It’s not easy being green

To the editor:

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has pledged to evict the beloved Elizabeth Street Garden in Lower Manhattan, amidst fierce local opposition, to make space for 123 units of affordable housing for senior citizens.

But Mayor Adams, who originally aligned with Mamdani’s position on the Nolita oasis, sent a letter to the city’s Parks and Recreations commissioner, declaring that the city “unequivocally and permanently dedicates this property to public use as parkland.” This means that only the state legislature could revive the housing plan.

It should be noted that the city has an alternate plan, put forward by downtown Manhattan Council Member Christopher Marte, to build even more affordable units at nearby sites. The mayor’s action angered Mamdani, who said that he wasn’t surprised that Adams “is using his final weeks and months to cement a legacy of dysfunction and inconsistency.”

Uptown, and with some irony — as reported by Crain’s New York Business — the New York City Housing Authority has sued at least nine senior citizens living at Chelsea Houses, demanding that they vacate their apartments to clear the path for a $2 billion redevelopment, which includes the Fulton and Elliott-Chelsea Houses.

The defendants have refused to sign leases to temporarily relocate elsewhere. The upheaval has created worry and anger among our most vulnerable population.

In this case, the mayor has not supported the beleaguered residents, nor have local officials. (The Community Board did vote against the plan.) Mamdani has been silent, as has Whoopi Goldberg, the most prominent former public housing resident there.

In contrast, Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese and Patti Smith are among those who have voiced support for the Elizabeth Street Garden.

While star  power can help draw attention to important issues, Mamdani’s stance or silence on these two land use projects may be an ominous harbinger of things to come. His star may be waning.

Harry Weiner