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August 6, 2008
YOUR ROLE IN ATLANTIC YARDS DECISIONS
From the Park Slope Food Coop's Linewaiter's Gazette:
TO THE EDITOR:
Atlantic Yards Governance Act (A11395) is a piece of legislation presented to the State Assembly by 57th AD representative Hakeem Jeffries. Last Monday a press conference was held on the steps of City Hall in support. I doubt that anyone is aware of this legislation. Very few people attended the press conference.
The legislation would set up a new governance mechanism legitimizing the Forest City Ratner Corporation's (FCRCorporation) monopolistic privatization of the terrain around the Atlantic and Vanderbilt train yards between Prospect Heights and Fort Greene. Rather than setting up a new governance, elected officials can be defending the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) which is the legal way that residents have a role in vetting decisions about landuse in this city.
ULURP was debated for years, written into law and is included in the City Charter as section 190c. ULURP requires open public hearings facilitated by Community Boards in the affected area(s) and then a vote by the full city council... ULURP gives residents, community board members and local elected officials authority over landuse and development decisions.
Then governor (and Ratner-classmate) George Pataki assigned authority over the project soon after its announcement to his appointees on the states Empire State Economic Development Corporation (ESDC) using an arcane stipulation in the state constitution. They robbed residents and city officials of our authority and power assigned by the City Charter. Elected officials can defend our right to participate rather than set up new and diversionary procedures that contradict city law.
Now that the FCRCorporation's plan has been revised and re-revised and re-re-revised to the point that we don't know whether there is a plan, the situation is this: The militant local opposition, the failing economy, and the new governor open an opportunity to go back to the beginning and do this development decision the just manner and the legal manner- putting out a Request for Proposals to developers and putting each proposal through the ULURP process. We can tell our elected officials that we want them to struggle for a legal and just process.
Another distressing aspect of the press conference was that the person speaking on behalf of the community has no authority to do so. Gib Veconi never brought the proposal to support this legislation to the Park Place- Underhill Avenue Block Association of which we are both members. There was no discussion nor vote on whether the oldest civic organization in Prospect Heights supports or opposes the proposed legislation. It is painful to call a neighbor out, but honesty requires it.
The proposed legislation went over like a lead balloon‚ as Joe Maniscalco reported in the Park Slope Courier. Everyone concerned about the quality of life in Brooklyn can ask her/his elected official for a copy of the proposed legislation. If you oppose FCRCorporation's Atlantic Yards plan, get in touch with those officials and ask them to support an open process, not legitimize and Corporate land-grab.
In solidarity,
Susan Metz
Posted by lumi at August 6, 2008 4:46 AM