BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 6
ECONOMIC/WATERFRONT/COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT & HOUSING
COMMITTEE
April 18, 2016
ATTENDANCE
PRESENT:
D. CARCACHE R. CERVONE J. FRANCIS
V. HERAMIA A. KRASNOW P. LI
R. LUFTGLASS D. RAMOS
EXCUSED:
R. BASHNER A. MEHTA A. SHEFRIN
ABSENT:
J. ALWAIS M. CABALLERO A. DEVENING
A. ROCK L. WELLINGTON D. WILLIAMS
GUEST:
A. SMITHWRICK I. DOUGHTY
***MINUTES***
Agenda: Committee planning meeting, an opportunity to discuss the mission and role of the committee and identify trends and topics for future agenda items.
Discussion: What can EWCDH do as a Committee to be more effective, and what should our priorities and goals be for the coming year? This committee typically does not have a mandate to vote on issues, but there are many concerns facing our community that we can have an impact upon. How can we be proactive, engage and educate people? What should our role be?
Committee Functions and Opportunities For the past few years, the EWCDH committee has functioned as an informational forum that provides updates and presentations by city agencies and non-profit organizations based on particular topics, and connections to projects such as the Gowanus BOA. Presenters included various speakers who updated us annually regarding upcoming projects and proposals, including the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, Port Authority, Economic Development Corporation, our Business Improvement Districts, IBZ's. The committee has also been involved in specific policy activities such as the Responsible Development policy, and waterfront development principles. In the absence of formal City Charter responsibilities, there are several functions and roles that the committee could take: Policy-making: Impact community issues (e.g. the responsible development policy) Outreach: Help to publicize local organization efforts such as job fairs, housing opportunities (what would be criteria?)
Education: Forum/ debate/ discussion on key issues (e.g. housing development, small business development) Studies: More, better information on which to make decisions
Committee structure options The meeting participants brainstormed several options to either regroup subcommittees or to energize and expand the activities of the committee: Should EWCDH remain grouped together, or are there other committees that make more sense to be linked together? Option 1: The current committee structure could still work the way it is, but with more robust and proactive activities as identified in Functions and Opportunities. The four committee topics are often interconnected (e.g.; waterfront concerns have often been related to economic development, and community development is generally defined as including mostly affordable housing and economic opportunity). Option 2: Housing and Land Use could be grouped together, particularly in this time of increased housing through land use changes. (In addition, Land Use and Landmarks are typically at cross purposes), Option 3: Waterfront could be combined with Open Space – Parks, Recreation?
NOTE: Before a 2009 reorganization, Housing was with Human Services)
Housing Committee Ideas: 1. NYCHA: In 2012 EWCDH held “Town Hall” meetings for the Gowanus, Wyckoff and Warren Street, and for Red Hook Houses. The intent was to engage NYCHA residents, offer a venue by which the Community Board could hear issues and advocate for solutions. In 2014 tenant leaders met with the committee and the district office to review the findings, discuss issues and engage the Community Board to provide assistance. Consideration was given to meeting regularly (quarterly). Housing Committee could: a. Existing Resident Concerns: Form a regular NYCHA working group (reach out to NYCHA Board members). b. NextGen NYCHA Development: Provide discussion related to upcoming ULURP for new construction at Wyckoff Gardens.
2. Housing Topics: from Carroll Gardens Association a. Affordable Red Hook Campaign: This is a series of workshops related to housing affordability that came out of an alliance between CGA, RHI, and Good Shepherd. CB6 could help to publicize the event. b. Affordable Housing Fair: Similar to the Jobs Fair that Y/HS/E has done, this would bring together experts, exhibitors, practitioners on issues of tenancy, financial assistance, housing management, etc. c. Community Benefits: As a committee we could and should be more active to enforce CBA where they exist and when they are requested. (for all large developments) i. There is interest to review CB6 current responsible developer agreement, and look at how to hold developers accountable. This issue comes up regularly. Maybe it is time to act. Responsible Development Policy:
http://www.brooklyncb6.org/committees/?a=detail&content_id=45 (see CB6 website under “links of interest”) ii. Health care/ Emergency Rooms: lack of overall hospital plan for development. We are in a bad position related to available hospital care. d. Fiscal and Economic Impact: Request for information to be provided by developers on how their project will impact existing services, etc.
3. Housing Development: a. A number of developments are in progress or about to come before CB6. EWCDH could present a “workshop" related to the next wave of development (Fortis, Key Food, Wyckoff Gardens, potential Gowanus rezoning, Atlantic Yards, etc.) The panel could include a housing expert, historic preservationist, urban planner, public representative, economist, geographer, social scientist; etc. Panel should include opposing positions and stimulate discussion. b. Housing is a special and different issue given the magnitude of its focus right now. The Mayors plan, the wealth of development potential, and the enormity with which projects can happen – makes it stand apart from the other committees. c. Also, with housing comes other needs such as: infrastructure, parking, schools, transportation, evacuation planning, etc d. What responsibilities do developers have to the community? Can we create a “Responsibility Overlay” for new development? This would include resiliency design, and could build on the Responsible Development Policy approved in 2011 (see above). e. Focus on specific developments for discussion: Fortis/LICH site will probably be the first project to go through ULURP so we should have a session prior to ULURP certification, to analyze the potential plans for inclusionary housing, school, playground, park – so we are ahead of the issues when they come to us.
Waterfront Committee Ideas: 1. Red Hook Container Terminal: CB6 could take a greater role in helping to chart the course for this tremendous asset within our community. (From CGA list)
2. General Requirements for the waterfront: What are key questions and can CB6 create criteria by which to evaluate development: access, resiliency, open space 3. Mayors Waterfront Plan to revitalize the waterways: Request that the city comes to talk to the Waterfront committee. Are we doing the best we can with the waterways for business, recreation, transportation? a. The Ferry project has gone before transportation. Presentations should be coordinated with Waterfront too.
4. Committee: Waterfront & Community Development: Is this in the correct committee? Should waterfront be with open space – Parks, Recreation? Or with Transportation?
Economic Development Ideas: 1. Community Based Incubator/Center: CB6 could help to bring the right agencies, organizations and people together to discuss what services are or are not currently available, and what options there may be to advocate for a center or for coordinated service to help new businesses survive through their start-up phase and stabilize their ventures.
One idea is to bring EDC and the business-support organizations together and put this idea before them: (See Daniel Ramos, Brooklyn Community Business Partnership proposal) a. Chamber of Commerce (lawyers, businesspeople) b. Economic Development Corporation c. Small Business Administration d. Small Business Services e. Work Force 1 2. EWCDH Chairs should follow up with Craig to get EDC back to the committee to discuss the Mayors Plan for Industrial Development.