BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 6
ECONOMIC/WATERFRONT/COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & HOUSING
COMMITTEE
JANUARY 11, 2016
ATTENDANCE
PRESENT:
J. ALWAIS R. BASHNER R. CERVONE
V. HERAMIA A. KRASNOW R. LUFTGLASS
A. MEHTA D. RAMOS
EXCUSED:
J. FRANCIS J. LI
ABSENT:
M. CABALLERO D. CARCACHE A. DEVENING
A. ROCK A.SHEFRIN L. WELLINGTON
D. WILLIAMS
GUEST:
HON.BRAD LANDER, CITY COUNCIL MEMEBER
C. ZINNEL- REP. FOR HON. BRAD LANDER, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER
S.CHARLOP- REP. FOR BRAD LANDER, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER
S. TARR S. MOLHOLLAND J. BISCAINO
L. ZENG R. CALVO M. CARR
J. TORIO B. ECLA A. FISHER
A. HALL M. MARESE I. RAMIREZ
M. CASTILLO S. FLINT C. PRITCHARD
MINUTES
Motion to approve Committee minutes from October 19, 2015 is approved (no quorum)
UPDATE:
Regarding the Street Vendor Project and possible related legislation. EWCDH requested Councilmembers Brad Lander, Steve Levin, Carlos Menchaca and the Chair of the Small Business Committee to present the street vending related issues to the committee. They are expected to
attend the February meeting (to be confirmed).
Community Affairs liaison from Mayor’s CAU is arranging for a presentation to the committee on the Mayor’s Plan to Grow 21st Century Industrial and Manufacturing Jobs. Possibly also in February.
The Carroll Gardens Association (CGA) presented two separate projects: 1. Affordable Housing Preservation
2. Worker Cooperative
Presentation and discussion with representatives for the Department of Housing
Preservation and Development and the Carroll Gardens Association, Inc. on a proposal (CEQR #15HPD085K) to amend a previously approved project, including an amended Land Disposition Agreement and Urban Development Area Action Plan that would allow the sale of an approximately 1,991 square foot vacant lot and its subsequent redevelopment as a four unit residential building at 163 Columbia Street (between Kane/Degraw Streets).
1. Affordable Housing Preservation: New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) began by presenting the proposal (CEQR 15HPD085K) to amend a previously amended Land Disposition Agreement and Urban Development Action Area Plan (UDAAP). The amendment will to allow CGA to sell property it owns at 163 Columbia Street (Kane/Degraw; Block 319, Lot12) which is currently restricted in its use, to be developed as a residential building.
Lin Zeng and Jocelyn Torio of HPD’s Brooklyn Planning Department presented the project timeline.
163 Columbia is a formerly city-owned site that is part of a group of seven properties which were disposed in 1991 to the South Brooklyn Renewal Associations (SBRA). CGA, as the General Partner of SBRA, developed six of the properties into 28 units of affordable housing through the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program. 163 Columbia St was required by HPD’s initial Land Use Disposition to remain open space. In 2012, as part of the LIHTC program’s Year 15 transition, the properties became the South Brooklyn Renewal HDFC, wholly owned by CGA. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy adversely impacted a number of CGA properties including South Brooklyn Renewal HDFC, putting an enormous strain on CGA resources. In 2013, Avery Hall Investments made an offer to CGA to purchase the property and build 4 units of housing. The original UDAAP agreement requires the lot to remain open space; so both the sale of the property and its use as market rate residential development require approval from the NYC Council and the Mayor.
Vilma Heramia, Executive Director of CGA (and CB6 member) presented Carroll Gardens Association’s local history and its full range of programs, and then focused on their affordable housing preservation and development which currently includes 150 affordable units. South Brooklyn Renewal HDFC is one of four projects in their portfolio. 163 Columbia is a 1,991 square foot lot that is not viable for affordable housing development. However, proceeds from the sale of 163 Columbia could go to CGA to preserve the South Brooklyn Renewal HDFC, and other properties, as well as predevelopment work for new units. South Brooklyn Renewal HDFC would remain permanent forever; whereas when the LIHTC restrictions are lifted in 2022 it could otherwise become market rate.
Councilmember Brad Lander submitted a Statement of Support and explained that his office has been working with CGA, HPD and Avery Hall to arrive at the proposed criteria for the sale of the property. HPD and CGA have agreed to permanent affordability for the 28 units of housing in South Brooklyn Renewal HDFC and additional funds that will help CGA pursue new affordable
housing development. In addition, the agreement also helped to secure protection for two local community gardens. The ownership of South Brooklyn Children’s Garden and Pirates Cove Community Garden will be transferred from HPD to the Parks Department so that both gardens will remain permanently parkland.
This action does not require a Community Board vote, however CGA wanted to keep the community informed of its intentions. Ariel Krasnow of the EWCDH Committee made a motion to support the Amended Land Use Disposition Agreement and Urban Development Action Area Program (UDAAP) for 163 Columbia Street; CEQR #15HPD085K; i.e. to support the sale by CGA of 163 Columbia Street for the purpose of market rate residential in return for the permanent preservation of 28 affordable housing units at South Brooklyn Renewal HDFC, additional CGA preservation and development efforts, as well as the preservation of two local gardens.
The motion was seconded and unanimously approved (without a quorum).
Presentation and discussion with representatives for the Carroll Gardens Association, Inc. on the organizing and development of a child care worker cooperative for the Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill and Columbia Waterfront that would provide training to nannies on such topics as Domestic Worker Rights, business development, worker cooperative development, and other skills related to the child care profession.
2. CGA Worker Cooperative Ben Fuller-Googins, Community Planner for CGA presented CGA’s child care worker cooperative that they are in the process of organizing. He explained the concept and reasons for creating a worker owned cooperative, for which there are numerous categories (business, food, housing) and he described the benefits of this democratic business model; how it is member-owned and will provide worker protections, development and marketing. New York City Council has supported the “movement” towards cooperative businesses with $1 to 2+ million earmarked for projects such as this CGA pilot. CGA was awarded funding for the cooperative project, and then identified the target need based on observation and local demographic investigation. Gale Johnson and Namrata Pradhan, two founding cooperative members, have both been employed locally as nannies for many years. (the women described themselves as “nannies”, the cooperative as “child-care workers”, but it was noted that “domestic worker” is also used). They became interested in the project in hopes of maintaining a job that they like and providing a service within a neighborhood that they love to work in. Namrata is also a member of the National Domicile Worker Alliance.
Questions: 1. How many perspective members of the cooperative? a. CGA has been doing outreach since April 2015. There has been a lot of initial distrust of the initiative, so it has taken a long time to gain interest. Currently there are 20 people who will begin with a 12-week curriculum to help develop the cooperative. They will become the founding members.
2. Will there be a prospective? 3. Will the cooperative have formalized contracts with employers?
4. What is the protocol for protection for workers (i.e. job security, proper payment)? For immigrant community there is a lot of exploitation of wages, etc.
5. What is the protocol for protection for employers? How will an employer know if there is an undocumented immigrant? Who will pay taxes, insurance and disability? What about worker shifting jobs without notice.
6. Who does the hiring? If the cooperative is an LLC, does the LLC hire and pay workers, or does the worker contract directly with the employer.
7. Who are the members? Is there a model for this? a. Answers will be determined as the Project develops. These are questions that will be answered by those who choose to become part of it and shape it.
8. Suggestion: Include some Moms (employers) on the Cooperative’s Board 9. Will there be reference checks on new members? 10. Possibility for a networking function 11. Temporary nanny services for when parent needs unscheduled help would be a good option.
There are a lot of questions about how the Cooperative will be formed and operated, but these questions will be worked out as the membership is trained and can help to identify what type of business they want to be.
Other business? Request to bring back one of the bus lines. Request for information on NYCHA Next Generation building program for Wyckoff Gardens
Meeting adjourned.
The minutes were submitted by Ariel Krasnow