BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 6
YOUTH/HUMAN SERVICES/EDUCATION COMMITTEE
DECEMBER 1, 2015
ATTENDANCE:
PRESENT:
P. BELLENBAUM E. CAUSIL-RODRIGUEZ R. CERVONE
K. ENO E. FELDER R. FREEMAN
K. GURL T. JACKSON C. ROBELLO
S. TURET R. UNDERWOOD
EXCUSED:
L. HILL P. LI
ABSENT:
F. BROWN J. BROWN F. JEAN
A. MEHTA A. SHEFRIN B. SOLOTAIRE
GUESTS:
V. SELL - REP. FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBER LANDER
J. HARVEY – REP. FOR ASSEMBLY MEMBER SIMON
K. OU M. MIRISOLA F. MALEY
J. BONN W. ADAMS
***MINUTES***
The meeting was called to order at 6:46 PM by committee co-chair, Paige Bellenbaum.
Public Hearing with CEC 15 and the School Construction Authority about construction of a new approximately 180-seat Pre-Kindergarten Facility at 197-201 9th Street aka 168-172 8th Street (Block 1003, Lot 11) between 3rd/4th Avenues, an undeveloped empty space.
Facility was introduced by Fred Maley, the Director of External Affairs at SCA, Kenrick Ou, Director of Real Estate Services at SCA, and Michael Mirisola, Director of External Affairs at SCA. Maley addressed issues of overcrowding in District 15 schools and at other UPK sites. The space is not big enough and does not meet their criteria for an elementary or middle school. Vicki Sell (representing CM Brad Lander) read Councilman Lander’s statement of support because of the district’s need for more Pre-K seats to reduce overcrowding. Nick Nyhan of the PTA President’s Council supports for the plan, but expressed need for more elementary and middle school seats as well as Pre-K. Robert Furman (President of Brooklyn Preservation Council), Eymund Diegel (local parent and environmental planner), Holly Fuchs (Society of Old Brooklynites and Brooklyn Preservation Council), Lorraine Muczym, Mimi Fries, and Tom Moore (CUNY Professor) expressed concern about the location of the proposed Pre-K center because it may be the historical burial site of American Revolutionary War Maryland 400 and Battle of Brooklyn soldiers. They want SCA or the state to dig before building the Pre-K center to ensure that this historical landmark is preserved, and suggested a backyard park or interactive memorial as a tribute to the Maryland 400 and Battle of Brooklyn soldiers inside the proposed Pre-K site.
Ildi Gritsayenko, Wayne Adams, and Adine Schuman are all neighbors of the site and expressed a need for more information about the location of the entrance to the school (8th Street vs. 9th Street sides), a proposed timeline for development, traffic studies, and other details, and expressed a desire for the community to be involved in the planning for the facility.
Motion was made by Paige Bellenbaum, seconded by Rob Underwood to conditionally approve SCA’s proposal based on the following conditions:
1) that the SCA provide the Community Board with a preliminary report on the State Historic Preservation Office's rulings, findings and recommendations related to the suggestion that the site may contain sensitive American Revolutionary War remains and/or artifacts;
2) that the SCA agree to return to the Community Board to present and review the designs for the facility when it is in the preliminary design phase;
3) that the SCA provide all environmental review data to the Community Board as soon as it becomes available, but certainly in advance of returning to us for the project design review;
4) that the SCA consider including a public art element in the project scope and that it generally follow the City's Percent for Art protocols which would ensure that the Community Board would be invited to participate in the artist selection and review of the art component. Also, that such an art element consider the community’s desire to see an appropriate tribute to the importance the site played in the American Revolutionary War and the people who died at the Battle of Brooklyn;
5) that the SCA either retain a private traffic consultant or reach out to the Department of Transportation to examine and consider traffic safety and traffic impacts in the early planning stages for this project; and,
6) that the SCA agree to participate in a Community Advisory Committee--consisting at a minimum of representatives for the Community Board, CEC15, local elected officials, and immediate neighbors and groups--which would be formed to facilitate the planning and to monitor the construction stage of the project to ensure that the community is kept engaged and able to actively work to minimize undue construction impacts.
Motion adopted unanimously (8:38pm)
The committee also unanimously voted to approve the minutes of the last meeting held on October 28, 2015.
There being no further business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned.
Minutes were submitted by Kara Gurl