Live From This Evening’s ULURP Meeting

All things considered this evening’s proceedings were quite well attended. I write “All things considered” because, once again, this meeting conflicted with another one pertaining to the subject of crime. In any case, I am pleased to announce (SPOILER ALERT):

1. 77 Commercial has dispensed with the “poor door”.
2. Ms. Meyer, the lady charged with representing Greenpoint Landing, assured us those who live in their affordable housing units will have (and I quote) “free access” to the parks developed on said parcels. Um, I thought that was kind of the point of having public parks? But I digress.

Without further ado here are tonight’s proceedings. Enjoy!

• 0:54 – 1:28 watch it. And REwatch it. I did. Here’s an instant replay— albeit of the “I am tired and am in no mood for annotating this sh*t” variety.

Listening to this the first time was bad enough. Hence a Hello Kitty* post-it note and my hand will have to suffice. To my credit, I refrained from using my middle finger…

• Jack Hammer the Director of Planning at HPD (Housing Preservation and Development) speaks. I am not kidding. His name really is Jack Hammer.
• “Mayoral Process”: one of the two ton gorillas** in the room, it was not mentioned (after all the public was not allowed to comment) but it was certainly there nonetheless. The reason this is being expedited— and Community Board 1 has never been this “active” during their summer break in my recollection— is so it will fly through before Bloomturd leaves office.

• So was the dude sitting next to me from the Department of City Planning or not?
• At 4:48 Del Teague, ULURP Chair, makes it clear she is NOT taking questions from “the public”.

The “vote” and next up, 77 Commercial Street…

This fellow represents via Greenberg Traurig LLP. In other words: he’s a lobbyist for “Clipper Equities”.

• At 3:18 he, on the behalf of 77 Commercial Street, dispenses with the “poor door”.

• Apparently the City of New York can only sell air rights from 65 Commercial Street to adjacent properties– and 77 Commercial was the only one to make a bid. So they got it.

Congratulations, Greenpoint! We’re getting more park space and it will even be available to residents of affordable housing! What’s more, we may very well have landed us a(nother) slumlord. Run a Google search of David Bistricer and Joseph Chetrit, the fellows behind 77 Commercial Street. This and this are my personal favorites.

I skipped out before the “school” presentation (at the end). But then again Del Teague, ULURP Chair, almost forgot about it too…

Cheers!

Post Script: I would encourage each and every one of you, gentle readers, to familiarize yourselves with the Sunshine Laws. Especially as they pertain to “Open Meetings”. In this respect let’s just say our local Community Board seems to be a mite bit inconsistent in its application…

*Hello Kitty neither endorses nor takes a position on this community matter. I simply felt lazy and the need to be a jackass. It happens.

**The other being “infrastructural” stress: policing. The fact of the matter is the 94th is presently under-staffed to protect and serve this community. It has never overcome the wave of “attrition”/”retirements” that came to pass several years ago. So, I ask:

How is the 94th Precinct going to handle the influx of new residents from Greenpoint Landing, 77 Commercial Street and all the Greenpoint Condo Corridor?

Given the current path we’re on they cannot. Plain and simple. It was noted in 94th Precinct Community Council meetings long before this “Crime Wave” that block watchers and neighborhood watch groups should be (re)implemented. They were not.

But what irritates the fuck out of me is the fact this is the second time a meeting/forum regarding “crime” has conflicted with a ULURP meeting regarding the development on Greenpoint’s waterfront. So we have to choose. Is Community Board 1 really that inept/out of touch?