BED STUY RESIDENTS QUESTION REZONING PROPOSAL
City Councilwoman, Darlene Meally Demands Answers
By Keith L. Forest
What started out as an uneventful Community Board meeting turned chaotic as New York City Planning Committee presented its amended rezoning presentation. City Councilwoman Darlene Mealy, who represents Brooklyn’s 41st District, blindsided City Planners when she charged that their presentation omits proposed rezoning code E185. This code, according to Mealy, disvalues property by labeling certain addresses as environmentally unsafe. Ms. Mealy and her associates, which included an E185 landowner, challenged the committee to run standard test on these properties prior to infringing the code. City Planning Officials stated that the tests were costly and could only be done at the owner’s expense.
Attendees also questioned the affordable housing incentives given to developers and demanded to know what constitutes “affordable housing.” A City of New York Housing & Preservation Department (HPD) spokesperson classified affordable housing as a median income of $75K for a family of 4. When questioned where HPD derived at that figure, the spokesperson acknowledge that it consist of the average income of all of New York City and is neither Borough nor neighborhood specific. After an hour of question and answers and mild disturbances, Housing and Land Use committee adjourned the presentation by encouraging attendees to submit unanswered questions, issues and concerns in writing for further review.
Earlier in the meeting, The December 12 Committee presented a special video presentation of Councilman Al Vann’s City Council speech supporting his districts Sonny Carson. In the video Vann informed fellow City Council members that their vote is not a vote for him or Christine Quinn, but “a vote for integrity and principle.” The final vote, which was drawn along racial lines, was 25 against, 15 for with 4 absence and 7 abstentions. Vann, who was in attendance, received a standing ovation.
During the informational presentation, Mary Jemison, Chair of the Health & Hospital Committee, introduced The Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (BLCA) associate, Divinah Bailey. Ms. Bailey gave a presentation on the state of the HIV/AIDS in Brooklyn and challenged attendees to show their support by joining BLCA at 5:00 PM, June 27, on the steps of City Hall for a Press Conference to kick off National HIV/AIDS Testing Day. Other Health & Hospital presentations included Brooklyn Prenatal Network and Local 1199 who is hosting a town hall meeting at 6:00 PM, Wednesday, June 13, at Medgar Evers College Auditorium to discuss its proposed universal health plan.
CB3’s June meeting is the last publicly held forum prior to summer recess. Outgoing Board Chair Beatrice P. Jones took the opportunity to reflect on the board’s accomplishments under her administration and to personally thank fellow committee members for their support. The meeting opened with a brief introduction of CB3’s newly appointed committee members which now total 50.
Keith L. Forest is a freelance publicist, writer and proud Bedord-Stuyvesant home owner who lives and works in the beloved community. His current blog space mybedstuy.blogspot.com seeks to celebrate the people and places that make up this great community while addressing issues such as gentrification, predatory lending and other ill norms that seek to exploit, discredit and harm the area and its people.
City Councilwoman, Darlene Meally Demands Answers
By Keith L. Forest
What started out as an uneventful Community Board meeting turned chaotic as New York City Planning Committee presented its amended rezoning presentation. City Councilwoman Darlene Mealy, who represents Brooklyn’s 41st District, blindsided City Planners when she charged that their presentation omits proposed rezoning code E185. This code, according to Mealy, disvalues property by labeling certain addresses as environmentally unsafe. Ms. Mealy and her associates, which included an E185 landowner, challenged the committee to run standard test on these properties prior to infringing the code. City Planning Officials stated that the tests were costly and could only be done at the owner’s expense.
Attendees also questioned the affordable housing incentives given to developers and demanded to know what constitutes “affordable housing.” A City of New York Housing & Preservation Department (HPD) spokesperson classified affordable housing as a median income of $75K for a family of 4. When questioned where HPD derived at that figure, the spokesperson acknowledge that it consist of the average income of all of New York City and is neither Borough nor neighborhood specific. After an hour of question and answers and mild disturbances, Housing and Land Use committee adjourned the presentation by encouraging attendees to submit unanswered questions, issues and concerns in writing for further review.
Earlier in the meeting, The December 12 Committee presented a special video presentation of Councilman Al Vann’s City Council speech supporting his districts Sonny Carson. In the video Vann informed fellow City Council members that their vote is not a vote for him or Christine Quinn, but “a vote for integrity and principle.” The final vote, which was drawn along racial lines, was 25 against, 15 for with 4 absence and 7 abstentions. Vann, who was in attendance, received a standing ovation.
During the informational presentation, Mary Jemison, Chair of the Health & Hospital Committee, introduced The Black Leadership Commission on AIDS (BLCA) associate, Divinah Bailey. Ms. Bailey gave a presentation on the state of the HIV/AIDS in Brooklyn and challenged attendees to show their support by joining BLCA at 5:00 PM, June 27, on the steps of City Hall for a Press Conference to kick off National HIV/AIDS Testing Day. Other Health & Hospital presentations included Brooklyn Prenatal Network and Local 1199 who is hosting a town hall meeting at 6:00 PM, Wednesday, June 13, at Medgar Evers College Auditorium to discuss its proposed universal health plan.
CB3’s June meeting is the last publicly held forum prior to summer recess. Outgoing Board Chair Beatrice P. Jones took the opportunity to reflect on the board’s accomplishments under her administration and to personally thank fellow committee members for their support. The meeting opened with a brief introduction of CB3’s newly appointed committee members which now total 50.
Keith L. Forest is a freelance publicist, writer and proud Bedord-Stuyvesant home owner who lives and works in the beloved community. His current blog space mybedstuy.blogspot.com seeks to celebrate the people and places that make up this great community while addressing issues such as gentrification, predatory lending and other ill norms that seek to exploit, discredit and harm the area and its people.
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