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August 17, 2009
Atlantic Yards Dominates Debate in District 35
Gotham Gazette
by Alex Kane
Here's a thorough rundown on the race in the 35th Council District, in which incumbent and staunch Atlantic Yards opponent Tish James faces two challengers, including the Atlantic Yards Community Benefits Agreement signatory and Forest City Ratner-backed Delia Hunley-Adossa.
The starkest contrast between James and Hunley-Adossa surrounds Atlantic Yards, which would lie partly in this district. James vehemently opposes it, while Hunley-Adossa supports it. In one way, the election battle in this district can be seen as a community referendum on the Atlantic Yards project.
..."I oppose an outside developer's vision for this community. ... I oppose the fact that low-income residents and small businesses are being displaced," said James. "I oppose the fact that this project wasn't subject to a vote by the City Council."
Hunley-Adossa said that Atlantic Yards will create "a lot of economic development, affordable housing, and [James] seems to have not engaged the developer into bringing forth some of these benefits to the community."
Estaphanos had largely minimized Atlantic Yards as a campaign issue and, in interviews, kept a neutral position on the development.
Money is a multi-pronged issue for Ms. Hunley-Adossa:
The other challenger, Hunley-Adossa, has raised $28,429, but is not eligible for matching funds, because the New York City Campaign Finance Board is auditing her filings. [emphasis, ours]
...When pressed, Hunley-Adossa refused to say how much money Forest City Ratner provided her organization and fired back by saying James had funded groups opposed to the development.
James said that she has given City Council money to the Council of Brooklyn Neighborhoods, a group that has criticized the project, and that she has personally contributed to Develop Don't Destroy Brooklyn, the main group opposing Atlantic Yards.
*NoLandGrab: One note — the caption under the lead photo says "Atlantic Yards." That photo, which documents Bruce Ratner's destruction of the landmark-eligible Ward Bakery building, would more accurately be captioned "the planned site of Atlantic Yards."
More Gotham Gazette election coverage...
Democratic Mayoral Candidates Would Plan from the Bottom Up
Hunter College urban affairs professor and stalwart Atlantic Yards opponent Tom Angotti looks at the Mayoral race and community-planning issues.
Avella has been a vocal critic of developer-initiated and controlled plans such as Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn. He also opposed the plan for redevelopment of Willets Point in Queens, prepared by the city's Economic Development Corp. Avella's approach favors "bottom up" planning that involves local residents and businesses and does not resort to the use of eminent domain to promote private real estate projects.
To accomplish this, he has been a vocal advocate for community-based planning and has worked with the Municipal Art Society to craft legislation that would support communities that do their own plans. "I've been saying these things all along. Other cities are ahead of us. Community planning sets the stage for all of the issues in neighborhoods. We shouldn't just give neighborhoods opportunities to plan but also the funding to address their needs," he said.
There are around 100 community-based plans in New York City, but according to the citywide Task Force on Community-based Planning they do not receive sufficient support from city government. (I am a member of the Task Force).
Thompson also calls for more -- and more strongly supported -- community plans. "Community-based planning that includes input from local community boards, elected officials, and other stakeholders is incredibly important and, like community board budget priorities, should be better incorporated into an overall citywide framework," he said. "Once developed, zoning changes and siting of facilities should be considered in the context of these collaboratively created plans."
The Mayor, on the other hand, isn't so interested in what communities know or want.
Eight Candidates Run in a District Marked by Change
Eight candidates are vying to replace David Yassky in the 33rd Council District, and Atlantic Yards and other development issues are major topics in the race.
Posted by eric at August 17, 2009 6:20 AM