Today sets a record as the Southpoint Rock Farm, toured by our friend, The Space Cadet, finds a whole new outburst of RIOC folly. The record? Two reported incidents of Dumb & Dumber on the same day.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
Southpoint Rock Farm Warnings
A little over a week ago, RIOC took down fences blocking access to its new Southpoint Rock Farm. The area was previously known as “Brooklyn Bridge Park North,” but its alleged model screamed “No” upon seeing the results.
“They just threw a pile of rocks in there,” Brooklyn Bridge Park complained. “Any idiot could’ve done that.”
When it opened in 2011, it was simply Southpoint, a retreat planned by and built for residents, but then RIOC spent a decade getting dumb and dumber.
Safety first?
Shortly after the opening, actually well before, observers cried foul. The garden of stone, interrupted in spotty fashion by things that grow and have color, was also a garden of hazards. Harsh-edged rocks everywhere invited injury from the slightest fall, and what looked like they were supposed to be guardrails were so low a toddler could trip over them.
RIOC had no choice, rousted from its slumber, but to answer with a swift response. Note: “Swift” does not imply smart or anything like it.
Yesterday, our intrepid friend, The Space Cadet, spotted RIOC’s klutzy effort at protecting residents against the countless hazards introduced in this project.
“RIOC continues to look out for the welfare of Islanders and visitors,” the Space Cadet observed. “Anyone who falls off the rocks and into the water will be admonished for not reading the signs.”
But enforcing what?
DO NOT CLIMB ON ROCKS, the spellbinding signs wrapped haphazardly around poles demand. But it’s unclear what rocks are indicated as this warning isn’t near the new Southpoint Rock Farm. It’s adjacent to the sturdy fencing created out of stones from a demolished City Hospital. Kids have climbed on those for a decade.
But can you run, walk, fish or crawl on them? All we know for sure is that “VIOLATORS WILL BE SUMMONED.” Like, so what?
There is no law whatsoever against walking along any East River shoreline. It’s a false threat, like so many others piled up by RIOC while failing to enforce real laws. Being “summoned” simply means being commanded to show up somewhere, and RIOC can’t force you. For what? And where? Are the grand patroons of Roosevelt Island going to haul you into some court that punishes people for legal activities?
Isn’t being stuck with the Southpoint Rock Farm, paying for it, punishment enough?
Also from the Roosevelt Island Daily
- MTA Launches Six-Year Signal and Track Overhaul on A and C Subway LinesThe MTA launches a six-year signal and track overhaul on A and C subway lines, bringing CBTC and major infrastructure upgrades to the Fulton and Liberty Avenue corridors through 2032.
- Long Island City Rent Overcharge Lawsuit Seeks $50 Million Against DeveloperA Long Island City rent overcharge lawsuit seeks about $50 million from Rockrose Development, raising questions about billing practices, tenant protections, and legal oversight in NYC’s fast-changing rental market.
- Astoria E-Scooter Rider Dies After Northern Boulevard Crash in Long Island CityA 22-year-old Astoria e-scooter rider died after a Northern Boulevard crash in Long Island City. Details remain under investigation, highlighting micromobility risks on busy city streets.
- Hate Crime Charges Filed After Vandalism at Fresh Meadows Kosher Bagel ShopHate crime charges have been filed after vandalism at a kosher bagel shop in Fresh Meadows, with prosecutors alleging bias-motivated acts. Hearings are set in New York’s legal process.
- Midtown Subway Shooting Leaves 26-Year-Old Dead; Queens Incidents SeparateA shooting inside a Manhattan subway station left a 26-year-old dead. Police investigate the Midtown incident and separate shootings in Queens as commuters seek safety.
Unequal Bargains
On June 18, the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation’s Real Estate Development Advisory Committee gathered to discuss ground leases, the master retail lease, and the ten additional years being offered under the Island’s master lease. Howard L. Polivy, the committee’s chair, opened the meeting as a longtime host shows guests through a familiar house, pointing out the furniture as if it had never moved an inch.
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