Bronx Community Board 11
Encyclopedia
Bronx Community Board 11 (CB11) is a local government unit of the City of New York
(NYC), which encompasses the neighborhoods of Allerton
, Bronx Park East, Indian Village, Morris Park, Olinville, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway
, Van Nest and Westchester Heights in the borough of the Bronx
. Coterminous with the 49th NYPD Precinct, it is delimited by Bronx Park East and the Bronx River Parkway
to the west, Adee Avenue, Boston Road and East Gun Hill Road to the north, the Hutchinson River Parkway
to the east, and East Tremont Avenue to the south.
, although at least one half of the board’s members are selected from nominees of the district's respective Council Members. Comprising several committees, CB11 is headed by an executive committee, which consists of a Chair, First Vice Chair, Second Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. The board’s current and longstanding Chair is Dominic Castore. The other committees consist of geographical committees, a Youth and Education committee, and a Land Use/Zoning committee. The geographical committees are as follows: Bronx Park East/Olinville, Indian Village/Westchester Heights, Morris Park/Pelham Parkway/Van Nest, and Pelham Gardens. All committees are headed by a Chair and, in some cases, a Co-Chair.
The Board plays an important advisory role in land use and rezoning matters. It is responsible for identifying community needs as part of the City's budget process and working with government agencies to coordinate and improve the delivery of municipal services. The Board also handles special projects, including organizing and working with tenants', homeowners' and merchants' associations, developing graffiti removal, other cleanup projects, and other matters relating to the community's general welfare. Full board meetings, which are open to the public, are usually held on the fourth Thursday of the month.
branch on Morris Park Ave, the revamping of zoning regulations to maintain the low-density character of the neighborhood, and establishing community groups to fight crime in Pelham Parkway and Van Nest.
Additionally, Mr. Fratta was successful at making the Board office more accessible to the public and surrounding neighborhood. Prior to November 1997, CB11 was located on the eleventh floor of the Jacobi Medical Center
, which was perceived as an inconvenience to the community. At the time, Fratta cited community resident and now late State Senator Guy Velella
as instrumental in moving the community board to its present location.
Jeremy Warneke, an Iraq War veteran from Illinois
, succeeded Mr. Fratta as District Manager on January 31, 2011 after having worked for NYC Councilman James Vacca
since 2008.
Districts 11, 12, 13 and 15, the 80th and 82nd State Assembly
Districts, State Senatorial Districts 32, 34 and 36, and Congressional District 7
.
Housing in areas such as Van Nest and Morris Park, generally tend to have more one and two family homes with high concentrations of apartment or multi-family buildings on White Plains and Williamsbridge Roads, respectively.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(NYC), which encompasses the neighborhoods of Allerton
Allerton, Bronx
Allerton is a working class neighborhood geographically located in the east Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. It is named in honor of Isaac Allerton, a passenger on the Mayflower, who is listed at the memorial at Plymouth Rock. It consists of both the Bronxdale and Laconia...
, Bronx Park East, Indian Village, Morris Park, Olinville, Pelham Gardens, Pelham Parkway
Pelham Parkway, Bronx
Pelham Parkway is primarily a residential neighborhood geographically located in the center of the Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 11. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Pelham Parkway to the...
, Van Nest and Westchester Heights in the borough of the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. Coterminous with the 49th NYPD Precinct, it is delimited by Bronx Park East and the Bronx River Parkway
Bronx River Parkway
The Bronx River Parkway is a long parkway in downstate New York. It is named for the nearby Bronx River, which it parallels. The southern terminus of the parkway is at Story Avenue near Bruckner Expressway in the Bronx neighborhood of Soundview...
to the west, Adee Avenue, Boston Road and East Gun Hill Road to the north, the Hutchinson River Parkway
Hutchinson River Parkway
The Hutchinson River Parkway is a north–south parkway in southern New York, United States. It extends for from the massive Bruckner Interchange in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx to the New York – Connecticut state line at Rye Brook...
to the east, and East Tremont Avenue to the south.
Board role and structure
As with all community boards in NYC, CB11 consists of 50 volunteers who are appointed by the respective Borough PresidentBorough president
Borough President is an elective office in each of the five boroughs of New York City.-Reasons for establishment:...
, although at least one half of the board’s members are selected from nominees of the district's respective Council Members. Comprising several committees, CB11 is headed by an executive committee, which consists of a Chair, First Vice Chair, Second Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. The board’s current and longstanding Chair is Dominic Castore. The other committees consist of geographical committees, a Youth and Education committee, and a Land Use/Zoning committee. The geographical committees are as follows: Bronx Park East/Olinville, Indian Village/Westchester Heights, Morris Park/Pelham Parkway/Van Nest, and Pelham Gardens. All committees are headed by a Chair and, in some cases, a Co-Chair.
The Board plays an important advisory role in land use and rezoning matters. It is responsible for identifying community needs as part of the City's budget process and working with government agencies to coordinate and improve the delivery of municipal services. The Board also handles special projects, including organizing and working with tenants', homeowners' and merchants' associations, developing graffiti removal, other cleanup projects, and other matters relating to the community's general welfare. Full board meetings, which are open to the public, are usually held on the fourth Thursday of the month.
District Manager
District Manager John Fratta retired from CB11 after 15 years of service to the Board. Prior to this, Mr. Fratta was a youth coordinator for Bronx CB7 and a clerk at the City Comptroller's office. Notable achievements during his tenure include the Pelham Parkway reconstruction project, the opening of a New York Public LibraryNew York Public Library
The New York Public Library is the largest public library in North America and is one of the United States' most significant research libraries...
branch on Morris Park Ave, the revamping of zoning regulations to maintain the low-density character of the neighborhood, and establishing community groups to fight crime in Pelham Parkway and Van Nest.
Additionally, Mr. Fratta was successful at making the Board office more accessible to the public and surrounding neighborhood. Prior to November 1997, CB11 was located on the eleventh floor of the Jacobi Medical Center
Jacobi Medical Center
Jacobi Medical Center is a municipal hospital, under the direction of New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, in Morris Park, Bronx, New York located at 1400 Pelham Parkway South; it is the largest Public Hospital in the Bronx with 470+ beds....
, which was perceived as an inconvenience to the community. At the time, Fratta cited community resident and now late State Senator Guy Velella
Guy Velella
Guy John Velella was a Republican New York State Senator from The Bronx.A political leader, state assemblyman, and state senator for over 30 years, Velella was indicted in 2002 with 25 counts of bribery and conspiracy for allegedly accepting at least $137,000 in exchange for steering public-works...
as instrumental in moving the community board to its present location.
Jeremy Warneke, an Iraq War veteran from Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, succeeded Mr. Fratta as District Manager on January 31, 2011 after having worked for NYC Councilman James Vacca
James Vacca
James Vacca is a member of the New York City Council and Chair of the Transportation Committee. He represents the Bronx's 13th Council District, which includes the neighborhoods of Throgs Neck, Pelham Bay, Country Club, City Island, Westchester Square, Zerega, Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, and...
since 2008.
Civic groups
Operating within the purview of the Board are many civic groups, which hold public evening meetings once a month or week throughout the year, excluding some summer or winter months. Their meetings usually feature one or more guests from City, State or Federal government offices. Groups currently active within the Board include but are not limited to the 49th Precinct Community Council, Allerton Avenue Home Owners and Tenants Association, Chester Civic Association, Morris Park Community Association, Morris Park (Merchants) Alliance, Northeast Bronx Association, Pelham Parkway Preservation Alliance, Pelham Parkway South Neighborhood Association, Van Nest Community Association and Van Nest Neighborhood Alliance.Demographics
Community Board 11 had a population of 110,706 in the year 2000, up from 97,842 in 1990 and 99,079 in 1980. Of the year 2000 number, 41,839 (37.8%) were White Nonhispanic; 37,919 (34.63%) were of Hispanic origin; 20,057 (18.1%) were Black/African American Nonhispanic; 6,728 (6.1%) were Asian or Pacific Islander Nonhispanic; 3,213 (2.9%) were of Two or More Races Nonhispanic; 709 (0.6%) were Some Other Race Nonhispanic; and 241 (0.2%) were American Indian or Alaska Native Nonhispanic.Elected officials
Legislative offices which make their presence known in the district include City CouncilNew York City Council
The New York City Council is the lawmaking body of the City of New York. It has 51 members from 51 council districts throughout the five boroughs. The Council serves as a check against the mayor in a "strong" mayor-council government model. The council monitors performance of city agencies and...
Districts 11, 12, 13 and 15, the 80th and 82nd State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
Districts, State Senatorial Districts 32, 34 and 36, and Congressional District 7
New York's 7th congressional district
New York's Seventh Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City. It consists of parts of Northern Queens and Eastern portions of the Bronx. The Queens portion includes the neighborhoods of College Point, East Elmhurst, Jackson...
.
Housing stock
The housing stock throughout the community board is quite varied. The area around Pelham Parkway for example has a large number of multi-family buildings or apartments in comparison to the number of one and two family homes. Many of the buildings on Bronx Park East both north and south of Pelham Parkway are designed in the Art Deco/Art Moderne style.Housing in areas such as Van Nest and Morris Park, generally tend to have more one and two family homes with high concentrations of apartment or multi-family buildings on White Plains and Williamsbridge Roads, respectively.