Community Issues: Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell

<strong>Community Issues: Our Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell has been active on issues important to our community.</strong>

Assemblyman O’Donnell has introduced three bills which may interest you. First, Mr. O’Donnell introduced a bill that would protect vulnerable populations from damaging solitary confinement. This bill would reduce the use of solitary confinement for youth under the 21 years of age. Second, a bill was introduced that would limit solitary for pregnant inmates. These two types of populations are known to be harmed by the isolation and lack of sufficient medical care, exercise, and educational programming. Both bills await further action in the State Assembly.

In response to recent pedestrian fatalities in our area, Mr. O’Donnell introduced a bill to reduce NYC’s default speed to 20 mph, a speed at which traffic accidents are much less likely to be fatal. After negotiation with the Mayor’s Office and City Council, the bill was modified to reduce the default speed limit to 25 mph, still providing the City Department of Transportation the authority to reduce it to 20 mph.

Rooftop additions have become a threat to Historic Buildings on the Upper West Side. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) has seen an increase in applications for rooftop additions due to the recent surge in the housing market. The additions are problematic because they will be highly visible from the street, block sightlines, create shadows, and drastically alter the essential character of the landmarked building. Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal has called upon the LPC to require that the public should have an opportunity to provide comments and ensure the process of approving rooftop additions is as transparent as possible.

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