Community Board 3 Meets: April 2012

Community Board 3 held its monthly meeting Monday night.

The meeting, chaired by Henry L. Butler, was conducted to a full house of residents and a few elected officials, including District Leaders Walter T. Mosley and Robert Cornegy, City Councilmember Al Vann and Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries.

Much of the evening’s discussion centered around the upcoming million-dollar Nostrand Avenue revitalization project and the City’s plans to hire minority and/or local contractors, and whether to approve a liquor license for a new bar opening up on Fulton Street.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Divinah Bailey, executive director of Watchful Eye announced that the UniverSoul Circus will be returning to Brooklyn, at the Floyd Bennett Field, and on April 22, and 25, Watchful Eye will be on hand to conduct free HIV testing. Also, on April 27 will take part in the Life Changes Award Gala at Medgar Evers College, the first fundraiser for Watchful Eye.

Informational Presentations:

I. A Special Presentation by: April Tyler of the NYC Comptroller’s Office to provide important information on the NYC Property Tax Lien 2012:

• There is help available for homeowners who have water liens, but May 17 is the last day you can make a payment agreement and list your property as exempt with the Dpt of Finance or Dpt of Environmental Protection before the lien is sold.
• Seniors, veterans, some disabled or those on active military duty are the four categories that can be taken off the list. (4 categories); those four groups must still pay taxes, but their liens will not be sold to investors.
• So it’s really important that homeowners know that they can set up a payment agreement with the city with zero money down payment and can stretch the payments out to as much as ten years.
• The city will not come looking for you; you have to self-identify and apply. So please help get the world out. There are 750 people in Bed-Stuy on the list. The Comptroller’s office has a community assistance center you can call to walk you through the process.
• Also April 4 and May 7 are Help Night for people who want more information on how to complete the process. You have to owe two years or $3,000 of water taxes to be on the list. The actual date for the lien sale is still undetermined.

II. A special presentation by Maria Centeno, of the New York City Department of Design and Construction Community Outreach Committee and Thomas Wynne, NYC DDC Construction Management regarding the construction of Nostrand Avenue (Flushing Avenue to Atlantic Avenue), a $23.5 million project slated to begin May 14 through Fall of 2014.

• Why is this project necessary? Because Nostrand Avenue is aging and is beyond its useful life. Will be holding several different design meetings with the CB3, ongoing coordination meetings will continue. 910 consecutive calendar days. Work hours 7-4 pm, Monday – Friday
• The construction will move in three phases

1. Nostrand Ave between Greene and Flushing is first

2. Nostrand Ave between Atlantic and Halsey is second, and

3. Nostrand Ave between Halsey and Greene Ave (to get full map, go to Department of Design and Construction).

• The scope of work includes removal of trolley tracks, installation of water main, new hydrants, new pavement, manholes, installation of sewers
• Bioswales will be installed; they’re like tree pits. Storm water from the street will flow in the bioswale and water the trees and plants; it’s designed to drain down quickly, and can reduce street flooding during storms.
• There will installation of bus stops (on the select bus service), meant to improve transportation and flow of traffic
• Community Impact: There will be advanced notification to public, traffic enforcement agents; merchant deliveries will not be allowed in active construction zones. Parking may be temporarily restricted; certain operations will be noisy; there will be some water service interruptions; a rodent survey will be performed prior to construction and rodent control; stations will be installed by a professional rodent control contractor; Also, there will be fewer parking spaces.

Nelson Stout pointed out that the work that you’ve seen going on now is ConEd and National Grid, who have been working to clear out pipes. All questions pertaining to the construction should be directed to the DDC.

--The question was raised of whether a certain number of set aside work will be offered to Minority and Women Owned Businesses and Enterprises (MWBEs) or local contractors.

--DDC’s Thomas Wynne answered: The contractors are private, and they decide on their sub-contractors.

--Board members and participants were not satisfied with his answer, pressing him to clarify how many contractors will be employed who are MWBE and whether the main contractor has accountability to report this prior to the project’s start, as should be outlined in all contracts before work begins.

--Wynne said he will look into that at their next meeting with the contractor. But often time sub-contractors are secured at different points through the project’s duration, and so not all MWBE’s will be identified at the outset of the project. 

Budget Update from Hakeem Jeffries: They just concluded the budget process in Albany last week, and they are now on recess for next two weeks. However, from the budget standpoint, there were several meaningful successes:

• First: In terms of Education Budget, the one they passed included an additional $8 million for public schools, specifically for high-need schools like those in Bed-Stuy’s neighborhoods;
• Also, they were able fully restore money back into budget for foreclosure prevention and relief;
• Healthcare, results were mixed: Kingsborough Psychiatric Center will remain open; Downstate Hospital will remain in tact. However, with Interfaith and its situation (there’s a proposed consolidation of Interfaith Brooklyn Hosptial and Wykoff, and people were concerned about a loss of beds at Interfaith, as a result of that consolidation). They are still trying to work through the details, said Jeffries. “The proposal is still on the table. But we will need your support and input and thoughts.”

PUBLIC HEARING

The Economic Development Committee held a public hearing on a request for a letter of support for a Liquor License for Andrew J. Andrews, LLC, located at 1088, Fulton Street, btw Classon and Franklin Aves.

• The store’s two owners would like to set up a dining and drinking establishment (a bar): “Want to be a part of the Bed-Stuy Renaissance. The space we’re looking at has been empty for ten years. We believe the establishment will bring positive energy and vitality to the area, especially at night. We are confident that it will be a beautiful, intimate and great place to hang out.”

Several board members and community members spoke out in objection of another establishment that serves liquor: “Maybe you didn’t get the memo or email, but the last thing we need in our community is another liquor establishment,” said one community member. Others agreed and also objected to the fact the bar would be open on Sundays as late as 3:00am.

However the owners insisted they were within regulation, as far as the bar’s location and distance from the nearest house of worship. The debate about whether to grant them a liquor license belabored for almost 30 minutes. Until finally, the committee’s recommendation was to issue a letter of support following a vote of 23 “yes,” 16 “no” and one abstention.

The board decided to follow the committee’s recommendation.