BMT, CRC, ETC

I hope February's first four days have been favorable for you. If not, the following items could help turn things around.

I hope February's first four days have been favorable for you. If not, the following items could help turn things around.

First, have you taken the Cobble Hill Association(CHA) survey on the Brooklyn Marine Terminal (BMT) Waterfront Redevelopment yet? Please do so as soon as possible if you haven't already done so. We(CB6 and CHA) are partnering as BMT Task Force members to circulate and analyze the results, so we encourage all neighborhoods to participate. To see all the documents and information we've received as task force members, go to bit.ly/bmtcb6cha. 

Second, our next full board meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 12th, starting at 6:30 PM. It will be held in a hybrid format: in person at Van Alen and virtually on Zoom. It will include votes on liquor licenses and landmark applications. For more information, go to bit.ly/CB6Feb12FB.

Third, falling into the category of last but not least, two weeks ago, Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso appointed me to the New York Council's Charter Revision Commission(CRC). I'm incredibly thankful to BP Reynoso for this opportunity. A common reaction to the announcement has been, "Congrats. What's a CRC, and what does it do?" so I'll do my best to answer those questions. The charter is the city's governing document (consider it the city's constitution). When a CRC is formed, it reviews the charter and then makes recommendations that are voted on in the general election, as has happened in 1898, 1901, 1938, 1963, 1975, 2018, and 2024.

In 2024, you may remember that there were six questions in addition to your ballot having the presidential, federal, and state legislature elections. Questions 2 through 6, which increased the mayor's power regarding public safety, budget, and oversight, resulted from a CRC; 4 of 5 were approved, and unless you are intensely involved with implementing changes, you probably haven't heard or thought much about them since. 

That isn't to say those charter revisions won't have an impact, but some have resulted in things we deal with daily. For example, In 1898, New York City became New York City by consolidating into five boroughs after being approved by voters. With almost 130 thousand people voting, Brooklyn approved the measure with a margin of only 267 votes. Some, occasionally including myself, referred to this as the "mistake of 98" well into the 20th & 21st centuries. Another example would be the creation of community boards(CB) and the Uniform Land Use Review Process (ULURP), as we know them, which resulted from a CRC in 1975. 

You may wonder what this CRC will recommend and when those recommendations will be on the ballot. Other than not reversing the" mistake of 98," I don't know, and on timing, due to a concurrent Mayoral CRC, they'll be on the ballot either this year or next. However, regardless of timing, I can tell you three things I'll be focused on: comprehensive planning, CB reform, and hearing from you. So, let me know if you have any ideas, suggestions, comments, or questions. While we're letting each other know things. I'll share that I've been preparing by reading, re-reading, and compiling related materials and placing them in a folder at bit.ly/crcreading. 

That's enough typing for today, so I'll stop here. I suggest you scroll down and read the rest of this email, but I wish you the best no matter what you decide. 

This is the web archive of a newsletter originally sent by email to Brooklyn Community Board 6 subscribers on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. The email edition may contain additional event listings and links.