Brooklyn Heights Temporary Library Accessibility Questioned

By on August 4, 2016 9:45 pm in Brooklyn Heights, News, Public Safety, Real Estate

Shortly after it opened, your correspondent visited the new temporary Brooklyn Heights Branch Library, located in the social hall of Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral at 109 Remsen Street. As you can see from the photo I took, the entrance from Remsen requires climbing several steps, and there is no ramp. According to the Brooklyn Public Library website the temporary library is “fully accessible”, with the instruction, “Please enter via ADA entrance by driveway off Henry Street.” News 12 Brooklyn reports that “[o]pponents of the controversial Brooklyn Heights Library sale” have argued that it “is not properly accessible.” The News 12 piece quotes library patron Justine Swartz as saying she finds it dangerous to use an entrance “that’s also used as a driveway by church employees.” Addendum: Ms. Swartz has pointed out in a comment to this post that her primary concern is with the condition of the driveway itself–heavily potholed and cracked, and therefore difficult to navigate with a walker (or, presumably, in a wheelchair or scooter)–rather than with the traffic on the driveway.

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  • Banet

    This is absurd. How is traveling up the length of a driveway that has a moving vehicle on it a few times a day any more dangerous than traversing any suburban parking lot in America?

    Somehow every patron, not just the handicapped, have managed to navigate the dangerous pavement of the thousands upon thousands of library parking lots across the country. Or maybe I’m wrong — maybe they’re mowed down on a daily basis and I somehow missed the headlines?

    By the way, the new temporary library is great. My family has already used it three times in the week it’s been open.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlsiLOnWCoI Arch Stanton

    While I agree the whole library sale is a scandalous sham, I think nitpicking and blowing every minor gripe out of proportion is detrimental to the cause, it makes the opponents of the sale look like a bunch of whiners.

  • Reggie

    Agreed. Another example being the accusation that the church was going to ban books.

  • Justine Swartz

    http://brooklyn.news12.com/news/disabled-patrons-bemoan-access-to-temporary-brooklyn-heights-library-at-our-lady-of-lebanon-church-1.12129799
    I was promised a safe compliant disabled pathway to the new interim library at Our Lady of Lebanon Church on Remsen Street, Brooklyn. This never happened!!! The walkway is cracked and pitted with potholes, one of which I stepped in and twisted my ankle while filming this interview for Brooklyn News 12. This walkway also serves double duty as an active driveway and parking lot for the members and staff of the Church.
    The door to the library I do not possess the strength to open while holding on to my Walker. There should be a buzzer to let the Librarians know a disabled person is outside wishing entrance.
    Inside the library there are No seats for a handicapped person. There are only tiny wooden children sized chairs. I can’t
    sit all the way down in them nor could I get up from one of those tiny hard wooden chairs. My hips and buttocks have metal pins and a hip replacement. If I sit on a hard wooden surface for any period of time the metal in my body presses through my flesh creating agony.
    The old Cadman Plaza Library had comfortable plush adult sized seats with armrests that you could raise yourself up from a sitting position.
    We were promised at least 30 computers. There are none. A few laptops are being provided. The variety and number of books available to the patrons are pitifully inadequate. The occupancy limit is 77. Cadman Plaza Library was the second most popular library in NYC with thousands of school children attending weekly. Where will they go for safe haven, after hour tutelage?

  • MPIERCE

    IT’S THE LAW!
    lovebrooklynlibrariesinc.org
    Least some folks chose to forget, the
    Americans with Disabilities Act is a Federal law.
    All public buildings are required to provide
    access to and for our disabled citizens.
    The news12 story documented that Hudson
    and the BPL in rush to open the interim was
    in violation of that law. Complaints were made
    to BPL personnel and are currently being looked
    at by our federal representative.
    The main issue remains there are no automated
    door openers. Once a disabled patron reaches
    the pull out door there is no easy access for
    them to enter the library or exit the bathroom.
    Active pothole driveways may not be as easy
    to navigate as some of our more callous
    neighbors seem to imply. “Walk a mile in
    my shoes” before being judgmental.
    Many ADA patrons also being hearing
    and visually impaired as well.
    Many now happy patrons easily impressed
    by IKEA-esk furniture and A.C. may find
    there are other minor details overlooked
    by BPL:
    1) that same active driveway is also the
    entrance to the Children’s Library.
    Potholes/cars, a nightmare some
    parents may not appreciate.
    2) a Certificate of Occupancy that is
    temporary pending some 18 unresolved
    “issues” at time of opening. If unresolved
    by Oct? Will interim have to close?
    3) Library can only accommodate 77
    patrons. What happens when full
    compliment of users begin showing up
    in Sept?
    4) No bicycle parking. Want to guess
    where biking patrons will park?
    As the great and powerful De Blasio
    might say: De Blasio has spoken, at
    least until the Federal probe re this
    library sale is fully investigated.

  • Reggie

    A laptop is a computer and reportedly (flyer announcing the July 25 opening of the interim library) there are 30 of them.

  • Reggie

    Buildings often have TCOs for years; I wouldn’t worry about the interim library closing. In the fall, the librarians might indeed have to take steps to manage demand that is greater than capacity. An interim library still beats a bookmobile by a country mile. You want me to guess? Locked to the fence around the church?

  • bklyn84

    My wife and I are sympathetic to Ms. Swartz’s concerns. My wife must use a walker 24/7. Indeed, the sidewalk-to-driveway step up and the awkward doorway entrance off the driveway should be fixed. Also, although Ms. Swartz could temporarily sit on her walker while inside that is not an ideal long-term solution.

    I’m certain the library will respond quickly and properly to the issues that have been raised.

    What bothers me is Ms. Swartz did not bring her concerns to the library first. Instead she chose to publicize them as much as possible in various media. That’s where she completely confuses the issue.

    She’s presents herself as someone who is just looking for a fight, not someone who is trying to find a solution to some legitimate problems.

    I watched the video and Ms. Swartz makes a good case for her complaints. I hope she continues to keep us informed if there’s any resistance at the library.

  • Justine Swartz

    Good!

  • Justine Swartz

    You accuse me wrongly and unfairly. From the moment I heard the Church of Our Lady Of Lebanon was chosen as the interim library, 3 years ago, I protested the unfitness of that building, which needed 7 million dollars worth of repairs due to poor infrastructure, water leakage, the decrepit sidewalk walks, the fact it was a Church and I know children will be forbidden by their parents to enter a Church despite it is also a library. I wrote to All of our local politicians and testified at Borough Hall, attended the CAC and ULURP one sided prejudicial meetings, as to the economic hardship that will result by our youth not having after hour classes for many years. They wiill be recruited by the gang bangers who prey on the projects. I testified before the Community Board 2 meeting as to the environmental harm, the air pollution, the nests of Rats that will be disturbed, the broken sewer pipes, water pipes and low water pressure that will result by the vibrations of Pile driving on Bedrock and construction in order to erect a high rise at the windiest corner in Brooklyn, I wrote to the Brooklyn Courier Newspaper and the Daily Eagle of my worries and concerns that Our Lady of Lebanon Church was not the proper location for an interim library. I had Never consented to an on the air interview before because I felt I would be able to work behind the scenes and I was camera shy. I have been fighting unsuccessfully for four years to keep the Cadman Plaza Library from being sold to the Real Estate Moguls who coveted the Prime Real Estate where our Brooklyn Heights Library was located. The Brooklyn Public Library has hundreds of millions in its treasury to have fixed the Cadman Plaza Library, it’s air conditioning and heating system. You can’t fight City Hall and the Politicians that line their pockets with fundraisers and donations from the Real Estate Developers who helped them get elected.
    This interim library is woefully inadequate for the needs of the Brooklyn Heights community and beyond. It is being labeled as a ‘Temporary Library’. I highly doubt if a replacement library will be installed in the
    ultra-wealthy 1 per center’s 36 floor condominium that will be built in the footprint of our Cadman Plaza Library.

  • Concerned

    I’m not taking sides (yet). But how long did the replacement library have to remedy the issues that you yourself, admit need remedied? There shouldn’t have to be some martyr who gets injured (or almost gets injured) and complains, for positive changes to be made.

  • bklyn84

    Ms. Swartz, I apologize. I was wrong to assume the video was the first time you protested the interim library’s limitations. Clearly, you have worked extremely hard on the issue.

  • Justine Swartz

    Claude Scales gives a Slanted view in order to direct the arguments in the way
    he prefers.

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/ Claude Scales

    I didn’t “slant” the story; I just quoted what was in the portion of the New 12 story available to me (I’m not a “premium” subscriber). I had no desire to “direct the arguments” in any way.

  • Justine Swartz

    The number 1 issue I had with the non compliant walkway are the potholes and cracked pavement. Watching the video produced by Bklyn News 12 it is quite evident transversing that horrendous broken
    pathway with my Walker was the most upsetting to me. The Real Estate Developer Hudson Company had three years to repave that walkway instead of leaving potholes that swallow a size 15 foot.

  • Andrew Porter

    Surely someone else remembers that a decade or two ago, there was a tree on Henry Street where the side driveway is now, and someone, allegedly affiliated with the church, girdled it, killing it. Then it was removed, and the church got the driveway they’d always wanted.

  • Justine Swartz

    The Real Estate Developer David Kramer of Hudson Company will be killing 9 stately majestic trees, some of which have been growing 62 years. These trees encircle the Cadman Plaza Library. I think I shall never see a 36 Floor Condominium as lovely as a tree. 9 trees that look at God all day and lifts their leafy arms to pray. Monolithic buildings are made for greed, but only God can
    make a tree.

  • marilyn berkon

    Arch, these complaints are not nitpicking. You must imagine the sad difficulty walking along that entrance for someone dependent on a walker, or handicapped in any way. That’s the reason handicapped laws are present in our city. Even the entrance on Remsen Street is dangerous. There are no bannisters. And the heavy door is difficult to open, if one is carrying a child, or even a package. Moreover, a person trying to gain entry can easily be knocked backwards off the steps, if someone happens to be exiting at the same time. This rush to open the interim before taking care of these problems is one more example of the thoughtless arrogance of a developer who is eager to keep to schedule and start earning his billions from the 36-story luxury condo we will have to endure here.

  • marilyn berkon

    An interim library may beat a bookmobile. But there would be no need for either one, if these corrupt people had not been given the opportunity to steal our excellent library for their personal gain, billions of dollars into their pockets and, eventually, if they have their way, a sterile, mostly bookless library, less than half the size of ours. That’s thievery. Just look what happened to the treasured Donnell across from MOMA. And look at the billions earned by the luxury hotel-condo that now sits on top of its replacement. Why are people so willing to accept these insults against the public?

  • http://selfabsorbedboomer.blogspot.com/ Claude Scales

    Thanks. I’ve noted the pothole problem in an addendum to the top post.

  • bklyn84

    I think all but one of the trees at the Clinton Street site will be saved and two new trees will be added. The DOB and NYC Parks and Recreation require a street tree checklist

  • Justine Swartz

    Wishful thinking! A street tree checklist means nothing. Those trees
    will find their final resting place in a dumpster.