (April 17 and 18), there will be repair and maintenance work being done on the elevators, primarily to remove scratches and seal against further damage. The cabs will be worked on individually between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., and there will probably be a strong, lingering odor while they're cleaning and polishing the metal detail. They tell us the odor is not harmful, just unpleasant -- but that they'll leave the service entrance door open to help disperse it.
RIVERWALK COMMITTEE MEETINGS
OPEN TO ALL RIVERWALK OWNERS & RESIDENTS
HELP CREATE THE HOUSE RULES,KEEP CARS OFF OUR WALKWAY,
& BUILD THE COMMUNITY WE DESIRE!
Tuesday, May 1
ROOFTOP PARTY ROOM
HOUSE COMMITTEE: 7:00-8:00 p.m.
COMMUNITY RELATIONS: 8:00-9:00 p.m.
The House Committee will:
• Elect a committee chair and secretary
• Discuss use of shared ares, including children’s room, gym, party room
• Begin formulating House Rules
• Discuss key-fob access to exterior doors
• Generate FAQ and problem-solving contact list
The Community Relations Committee will:
• Elect a committee chair and secretary
• Develop action plans for addressing parking, speeding, and commuting problems
• Create contact list for political and social interactions
• Discuss raising our profile in the community
The fish store on Main Street has lost its lease and is closing Saturday, Feb. 17. The owner hired a lawyer, but still could not pry a lease out of RIOC. There are so few services on Roosevelt Island that this is almost a scandal. (On the other hand, everything in the store is 50% off for the next few days.)
Commercial space continues apace
The new nail and hair salon is open for business. Coming soon to our building: a Japanese eat in/take out place on the southeast corner, and, most likely, an Italian eatery. There are complicated political and bureaucratic reasons why we can't have a small grocery or deli in any of the commercial spaces here, but the new Duane Reade that's coming to Building 4 will carry milk and eggs, if that's any help.
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| Photo by Jade Getz |
The second meeting of the Riverwalk Place Board was held this morning (see next entry for notes on first meeting). Jami Bernard and Nick Guider (that’s us!), your elected liaisons to the Board, were charged with forming three standing committees to advise the Board on several important areas: Quality of Life, Community Relations, and Finance. To that end, we are seeking volunteers. It’s a great way to have our voices heard and wishes known, and to participate in making life here at 455 Main Street da bomb. (If English is not your first language, or if you are over 30 years old, that translates more or less to: magnifique.)
Serving on these committees will not eat up much of your time. They will meet as needed; probably, in any case, not more than once a month.
The Quality of Life committee will overhaul the House Rules and make suggestions as to the care and feeding of our common, public spaces, such as the gym, playroom, bike room, party room, website, and roofdeck. Nick will be the chair.
The Community Relations committee will work on integrating Riverwalk Place with the Roosevelt Island community at large, including establishing relationships with RIRA (Roosevelt Island Residents’ Assn.), RIOC (Roosevelt Island Operating Corp.), the Main Street WIRE (our local newspaper), and the various cultural and commercial concerns up Main Street. Jami will be the chair.
The Finance Committee will be important in future years as our spanking-new systems begin to age and as owner/residents gradually take the reins from the current Board. We do not foresee this committee meeting any time soon, but we’ll still like to know who’s game for this.
If you are interested in any/all of these committees, please leave either of us a note in care of the concierge, and please remember to include your apartment number and contact information. (Better yet, e-mail us at the contact information listed below!)
Other topics covered at this morning’s meeting:
• Commercial space: The hair and nail salon is in progress. A Japanese eat in/take out restaurant is close to signing a lease for the southeast corner space. Discussions are underway for an Italian eatery in the final space of Building 3. As previously reported, Duane Reade will take the larger of two spaces in Building 4, and another 3500 square foot space is still available. Duane Reade now carries grocery staples such as milk and eggs, you'll be happy to hear!
• Speeding cars are a problem along the stretch of road from Southtown Bldg. 1 to the Tram, with some drivers ignoring the Stop sign. This is of particular concern to this building since the Stop sign marks the crossing point for children on their way to the playground. Nick has contacted Councilwoman Jessica Lappin and Jami has notified RIRA of the potential hazards. It would help if more people complained to RIOC, Jessica Lappin, or via letters to the editor of The WIRE. Contact information will be posted here soon.
• The 20 new muni-parking spaces are much appreciated, and suggestions were made as to how to maximize their use, including, possibly, working with RIOC to change the 6-hr. maximum to 2 hours in order to promote rapid turnover. No action has yet been taken.
• A WiFi provider has been identified and a contract is in the works; this will lead to free WiFi in the public areas and the commons between Buildings 3&4, as promised in our building's promotional materials.
• A new television will be installed – securely, on the wall, to avoid tip-overs – in the children’s playroom by the end of next week.
WE NEED YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESSES so that we can notify you of building news in a timely manner; please send to jami@jamibernard.com or NGuider@Halstead.com so that we can compile a database (which will not be used elsewhere or made public).
Thanks, all!
Jami and Nick
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| Photo by Jade Getz | |
News Update 1/25/07
STOP SIGN: Last week, the "drag strip" in front of our building received a new Stop sign (one in each direction), located by the southeast corner of the building. This still does not solve the problem of cars speeding through the stop sign by the playground, but it's a start.
SERVICE DOOR ACCESS: Your key fob will now allow you to enter the building through the service entrance, BUT ONLY IF YOU HAVE A RESERVED SPACE IN THE BIKE ROOM. (If you don't, you can always ring for the doorman to buzz you in, then use your key fob at the elevator.) Previously, you could get into the vestibule, but the door to the lobby was locked, as was the elevator. Now your key fob will work to turn the elevator on. Swipe the fob to the right of the elevator BEFORE pressing the elevator button.
For those who were not present at the Town Meeting last fall, the reason there is no key-fob access to the emergency exit door that I like to call the "Starbucks Exit" is that it would compromise the overall security of the building; it would be too tempting an entrance to passers-by.
PLAYROOM TV INSTALLED: As promised at last Board meeting.
First Board Meeting: Notes from Jami & Nick
November 2006
Dear Neighbors,
We would like to thank you for electing us as the resident representatives to the Board of Managers. Our role is to bring to the Board’s attention whatever ideas, suggestions, and concerns that are most important to you, the owners and residents of Riverwalk Place. If you have any thoughts you would like to share, please let us know. Our contact information is below, or you can leave a message for either of us with the concierge.
The first Board meeting took place Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006, at which was discussed various items regarding the maintenance increase and the physical maintenance of the building. We’ll be posting information and updates on this, our new building website, which we encourage you to join. This is where you can use message boards to talk to neighbors, ask questions, find out who delivers the best Chinese food, and ultimately serve as a vibrant village square for all of us.
Please bookmark this website: http://www.455main.org
One way for residents to become more involved is by participating on committees that we are forming to address such areas as:
• House rules
• Resident social events (e.g., holiday parties, Meet Your Neighbor brunches)
• Children’s activities (e.g., toy drive for the children’s playroom)
Thanks to an initiative by Adrienne Johnson-Guider (Nick’s wife), we launched a (successful!) children’s music class – Music for Munchkins! It's been meeting on Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. in the playroom. For more information, see the flyer in the mailroom or contact Adrienne.
If you’re interested in serving on any of these committees, or have a particular area of expertise you’d like to share on behalf of a building project, please let us know.
We are both delighted to serve the interests of Riverwalk Place, and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Nick Guider Jami Bernard
nguider@halstead.com jami@jamibernard.com
... to 455Main.org, a site created by and for owners and residents of 455 Main Street. We are still tinkering with the site, but the first thing we need is ... YOU! We need to collect everyone's name, apartment number, and e-mail address so we can set up an effective means of communication for everyone in the building. (And, don't worry ... we won't be selling your e-mail address to telemarketers or international arms dealers!)
On this site, we'll have a community bulletin board, a repository for building information and procedures, and everything from which Chinese restaurant delivers fastest to how to handle emergencies or set up a playdate for your wee ones. The site will evolve to suit our needs and keep us connected as a unified voice for building affairs and Island politics.
Please use the Login link to the left of this screen to sign up (or the Contact Us link to ask questions) and become part of this neighborly adventure!