Of the 375 new applications Stringer’s office received, 88 were chosen for Manhattan’s 12 boards.

The board’s new appointees are Brian Byrd, Elizabeth Caputo, Robert Espier, Dalia Mahmoud, Suzanne Robotti, Haydee Rosario, Marisa Maack, Nick Prigo and Mark Darin.

Stringer has made an effort to select members with relevant expertise, and make the boards more reflective of the communities they represent.

“Our 2010 appointees… include a parent leader, an architect, a religious organization administrator and a hospital worker,” Stringer said in a statement. “These members will deal with some of the biggest issues facing our communities, from rezoning efforts that allow for responsible development and preserve affordable housing to incorporating community plans that address school overcrowding.”

Nearly a month later, the restaurant was found to be non-compliant with bicycle codes, as promised. Among one of the more serious violations was delivery bicyclists continuing to ride on sidewalks.

When I was president of the 20th Precinct Community Council from 2000 to 2003, the number one safety and quality of life issue in the area was the dangerous conditions posed by delivery bicyclists. With the continuing proliferation of eateries in the neighborhood, the delivery bicycle safety problem has grown exponentially. In my book, no matter how popular or successful a restaurant is, its bicycle policies, or lack thereof, are a direct affront to our community. Just because you serve a wonderful maki roll does not give you license to turn our sidewalks into the Tour de France.

For those who may question the wisdom of limiting sidewalk café permits to establishments with strong records of bicycle safety, the connection is not so farfetched. As a board member so eloquently stated at a recent meeting, both issues deal with safety and pedestrian traffic. A sidewalk café is not an entitlement, but a privilege afforded to restaurants by local residents vis a vis the community board. If an operator disregards the safety of the community, by failing to comply with bicycle laws, for example, consideration for a sidewalk café should be forfeited, in my opinion. In fact, I believe that restaurants that presently have sidewalk cafes should be in jeopardy of losing the privilege if its delivery people are proven to be chronic offenders of bicycle laws.

Of course, the Police Department will offer statistics on bicycle violations issued during a certain period of time (month, year, etc.), but if enforcement is so effective, where is the deterrence? I don’t see it. One answer would be to allow traffic enforcement agents to issue summonses for cyclists who break the law. The last time I checked, an expired meter never caused me bodily harm; a delivery bicyclist did.

Business owners who share a common interest in our community do not have to be convinced of why bicycle compliance is important. They understand its merits. Unfortunately, many don’t share that concern unless it affects their bottom line.

I believe that Board 7’s vote to disapprove the café was a milestone in protecting our residents, today and tomorrow. In my opinion, it was a courageous and bold resolution on an issue that has long been ignored by those responsible for enforcing bicycle laws effectively. It may not be the perfect solution, but it’s a darn good start. 

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Joseph Bolanos is a community advocate and president of the group Landmark 76.

Other community boards have embedded environmental concerns into already established committees. Board 9, for example, has a Health/Human Services & Environment committee, and Board 6 has a Public Safety, Environment and Human Rights committee. Officially, the mission of Board 7’s Green Committee is to “promote sustainability of the Upper West Side by engaging residents in education, advocacy and direct efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the community.” Working alongside other committees, the group adds its perspective to every relevant conversation within the board.

“Traditionally, bike lanes are the concern of the Transport Committee,” said  board chair Helen Rosenthal. “But there’s a green angle there as well. By being able to ask both committees to review, both sides of the argument get weight.”

The committee has tackled a wide range of topics, including green buildings, solar energy, traffic reduction, recycling, storm capacity planning, pedestrian-friendly streets, energy-efficient lighting and the use of plastic bags.

“We’re kinda the kitchen sink of green,” said Melanie Wymore, the committee’s co-chair (she shares that responsibility with Elizabeth Starkey).

That includes issues extending far beyond Manhattan.

“Whenever we hear of someone doing something interesting or new, we invite them to come and talk,” Wymore said. “We provide a conduit for people to exchange ideas about sustainability issues.”

Jason Post, a spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, praised Board 7 for its innovation.

“Local efforts are crucial to realizing the ambitious goals in PlaNYC,” he said, referring the mayor’s 25-year plan to reduce New York City’s carbon footprint and promote sustainability. “We hope that other community boards follow the stellar example that Manhattan CB 7 has set.”

Borough President Scott Stringer also gave the committee a positive review.
“I welcome efforts like CB7 and other community boards in creating green committees to specifically address local environmental issues,” he said, adding that such efforts mesh with his goals as borough president to address Manhattan’s health and environmental concerns.

One of the committee’s current projects is the massive IRT powerhouse, at 59th Street and 11th Avenue, which ConEd hopes to transform into a steam-and-electricity “cogeneration” plant that is three times as efficient as the current steam-only power plant.

Kate Sindig, senior attorney of the Natural Resources Defense Council, also recently came before the committee to present a citywide “product stewardship” plan. This eco-friendly law would transfer the problem of toxic waste disposal, especially from electronic goods like televisions and computers, from owners to the manufacturers, giving financial incentive to build with fewer toxins.

Also present at the meeting were representatives of a non-profit organization Jewish Heart for Africa, who discussed their venture of providing solar panels to pump water for villagers in remote areas of Africa. They were looking to contact people who might be interested in supporting their cause. Two days after the meeting, Laurie Moldawer, the group’s co-founder, was excited about the result.

“Within 24 hours we were already in contact with people,” she said. “We were open to anything, but this has already surpassed expectations.”