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April 9, 2009
Wiki Wednesday: Community Boards
StreetsBlog.org
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz's Community Board 6 purge is a shining example of how Borough Presidents express what little power they have over neighborhood developments. It was only to be outdone by the former Bronx BP and current Director of Urban Affairs in the Obama administration.
Still worse, in May of 2007 Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz "purged" Community Board 6 of nine members who had voted against the Atlantic Yards development he supports. After an even more dramatic purge of Bronx CB6 surrounding the Yankees Stadium proposal, Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrion was quoted to have said, "My very clear expectation is that these appointees are there to carry out a vision for the borough president and the leadership of this borough, and that's simply what I expect."
NoLandGrab: It's worth noting that the Bronx CB's vote on the Yankee Stadium proposal was part of the official NYC land-use review procedure, while Brooklyn CB6's vote was a purely symbolic declaration that accompanied the Board's comments submitted to the NYS land-use review. Thus, CB6's vote would only have been a small footnote in the history of the Atlantic Yards fight, if not for Markowitz's dramatic action.
Posted by lumi at April 9, 2009 4:48 AM