Members

St.  Stephen’s United Church of God Outreach Inc.

Association of Hispanic Ministers (Interdenominational)

Williamsburg Spanish Seventh Day Adventist Church

106 Gerry Street Tenants Association

St. Peter Claver Roman Catholic Church

All Saints Corp.

Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Church

Nuestros Niños Child Development School

St. Lucy – St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church

St. Martin de Porres Roman Catholic Parish

United Neighbors Organization

Our Lady of Monserrate Roman Catholic Church

Bushwick United Headstart

Community & Parents Day Care

St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church

Cooper Park Tenants Association

St. Nicholas Neighborhood Preservation Corp.

Passionist Community of Our Lady of Monserrate Roman Catholic Church

El Puente

All Saints Roman Catholic Church

Central Jewish Council

First Spanish Presbyterian Church

Los Sures Community Development Company, Inc.

Mary of Nazareth Roman Catholic Parish

United Jewish Community Advocacy Relations and Enrichment (UJCARE)

Pratt Institute – Newman Club

41 Whipple Street Tenants Association

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow

Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church

Passionist Center for Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation at North Brooklyn

Marcy Houses Tenant Association

St. Brigid’s Roman Catholic Church

Trinity Human Services

Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church

Primera Iglesia Getsemani (Pentecostal)

Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church

Most Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Church

St. Michael – St. Edward Roman Catholic Church

Save Our Southside

Bushwick Housing Independence Project

Brooklyn Legal Services Corporation A, Counsel

On Wednesday, November 26, 2008 the Broadway Triangle Community Coalition delivered 3800 letters to HPD Commissioner Donovan demanding that he re-start the planning process only after hearing from the entire community.  Below you will find the letter sent to Comissioner Donovan.

November 26, 2008

Patrick Blanchfield, AICP

Director of Environmental Review

New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development

100 Gold Street, Room 9V-3

New York, NY 10038

Dear Mr. Blanchfield:

RE: Response to Broadway Triangle Rezoning Scope

I am writing to express my strong opposition to the planning process, the public scoping meeting and the entire plan to rezone and amend Urban Renewal Plan for the area known as the Broadway Triangle, presented at the meeting on November 17, 2008.

First, the process for community input and planning which led the city up to this scoping meeting has been far too limited. This process did not include a true representation of area residents or community groups. This has led to a project scope and a proposed rezoning which seems to have considered the views of only two community groups, and therefore has not fully considered a number of important issues:

• The area covered by the plan: Why is the plan considering only a small area of the Broadway Triangle? Now that the Pfizer plant is closed, our community needs to have a voice in what will happen to the buildings and all the land that is left.

• Housing: Our community desperately needs affordable housing, but this plan limits building heights through the zoning to eight stories at most. Since this is almost the last open area left to build on in our community, we feel the City should at least consider building taller buildings, like those at Lindsay Park across the street and the new buildings on the waterfront.  In addition to allowing more housing units, this might also allow more space for parks and for existing and new small businesses which provide jobs and opportunity for local residents.

The plan also needs to address the issue of equal access to new housing for all community residents. Much of the housing built in the last ten years seems to have been open only to one segment of the community.

We cannot allow all available low income housing tax credits to be absorbed by a select few organizations within CB1 while not maximizing affordability on the waterfront, which was promised in the 2005 rezoning.

The levels of affordability for the housing that does get built MUST reflect this community’s definition of affordability. This translates to families earning between 30-60% AMI.  For a family of four at 40% AMI, that could be a teacher’s aide with a PT retail associate spouse, who together earn just $30,720 a year. A family of four at 50% AMI could be a clerical worker and a home care attendant earning $38,400.  60% AMI could be a police officer and a social service worker earning $46,080.

• Jobs and Small Business: Our community needs economic development through permanent jobs, and yet the proposed plan could push out existing small businesses and take their land. A plan for the Broadway Triangle needs to consider jobs for old and new residents and allow existing businesses, which have employed local residents for decades, to thrive and grow.

• Open Space: Our community needs open space and space for recreation. The proposed plan has little open space and considers open space as private courtyards within the relatively small proposed buildings. A plan for the Broadway Triangle needs to consider the open space needs of all residents, old and new.  Our communities of North and Central Brooklyn are starved for public open space. The plan also needs to consider the need for both outdoor and indoor recreational and community space for youth and older adults.  

• Transportation: The plan MUST also address the extensive public transportation needs and traffic impacts of rezoning the area, particularly since the MTA has severe structural deficits and has proposed service cuts to three (3) of the trains that serve the area.

I believe that many of these issues will be raised at the Broadway Triangle Community Coalition-sponsored community visioning workshop (“charrette”), planned for December 3, 2008.  I demand that you respect the findings of that charrette and include them in the Broadway Triangle EIS.

Sincerely,

Name                                                                                                              

Address                                                                        Apt.                  Zip:                

Telephone Number                                                                                           

CC:

Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Deputy Mayor Patricia E. Harris

Commissioner Purnima Kapur

Commissioner Amanda M. Burden, DCP

Commissioner Shaun Donovan, HPD

Deputy Mayor Robert Leiber

Council Member Diana Reyna

Council Member David Yassky

Council Member Albert Vann

Assemblyman Vito Lopez

Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol

NYS Senator Martin M. Dilan

Congressman Edolphus Towns

Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez