BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 6
ECONOMIC/WATERFRONT/COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & HOUSING COMMITTEE
NOVEMBER 18, 2013
ATTENDANCE
PRESENT:
N. COX A. DEVENING G. FAETH
E. FELDER V. HERAMIA A. KOZYR
A. KRASNOW M. LEAR R. LUFTGLASS
S. MATTHEWS D. MAZZUCA M. RACIOPPO
D. SCOTTO M. SILVERMAN J. STRABONE
T. TAYLOR
EXCUSED:
N. BERK-RAUCH C. CALABRESE R. CERVONE
ABSENT:
R. BASHNER L. KERSAVAGE
GUESTS:
C. CARDENAS J. ROCHFORD
*** MINUTES ***
Presentation and discussion with representatives for the Economic Development Corporation and the Port Authority on topical areas of interest to our district including but not limited to ferry service, shore power initiative, Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Red Hook Containerport and Cross Harbor tunnel.
Rick Luftglass announced that EDC had cancelled their presentation. The committee will invite them back in early 2014.
Presentation and discussion with representative for the Carroll Gardens Association, Inc. (CGA) on the findings from a recently-held community session for the development of a Commercial Corridor Action Plan for the Columbia Waterfront.
Vilma Hermania introduced Lindsay Donnellon, Carroll Gardens Association’s Community Program Coordinator, who described the Columbia Waterfront District Commercial Vision workshop that CGA sponsored on 11/6/13. She reviewed the workshop process and summarized the goals of the effort. CGA distributed a printed summary of the most important topics discussed during the breakout session.
Q: Why is the organization named Carroll Gardens Association if it is concerned with Columbia Waterfront?
A: Name was established many years ago; the organization works focuses primarily on the Columbia Waterfront district.
Q: How did the need for this activity arise? A: Local business owners have been interested in this for years; a local merchants association exists but is looking to CGA for coordination and guidance.
Q: Has funding been set aside? A: CGA is funded through various sources; for this activity CGA will apply for grants from various public sources.
Q: How will decisions be made about spending funds received? A: Final decisions will be made by the merchants association.
Q: Has a boundary for the “commercial corridor” been established? A: The entire Columbia Waterfront: Atlantic to Hamilton, Hicks to Van Brunt.
Q: Who is the action plan for? A: Any local organizations, agencies or entities.
Q: How many participants have stores? A: The majority were business owners, some of them have storefront studios.
Q: Are you expecting resistance to the suggestion to provide parking meters? A: Not a lot – merchants feel that metered parking will be good for business. Residents don’t want to lose parking spaces. One suggestion was to develop a public parking lot on land at the end of Sackett Street.
Q: What about the proposal for mixed zoning? A: There is concern that ground floor space is being used for residential which interrupts and limits the commercial potential. There is interest in determining if commercial ground floor use could be required.
Q: Is this effort really coming from the commercial community? A: CGA has been involved in discussions with various local merchants for years, trying to coalesce a workable group.
Q: What are your next steps? A: Continue to work with merchants association on developing a plan.
General Discussion
Ariel Krasnow reviewed some of the actions the Committee had taken over the previous 2 years with regard to NYCHA: Two town hall meetings and tours of the Housing Authority complexes. The Committee had hoped to have a follow up meeting with NYCHA but it was postponed due to Sandy. The Committee will try to revisit this topic in 2014.
Q: Does NYCHA do community outreach? A: They have many different departments with little coordination between them. It is important to get to the right groups and tenant organizations.
Ariel noted a couple of other topics the Committee could address:
Have the Fifth Avenue Committee present; they used to do that regularly. Encourage community involvement in development issues, especially with regard to housing.
The meeting ended with a brief discussion about assessing the availability of development sites in the district. Vilma noted that CGA is working with Pratt on a proposal to inventory developable property in CB 6 & 7. The study would assess housing need and zoning.
Minutes were submitted by Norman Cox.