By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
BATTERY PARK CITY — Gov. David Paterson has appointed Anthony Notaro, a local community leader, to the Battery Park City Authority board, State Sen. Daniel Squadron announced Monday.
Squadron had urged Paterson to appoint Notaro to the seven-member board so that Battery Park City residents would have a larger voice in the governance of their neighborhood.
"The Battery Park City community has advocated for years to add more residents to the BPCA board,” Squadron said in a statement. “Anthony will bring an important perspective to help the board better understand the particular needs and concerns of Battery Park City residents. “
The state Senate still has to vote to confirm Notaro.
Linda Belfer, chairwoman of CB1’s Battery Park City Committee, was glad to see more resident representation.
“We’ve been asking for this for a very long time,” Belfer said. “It’s about time.”
A longtime Battery Park City resident, Notaro helped found the neighborhood’s CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) team and is president of the First Precinct Community Council. He is also a Community Board 1 member and chairs the board’s community center taskforce.
Notaro said in a statement that he was “thrilled” to be part of the Battery Park City Authority.
The state-run authority manages Battery Park City’s 92 acres and the neighborhood’s $29 million annual budget. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is considering taking over the neighborhoodexercising a $1 option, which would dissolve the authority.
In the past, BPCA board seats have typically gone to those with political connections to the governor, and currently only one board member, Robert Mueller, lives in Battery Park City.
Notaro is Paterson’s third appointment to the Battery Park City Authority. The Senate has already confirmed Paterson’s two earlier appointments: Former city Comptroller Bill Thompson, who now chairs the authority, and activist Fernando Mateo.
Based on the Battery Park City Authority’s website, it appears that Notaro will replace Lynn Rollins, whose term expired in February. Fellow board member Andy Shenoy’s term also expired in February, so Paterson could choose to replace him as well.
