.
CLINTON
COMMUNITY, NEW YORK
(a.k.a. HELL'S KITCHEN)
(I didn't do it!)
Link
to the story at McSpotlight
Local Residents Against
McDonald's
Planned McDonald's on 9th Draws Fire
The West Side Story June '96
Graffiti emblazoned on the site
(formerly the American Savings Bank) slated for for a new
McDonald's, on Ninth Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, captures
neighborhood apprehensions at the encroachment of mega-chains on a
community served mostly by family operated businesses.
Opposition to the restaurant has mounted
amid charges by Saundra Halberstam of the 49/50 Block Association, environmental
activist Bill Murawski and others that the McDonald's franchisee
delayed responding to months of appeals to consider another location
until after the deal was already fait accompli. (ADDED
comment: the environment pertains to people, places and things - and
in this case the environment was the neighborhood and one of the
"things" in this case was the TRUTH!)
Concerns have also been voiced that the
eatery may become a lure for unmanageable crowds of area high school
students.
49th/50th Street Association:
McDonalds Should Consider Alternative Site
The 49/50th Street Association spearheaded
opposition to the proposed opening of a McDonald's at the old
American Savings Bank site at 735 Ninth Avenue between 49th and 50th
Streets. A fast food place, such as McDonald's at this site wil
cause unique harm to the community. There are two high schools on
49th and 50th streets; the High School and Graphics Communication
Arts and Park West High school. The 5,000 students who attend these
schools use 49th and 50th streets as "corridors" to get to
and from school and the mass transit system. The proposed site for
McDonald's lies directly at the apex of this corridor.
Let me explain OPERATION: SAFE CORRIDOR.
Park West High School principal Stephen J. Budihas: "Over the
course of the past three years an extremely effective program called
'Safe Corridor' has been developed allowing the two schools, the New
York City Police Department, the Transit Police, the Division of
School Safety and the World Wide Plaza Student outreach
Organizations (which represents major corporations located on the
same block) to work cooperatively to provide safety and security to
students, local residents and pedestrians throughout our area.
Graphic Communication Arts Principal
Stanley Turetsky said "Since the inception of this program
(Operation Safe Corridor), the number of untoward incidents in the
community has decreased making it a nicer place. To allow the
establishment of McDonald's at this location is to provide an
attractive nuisance where it is not needed and because of the
uncontrollable factors presented will create a deleterious effect on
the education of the children attending my school and the other
schools in the area". Both principals, who have intimate
knowledge of the students and the community, strongly urge that
McDonald's not disrupt Operation Safe Corridor by opening right
along it's route. McDonald's simply does not give these principals,
the community or concerns any credence. They have ignored us.
McDonald's is blinded by the potential customer base of 5,000
students who will be passing by every single weekday. This is their
sole interest. McDonald's simply does not give these principals, the
community or concerns any credence. They have ignored us.
It comes down to money vs. the interests
of the community. Guess who is winning...
Link to Debating Room, Message posted by Joseph
DiSalle on May 20, 1996
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