Greetings:
I want to thank Mr. Philip Armstrong for bringing the February 19th meeting of the Zoning Board to the attention of our elected officials concerning the continued indifference being displayed by the Yonkers Zoning Board specifically Ms. Wilson Kimball (chair). I’ve witnessed over the last year how residents have been treated by the chair which has demonstrated a lack of professionalism in tone, tenure and explanations provided to residents who have questions or concerns.
I’ve been in many meetings within this city and it appears that when black and brown voices are there to dispute any action the Yonkers Police is used as a tactic to subdue, intimidate or squelch the advocacy of those black and brown residents. This is not a misrepresentation or a skewed point to argue, you as the elected officials can check police logs or even roll the tapes of meetings to see that police are being used as a weaponization to hinder a democratic process.
We as taxpayers have a right to voice our concern, opposition, and sometimes sheer anger if it is not threatening to the individuals who are elected or appointed. Needless to say, recently, I sat in a City Council public hearing of which there was overwhelmingly a large representation of white constituents and not one Yonkers Police officer other than the one providing security downstairs was visible. And even in past meetings, when the Zoning Board convened a meeting and a public hearing for a project near Lake Ave, the gallery was filled with residents from that neighborhood and as I recall there was no Yonkers Police.
It is not lost on me or many that are black or brown, in the rooms of our city government, that when we speak passionately about our neighborhoods being destroyed and over developed, we are met with indifference.
When I walked out the meeting on the 19th, police officers were waiting outside while another was actually standing in an open door within the room. For what reason was their presence necessary?
We can’t downplay or ignore facts anymore! When other parts of Yonkers receive an audience with the Mayor and the developers, this gives weight that not all of Yonkers is treated equitably. It’s not the black and brown communities who are heard and projects halted. Our communities are ignored, yelled at, and treated disrespectfully.
Yonkers has a foundational history of housing discrimination and now in the last few years it is choosing to participate in economic and racial gentrification. People are tired. They are tired having their neighborhoods destroyed by high rise buildings. They are tired of projects that don’t consider the character of their beloved neighborhoods. They are tired of having to be afraid to leave their residences because they know they want have anywhere to park when they return.
And let me be clear, the boards that serve as adjunct to the city council should be made up of residents that will provide a different perspective and experience. These representatives should be willing to engage the community and hear their voices and concerns. It should not be a rubber stamp whereas the residents feel that their voices don’t matter. The Zoning Board, this administration and specifically the representative of District 1 [Councilmember Deana Robinson] owes residents of Warburton Ave, Ravine Ave., Woolworth Ave. and every street in between the same respect, audience and consideration that is afforded the other locations in Yonkers.
Respectfully,
Rev. Margaret Fountain Coleman
