| If the aphorism about leadership that holds, “decisions are made by those who show up” is true, then Lower Manhattan has a born decision-maker at the helm of Community Board 1 (CB1). Because Anthony Notaro, who was elected chair of that panel on June 28, is somebody who is defined by his habit of stepping forward, speaking up, and getting involved.
A resident of Battery Park City since the late 1990s, Mr. Notaro joined CB1 shortly after moving to Lower Manhattan. In 2002, he helped to organize the annual Battery Park City Block Party, which served as both a celebration and an affirmation a sign of the neighborhood’s rebirth after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. In 2003, he helped to found the local Community Emergency Response Team. He was one of the leaders of the Battery Park City Homeowner’s Coalition, which in 2011 negotiated a $279 million rollback in future ground rent increases for condominium owners.
The onetime president of the Battery Park City Neighbors Association also serves as the current president of the First Precinct Community Council, which facilitates dialog between the local police command and the community. In 2010, then-Governor David Patterson nominated Mr. Notaro to the board of the Battery Park City Authority (BPCA), but the Senate failed to confirm his appointment before going out of session, which had the effect of nullifying it.
As a member of CB1, Mr. Notaro has not only chaired the Battery Park City Committee, but also served on panels that focused on planning and infrastructure, redevelopment of the World Trade Center site, the future of the Battery Park City ball fields, the successful effort to bring a branch of the New York Public Library to the neighborhood, and the development of the community center that became Asphalt Green. Below, he reflects on the current state of the larger, Lower Manhattan community that he will now help lead, as well as the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.
What will be your top priorities and goals as CB1 chair?
My top goal is actually to help the board prioritize the many issues we face and decide on an action plan to achieve the results we want.
What will be your chief strategy for achieving these goals?
No one has all the answers, but asking the right questions is critical. So engaging in a process of listening to all the members and other stakeholders is probably the first step, and then organizing ourselves to focus.
What do you see as the biggest challenges facing Lower Manhattan as a whole during your term as CB1 chair?
We’ve learned, since September 11th and Super Storm Sandy, that you can’t predict the future — but these two events have reshaped our communities. Among the issues that must be addressed are the impact of massive development on our infrastructure, schools, sidewalks and streets, open space, and transportation. Resiliency and housing are also vitally important. And we have to deal with the changing make up of businesses — both small and new lines of business — in Lower Manhattan,
What do you see as the most pressing neighborhood-specific challenges facing the individual communities that comprise CB1 in the next few years?
Some issues are unique, such as the development at the historic Seaport or changes in the Battery Park City Authority board. But the whole of CB1 is affected by many of the issues I mentioned. Climate change and rising sea levels will affect everyone.
What do you envision as the biggest opportunities for Lower Manhattan as a whole in the coming years?
We need to learn even more so we can be leaders in solving some of these issues. Resiliency is critical, but I envision a time when Lower Manhattan achieves a balance between being a residential community anchored by families and a lively business district. We contribute to the vibrancy and economy of the whole City and should be proud of that, but we have all the needs that any neighborhood in New York has, and these deserve to be met.
What have you learned as a result of the experience you gained during your years on CB1 that will inform your approach to these issues?
Nothing gets done unless committed people take up the challenge. Ten years ago, no one would have believed what [outgoing CB1 chair Catherine McVay Hughes] has achieved. She was committed to finding answers and solutions that government can’t come up with on its own. She is a great role model for civic engagement. I have also learned that digging deeper into the facts and history yields better options. So I don’t react to the first comment or the “sound bite.”
During the years you have served on CB1, what has been the biggest source of frustration or ongoing disappointment you have encountered?
The pace of governmental response is always a frustration, but so, too, is lack of civic engagement. I’ll always surprised when I hear folks say, “someone should do something….” Well, we are that someone.
How will you seek to address this as CB1 chair?
I ask everyone I meet, “what do you think and how can we work to solve this?”
What do you think will be the biggest change in Lower Manhattan during the next few years, and will this be good or bad?
All we know is that change is constant, and it can be both good and bad. The ride will be exciting if we see these as opportunities, rather than trying to hang onto status quo.
How has the role of CB1 evolved during the time you have been a member, and in what ways do you imagine that it will continue to evolve in the years ahead?
When I first joined, I was intimidated by the intellect and hard work of the members. They have only gotten smarter and harder working since then. I hope we can evolve into a board that adapts to all the challenges without losing the wonderful feel of neighbors working together.
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