HomeCommunity DescriptionCommunity Needs SurveysPark DescriptionPark Events / It's My ParkPark NeedsHistory of Ferry Point AreaDirectionsJoin usCivic FunctionsMonthly Civic MeetingsBronx Council RepresentativesVolunteerContact Us

DSC09814.JPG

A Residence & Meeting Place
724 Brush Avenue
Bronx, New York 10465
917-741-2768

Find us on FACEBOOK

Dorothea Poggi

Friends of Ferry Point Park

Fur Fins& Feathers of Ferry Point

millennium.JPG

FFFlogo.JPG

FFFlogo.JPG 45th.jpg IMPD2010.jpg millennium.JPG
DSC002562.JPG DSC00256.JPG DSC00269.JPG Scan016.jpg
Scan015.jpg Scan014.jpg Scan013.jpg Scan012.jpg
Scan011.jpg OK_E_RIV_2.jpg Picture1.gif 4130_FerryPointWaterfrontPark-TBA-web-5.jpg
4128_FerryPointWaterfrontPark-TBA-web-4.jpg 4124_FerryPointWaterfrontPark-TBA-web-3.jpg 4120_FerryPointWaterfrontPark-TBA-web-2.jpg 4118_FerryPointWaterfrontPark-TBA-web-1.jpg
flagjpg.jpg plantswaterfront.gif fppkayakarticle.GIF cirlce.jpg
HINDUCEREMONY.jpg pipingploverjpgjpg.jpg Picture1gifif.gif GIRLS.jpg
greenwaywater.jpg westchestercreek.jpg DSC09814.JPG DSC00436.JPG
okplangolfentrance.jpg DSC00270.JPG DSC00250.JPG DSC00356.JPG
DSC00360.JPG DSC00225.JPG DSC00183.JPG DSC00185.JPG
DSC00188.JPG DSC06509.JPG Slide48.JPG Slide46.JPG
Slide47.JPG Slide56.JPG Slide52.JPG Slide55.JPG
Slide51.JPG Slide57.JPG Slide50.JPG Slide53.JPG
Slide54.JPG Slide49.JPG Slide60.JPG Slide64.JPG
Slide63.JPG Slide59.JPG Slide58.JPG Slide62.JPG
Slide61.JPG Slide80.JPG Slide68.JPG Slide65.JPG
Slide69.JPG Slide67.JPG Slide66.JPG Slide70.JPG
Slide79.JPG Slide78.JPG Slide77.JPG Slide76.JPG
Slide74.JPG Slide75.JPG Slide73.JPG Slide87.JPG
Slide88.JPG Slide84.JPG Slide83.JPG Slide86.JPG
Slide82.JPG Slide85.JPG Slide81.JPG Slide96.JPG
Slide92.JPG Slide91.JPG Slide99.JPG Slide98.JPG
Slide95.JPG Slide97.JPG Slide93.JPG Slide90.JPG
Slide94.JPG Slide89.JPG Slide104.JPG Slide102.JPG
Slide103.JPG Slide101.JPG Slide100.JPG Slide111.JPG
Slide110.JPG Slide106.JPG Slide108.JPG Slide109.JPG
Slide105.JPG Slide107.JPG Slide112.JPG Slide117.JPG
Slide113.JPG Slide116.JPG Slide115.JPG Slide114.JPG
Slide123.JPG Slide119.JPG Slide121.JPG Slide120.JPG
Slide122.JPG Slide118.JPG Slide128.JPG Slide127.JPG
Slide126.JPG Slide125.JPG Slide124.JPG Slide132.JPG
Slide131.JPG Slide130.JPG Slide129.JPG Slide45.JPG
Slide133.JPG Slide44.JPG Slide43.JPG Slide42.JPG
Slide40.JPG Slide41.JPG Slide39.JPG Slide38.JPG
Slide37.JPG Slide35.JPG Slide36.JPG Slide34.JPG
Slide33.JPG Slide32.JPG Slide29.JPG Slide31.JPG
Slide28.JPG Slide30.JPG Slide27.JPG Slide25.JPG
Slide26.JPG Slide23.JPG Slide22.JPG Slide24.JPG
Slide21.JPG Slide20.JPG Slide19.JPG Slide18.JPG
Slide17.JPG Slide13.JPG Slide16.JPG Slide14.JPG
Slide15.JPG Slide12.JPG Slide9.JPG Slide11.JPG
Slide10.JPG Slide7.JPG Slide8.JPG Slide6.JPG
Slide5.JPG Slide3.JPG Slide2.JPG Slide4.JPG
Slide1.JPG dotti.JPG Brush.JPG Brush2.JPG
bruckner.JPG waterfront.JPG mulch.JPG WHEELBARROWS.JPG
SHOVELS.JPG apriljennifer.JPG SCANLONGROUPDOTTI.JPG Mikeandothers.JPG
JackLynchandGailWitwer.JPG LynchTreesuprooted.JPG DSC01471.JPG

Latest Complete Column ( Condensed for Bronx Times Reporter)
The Ferry Point Community Advocates UPDATE         3/23/2012     The Ferry Point Community Advocates is not only a Civic Group. We represent our residential neighbors and members while we also try our best to protect the entire mixed use area of Ferry Point. We are proud to have Dorothea (Dotti) Poggi-Profita as our Founder/President and congratulate her on her recent nomination as one of the 25 Influential Women of the Bronx for 2012 (by the Bronx Times Reporter). Dotti was also sworn in by Gov. Crowley as the Vice Pres of The Bronx Council for Environmental Quality on March 14 2012. This day celebrated the 40th Anniversary of BCEQ at their Annual Waterfront Conference. On April 20th Dotti will also represent “Friends of Ferry Point Park” as she leads a group of 125 volunteers at Ferry Point Park West. 50 of these Community Service “Earth Day” students will add compost to the 900 plus daffodils at the Ferry Point 9/11 Memorial Hilltop Grove garden. 50 will be removing this season’s ongoing Hindu worship debris from the waterfront 25 will be collecting hundreds of bottles and cans for recycling and 25 will be dragging debris from the wooded area. You are welcome to stop by that day to watch or participate. The only requirements that we request you bring is a positive attitude and maybe a hat!.    We consider our street boundaries of Ferry Point from where the Park starts along Balcolm Avenue and Emerson Ave. on the East, to Brush Avenue on the West. We include the connecting Waterways of Pugsley Creek, Westchester Creek, a portion of the East River, Eastchester Bay and Hutchinson River. Of course we cannot achieve as much as we would like, so we continue to lead and help others in their quests to protect these common areas and causes. We communicate with the surrounding businesses and bridges and try to keep an open network of information flowing.Some of the issues we are working on:     Feral Cats are a problem all over. Our TNR Cat Colony is doing well, Although the economy has reduced the amount of people willing to adopt, we have been able to maintain the existing neutered and released cats in a safe, healthy environment.  I would like to note that we are some of the diversified heroic people who donate much of their valuable time, caring and funds to practice the proven method of TNR (Trap, Neuter and Release). Any development of vacant lots causes displaced critters to roam our streets and yards. Our various registered cat colonies of the Bronx are suffering from the cumulative impact of the slipping economy, budget cuts and reduced donations. The fact that people have less money to spend on pets has increased the number of un neutered cats released and abandoned into our streets. The Bronx is on an uncomfortable precipice of reversing all our success at humane feral cat population reduction and instead becoming the only Borough that has not yet addressed the situation with a brick and mortar Animal Rescue building. Why? Why don’t our elected officials follow our lead and supply the animals of the Bronx with the care we have been showing for many years now? Why hasn’t a building been designated as a place to tend to the much needed care of the animals of the Bronx? The mostly overwhelmed Cat Rescuers will be meeting soon to brainstorm as to how we can step our Advocacy up a few notches. So far we feel together as the “Bronx TNR Task Force” we may be able to pull more weight for the Cats of our Bronx neighborhoods then we are able to do separately.    Community Board 10 has continued to support our request for a needed drainage study of the Brush Avenue area. This is an item in this year’s annual Capital Expense Budget Requests. As some of you may know from various meetings, Brush Avenue has an advanced double line sewer running through it from at least Lafayette to Schley Avenue. This is an expensive and rare situation in the Bronx. It was constructed around 1957 (under Robert Moses). The residents had to each pay for their connection to this new sewer at the cost of a reported $900.00 and more for each home. Yet as the streets were raised 4 feet and economic development brought asphalt and concrete encapsulating our small 3 block square community the catch basins were never placed and the drainage of Rain Water into the second line away from our homes was never addressed.  As water finds its own level, and the level of everything except our homes has risen 4 feet, our washers, dryers, hot water heaters and oil burners are in danger. Dear neighbors, please continue to add sump pumps to your homes to decrease any flooding which will cause mold and mildew and affect your family’s health.      Mixed use zoning is a bit confusing. Many of our members still question the zoning uses of this mixed use area. A few of us will be researching this. An example would be the office space rented by an Ambulette company that uses both sides of Brush Avenue to run their vehicles from all day and up to 9pm. The drivers double park and open their vehicle doors for conversations which causes a lane of traffic to cross the line onto oncoming traffic and slows down the northbound lane of Brush Ave. Their many drivers also park on street which contributes to the congested area which is also used for the turning tractor trailers in a non truck route street. When we read the stipulations for M-1 zoning, all activity related to the business site is supposed to be contained on site and enclosed. The use of Brush Avenue all day by Truck Parking/Heavy Equipment delivery-repair-storage/UPS pedestrians-cabs-sidewalks-congestion-garbage/Hot Dog/Fruit vendor-shakes and future Target store.     Some of our members are questioning the amount of representation that we have on Community Board 10. We understand that we are a small population of residents but we are a unique community of a 2 Bridges, a 410 acre Park (with no paid Administrator or Parks enforcement patrol),  2 waterways with only Grass roots Advocacy , industry, manufacturing, warehouses, equipment rental and repair, Contractors, Parking, future retail. The Number of Representatives on CB10 Board for such a uniquely burdened area of this district should be more than one. We recommend that our President who has applied many times, be considered for a seat on the board.     Many stakeholders of Brush Avenue ask “What’s up with the Whitestone Bridge?”The construction is part of the nearly $200 million, four-year project to rehabilitate 1, 785-feet of roadway at the bridge’s Bronx approach. The project began in December 2008 and has included the construction of new foundations and 15 double-arch concrete piers beneath the bridge. When work is completed later this year the Bronx approach to the bridge will have wider 12-foot lanes, new safety shoulders and new roadway lighting. We had suggested an entrance from the Hutch. South service road to carry many trucks and vehicles directly onto the bridge instead of using “Ring Road” through FP Park to be included in this project but there was no funding.    The Target/Simone Dev. Has posted their demolition permits and has started removal of the existing building which once served as a Bronx Bulk Mail Facility along Lafayette. Building permits have been denied for some time now. BJ’s did not get the “go ahead” for retail in this congested area unless it was all underground....we understand that the Target site has a ratio of below ground FAR that can be used as retail. We have assumed that much parking will be on the roof. We can only imagine from the information that (CB10 chairperson) John Marano has been able to share, that CB10 has requested that the developers consider an added entranceway to the Bruckner Expressway past St. Josephs that may eliminate some Truck traffic that would normally pass through E.Tremont along Country Club to enter 95 North. Ferry Point Community Advocates again states that we request that any consideration of dollars spent as an amenity from this development be spent immediately in the area affected. Each time a 6 acre piece of our once residential area is developed we get nothing in return except the privilege of living with more noise, pollution, beat up roads, knocked down signs, knocked over lampposts, less parking, more traffic etc. We can’t even get a bathroom in our 110 acre west side of ferry point. Shame on the “Powers that be” for being so limited in their designs for the future of Ferry Point as it fits into the larger Throggs Neck community. You are crippling the arteries that run through your area by not considering our neighborhood. You need to improve our roads, drainage, widen, name and redesign “Ring Road. You have to take seriously the immediate impact that Target will have on the existing businesses and residents of Ferry Point. We also request to see the documents that address the future Target’s traffic study. We are mostly interested in 3 intersections. We ask to see the future designs for the intersection of Brush and Bruckner and the intersection of Brush and Lafayette Ave. and the one on the Hutch South and Lafayette where there are ongoing severe accidents.    The FAA has been changing the flight patterns above our communities. Although they state they have not, a friend of mine witnessed the change as he traveled into NYC by plane recently. At this time the height of our buildings are limited by the flight pattern. We must be vigilant that the height of construction along Brush Ave. does not change. Our small neighborhood should not be allowed to be overshadowed by huge buildings.    The coming Golf Course entrance will be on the notorious “Ring Road” by 2013?. We will try to input into the design as it will definitely affect our community (hopefully for the better). Friends of Ferry Point have shared their Phase 2 proposed Master Plan illustration (by the NYC Parks Department). We wonder if this will be the future design. We hope that an exit onto the Bx Whitestone Bridge will be included in the design to help reduce the use of this Park road by many trucks that need to access the Bronx/Whitestone Bridge. This would include the heavy laden trailers from Pepsi that we were promised would not ever pass in front of our homes on the non reinforced Brush Ave. How soon will we see the naming of “Ring Road” and a “Cross Street” with the 311 and-911 operator availability that we have been requesting for years now. The safety of all travelers and park visitors that get stranded there should be a priority.  Brush Ave. from Wenner Place to Jay Place has no cement or rebar foundation, yet the largest heaviest construction equipment and loaded tractor trailers use it every day. (HOPenn and TOMCon, UPS, Pepsi and more) Since Pepsi we now have a dangerous situation of gas line, electric line and water & sewer lines all on the East side of Brush Avenue in from of our wood framed homes.     Once just another ribbon cutting that we participated....now an impressive Park. “Ferry Point Community Park at Balcolm Avenue” is completed. Not only is it visually attractive, but as part of the ongoing Future Golf Course Design it will serve as a dry basin type area that will be able to hold water runoff from rushing from the 20 or more foot high hills of the Golf Course into our sewers during hurricanes etc. This non specific run off will have time to slowly absorb into the ground therefore reducing the amount of methane pushed up from beneath the covered landfill at any given time.     The designs for the East FP Park Waterfront Crescent shaped Park are really impressive. The exciting use of this beautiful waterfront for various recreational uses in our community is amazing. The designers have incorporated three basic pathways varying from a road to a nature walk, small bridges over wetlands, concrete canoe / kayak launch site, and urban sandy beach, sitting areas, etc. Dotti expresses her wishes to be alive to enjoy this area and is advocating for a Water Taxi Type Ferry at this location that would open the area to many visitors. There is no set timeline on this project.     As we continue our Advocacy for a cleaner Pugsley & Westchester Creek the NYC Environmental Protection Long Term Combined Sewer Overflow Control Planning Project brings good news. The sewer enhancements at two locations along Eastchester Road and a new parallel sewer along Lacombe and White Plains with added Green Infrastructure will be expected to bring benefits of reduced combined sewer overflow (CSO) discharges into Westchester and Pugsley Creeks. This will improve water quality, enhance fish breeding and health, and reduce flooding. This $203.9 Million project is a welcome change to the water system in our area and we look forward to its success.For more info contact us at 917-741-2768 or visit www.ferrypointcommunity.org

 

DESCRIPTION OF THE FERRY POINT COMMUNITY AND PARK
Basic History:
Ferry Point Community:
A  "Mixed use" area of Industry and Residential Homes.
Originally the 35 lots were given as a wedding present from Mr. Wenner to his daughter and son inlaw (1905?)
Parcels were purchased and re-purchased and developed by various people.
Location:
Located between Bruckner Blvd. and Schley Ave. along Brush Avenue.
This community is bordered on the East by the Hutchinson River Parkway
and West by Westchester Creek.
Brush Avenue is the main road through the Industry and the residential area of Ferry Point.
Brush Avenue runs (not quite a mile) from the Whitestone Cinema Entrance on the North Side of Bruckner Blvd. to Schley Avenue which runs along the North Terminus of the West Side of Ferry Point Park. 
16 addresses on Brush Ave. and the 4 (1 tenth of a mile) residential streets that branch off to the East from Brush Ave. are zoned R4A-1 with limited Growth. Wenner Place, Rohr Place, Senger Place, Jay Place.
The rest of the area is zoned M1-1 and M1-2.
Ferry Point Park:
This public Park offers stunning East River views of the Manhattan Skyline, Westchester Creek, Queens, and the East River.
We are lucky to have such a large park just a few minutes walk from our residential section.
The West side of this park is located at the South End of Brush Avenue. Our affiliated group "Friends of Ferry Point Park" has represented this park for over 6 years and Dorothea Poggi continues the Advocacy of Catherine Poggi for this Park as of 15 years ago.The main Park road "Ring Road" extends under the Bronx/Whitestone Bridge to the Easterly Section of the Park that includes the land fill/Future Golf Course, Community Park and Waterfront Promenade. This East side of the Park extends to Balcolm and Emerson Avenues.
Fur Fins & Feathersis an animal sanctuary and care group that evolved out of necessity. When the land for the Pepsi Building was being plowed in and filled, all the mature trees were removed and the 70 year old Habitat for many animals "Critters of many kinds" can out into the neighborhood for shelter and food. Once a sustainable habitat with water, a complete food chain including berries/nuts/grasses/insects/lizards/and each other these animals lived for years without invading the neighborhood garbage and or finding shelter in our yards. With the destruction of their habits, a few of us realized they were multiplying at a fast rate. So we started collecting kittens, spay and neutering the cats finding homes for the kits and with permission at the time from Parks Department (relocating many raccoons and opossums). 

www.BrushAve.org

www.NEBCAbronx.org

www.FerryPointPark.org

www.PartnershipForParks.org

www.FerryPointCivic.org

www.FerryPointBronx.org

www.ferrypointcommunity.org

www.HutchinsonRiverRestorationProject.org

www.BCEQ.org

  Memorial Day No Meeting· Monday May 30, 20112011 Survey of needs distribution Updated Newsletter & Email Blast to recorded Residents and Businesses of Ferry Point (Brush Ave. and vicinity)  
We are going door to door this year to get a better understanding of the "NEW" residents
of Ferry Point with their "NEW" needs ....!!
The weather has been extremely hot and then thunderstorms...not exactly perfect for this task.
Community Board takes a break from meetings until September, so we are not rushing this survey.
Our goal is to complete this by August 1st.
This survey also includes 4 petitions for various issues.
  

  · Monday June 27  Let’s Talk: RE-MEET & GREETCoffee/Tea/ Beverages, Adults onlyIntroduce each other, share contacts, list children in neighborhood, list interests and concerns. (add to contact list) 

  · Saturday July 23rd 1st Annual Catherine Poggi Memorial BBQFounder of the First Ferry Point Civic Group 1963 (in place of July 25 Meeting) By Invitation/RSVP  (Separate yard Free Cat Adoption to our Friends) 

 

  · Monday August 29th GASLAND THE MOVIEGet to watch a movie about the Hydraulic Fracturing beneath our Farmland and Watershed of NYC Drinking Water. See for yourself  Hydro Frackin’ should be banned ! 

 

  · Saturday September 24, 2011 Historic– Walk and photos FPCAC/NEBCA/HRRP  St. Josephs School for the Deaf & Msgr. Scanlan HS from 1913 · Monday September 26, 2011 History-Bronx/Whitestone Bridge change from Ferris Lane to Hutchinson River Pkwy.Building of the Bridge 1939 Slide show and Discussion 

 

  Happy Halloween Today Monday October 31, 20115th Annual “Trick or Treat” Halloween Crafts for the Children. Adults are Welcome to stay for Halloween Cake and coffee to discuss any concerns 

 

  Happy Thanksgiving on the 24th· Monday November 28, 2011 Waterways of the East Bronx includes Westchester Creek.2nd showing/ Updated Slide show and discussion 

 

  Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas Dec. 25· Monday December 26, 2011          No Meeting...enjoy!! 

  Happy New Year Jan. 1· Monday January 30, 2012 Closed Meeting of the Board as per Bylaws

Egg Nog and Hors D’oeuvres

 

  · Monday February 27, 2012       Usually cancelled due to weather CATCH UP! By now we will need a fill in catch up meeting  for old business.Review all issues: Traffic, Noise, Air, Quality of Life and Safety  

 

  · Monday March 26, 2012 (2 hrs)Bronx Park Speak Up Table/Raffle/Planning with BPGSC (Show updated Park PowerPoint )Review Park Schedule of Events1. Community Service Day2. Annual Spring Evaluation Photo/Walk3. It’s My Park Day Spring4. Annual Littoral Cleanup5. Tree Stewardship6. Waterfront Cleanup7. Annual Fall Evaluation  Photo/Walk8. Fall It’s My Park Day 

 

  · Monday April 30, 20124/8 Easter 4/22 Earth Day Story of Anne Hutchinson (Namesake) Of River and Parkway

· Pencil in Saturday May 5th

”Bloomin’ Earth” Garden Club Plan  free plant trading eventPossible plant sale fundraiser?Plant Sale /or Trade (To be determined) Memorial Day 5/28· Monday May 25, 2012Annual Updated Schedule & newsletter update Email Blast to recorded Residents and Businesses of Ferry Point (Brush Ave. and vicinity) History -Ferry Points Part  in the Revolutionary War                Slide show and Discussion  

 

  · Monday June 25, 2012 Update on all construction in Ferry PointIncludes update on Park and Golf Course

Sat. July 28th  2nd Annual   4th Sat. in July     

Catherine Poggi Memorial BBQFounder of the First Ferry Point Civic Group 1963 (in place of July  Meeting) By Invitation/RSVP  Separate yard Free Cat Adoption to our Friends) 

 
Print

Annual Events Calendar
   
SPRING "It's My Park Day"
Sat. May 15th
Call for time9:30AM-2PM
Join Volunteers to plant, clean, paint etc.
 

Community Service day
Earth Day
Fri. April 30/raindate May 7

9:30am - 1:30 pm150 Volunteers help maintain the park

 
Spring Survey Photo Session
Holiday Egg Hunt
Walk, run, Dog walk, or Photo with Dotti 10:30am - whenever?
Egg Hunt to be determined
 

Summer Tree Stewardship

Working with or without Green Apple "Parks" Group, our volunteers will weed and mulch around sections of the 3000 sapling trees donated by the Prince of Monaco to create a 9/11 Living Memorial Forest at Ferry Point Park and hundreds of the Million tree plantings of Mayor Bloomberg 2007/2009/2010

 
Earth Day April 22 2010

9:30am-2pm

Join Volunteers to Clean, Plant etc.

 

FALL "It's My Park Day"
Oct. 9:30 - 1:30
Hot Dogs and Daffodils

Annual Fall plantings of Daffodils and other bulbs to bloom in the spring .
Friends of Ferry Point Park along with Ferry Point Community Advocates welcomes all who pre-register
Free Hot Dogs /Beverage/snacks/Watermellon

 

JULY 23rd and or last Sat. of July each year

Catherine Poggi Memorial BBQ

In the back yards of

716, 722 ?, 720, 724 Brush Avenue

Combined Membership invite to

FoFPP

FFFoFP

FPcomAdvoc

NEBCA

 

HALLOWEEN
a safe place

Annual Halloween Costume Contest/ Trick or Treat

Awards, Candy, Snacks, Haunted Trail and more

Cup cake decorating at 724 Brush Ave, Evening

 

Adult Annual Christmas Party

 Holiday Party will be planned

 

AnnualNew Years Hot Co Co for the Children Party

   

Annual Christmas Tree Lighting

Plan for December/ Hot Co Co and Tree Lighting

 

ALL Events require  registration

WHEELBARROWS.JPG

millennium.JPG

Please get in touch and let us know what you think of this site . We're always looking for ways to improve our events and advocacy.
917-741-2768