 Borough President Vito Fossella announced that he is filing a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure to eliminate the zoning provision permitting the construction of a 160-bed homeless shelter 4934 Arthur Kill Road in Charleston.
The site of the homeless shelter is zoned for manufacturing, also known as an “M-Zone.” Under the city’s zoning resolution, hotels in light manufacturing districts typically require special permits, but an exemption exists for facilities that will be used for temporary housing assistance, like homeless shelters. This exclusion has protected the Charleston project from a process of greater public scrutiny. Borough President Fossella referred to it as a “loophole” and argued that it is necessary to push for greater borough control over land-use decisions. His application to the city would require a full land-use review and feedback from the community -- “a true representation and reflection of what the people of Staten Island deserve, expect and want.” “More and more, the people of Staten Island are feeling as if instead of City Hall or Manhattan, we have Buckingham Palace in London of 250 years ago -- just being given things that we don’t want,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference in Borough Hall. Borough President Fossella said he held productive conversations with then-Mayor Eric Adams when the shelter was first proposed. Mayor Adams told Borough President Fossella that the site wouldn’t be used as a homeless shelter, however, those plans are now moving forward again under Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “We’ve been fighting now for a good year-and-a-half,” said Borough President Fossella. “The people of Charleston don’t deserve it. We try to fight back every which way we can and we will continue to do so. We will continue to stand up for the principles that created this country 250 years ago where people have a voice and they matter.”
Borough President Vito Fossella reflected on the 250th anniversary of the United States and the depths of its commitment to liberty and the extraordinary sacrifices made to secure and preserve it:
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, we are called not only to celebration but to serious reflection on the character and meaning of this republic. America remains a singular experiment in human history — a nation deliberately founded upon the proposition that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights. What distinguishes America is not the absence of faults, for every human society bears them, but the depth of its commitment to liberty and the extraordinary sacrifices made to secure and preserve it. From the snows of Valley Forge to the beaches of Normandy and beyond, generations of Americans have risked their lives and fortunes in defense of freedom. This willingness to sacrifice for a principle larger than oneself is rare in the annals of nations. Central to America’s exceptional character is the right of citizens to hold and express their own opinions without fear of reprisal. Here, a man may disagree with the government, with prevailing opinion, or even with the spirit of the age, and he need not fear the dungeon or the executioner. This freedom of thought and speech is not a small thing. History teaches us, often in blood, that in many regimes — particularly those animated by communist ideology — to dissent from the rulers is to risk imprisonment, exile, or death. The contrast could scarcely be more stark: in America, one may criticize the powerful and still sleep safely in one’s home. In too many other places, such dissent has been, and remains, a mortal hazard. Equally remarkable is America’s tradition of religious tolerance. From its founding, the United States rejected religious establishments and offered a refuge for believers of all faiths — and those of none. Catholics, Jews, Protestants, Muslims, Hindus, and countless others have worshipped freely here in ways often denied them elsewhere. This liberty of conscience has allowed faith to flourish as a vital moral force while preventing the religious wars that scarred so much of European and world history. No less extraordinary is America’s economic achievement. Over two and a half centuries, the United States has built the largest and most dynamic economy the world has ever known. Through enterprise, innovation, and the rule of law, it has generated unprecedented prosperity, lifted billions globally out of poverty through trade and technology, and created opportunities for ordinary citizens to rise beyond what their parents could have imagined. This economic vitality is not an accident of geography but the fruit of a system that rewards initiative and protects private property. This liberty has made possible one of the most remarkable features of American life: the opportunity extended to immigrants from every corner of the world. For two and a half centuries, men and women have come to these shores and found the chance to rise according to their industry, talent, and character. Few nations have so successfully turned strangers into citizens and dreamers into builders. America has known grave sins, including the evil of slavery and the long shadow of racial injustice. Yet, throughout our history, we have not been blind or indifferent to our imperfections. In fact, our nation has shown a capacity for self-correction, grounded by the words of the Preamble to our very own Constitution - to create “a more perfect union”. And, we have endeavored to do so for 250 years. Our republic has confronted its failures with a seriousness that few regimes have matched. As a force for liberty, the United States has few equals. It has stood against tyranny in its most brutal forms — fascism, communism, and despotism — and has offered hope to those who yearn for self-government. At two hundred and fifty years, America is not a finished project, but a continuing endeavor. Its genius lies in the permanent truth that it enshrines: that free men and women, under law and guided by virtue, can govern themselves and create a society worthy of human dignity. Let us, then, approach this anniversary with clear eyes and grateful hearts — resolved to preserve what is good, to repair what is broken, and to transmit to the next generation the extraordinary inheritance of freedom that is our common birthright. Borough President Vito Fossella announced that he is filing a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure to eliminate the zoning provision permitting the construction of a 160-bed homeless shelter 4934 Arthur Kill Road in Charleston.
The site of the homeless shelter is zoned for manufacturing, also known as an “M-Zone.” Under the city’s zoning resolution, hotels in light manufacturing districts typically require special permits, but an exemption exists for facilities that will be used for temporary housing assistance, like homeless shelters. This exclusion has protected the Charleston project from a process of greater public scrutiny. Borough President Fossella referred to it as a “loophole” and argued that it is necessary to push for greater borough control over land-use decisions. His application to the city would require a full land-use review and feedback from the community -- “a true representation and reflection of what the people of Staten Island deserve, expect and want.” “More and more, the people of Staten Island are feeling as if instead of City Hall or Manhattan, we have Buckingham Palace in London of 250 years ago -- just being given things that we don’t want,” said Borough President Fossella at a press conference in Borough Hall. Borough President Fossella said he held productive conversations with then-Mayor Eric Adams when the shelter was first proposed. Mayor Adams told Borough President Fossella that the site wouldn’t be used as a homeless shelter, however, those plans are now moving forward again under Mayor Zohran Mamdani. “We’ve been fighting now for a good year-and-a-half,” said Borough President Fossella. “The people of Charleston don’t deserve it. We try to fight back every which way we can and we will continue to do so. We will continue to stand up for the principles that created this country 250 years ago where people have a voice and they matter.”  Borough President Vito Fossella presented the Albert V. Maniscalco Community Service Award to Alice Diamond, a longtime supporter of the cultural arts on Staten Island and one of the key founders of Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.
The Albert V. Maniscalco Community Service Award, established in 1986, honors our ninth Borough President. Maniscalco’s tenure from 1955 to 1965 saw the creation of the Greenbelt and the construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge. His namesake award celebrates civic-minded Staten Islanders who have dedicated their lives in service for the betterment of their community. “Alice Diamond is synonymous with Staten Island culture,” said Borough President Fossella during an intimate gathering in his office surrounded by Mrs. Diamond’s family and friends. “In fact, she is Staten Island culture. Everything that her fingerprints are on has blossomed and made this borough a better place.” Mrs. Diamond is the wife of Richard E. Diamond, the late publisher of the Staten Island Advance, and the mother of Caroline Diamond Harrison, who succeeded her father as publisher of the Advance, Alison D. Levasseur, and Richard E. Diamond Jr. She has been a driving force on various boards of cultural organizations. In addition to her work at Snug Harbor, Mrs. Diamond has held multiple board positions and played important roles at the NYC Advisory Commission of Cultural Affairs; the Staten Island Chapter of the Red Cross; the Lynne Robbins Steinman Beautification Foundation; the Historic House Trust of NYC; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Greenbelt Conservancy, and the Staten Island Foundation. Mrs. Diamond was also instrumental in the creation of the Carousel for All Children at Willowbrook Park, which continues to be fully accessible for the enjoyment of people of all abilities. Borough President Fossella called Mrs. Diamond “the best that Staten Island has to offer” and in a fitting tribute, she was presented with the Maniscalco Award 40 years after her husband received the first Maniscalco Award in 1986. “When we choose a recipient for this award, we look at Staten Island’s landscape of a half million people and say, ‘who truly embodies the spirit and virtue of this borough?’” said Borough President Fossella. “Alice does so without ever asking for any attention, without ever giving up. Like a quiet force of nature.” Mrs. Diamond accepted the award with the dignity and grace she is known for. “It was Ralph Lamberti who created this award to memorialize Al Maniscalco,” said Mrs. Diamond. “Both men were my friends. And the first recipient of this award was more than just my friend. Thank you for letting me share this honor with him and with my family. |