CB2 Hearing on Dock Street DUMBO Tonight

By on December 17, 2008 11:32 am in Development, DUMBO, Government

Community Board 2 will hold a public hearing tonight to get community input on the proposed Dock Street DUMBO project which includes construction of a middle school.  It will be held at 6:00 p.m  at the Long Island University Health Sciences Center, 1 University Plaza, Room 107 [map].

Jed Walentas made his case for the project to P.S.  8 parents back in June and again two weeks ago via window display at the Brooklyn Eagle headquarters on Henry Street.

The DUMBO Neighborhood Association (DNA) is urging members to attend the meeting.

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  • Beavis

    Should be a lively event. Hopefully no shoe throwing.

  • Observer/Participant

    I’ll have to respectfully disagree with Albert’s conclusion about who “won”.

    First of all, what’s with all this praising Jesus and Salam Alecheim stuff before launching into one’s 2 minute comment? I was going to preface my comments and thank all the agnostics in the house. Apparently the separation of church and state doesn’t apply to CB meetings.

    BTW, many of the pro people were rude and their comments went on way past their allotted 2 minutes; then they accused people of being rude to them when it was insisted that their long-winded and poorly thought out points were cut off.

    Walentas sure went all out to pull everyone out of the woodwork for whom he ever did a favor.

    The hired guns were all on display, from the laser pointing architect (who did her best to show the building from the middle of the East River, and hiding the obvious obstructions to the brige, to the rent-a-lobbyist/lawyer, to all the people that the Walentas family has tossed scraps to over the years (e.g. merchants getting sweetheart commercial rent to make real estate values increase in DUMBO, to clergy). The bureaucrat representing the City DOE was remarkably vague with figures, plans, specifics when pressed. Only that they are for “it”–whatever “it” eventually turns out to be.

    Bottom line for the pro-side–they are willing to betray our cultural legacy for a few pieces of gold coins. Deny it they will, poo-poo it they will, but that the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to.

    Was sitting near Jed through the precedings, listening to him snicker and gaffaw over the anti-people’s points. Tip to Jed: Get some decent clothes, shave for heaven’s sake, hit the gym, and try not to be too much of a twit at your own public hearing next time.

    Daddy Walentas wasn’t there that I saw. Guess he left it to the lucky sperm lottery winner to carry the day.

    Unfortunately, it’s very possible that the CB will vote for this project. Probably 50/50 chance. If they do, it’s highly likely that the City Council would pass it. If the CB is against it, it’s more likely that the Council won’t pass the zoning change. Yassky’s against it, and could likely help to defeat it in the Council, though he’s not the most popular guy lately following the term limit spectacle, so who knows.

    Bottom line: Democracy, warts and all, was on display tonight. I felt proud for all of us, even those I disagree with. However, if the CB does vote for this, they should be mandated to take their children and grandchildren to the Brooklyn Bridge, when it’s greatly reduced by the Dock Street project and admit that they were willing accomplices in diminishing one of America’s great icons and our city’s heritage.

  • Nancy

    sorry I missed it but I could imagine it. The fancy elite talking about icons and heritage and the folks from the projects talking about needing a new school and making new jobs.
    I have to say that although I’m a bit of a fancy pants myself, my sentiments are with the regular folks who want to see the school built and the jobs created. The whole Bridge story is a red herring.

  • Observer/Participant

    How do you know it was the “fancy elite”, when you didn’t bother attending?

    Glad to hear you’re down with the “regular” people. How egalitarian! Power to the ‘regular’ people! (as long as you think they’re on your side of the debate).

    I did bother to attend and provide comments, and there were all races, ethnicities, classes, associations represented and they were not all on one side or the other.

    But it’s oh so easy to reduce the argument to “black and white” “regular people vs. ‘elite'” isn’t it? Especially if you’re not there and have lots of imagination and keyboard courage.

  • Nancy

    You are telling me that the three organizations representing possibly the whitest communities in all brownstone Brooklyn: the BHA, the FFA, the DNA, were somehow mixed in their cooments? That they include all races and ethnicities, man, what are you smoking so early in the day? You can live in your own la-la land, but don’t expect others to follow suit.

  • cv

    Was the subject of whether the proposed middle school will be a zoned school for local kids, or a competitive city-wide school, addressed?

  • Observer/Participant

    Nancy: Because you didn’t bother attending, all you can rely upon is your imagination, which I must say is quite entertaining. Inaccurate, but entertaining.

    If you had bothered to attend, you would have seen that the three neighborhood organizations you mention (which represent hundreds of people) were only three out of the 49 comments publically presented against the Dock Street project last night.

    If you had bothered to attend, instead of projecting your own smoke induced fantasies on others who happen to oppose your often repeated position, you might actually have something accurate to say rather than misrepresenting the facts of what actually transpired.

    I realize it’s tough to actually make it over to the CB meeting. You might miss yoga, or cocktails with the girls, or the latest installment of The Tudors (isn’t Jonathan Rhys Myers a babe?) But why allow that to stop you from imagining what actually happened, and making it fit nicely into your pre-conceived view of what you want to happen?

    You do a disservice to your side’s credibility when you talk out of your bottom that way.

    You have a right to your opinion. However you don’t have a right to make up the facts.

    The Brooklyn Paper (who’s editorial board supports the project) has a balanced article this morning about the meeting last night.

    For all who couldn’t attend, but are interested in hearing what happened from someone who actually took the time to attend before speaking about what transpired, here’s the link: http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/31/51/31_51_sp_dock_street.html

  • Carlo Trigiani

    I attended the meeting and feel it was a healthy discourse more or less. For me it comes down to three things:

    1) I don’t feel the project will ruin views of the bridge.

    2) If there are alternative sites that can compete with the Two Trees offer, they should come forward.

    3) It’s a school.

    Respectfully,

    Carlo Trigiani

  • Observer/Participant

    Nancy:

    At 42, I’m old enough to know what I’m talking about, and young enough to still give a s**t. What’s your excuse?

    What’s with the ageism, sister? When you run out of arguments, you just go for the name calling? Pathetic.