CB3 Meets: No Sanitation Garage for Bed-Stuy

Community Board 3 held its monthly meeting on Monday, February 6, at Restoration Plaza, led by board chairman Henry L. Butler.

Three issues that emerged Monday evening included an escalation of crime in the 81st precinct since the January meeting; the mayor’s Office of Management and Budget’s preliminary response to community board 3’s budget request, and the denial for a request to construct a sanitation garage in the neighborhood.

ELECTED OFFICIALS IN ATTENDANCE

City Councilmember Al Vann, District Leader Robert Cornegy and District Leader Walter Mosley

ANNOUNCEMENTS

--Captain Vanessa Kight of the 81st Precinct reported: Crime is up 40 percent in the last 28-day period. “We’re not doing so well,” said Kight. “What we’re dealing with most are burglaries, which have increased 73 percent in the past month.” Captain Kight said the highest concentration of burglaries is occurring around Decatur, Saratoga, MacDonough and Ralph. The precinct recently arrested four teens involved in an earlier robbery, and they are hoping that with their arrest, they will see a marked reduction in overall crime for now, said the captain.

--The drama team at Boys and Girls High School is inviting the community out to watch their latest play production, “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” this Saturday. One of the students presented background on the play and another student gave a dramatic rendition of one scene in the play (See video).

--Civil Court Judge Wavny Toussaint presented briefly. She’s running again for the same seat and would like the community’s support in her reelection.

-- Gordon Bell, executive vice president of Strategy and Business Development at Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation announced that BSRC is seeking young, “Emerging Leaders” to help guide their program development and policy as they look to install new community programs such as solar energy and geo-thermal projects. They need bright minds, age 35 and under willing to volunteer and become a part of the organization’s programming think-tank.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

• Economic Development: The will be holding an MWBE workshop, “Follow the Money 2012” that will help connect certified contractors with job opportunities; helpful tips on understanding fast-track options. The workshop will be on March 13, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Health and Social Services: “There have been rumors about the closing of Interfaith,” said vice chair Robert Cornegy. “At this time, the hospital will not close. But there will be some restructing taking place. We will discuss this and all other findings at the next meeting on February 7, 6:30pm in the board room at BSRC, 5th fl.
• Parks and Recreation: Gardens for Cities is accepting applications now to receive funding for greening projects. These applications can come from community development orgs, community gardens and block associations. Also, One Million Trees will be giving tree education course free.
• Landmark Committee: LPC has provided the committee an update on the status of the Stuyvesant Heights extension, and assures everyone there is movement and the committee should be hearing from them soon.
• Infrastructure and EP Committee: Prospect Park is holding an electronics drop off/recycling event on May 6, from 10- 4. The committee has requested benches be installed at the Franklin Street terminal and bus stop and also at the Utica station, in addition to a bus shelter.
• Religious Committee: Pastor Watterman made a plea to invite all pastors and churches to open their doors if they can and share their spaces, as beginning February 19, all schools will be closed as a space for worship for religious institutions.

--Tremaine Wright of the Budget Committee handed out copies of the mayor’s Office of Management and Budget’s preliminary response to community board 3’s budget request, and there was some good news about approved funding that OMB is moving on now. But there also were quite a number of items that were rejected (Bed-Stuy Patch will be publishing a separate story on the budget line items in the coming days), including funding to convert the Kosciuszko Pool into a year-round recreational facility; the reconstruction of Halsey Street from Tompkins Avenue to Broadway, and a comprehensive program to deal with rising unrest in police-community relations.

One rejected request, the construction of a sanitation garage in CB3, evoked complaints and some anger, as CB3 has continued to request a sanitation garage over the past 30 years. Currently, the neighborhood’s garage is housed in CB1, which houses 2 facilities already.

Nelson Stout, chair of the Infrastructure Committee, expressed ire: “I’m not trying to call anyone out, but one city councilwoman, Tish James, whom we elected and who now chairs the sanitation committee, has promised to make this happen for us,” said Stout. “She may have other political pursuits now, but we need to find out why this has not happened when it should have happened by now.”

PUBLIC HEARINGS

The owners of Brooklyn Stoops, a small diner located on 748 Myrtle Avenue, requested from the community a letter of support to sell alcoholic beverages, which will allow them to extend their hours into breakfast and also through the dinner hours. One CB participant added that in that the food was good and that in that block, there is no other spot that offers that type of dining experience. The owners want a full liquor license. Currently, the store is opened 7:30am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday; they open at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays and 9:30 a.m. on Sundays.