Ok, so we don't have to crowd source this thing tonight. That's a relief because there isn't much of a crowd to begin with. Half the board members are here, but there's a slew of electeds and staffers, including Councilmember Steve Levin.
6:36 PM: District Manager Gerry Esposito takes the roll and Chairman Chris introduces the first item
6:43 PM: A representative of a building on Havemeyer and Hope looking to add 25 new units gives his presentation.
6:46 PM: Scott McCozi from Department Design and Construction gives a long presentation on the $1.2 million Humboldt Street plaza project in front of the Moore Street Market. Artist Austin Thomas has been selected to design the art portion of the project, but the city is spending much of its 10 minutes talking about all the new seating arrangements, benches, trees, tents, and expanded sidewalks. They're taking away a lane of traffic and parking spaces between Seigel and Flushing, and redesigning the parking spaces to be angular.
Gerry stands up and gives an impassioned plea on behalf of supporting the project and the Moore Street Market. This is maybe the longest speech I've heard Gerry talk at a board meeting, so this is pretty important.
Joan Bartolomeo of the Brooklyn Economic Development Corp mentions how existing vendors will not be relocated and she is looking for more new vendors, and she has been talking with upstate farmers about expanding a greenmarket inside. Bartolomeo adds that most of the work at the Humboldt plaza will be adding even more stalls outside.
It's Team Moore Street Market!
7:11 PM Councilman Steve Levin praises Gerry and Marie for their work on the Moore Street market, and Joan at BEDC. Steve worked on this project when he was a staffer for Vito Lopez, in 2007, and Steve notes that Gerry didn't have a handlebar mustache at that time.
Steve adds that HELP USA withdrew its proposal for a shelter on McGuinness Boulevard.
"It means that we have a say over what happens here."
He points out that the city sent letters to Monitor Street residents about the Nassau Avenue reconstruction project.
"All of a sudden DDC discovers that everyone's fences and stoops are encroaching on public property. Everyone scratched their head and said, 'excuse me' and got very upset about that."
The sense that I am getting, talking with more city officials, we'll be able to get to a place where nobody will be able to move their stoops. It warrants another meeting. It's ultimately a Department of Transportation decision. Stay tuned on that.
Regarding Noble Street, former Councilmember Abe Gergis was complaining about the fence in 1981, when the current Councilman was 1 years old.
And Steve is urging the MTA to move its bus lot on 65 Commercial Street to an alternative site in Queens.
"I am confident that the city will accept a site on Maspeth, Queens for its access-a-ride program currently on Commercial Street. It's absurd that it's six years later that it hasn't moved."
Finally, Steve notes that he has been working on loft issues with Vito's office and he says that loft dwellers can reach out to his office anytime. And then he scurries off to a meeting with DHS about the homeless shelter that is not coming to Greenpoint.
Miss Heather texts in that she cannot imagine this community board at Ms. Ramos' passion party. Well, I can!
7:24 PM: Chairman Chris takes the mic
"He's a tremendous spirit and force in this board and we really hope to have him back here
Please give our best ot hte rabbi and wish him all the best. We hope to see him soon as he is able.
Chairman Chris notes that he is glad that the 400 McGuinness shelter proposal was revoked, but not for the reasons you might think. He's more upset that the nonprofit, HELP USA stonewalled the community board.
"A project like this of this magnitude should have been handled in a much greater understanding if HELP USA came forward to the community. They didn't feel they had to, technically they could bypass us and they did... If HELP USA had come and talked, maybe this could have been handled in a different way. People need to come and speak, it makes sense for groups who want to have an impact to the community."
Chairman Chris has a letter from the consulate general of Poland regarding the concentration camp naming resolution and he's going to read it. Can we still make concentration camp jokes? Only if it's about Germany.
Finally, Chairman Chris wants to set the record straight about the sexy party discussion on the listserv. He giggles while he's saying this.
Wilfredo Florentino asks, "Whats that website?"
More giggling.
Chairman Chris: It's CB1Brooklyn.org. It's the only one. It's always been there... There's been some misrepresentation in the press..."
I have a question for Chairman Chris. He doesn't take it. Well, alright then.
7:40 PM: Diana Reyna's Antonio Reynoso talks about how great Diana Reyna's health fair was, even though it happened two weeks ago.
There's also an announcement of renovating the Grand Street streetscape, a capital allocation from the past year.
Antonio gives shoutouts to Gerry, Marie, and everybody else for renovating the Moore Street Market.
Congressional liaison Evelyn Cruz mentions Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez's holiday party, mentions her new less impressive titles now that the Republicans won Congress, and gives more shoutouts to Gerry and Marie for advocating for the Moore Street Market.
I have a great picture of Nydia at her holiday party somewhere. Oh, why here it is.
7:47 PM: Karen Nieves begins the transportation committee report, summarizing the 90 minute Monitor Street meeting in... slightly less than 90 minutes? Kidding.
Karen notes that Boars Head wants to turn Bogart Street into a one-way street and requests a vote on the Humboldt Street Plaza. It passes.
She tries to get off the stage faster than Kim Kardashian, but Rabbi Niederman has a question about sanitation pickups during the snowstorm. Karen tries to answer questions. She feels obligated to stay around and answer for a while. Gotta feel for Karen.
7:59 PM: Rabbi Niederman gives a summary of his public housing report:
"In a nutshell, the questions were, you see lots of scaffolding, lots of housing and you don't see any movement.
We're going to get more reports about which project is slated for repairs.
The Rabbi brings up concerns about window guards and how to install them properly. And if you don't use them you can lose your Section 8 Voucher
8:03 PM: Tom Burrows with the Public Safety meeting subbing for Mieszko Kalita
"Mieszko is lying on a yacht somewhere in Fiji. We feel real sorry for him."
Tom kicks off the report with Juliet's sidewalk cafe license. The restaurant is next to Egg, which gets slammed on the weekends, so cramming a cafe on that busy corner is going to be interesting.
Tom notes the board has taken a tour of Club Rust and notes several concerns, so Ward Dennis recommends "no with extreme prejudice" on the item.
"I have serious concerns about the owner's ability to run the place," said Ward.
The motion carries.
Tom gets very excited describing the board's tour of the movie theater next door.
"There are servers who bring you drinks when you watch a movie," said Tom.
There's The Meatball Shop, which is trying to open another branch on Bedford Avenue and its license gets approved.
Tom bundles the renewals... and they're approved.
8:17 PM: Public Session! Two minutes each. Miss Heather perks up and starts recording Joseph *Garber. This must be a special project of hers.
Garber sends his condolences to Rabbi Webber, he wants to send more suggestions to Chairman Chris in the mail, he chides the public safety committee for not dealing with law enforcement issues, he's attended every snow removal hearing including the latest one in Bensonhurst, the budget will be released on Feb 15th, the last two meetings of public housing had lots of "erroneous facts" and he's going to write them up, he's "sick and tired of being harassed by Rabbi Niederman," he attended Marty Markowitz's event and "it was a very nice event," that's about it, thank you very much.
Yeesh.
*Katie Denny from the North Brooklyn Public Arts Coalition updates the groups upcoming oral history project recording stories of community members, residents and business owners of North Brooklyn. They're going to archive them and screen/ stream? them on construction fences in North Brooklyn.
*Christine Murray is asking for garbage cans on Driggs between N. Eighth Street and McCarren Park, especially for dog owners
*Mark Visovsky for PSC Cafeteria incorporated is speaking about liquor license approvals.
"We cannot forget about the values of our country, we cannot put profit over culture."
Apparently the Polish Slavic Center leadership didn't consult its members regarding the liquor license and now members are upset and they have a permit.
8:26 PM: New Business! Heather Roslund notes that she's tired of getting calls from the press regarding the sale of beer at the Duane Reade.
"What I think the issue is, there's one type of license for selling and one type for serving. And they obviously have a license for selling but not for serving, yet they seem to be serving. They apparently have been serving."
Board members begin making catcalls.
Esteban Duran motions that the board should welcome Marty Markowitz's food incubator to occur inside Moore Street Market. I don't know if they're drafting a letter here, but apparently the board just voted for a motion. And we're out.
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