Brooklyn Heights Blog » Government

Squadron Eyeing Run for Borough Prexy?

Claude Scales — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:47:28 +0000

According to the Brooklyn Paper State Senator Daniel Squadron (D), whose 25th Senate District encompasses Brooklyn Heights and much of Brooklyn along the East River, from Williamsburg south to Carroll Gardens, where he lives, as well as lower Manhattan, is rumored to be considering a run for Brooklyn Borough President in 2013. That’s when incumbent Marty Markowitz’s term ends, and he’s barred from running again by term limits.

Squadron’s term as Senator ends this year. It’s doubtful that he will face a serious primary challenge and, in this district, the Democratic nomination is practically tantamount to election. It therefore seems almost certain that he will run for re-election to the Senate and win. The Brooklyn Paper article reports that State Senator Eric Adams (D-Prospect Heights), who has already announced his candidacy for Borough President, will run for re-election to the Senate this year. Our guess is that Squadron’s decision on a run for Beep will hinge on whether the Democrats regain control of the State Senate this coming November. If they do, he will be in a position to do much more as a Senator than he will if his party continues to be in the minority.

Besides Adams, the only other announced candidate for Beep is Markowitz protege Carlo Scissura. Others who, according to the Brooklyn Paper, are considering the run are “Assemblyman Nick Perry (D–Flatbush) and City Councilmembers Dominic Recchia (D–Coney Island) and Letitia James (D–Fort Greene).”

P.S. 8 Middle School Approved

Claude Scales — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:32:07 +0000

Yesterday evening, the City Department of Education’s Panel on Education Policy approved the creation of a middle school extension of P.S. 8, to be located at Tillary Street and Tech Place in downtown Brooklyn. State Senator Daniel Squadron, who supported the proposal, said this:

Tonight’s vote to approve the new P.S. 8 middle school is great news for Brooklyn! By heeding our calls and formalizing the new middle school, DOE is helping to ensure the continued success of P.S. 8 and creating better options for all District 13 students. Now we must work to get the new P.S. 8 middle school ready to go for next school year and continue to work for more options for District 13 students.

City Council Approves Skyscraper Historic District

Claude Scales — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 03:54:56 +0000

Today the City Council approved the Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District by a vote of 46-1, with two abstentions.

The Brooklyn Paper: Preservationists hailed the city for protecting a slew of Romanesque Revival and Beaux-Arts structures, including the tiered co-op 75 Livingston St., which housed some of the designation’s most vocal opponents.

“We’re thrilled,” said Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, the powerful community group that helped push for the district. “The opposition exaggerated the negatives. This is going to be good for Brooklyn as a whole and very good for Downtown and Court Street.”

According to the Brooklyn Paper story, Council Members Steve Levin and Brad Lander, both of whom voted for the designation, received assurances that proposed changes to buildings within the district would be given expedited consideration by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, and that the LPC will “be flexible” with requests from residents of 75 Livingston.

Downtown Brooklyn “Skyscraper District” On Track For Approval

Chuck Taylor — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:33:02 +0000

Despite vehement opposition from segments of the local real estate community, the downtown Brooklyn “Borough Hall Skyscraper District” is on track for approval by the New York City Council. On Tuesday, January 24, the plan offering landmark protection to 21 buildings that abut Brooklyn Heights, was given a go by the Council’s landmarks subcommittee, all but ensuring the entire Council will ratify it Feb. 1. (See BHB’s previous Jan. 19 post here.)

Key endorsements for the landmark designation—which runs along Court Street, from Montague four blocks south to Livingston—were voiced by the council’s Subcommittee on Planning, along with Councilman Stephen Levin, who represents the area.

In a joint statement with Councilman Brad Lander, who heads the subcommittee, Levin said, “After close consideration, we believe this new historic district will strengthen the character of Downtown Brooklyn, allowing for new development and growth like the new retail space planned for the Municipal Building [next to Borough Hall] while preserving the graceful, historic, early-generation skyscrapers that make it Brooklyn’s civic center.”

Lander and Levin added that they intend to ask the city to ease rules for storefronts and work with Livingston Street residents “without imposing hardships on co-operators.”

The district was first proposed to the Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2010 by the Brooklyn Heights Assn. and other preservation groups and since, has fostered snarky opposition from the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Brooklyn Law School, Court-Livingston-Schermerhorn Business Improvement District and similar groups.

Once again, REBNY president Steven Spinola tore the initiative to pieces in a New York Post article today: “Not only is this an inappropriate use of landmark designation, but it will end up costing the city much-needed tax revenue and jobs. This is another case of the city landmarking away its economic future.” As well, in a direct mail campaign blanketing the neighborhood, REBNY claimed, “In these economic times, when every dollar counts, landmarking threatens to send Court Street back to the ‘bad old days’ of empty storefronts and dirty streets.”

City officials refute that the designation only sets guidelines overseen by Landmarks to ensure that construction blends with the neighborhood.

REBNY Amps Efforts To Quash “Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District” Landmarking

Chuck Taylor — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:33:46 +0000

The Real Estate Board of New York is amping its drive to derail the still-tentative landmarking of 21 buildings in downtown Brooklyn, by sending out a mailing to thousands of area residents urging them to bend City Council’s ear against the newly proposed historic district. In addition, on Friday, REBNY sent a letter to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn urging the Council to rethink the decision.

All landmarked districts require final approval from the City Council and mayor within 120 days. The Council vote is slated for Feb. 1, with two hearings scheduled next week.

Preservationists had claimed victory last September when the Landmarks Preservation Commission unanimously approved the “Borough Hall Skyscraper Historic District,” a cluster of highrises built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries along Court Street and the corners of Joralemon, Remsen and Montague Streets around the already landmarked Borough Hall. Commission Chairman Robert B. Tierney noted then that “the buildings had a central role in Brooklyn’s development and illustrate an important chapter of New York City’s history.”

But a number of property owners, local landlords and developers were vehemently opposed, claiming it would drive up costs and impede retail redevelopment. Mike Slattery, SVP of the Real Estate Board of New York, sneered in September that the buildings “have little architectural and historic significance and distinction.”

In an article published in Crain’s Business New York January 18, Steve Spinola, president of REBNY, further belittled the district: “The city continues to landmark away its economic future. We want the people in the area to know landmarking will cause a lack of investment in buildings.”

Detractors argue that the designation puts a financial burden on landlords, who have to obtain additional permits and pay extra fees for any changes or upgrades on their properties. REBNY surveyed owners of roughly 750,000 square feet of space within the proposed historic district, and predicted property owners and retail tenants will incur $4.7 million in additional costs over the next several years as a result of landmark regulations and rules, according to the letter obtained by Crain’s.

“Some owners were prepared to make an investment in their buildings, but now they have a noose around their neck because it will cost them more money,” added Spinola.

Brooklyn Heights Assn. president Judy Stanton has stated that the landmark designation “is necessary to protect those buildings from being torn down—it does not prevent redevelopment. It has been a longstanding regret we did not get a district sooner.”

…Meanwhile, New Design for 30 Henry Approved

Claude Scales — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:04:57 +0000

According to Brownstoner, the Landmarks Preservation Commission has approved a new design for the five story residential building to replace the Eagle at 30 Henry Street, at the corner of Middagh. NOTE: the picture on the linked Brownstoner post is of a bank building in Williamsburg, not a rendering of the new 30 Henry design. For an earlier version of the 30 Henry design, see here. There is, as yet, no rendering of the new design available. As we noted earlier, the revisions required by the LPC at its previous hearing were “minor”, so it’s safe to guess that the approved design will not differ greatly from the earlier one.

84th Precinct Community Council Meets Tuesday Evening

Claude Scales — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:27:40 +0000

There will be a meeting of the 84th Precinct community Council this Tuesday evening, January 17, starting at 7:00, at Borough Hall, entrance at 209 Joralemon Street (between Court and Adams streets). All are invited, and refreshments will be served. The agenda includes a presentation by the New York Peace Institute on mediation, the Cop of the Year award, a precinct crime report, a transit police report, and time for questions and answers.

Eagle: LPC Hearing on 30 Henry Design Results in Minor Changes

Claude Scales — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:32:42 +0000

Linda Collins reports on the discussion at Monday’s Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing on the design of the building proposed to replace the old Eagle headquarters at 30 Henry Street, corner of Middagh, which is the first Brooklyn Heights building many people see after taking the exit from the Brooklyn Bridge (see a rendering of the proposed design here).

Brooklyn Daily Eagle: Following what one person described as “an exhilarating” discussion on the value of contextual vs. contemporary architecture in a historic district, the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) yesterday asked the design team of a proposed new five-story, five-unit building at 30 Henry St. in Brooklyn Heights to consider making some additional changes.

The story notes that Brooklyn Heights preservationist Otis Pratt Pearsall and Brooklyn Heights Association President Jane McGroarty and Executive Director Judy Stanton all urged the Commission to reject the proposed design and require something contemporary and distinctive. BHA member and architect Jonathan Marvel is quoted as saying, ““We implore you to inspire, to delight, to raise the bar on originality.” But Park Slope resident and preservationist Clem Labine said the site doesn’t need a “starchitect” building that would be “dissonant and disruptive.”

The Commission’s legal counsel said it didn’t have the power to require “a particular style.”

Times on the Ongoing Nightmare of the BQE

Claude Scales — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 04:54:16 +0000

The Times has a story about the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway that recounts the frustrations of drivers who use it–”It’s a nightmare”, it quotes livery cab driver Wilifredo Torres, who suffered a blowout that caused his fare to miss a flight–as well as of Brooklyn Heights residents:

New York Times: The highway has also been an irritating neighbor for Lucille Plotz, 85, of Columbia Heights and her husband, Charles, 90. Take, for instance, a recent afternoon inside their apartment. First came the vibrations, then a loud crash; her butter cookies toppled from the counter to the kitchen floor, and the radiator cover dislodged and fell onto a wooden chair.

“If it was properly maintained it wouldn’t be a bother, but now it’s beyond just maintenance,” Mrs. Plotz said.

The article quotes another Heights resident, Bo Rodgers, as saying that when trucks hit bumps “it sounds like a bomb going off.”

Unfortunately, as we previously reported, the State has cancelled environmental studies considering possible options to the present BQE structure that is cantilevered along the bluff below the Promenade and along the east side of Furman Street. Instead, the Department of Transportation has simply committed to make those repairs that are necessary to maintain safety. But, as the article points out, the highway has been under continuous repair since even before it was completed.

More on Trash and Recyclables Collection

Claude Scales — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:46:53 +0000

Sorry to be late with this, which arrived in your correspondent’s mailbox as he was returning from a New Year’s weekend on (yes) Cape Cod. Judy Stanton of the Brooklyn Heights Association gives us this update:

Dear Neighbors:

This is an updated reminder of the irregularities of NYC DSNY collection times, due to the consecutive holidays interrupting our usual Monday service.

Re RECYCLING:

If Monday (today) is your regular recycling collection day, please have all recyclables out on the curb tonight for pick up starting at midnight.

Paper will probably be picked up on the midnight to 8 AM shift tonight, and metal/glass/plastics should be picked up on the 6 AM -2 PM shift tomorrow (Tuesday).

Regular garbage will NOT be picked up before Wednesday.

ALSO, PLEASE REMEMBER THE NEXT 3 MONDAY HOLIDAYS WHEN DSNY SERVICE WILL AGAIN BE INTERRUPTED:

1) Martin Luther King, Jr. day – MONDAY, JANUARY 16.
2) Lincoln’s Birthday, observed – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13.
3) President’s Day – MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20.
There will be NO garbage collection whatsoever on these days, and Monday recycling service will be skipped for the entire week, or longer.

Any changes in this ‘routine’ will bring another email about trash!

Discarded Christmas trees are not likely to be picked up at all this week, due to DSNY backlogs.

Note: These updates come to me via the Sanitation Department superintendent who is responsible for Brooklyn Heights. Should you experience service problems not referenced in these emails, it would be helpful to let us know by phoning the BHA office at 718-858-9193.

Happy New Year to All!

Judy Stanton, BHA Executive Director

Squadron, Millman, Levin Urge New Bid for Pier 5 Bubble

Claude Scales — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:52:59 +0000

We’ve just received word from State Senator Daniel Squadron’s office that he, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and City Council Member Steve Levin have together asked the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation to issue a new request for proposals to operate a facility that would allow use of the athletic field on Pier 5 during the colder months. They note that the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) under which the City agreed to fund Park construction includes an appropriation of $750,000 for such a facility, and that the community still wants it. More of their statement follows the jump:

Our discussions with concessionaires have made clear that the terms of the initial RFP had a number of drawbacks that resulted in no responses. Specifically, the unusually short lengths of both the contract (five years) and the operating season (four months) made the RFP unattractive for potential applicants. For context, the 2009 RFP issued by City Parks for the bubble at Mill Pond Park Sports Facility was for a term of 20 years, with a seven-month operating season of October to the end of April. Similarly, the 2011 McCarren Park tennis bubble RFP offered a contract term of 15 years, with the same seven-month operating season.

The $750,000 secured in the August MOU remains on the table. We remain committed to realizing the community’s goals at Pier 5. Therefore, there is an opportunity for the BBPC to reissue an RFP or RFEI for a bubble that meets the needs of the community and is commercially viable. Such an RFP or RFEI would ensure community access and free and low-cost programming in the bubble, as well as a plan to ensure year-round recreation on Pier 5, with an opportunity for equal use by all.

It would also:

1. Extend the concessionaire’s contract from five years to a minimum of 10 years;

2. Extend the operating season from four months to five or six months;

3. Allow flexibility in the orientation and size of the bubble;

4. Allow for a regulation-size playing field;

5. Request a plan for facilities.

State Court Rules Bloomberg Administration and State Acted Improperly in Tobacco Warehouse Transfer

Claude Scales — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:02:46 +0000

While the attempted turnover of the Tobacco Warehouse for use as a new home for St. Ann’s Warehouse Theater was effectively stopped by a federal court’s decision in July (and St. Ann’s has found a new, if temporary, home in DUMBO), a New York State court ruled in a parallel action brought by the same plaintiffs as the federal one–the Brooklyn Heights Association, the Fulton Ferry Landing Association, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, and the Preservation League of New York State–that the actions of both the city and state governments in transferring the historic structure were a “nullity because [they] violated New York’s public trust doctrine.”

Judy Stanton, Executive Director of the BHA, said:

We knew that our fight to save the Tobacco Warehouse for the public was necessary and that the defense of the public trust in this case was the right thing for the Brooklyn Heights Association to do. We feel doubly rewarded by Justice Vaughan’s decision to uphold it.

BHA President Jane McGroarty said:

We hope everyone will now agree that the Tobacco Warehouse is exactly where it belongs and that a precedent has been set that sends a strong message: public spaces and are for all of the public to enjoy and attempts to take away any of it will be met with action by community groups and the courts.

Joan Zimmerman, President of the Fulton Ferry Landing Association, said:

Historically, it’s fallen to us, the community, to step forward to protect the Tobacco Warehouse from being snatched from the public. This victory for public land – not once, but twice affirmed by the court, is incredibly gratifying and will stand as a precedent for years to come.

The decision was also praised by State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblywoman Joan Millman.

Update: Haley Stein, Esq., Senior Counsel in the City’s Law Department, who served as lead counsel for the City in the case, had this to say:

This decision is a major setback toward improving the park and prevents the City and Brooklyn Bridge Park from moving forward with a project that would provide funding for the long-term preservation of the Tobacco Warehouse. The State transferred Tobacco Warehouse to Brooklyn Bridge Park without parkland restrictions, and we continue to believe that the community would greatly benefit from its re-use as a cultural and community center. The decision also hinders plans to rehabilitate and re-use Empire Stores — a series of enclosed warehouse buildings that are in need of preservation and are not usable by the public. The redevelopment of Empire Stores as a commercial and retail space is vital to providing revenue for the operation and maintenance of the park. We disagree with the decision and are considering our legal options.

Marty’s Letter to Cuomo Urges Reinstatement of BQE Study

Claude Scales — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:26:26 +0000

Borough President Marty Markowitz has written a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo urging him to rescind the decision by the State Department of Transportation to terminate environmental studies for the rehabilitation of the Gowanus and Brooklyn Heights portions of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, which would have the effect of postponing any major reconstruction or replacement of these roadways indefinitely. According to Markowitz’s letter:

As a result of these project terminations, all plans for improved capacity or highway replacements have been effectively shelved for decades. This means that the current egregiously negative environmental impacts that these antiquated and crumbling highways have on the thousands of Brooklynites who live near them—or on the millions of roadway users who must travel on them while facing near-constant congestion—will not be substantively addressed for a generation or more. This is absolutely unacceptable and an insult to the residents of Brooklyn, Staten Island, Queens, and New Jersey who live or work near these structures or depend on them to access the region’s commercial core.

Additionally, the termination of these two projects constitutes a colossal waste of time and money. The Gowanus EIS began in 1997 and the EIS for the Cantilever section of the BQE began in 2008. Since then, literally thousands of hours of time by public participants and city and state employees has been invested in stakeholder meetings and in the scoping and planning process. Additionally, millions of dollars have been spent on contracts, data collection, engineers, outreach, and everything else that accompanies environmental review. Terminating these projects tosses nearly all that public money and time away.

Markowitz notes that, in addition to the economic importance of the highway as a route for travel, commutation and commerce, the existing highway structures have negative effects on both public health, because of the fumes generated by stalled traffic, and the value of nearby real estate. He writes that it ought to “be a state and national priority to overhaul and replace these antiquated structures.” He concludes:

I urge your administration to reverse the decision to terminate these projects. You have recently proposed funding infrastructure through the expansion of public-private partnerships including the use of pension fund investments to pay for our roadways and bridges. Although the details of your proposal need to be finalized, I believe it is a great start and should be used to immediately address Brooklyn’s I-278. Additionally, I request that your administration open a new dialogue with other elected officials at the City, State, and Federal levels to find opportunities to revive and continue these projects to the fulfillment of their expressed goals of solving the current traffic, economic, and environmental nightmare they create.

I look forward to receiving a positive response on this matter.

Update: State Senator Daniel Squadron has also asked the Governor to reinstate the BQE study, using funds from the infrastructure bill that just passed the Senate:

I’m asking Governor Cuomo to invest some of that money right here in the district — by moving forward with the rehabilitation of the BQE, funding an incentive program for Lower Manhattan businesses to become more energy efficient, and helping City Tech build a new academic center that will be a resource at the gateway to Brooklyn, while providing even greater opportunities for striving New Yorkers.

P.S. 8 on List of Schools With Hazardous PCB Laden Lighting Fixtures

Claude Scales — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 18:12:29 +0000

We’ve received word from the office of Congressman Jerrold Nadler that P.S. 8 is on the list of schools, compiled by the City’s School Construction Authority, that have old lighting fixtures containing polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs. These are carcinogens, and are considered especially hazardous to pregnant women. According to Dr. Maida Galvez, Director of the EPA Region 2 Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Unit, “The bottom line is that there’s no safe level of [PCB] exposure in pregnancy, period.” There’s more information here.

Next Monday, December 12 at 10:00 a.m., Congressman Nadler, along with representatives of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, NARAL, Planned Parenthood NYC and others, will assemble on the steps of City Hall to demand action to relieve this hazard to public health. For more information, contact kterenzi@NYLPI.org

Yassky Catches Deadbeat Cabbies in the Actsky

Homer Fink — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:29:12 +0000

Brooklyn Heights resident/NYC TLC Commish David “Oh come on, it’s just over the bridge” Yassky has struck a blow at cabbies refusing fares to the Outer Boroughs.

The NY Daily News reports that the TLC used college students to “sting” cabbies who deny passengers their right to a ride home in Brooklyn and the other boroughs.

Have cabbies refused you a ride to Brooklyn? We’ve had that problem many times, especially last year when 5 cabbies in a row refused to take a very pregnant Mrs. Fink back to the Heights.

NY Daily News: Since September, the students have hailed 1,330 cabs and were refused 361 rides, or 27% of the time. Similar undercover enforcement by TLC agents indicated drivers were breaking the go-anywhere rule just 4% of the time, authorities said.

“Our rules are crystal clear: a taxi passenger is entitled to go to any of the five boroughs,” TLC Chairman David Yassky said. “Our enforcement initiative is designed to make sure drivers understand that there will be a penalty for refusing service. ”

Biju Mathew, of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, called the refusal rate ridiculously high and said the enforcement effort — relying on lightly trained college kids — was fatally flawed.

While refusal rates to the Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx ranged between 15% and 63% during different time periods, cabbies never turned down trips to northern Manhattan in the morning and evening. There’s no logical explanation for that, Mathew said.

State DOT Drops Environmental Study for BQE; Say Goodbye to Tunnel Proposals

Claude Scales — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:53:47 +0000

We’ve received notice from the New York State Department of Transportation that the environmental impact study for the proposed Brooklyn-Queens Expressway rehabilitation has been terminated.

In these financially difficult times, NYSDOT is making strategic choices to make the best use of our limited resources, balancing core infrastructure preservation with fiscal reality while maintaining the safety and reliability of the transportation system. The alternatives being explored in the environmental study far exceed the financial resources available to us now and for the foreseeable future. Working closely with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), NYSDOT has concluded that terminating the environmental study is the most prudent and responsible course of action, allowing us to focus our resources on the highest and most critical needs.
…
The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway is a critical component of the transportation network for both New York City and New York State. Keeping it safe and reliable is essential to commerce and quality of life. Working with the New York City Department of Transportation, the New York State Department of Transportation will continue to support efforts to ensure that the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway remains a safe and reliable roadway in our transportation system.

According to a notice published in the Federal Register by the Federal Highway Administration:

Proposed future projects will continue necessary State of Good Repair projects to structures, roadways, and appurtenances, to ensure the continued safe operation of this important roadway corridor. With this approach, future plans for the roadway may be addressed in a comprehensive manner as funds become available.

In other words, only those repairs necessary to keep the BQE safe will be done in the forseeable future. Projects like the proposed tunnel are far in the future, if they ever happen.

Trucks Troubling You? Come to 84th Precinct Community Council Meeting Tuesday

Claude Scales — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 03:17:50 +0000

D.I. Mark DiPaolo, 84th Precinct Commander, sends us word that the 84th Precinct Community Council will meet this Tuesday evening, November 15, starting at 7:00, at the Baptist Temple, 360 Schermerhorn Street, between Third Avenue and Nevins Street. The featured event will be a report by the Truck Enforcement Unit. Also on the agenda are a Transit Police report, a precinct crime report, presentation of the Cop of the Month Award, and a question and answer period. All are welcome, and refreshments will be served.

We Interrupt This Program…

Claude Scales — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 17:32:30 +0000

This in from Community Board 2:

Please be advised that on Wednesday, November 9, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.(EST), the federal government will be conducting the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS). The test will last up to three and a half minutes. During this period, regularly scheduled television, radio, cable, and satellite shows will be interrupted as the system is being tested. This event will be just a test, and not a real emergency alert.

The national Emergency Alert System is an alert and warning system that can be activated by the president, if needed, to provide information to the American public during emergencies. NOAA’s National Weather Service, governors, and state and local emergency authorities also use parts of the system to issue more localized emergency alerts. The test is an important exercise in ensuring that the system is effective in communicating critical information to the public in the event of a real national emergency.

Under the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) rules, radio and television broadcasters, cable operators, satellite digital audio radio service providers, direct broadcast satellite service providers and wire line video service providers are required to receive and transmit presidential EAS messages to the public. A national test will help federal partners and EAS participants determine the reliability of the system, as well as its effectiveness in notifying the public of emergencies and potential dangers both nationally and regionally. The test will also provide the FCC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) a chance to identify improvements that need to be made to build a modernized and fully accessible Emergency Alert System.

City Council Passes “Home Rule Message” on Residential Parking Permits

Claude Scales — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:16:32 +0000

The City Council today passed a “home rule message” asking the State Legislature to pass enabling legislation allowing the City to issue residential parking permits. In an earlier post, which has now been corrected, I had incorrectly reported that it passed the Council yesterday; it had just passed the Committee on State and Federal Legislation. Now that it has passed the full Council, it will go to Albany, which, if Senator Marty Golden has his way (see post linked immediately above), will live up to its name as “the place where good ideas go to die.”

Squadron’s Community Meeting Hits Hot Button Issues

Claude Scales — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:01:04 +0000

Last evening’s Community Meeting got off to an interesting start when Brooklyn Heights resident and long time Brooklyn Bridge Park advocate Tony Manheim asked State Senator Daniel Squadron if, now that in a deal brokered in part by Squadron and Assemblywoman Joan Millman, the State has given control of the Park to the City, he and Millman would consider yielding their nominees’ position on the Park’s board to representatives appointed by the Mayor. He also asked if Squadron thought it now appropriate to have the Park’s management “collapsed into” the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. Squadron said he was “not excited” about giving up his slot on the board, but that Manheim’s ideas were “conceptually interesting.” Another person suggested that, instead of mayoral nominees, the board slots go to community representatives.

Things later took a heated turn when Marsha Rimler, after first saying she was “very disappointed” with Squadron’s handling of the housing-in-the-Park issue, asked Squadron if he would refer to the “board of ethics” (by which she presumably meant the New York State Commission on Public Integrity) the question whether his wife’s job in the Mayor’s office constituted a conflict of interest when he dealt with the City on this issue. Squadron said he considered this question “out of bounds,” and went on to say that he had negotiated zealously with the City and got it to agree to allow tax payments on the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ properties to be used for Park maintenance and operations, which the City had strongly resisted, and to defer any residential construction at Pier 6 until the next mayoral administation. Squadron also said that in his negotiations with the City he had helped to secure many amenities for the Park, including a skating rink, a floating swimming pool, and the Pier 5 “bubble” which, he said, he thought would become a reality despite the lack of responses to what he said was obviously a “flawed” initial Request for Proposals.

David Manning, who moved to the Heights from Manhattan hoping for peace and quiet, raised the issue of helicopter noise. Squadron said he had “worked in good faith” with the operators of the Downtown Heliport to try to find a workable solution, but that “good faith didn’t work.” He has now concluded that only a complete ban on tourist helicopter flights will work and, to groans from the audience, urged everyone to “keep chopping away.” A former Federal Aviation Administration official and Lower Manhattan resident said that this was the first time he had ever advocated curtailing aviation, but he believed that the tourist flights should be ended because they are “unsafe” and do not, contrary to what some City officials have said, contribute anything to the City’s economy because the operators are based in New Jersey and do all maintenance, repairs, refueling and the like there. Squadron added that the assertion that some people come to New York just to take a helicopter ride “doesn’t pass the laugh test.” Judy Stanton, Executive Director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, said a request for the City’s economic data on the helicopter flights had been made under the Freedom of Information Act. She also said the State Department of Environmental Conservation should monitor both air quality and noise at the heliport. Squadron said this was a good idea.

Squadron noted that the residential parking permits proposal faced a long and tortuous path before it could become reality. First the City Council, following this morning’s (Wednesday) hearing, would have to pass a “home rule message” asking the State for authority to issue the permits. The State Assembly and Senate would then have to pass enabling legislation, which would then go to the Governor for signature. If the legislation was enacted, the City Council would then have to pass an ordinance putting the scheme into effect. He said he viewed this as a quality of life issue, because “people driving around looking for parking spaces” has negative effects on congestion, safety, and air quality. He said Mayor Bloomberg had supported the idea when it was coupled with congestion pricing, but that the failure of congestion pricing to pass meant he no longer favored resdential permits. A story in today’s New York Post says that Brooklyn GOP State Senator Marty Golden opposes residential parking permits on the grounds that they constitute a “tax,”and that anyone should be allowed to park where they wish (Update: Could this also be because his rather convoluted district has more people who park their cars in Brooklyn Heights to get to the subway than has people from out of the area parking on their streets?) He said that the proposal would never pass the GOP controlled Senate. The same article quotes Bloomberg as now being undecided on the issue, noting that some residents favor the permits while some merchants oppose them. Update: The “home rule message” passed the City Council’s Committee on State and Federal Legislation today.

Transportation related issues dominated the rest of the discussion. Among the issues raised were: restoration of bus service over the ~~Brooklyn~~ Manhattan Bridge, improvement of security at the High Street subway station, better sevice on the G train, which Squadron said was the next line he would press the MTA to improve, and safety at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Court Street, where one person present said a cupcake vending truck creates a hazardous condition for pedestrians crossing.

Squadron also said he supports the campaign to establish a public middle school to serve students from Brooklyn Heights and nearby neighborhoods. He concluded by urging everyone to attend his next Community Convention, to be held early next year.

Squadron, Millman Push Residential Parking Permits

Claude Scales — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 13:03:59 +0000

Our local elected state representatives, State Senator Daniel Squadron and Assemblywoman Joan Millman, are supporting legislation that would enable the issuance of parking permits to residents of various neighborhoods throughout the City, including Brooklyn Heights. In each of these localities, eighty per cent of parking spaces would be reserved for local residents. There will be a hearing on the proposal hosted by the City Council tomorrow starting at 10:30 a.m. at 250 Broadway, just across Broadway from City Hall.

New York Post: “Permit parking is long overdue in Downtown Brooklyn, Western Queens, Upper Manhattan and other communities where residents must circle for hours trying to find parking near their homes,” said state Sen. Daniel Squadron, who is co-sponsoring the legislation with another Brooklyn Democrat, Assemblywoman Joan Millman.

The Post story mentions Brooklyn Heights as one of the neighborhoods “that have long been abused as virtual park-and-rides for mass transit commuters”. Under the proposal, a fee would be charged for the permits, and the City would decide what hours they would be in effect.

Reminder: Senator Squadron’s Community Meeting is this evening, from 6:30 to 8:00, at the Dodge YMCA, Classroom A, 225 Atlantic Avenue (between Court Street and Boerum Place).

Squadron to Host Community Meeting Tuesday Evening

Claude Scales — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:08:09 +0000

State Senator Daniel Squadron will host a community meeting for residents of Brooklyn Heights and nearby neighborhoods this coming Tuesday evening, November 1, from 6:30 to 8:00, at Classroom A of the Dodge YMCA, 225 Atlantic Avenue (between Court Street and Boerum Place). Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Judy Stanton says:

Whether your concern is about the constant helicopter traffic heard all over the neighborhood, the still unresolved pedestrian access crossing the BQE ramp on the way to Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the condition of the BQE, neighborhood need for a good public middle school, MTA services, political reforms or something else, I urge you to attend [and] add your voice to ours.

House Redistricting May Hit Heights

TK Small — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 03:51:36 +0000

Brooklyn Heights Congressional Map

In an online news publication called “Capital“, a description of the current redistricting fiasco was provided. Interestingly, the question of Brooklyn Heights Congressional representation was put to Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries. Assemblyman Jeffries is a rising political entity who has all but declared his intention to run against Rep. Edolphus Towns.

Historically, Brooklyn Heights has been within one congressional district. Following the 2000 census, lines were redrawn and Brooklyn Heights was divided between congressional seats. Does this amount to a dilution of our voice in Washington, or, does this give us additional clout?

Brooklyn Heights House Representatives

It is interesting to see how Congressional Districts 10, 11 and 12 come together in/and around Brooklyn Heights. From the map above, there is a spot at the eastern end of Pierrepont Street, where one could stand simultaneously in three Congressional Districts. Definitely not quite as good as the “four points” location out West, but not too shabby either. Just another great thing about Brooklyn Heights!

BHB Reader Report from Squadron’s Transit Forum

Homer Fink — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:32:05 +0000

BHB reader Quinn Raymond submitted this report from Daniel Squadron’s Transit Forum held last night:

I attended the Transit Forum tonight that Senator Dan Squadron’s office organized. It was very well put together, and turnout was around 50 or so. Squadron himself moderated, Assemblymember Millman as well as reps from the MTA and DOT answered questions from a predominantly DUMBO crowd who were fairly riled up about the B25 going down their street. The 84th precinct and Councilmember Levin were slated to attend as well but the former didn’t show and the later didn’t arrive until after it was over. Non-panel attendees included John Dew from CB2, Dan Wiley from Rep. Nydia Velazquez’s office, and reps from numerous civic organizations.

Most of the issues raised were DUMBO-related, although people also brought up disability access concerns, and the constant friction on the Brooklyn Bridge between bikes and pedestrians. Some pointed to the numerous fundraising walks, tourists, and souvenir vendors exacerbating the problem.

I brought up the issue of the MTA’s funding repeatedly being cut and raided by Albany, which has resulted in massive service cuts and maintenance issues. I was rather surprised that few in the audience seemed particularly concerned by this and instead focused on their own immediate local concerns, not realizing that the two are related.

Senator Squadron and Assemblymember Millman both pledged to fight for additional streams of revenue for the MTA to stave off fare increases, although some in the transit community are unsatisfied with Millman’s commitment to mass transit. Squadron and Millman also advocated for the so-called lockbox legislation, which would prevent MTA funds from being raided by Albany. Hopefully there will be better results in future budget negotiations, or subway and bus service will get even worse while fares increase.

Later Squadron voiced his support for a water ferry from Atlantic Ave. He pointed that the current East River ferries are funded by the EDC (Economic Development Corporation), so the money would have to come from them.

In my opinion the reps from the MTA and DOT were precise, articulate, and forthright. Both Squadron and Millman were responsive in their answers, and they all made an effort to stay late and answer everyone’s questions. I hope they do more of these in the future, perhaps closer to the Brooklyn Heights area next time.

Local Pols to Hold Transportation Town Hall Wednesday Evening

Claude Scales — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 18:26:04 +0000

State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and City Council Member Steve Levin will host a Transportation Town Hall meeting this coming Wednesday evening, October 26, from 7:30 to 8:30, at 55 Washington Street in DUMBO, Room 216. The purpose of the meeting is “to discuss the ongoing transit-related issues in DUMBO, Fulton Ferry Landing, and Downtown Brooklyn.” Representatives of the MTA, the City’s Department of Transportation, and the 84th Precinct will be there. All are invited; if you plan to attend, please RSVP to belinda@danielsquadron.org

Brooklyn Heights Resident is New MTA Head

Claude Scales — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 06:55:00 +0000

Wall Street Journal

Joseph Lhota, appointed by Governor Cuomo as the new Chairman of the MTA, is a Brooklyn Heights resident.

The Wall Street Journal: Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, tapped Mr. Lhota, a 57-year-old Republican who lives in Brooklyn Heights, to run the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, a giant agency with shaky finances that controls two commuter railroads, the New York subway and bus system and a host of bridges and tunnels.

Mr. Lhota’s appointment must be confirmed by the New York State Senate. If confirmed, he will take over the troubled agency, and join another Heights resident, David Yassky, Chair of the City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, as a principal player in the City’s transportation scheme.

Upcoming CB2 Committee Meetings: Transportation and Land Use

Claude Scales — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 01:32:58 +0000

The Transportation Committee of Community Board 2 will meet tomorrow evening (Tuesday, October 18) at St. Francis College, First Floor Board Room, 180 Remsen Street (between Clinton and Court), starting at 6:00. On the agenda are: (1) a presentation by Cheska Tolentino, of Transport Workers Union Local 100, on a campaign, New Yorkers Deserve a Rat-Free Subway; (2) a proposal by Brooklyn Heights Association president Jane McGroarty and BHA board member Patrick Killackey “to increase pedestrian safety at the Atlantic Avenue on-ramp to the eastbound (Queens-bound) Brooklyn-Queens Expressway”; and (3) an update “on plans for streetscape improvements at Fulton Ferry Landing and possibly other matters” by Christopher Hrones, the Downtown Brooklyn transportation coordinator for the Department of Transportation. CB2 committee meetings are open to the public. Details on Wednesday’s Land Use Committee meeting follow the jump.

The Land Use Committee will meet on Wednesday evening, October 19, also starting at 6:00, in Room LC400 of the Dibner Building of NYU-Polytechnic (see map, 5 MetroTech Center. The following matters affecting local properties are on the agenda: (1) “89 Joralemon Street – Brooklyn Heights Historic District – Application is replace deteriorating brownstone stucco newel posts and adjacent brownstone stucco low fence”; (2) “135 Plymouth Street – DUMBO Historic District – Application is to create a new building entry with new storefront at one of the existing truck bays on Plymouth Street”; and (3) “146 Hicks Street – Brooklyn Heights Historic District – Application is to replace damaged asbestos-cement siding.”

Riverside Garage Proposal Raises its Head Again

Claude Scales — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:31:11 +0000

Over three years ago, we noted that the proposal by landlord Pinnacle Group to build a parking garage in the courtyard between the A.T. White Riverside Apartments and the BQE, which would entail destruction of a grove of mature trees (see photo) as well as disruption of tenants’ lives, was “proving harder to kill than Rasputin.” Just over a year ago, the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal denied Pinnacle’s request to re-open its previously denied application for permission to construct the garage. Earlier this year, a court upheld the DHCR’s decision. Now, it seems, Pinnacle’s ba-a-a-ack.

Ben Bankson, President of the Willowtown Association, has received a message from Bill Ringler, President of the Riverside Tenants’ Association, reporting that Pinnacle’s attorney, Ken Fisher, has persuaded the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission to allow a modification to the permit for the garage which would relocate the entrance to the garage, and that the modification was allowed without any public hearing (though Pinnacle asserts that ther was one), and Pinnacle is now reapplying to the DHCR, seeking a third bite at the apple. The Riverside tenants have until Wednesday, October 26 (two weeks from yesterday) to respond to Pinnacle’s petition to the DHCR, and they are considering how to proceed and exploring options as to legal representation.

Bankson contacted Judy Stanton, Executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association, who said she was not notified of the application to the LPC for modification of the permit. She is looking into the matter further.

Update: I’ve amended the text above, based on Bill Ringler’s comment below.

Squadron, Millman, Levin call for Tourist Helicopter Ban

Claude Scales — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 17:06:08 +0000

Following yesterday’s fatal helicopter crash in the East River, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblywoman Joan Millman, and City Council Member Steve Levin, along with other local elected officials, have called for “a complete ban on all tourist helicopters from Manhattan’s dangerous air corridors, including the city’s rivers and harbors.”

According to Senator Squadron:

Yesterday’s tragedy is another clear sign: nonessential helicopters in Manhattan don’t make sense for passengers, pilots, or local residents. My colleagues and I have long called for better regulation of helicopters in New York. There are still many questions about yesterday’s flight. The fact that this helicopter was a privately-run tour from a heliport that was not supposed to run tours shows that today’s regulations don’t work. Simply put, nonessential flights in and out of Manhattan pose too great a risk.

Assemblywoman Millman said:

Yesterday’s unfortunate accident again demonstrates the urgent need to immediately end tourist helicopter tours. We have witness[ed] too many incidents. The City claims these tours generate needed funds, but at what price! Our sympathy for the Nicholson family who lost their daughter Sonia Marra Nicholson in this horrific crash.

Council Member Levin added:

Yesterday’s accident was a horrific and unnecessary tragedy. My deepest condolences go out to all those who were affected by the accident. As our communities have been saying for years, sightseeing and other nonessential helicopters are not just nuisances, they are dangerous. It is time for the city to create a real helicopter policy that protects the safety of both New Yorkers and the millions of tourists who visit our city every year. It is time for a total ban of nonessential helicopters.

Massage Parlor Coming to Remsen Street?

Claude Scales — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:35:17 +0000

The following item is on the agenda of the Community Board 2 Land Use Committee’s meeting beginning at 6:00 p.m. this coming Wednesday, September 21, at room 2400 of the Dibner Building, NYU Polytechnic, 5 MetroTech Center:

Stefanie Marazzi, Esq., with the Law Office of Slater & Beckerman LLP, will present Board of Standards and Appeals Application #105-11, for a special permit to operate the Massage Envy Spa, a “physical culture establishment” as defined in the Zoning Resolution (PDF), at 147 Remsen Street.

Also on the agenda is a discussion of the business terms of the partial sale of the Municipal Building, at Court and Joralemon streets, for use as a retail space. Representatives of the City’s Economic Development Corporation will be present to address this issue. On August 15, Mayor Bloomberg announced that United American Land had bee selected to develop the property.

Finally, the Committee will consider the following applications for modification of properties within the Brooklyn Heights Historic District:

156 Hicks Street — Application is to modify a bay window and install a deck.
265 Hicks Street — Application is to construct a rooftop addition, install a balcony and alter openings.
46 Willow Street — Application is to match the existing dormer on one side of the house, replace the existing windows, enlarge the top floor space and re-siding the existing addition.

Image: C. Scales for BHB.