08 BROOKLYN NEWS WWW.BROOKLYN-USA.ORG Community Board Q & A Borough President Adams fulfills an essential role in the most local representative bodies of government in Brooklyn, appointing members to the 18 community boards that are responsible for addressing community concerns, assessing neighborhood needs, and helping to manage land use issues. Working in partnership, they tackle many of the obstacles and opportunities facing Brooklynites. Below are some questions that Borough President Adams posed to leadership from Community Boards (CBs) 2 and 17, with the answers provided by CB 2 Chair Shirley A. McRae and CB 17 Chair Barrington Barrett, respectively (future issues will explore additional CBs). CB 2 BP: The rezoning of Downtown Brooklyn in 2004 has had mixed results for the neighborhood’s growth and quality of life, notably falling short of expected commercial development and exceeding expectations for housing construction. What solutions should be prioritized to meet the needs of residents that these changes have brought? CB: The highest priority is the construction of new schools. The New York City Department of Education’s five-year capital plan has funded almost 2,000 new seats, but the City has not been able to identify construction sites for schools. CB 2 has engaged a team of graduate planning students from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service to analyze other infrastructure needs in Downtown Brooklyn. BP: Robust civic organizations like the Brooklyn Heights Association and the Fort Greene Association that are noted for their local advocacy, though groups like these nationwide are facing challenges of engaging youngergeneration residents that are needed to sustain memberships. What community issues do you see as impactful to energizing previously uninvolved individuals to get active? CB: One issue that has energized younger people — residents of CB 2 and beyond — is bike lanes. There has been a 45 percent increase from 2010 to 2015 in the number of riders crossing the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, which many bike lanes lead to and from through the district. It is not strictly a generational issue, but it is one that motivates many young people to participate in civic affairs. BP: The revitalization of the Brooklyn Navy Yard has been welldocumented, activating a critical hub of industry to serve our 21st century economy. How do you think we best ensure local and long-term residents, including those in nearby public housing developments, have a sustained role in its future? CB: The Brooklyn Navy Yard and its Albert C. Wiltshire Employment Center have been very proactive about connecting with the Farragut, Ingersoll, and Whitman New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) communities. They hold monthly job recruitments on-site at the three developments and, when the Wegmans supermarket opens in 2018, the employment center plans to open a satellite office at each. CB 17 BP: CB 17 has one of the largest immigrant populations in New York City. What challenges do you see as unique to these residents, and what steps can be taken to better serve their needs? CB: Challenges include the lack of political clout, discrimination, disparities in education, and an inability to procure affordable housing, mainly due to financial stability. Steps to serve their needs include societal acceptance and inclusion as well as civic education. The other side of the coin is that immigrants must also work together and not against each other. BP: There is a clear dearth of open space within the borders of CB 17, an ongoing obstacle to addressing pervasive issues such as poor health outcomes and inadequate outlets for youth enrichment. What ideas do you have to address this community necessity? CB: New York City has lots of buildings that are condemned and are just being boarded up, as well as many foreclosed buildings that have been taken over by banks. Perhaps the banks and the City could get together and make a community center in CB 17’s area, something that is greatly needed. A youth center could cut down on youth violence. BP: Community-police relations is a primary priority in every corner of our borough, including CB 17. What role(s) should residents play in advancing this community’s public safety goals, and how can law enforcement best be a partner in these efforts? CB: In order to enhance community police relations, there should be more respect between law enforcement and residents. This can be gained by both sides engaging in more sincere dialogues and commitments to our community. Residents should make more efforts to attend meetings and forums where NYPD representatives are making presentations, asking questions, in a civil manner, if there is something they don’t understand and also expressing their concerns regarding policing in their communities. The NYPD should be more receptive to community concerns and be willing to educate the public on police procedures when possible. Photo Credit: Erica Sherman/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams enjoyed a moment with one of Brooklyn’s newest residents while sitting on one of the flowering stoops of the 300 East 25th Street Block Association in Flatbush; he joined GreenBridge, the community environmental horticulture program of Brooklyn Botanic Garden, in honoring the block as the residential winner of its 2016 Greenest Block in Brooklyn competition. Photo Credit: Stefan Ringel/Brooklyn BP’s Office Borough President Adams advocated alongside State Senator Daniel Squadron and community residents from Brooklyn Heights to Brownsville for continued access to a pool in Brooklyn Bridge Park; as a result of this outpouring of public support, it was announced that the Pop-Up Pool will return next summer.
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