Advocates for disabled voice concern over CSI
housing plan
Staten Island Advance - Saturday, January 28, 2006
Extra security guards were at the Elizabeth Connelly
Resource Center yesterday to direct cars to parking spots around the
Willowbrook complex.
Inside, a room bug enough to hold typical meetings of the Staten
Island Developmental Disabilities Council was filled beyond
capacity, with people standing in the hallway and some even sitting
on the floor.
Yesterday’s meeting was anything but typical: It was open to the
public and there was only one topic.
More than 100 advocates for the developmentally disabled gathered in
the room to make sure that College of Staten Island officials – who
were also present – know what they think of the school’s proposal to
build student housing on a portion of state land adjacent to the
campus.
“Please don’t let CSI take our place away from us,” said Mary
Pannese, a Special Olympics athlete who works in the Lifestyles Café
in the Connelly Center. “We love where we are. We will not have any
place to go.”
Last month, CSI officials announced a conceptual plan to build
student housing on a 10-acre plot on its grounds and also on
adjacent property currently occupied by buildings and vacant land
under the jurisdiction of the state Office of Mental Retardation and
Developmental Disabilities.
At that announcement, CSI President Dr. Marlene Springer said the
plan called for the relocation of the Connelly Center, which has
served the developmentally disables for two decades. The proposal
also called for housing units that would integrate CSI students and
OMRDD clients, and educational partnerships between the two
facilities.
The meeting yesterday was a mobilization of sorts, the first step in
making sure nothing is built without the input of the Disabilities
Council and to ensure that the legacy of the former Willowbrook
State School is preserved.
That was a point made clear by both OMRDD and CSI officials.
“I can tell you there is no deal to give up any land or any
buildings,” said Kathleen Broderick, OMRDD associate commissioner.
“There is no deal, there was no deal,” said Angelo Aponte, CSI’s
vice president for finance and administration adding that the
college has no interest in taking over the Connelly Center.
“There is no agreement. There is nothing at all, Under no
circumstances would anything move forward without the involvement of
the council,” he said.
Still, those assertions didn’t do much to satisfy those in
attendance, who peppered Aponte – who was joined by David Podell,
provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, and Robert
Huber, director of communications and marketing – with questions.
They wanted to know why CSI officials cannot build on their own land
and why they are only now looking to engage in partnerships with the
developmentally disabled.
“The promises will never materialize, I am sure,” said Lou Panzella,
a Castleton Corners resident who, along with many others, criticized
CSI for breaking similar promises in the past.
Aponte did his best to assure things would be different this time
around.
Many also couldn’t imagine a situation that would put college
students living side-by-side with the developmentally disabled.
“We have staff, supervisors and caseworkers looking after us and now
we’ve got to be worried about students hanging out,” said Luis Lopez
in a heartfelt speech to an audience that included elected
officials. “We’re going to be afraid. It will hurt us and that’s
it.”
The meeting was heated at times, but by the end – nearly three hours
later – the two sides agreed to have more conversations.
“We are opening a dialogue,” Huber said. “I believe that is what
began here today.”
Still, Jacqueline Rumolo, the council’s chairwoman, said she is
willing to move forward only on the issues of establishing
educational partnerships.
“We are wiping the slate clean,” she said after the meeting. “We are
starting fresh, but we are not discussing this property.”
By
Stephanie Slepian
Reprinted here with permission
from the
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