2006-2008 Community Board Highlights
Community Board #7(CB7) serves the neighborhoods of Sunset Park, Windsor Terrace, East Windsor Terrace, South Park Slope, and Greenwood Heights. Over the last three years, under the leadership of past Chair Joseph Longobardi, current Chair Randy Peers, District Manager Jeremy Laufer and a committed group of 50 volunteer members, CB7 has taken a leadership role in helping to facilitate many positive changes in our community. In the process, CB7 has been hailed as one of the most active community boards in New York City. Below are some of the community highlights:
In November of 2005, after a hard fought struggle a contextual zoning plan designed to protect the neighborhoods of South Park Slope and Greenwood Heights from out of scale development was adopted. Since the plan was adopted, CB 7 has continued to fight alongside community residents to prevent developers from circumventing these new zoning regulations. The Board’s new Subcommittee on Buildings and Construction for example, keeps tabs on projects throughout the community and works with the Department of Buildings to fully investigate troublesome developments.
In May of 2006, the Mayor and Governor visited Sunset Park to announce a school funding agreement that cleared the way for the construction of a High School in Sunset Park (at 4th Avenue and 35th Street). Sunset Park and its residents had been fighting for a High School for over thirty years. CB7 helped to create the Sunset Park High School Task Force, a coalition of parents, students, teachers, Board Members and other interested individuals to fight for resources and local input into the curriculum and administration of the school. The school is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in September 2009.
Also in May of 2006, the Mayor and Governor announced $38 million in funding for the Bush Terminal Piers Waterfront Park. CB7 for many years had worked with elected officials and the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) to push for funding for this 23-acre open space project to be built along the waterfront in Sunset Park. The park plan includes athletic fields, a nature conservancy, hiking trails, an indoor hockey rink and many other public facilities. Work on the park has already begun.
CB7 has worked with EDC over the last few years to promote the refurbishing of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal and to attract new tenants for the space that create jobs for community residents. In 2006 it was announced that the Axis Group, an auto processing company and SIMS/Hugo Neu, a recycling company, would both lease space at SBMT creating over 600 new jobs. The Axis lease was signed in 2007, and preparation of the site has already begun. In addition, Time Equities, along with Brooklyn Economic Development Corporation, was announced as the development partner for a large commercial and industrial project at 3rd Avenue and 30th Street – Federal Building # 2. CB7 has already been working with these new companies to ensure that new jobs will be earmarked for community residents, and that space is set aside to provide affordable childcare for workers at the facility and for the community at large.
In March 2007 at a meeting in the Sunset Park Recreation Center, Mayor Bloomberg and Planning Commissioner Amanda Burden agreed to conduct a study of Sunset Park’s zoning. The community board organized a series of public meetings to discuss the implications of rezoning and to collect the thoughts of neighborhood residents. Several community organizations have grown from this experience and have created lists of concerns and priorities that were shared with the board and with the Department of City Planning. The community board continues to work with the community, City Planning and the Mayor’s office to reach consensus on the plan.
Responding to local community concerns, CB7 in conjunction with the Community Education Council for District 15 and Transportation Alternatives, held a pedestrian safety forum for 3rd and 4th Avenues in June 2007. Community concerns were shared with the Department of Transportation and CB7 has advocated for pedestrian-friendly changes that would improve safety, particularly at sensitive sites, like schools.
In July 2007, CB7 approved plans for a new 380-seat Early Childhood Learning Center (Pre-K through 2nd grade) at 4th Avenue and 63rd Street. One month earlier the Board had submitted a list of preferred locations for a new school and we were surprised by the quick response. CB7 has begun to advocate for our next school construction priority, a new middle school.
In August 2007, following an unprecedented tornado in our district, CB7 lent its local expertise to City and Federal agencies, to make them aware of resources for shelter, translation and basic necessities. CB7 was involved in the emergency planning and in 2008 helped to organize a district wide Community Emergency Response Team.
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In September 2007, CB7 voted to approve submission of the 197-a Plan, a comprehensive study of waterfront development and priorities in the Sunset Park community. The plan can be viewed at http://www.bklyncb7197a.blogspot.com/
For more information on any of these projects, please contact CB7 at (718) 854-0003 or by email at communityboard7@yahoo.com.
The Board itself meets the third Wednesday of each month except July and August. We encourage the public to attend these meetings.
| The public is also invited to serve on the following Community Board committees: | |
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