By James Prendamano
Recently the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the New York City Department of Small Business Services, conducted a survey of businesses and residents in the North Shore to gauge their perception of the area and to determine what would be needed to spur economic development. High on the list was the need for increased public safety, the need for more active recreation space, and increased sanitation services to clean litter from the streets. The results of the survey prompted me to think about ways Staten Island could fund these needed services without having to solely depend on the budget set by the Mayor and City Council.
As I began to consider the Mayor’s rezoning initiative, and the heightened interest of investors wishing to develop on the north shore, I thought a one time fee to be paid by the developer applying for a permit to develop a site, could be held in a special fund to pay for quality of life improvements. I shared my idea with the Staten Island Advance and they published it as an opinion editorial which you can read here.
Leave a Comment