2006-2009 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 thoughts its Buildings and Construction Committee to prevent developers from circumventing these new zoning regulations.
- 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 created the Sunset park High School Task Force, an independent coalition that lobbied and campaigned for the creation of Sunset Park High School which will open in September, 2009 at 4th Avenue and 35th Street. This is the culmination of a near 40 year struggled for a local public high school. The Sunset Park High School Task Force has evolved into 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. We are pleased that the Department of Education has agreed to the task force’s themes, administrative outline and school principal.
- 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. The school is currently under construction and is expected to open September 2010. 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.
- 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 begun.
- In March 2009 the City Planning Commission approved the downzoning of East Windsor Terrace, a study and effort led by community leaders who were dismayed by local overdevelopment in their low density community as well as the loss of one part of the last horse stable around Prospect Park. Community Board 7 was an early supporter of this effort and helped lobby city officials to ensure that it was brought up for a vote.
- Responding to concerns about overdevelopment and out of context projects in Sunset Park, CB7 worked with community groups and the Department of City Planning to host zoning workshops, speak outs and public hearings to develop a plan to rezone almost the entire residential area of the community, more than 110 blocks. The plan, which calls for specific height limitations community-wide, additional housing opportunities on 4th and 7th Avenues including affordable units and an adjustment of commercial overlays was certified in spring of 2009 and will come before CB7 for approval before the summer.
- In April 2009, the City Planning Commission determined that CB7’s 11-year long study of its waterfront and the comprehensive plan developed from that effort had met the City’s threshold requirements and moved the plan toward approval. CB7 will hold a public hearing and vote this spring to determine if the plan should move forward for city approval. The plan advocates for improved and green port and job creation opportunities, an improved transportation network and public parkland along the 2.5 mile waterfront. The plan can be viewed at 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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Updated: May 2009