Community Board 7 Votes Against Congestion Pricing, Cites Issues with Residential Parking Permits

[Photo courtesy of Anna Lewis]

GL Correspondent Anna Lewis attended last nights CB7 Meeting and filed this report:

Brooklyn Community Board 7 (Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park) rejected Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan at its monthly meeting Wednesday night. It objected primarily to the Mayor’s inclusion of a residential parking permit system within the congestion pricing plan.

The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) developed the residential parking permit system to address community concerns about a lack of on-street parking potentially caused by congestion pricing.

CB7’s objections to the Mayor’s proposal reflected concerns raised at two separate community forums, held in Windsor Terrace and Sunset Park respectively. They included the effects of the plan on public space, such as decreased access to public parks and museums; questions over the boundaries of the permit zones and their impact on park-and-ride activity in neighborhoods; the exemption of New Jersey drivers from congestion pricing; and questions about permit regulation and enforcement.

Another major concern was that Brooklyn would not receive an adequate portion of the revenues raised by congestion pricing.
–Anna Lewis

Windsor Terrace Alliance Protesting School Cuts

A lot of Brooklyn neighborhood activists are up in arms over proposed school budget cuts. We got an email last night from Lauren Collins at the Windsor Terrace Alliance directing our attention to a page they’ve posted with some sample letters protesting the budget cuts and contact information. She writes:

Many Brooklyn neighborhoods are rallying around the fight against the proposed school budget cuts. We’ve taken a stand protesting these cuts. We have some sample letters and links to local elected officials on our website to make it easy for Brooklyn parents to express their displeasure with these cuts.

Click here to go over to that page and make your voice heard.

Bklink: Siding, Be Gone

Some siding has come off a house in Windsor Terrace on Tenth Avenue at 17th Street and, apparently, the new version is going to be brick. “I’m not sure if the bricks they’re using on it were underneath the siding or if they came from elsewhere, but they are very nice bricks, in the sense that they have character, texture and history.”–Brooklynometry

GL Photo Du Jour: Windsor Terrace Edition

[Photo courtesy of Mirabelle Studios]

This is another photo sent to us by sculptor, artist and photographer Gary Mirabelle, who is a regular photo contributor to GL. If you missed Mr. Mirabelle’s snow photos, you can check them out here and here and here.

Gowanus Lounge Photo Du Jour, Part I: Windsor Terrace Snow

[Photo courtesy of Mirabelle Studios]

We’ve run several of the gorgeous snow shots sent to us by sculptor, artist and photographer Gary Mirabelle since Friday. This is the last of them. It was shot in Windsor Terrace, and it is just as beautiful as the others.

Bklink: Icky Rides Again

Icky in Brooklyn, who so brilliantly chronicled things in Windsor Terrace and weighed in on issues elsewhere that inspired him, is back. We’re noting this because we miss Icky’s voice. He writes: This blog was in effect, retired last month. But sometimes sometimes a story so appealing happens along, well … ya know.” The issue that has inspired Mr. Icky involves the aftermath of an injury and eBay.–Icky in Brooklyn

Happy Ending: Windsor Terrace Dog-Napping Victim Found!

The story of Samantha, the dog-napping victim from Windsor Terrace, has ended happily, although the story is still strange and disturbing. We got an email last night that said:

There were signs up in stores all over Windsor Terrace. Today Samantha’s owner was going to the stores carrying Samantha, who has been retrieved! Her owner told me that Samantha was put up for sale on the street. Someone bought her for $650 and then saw the story about her missing on the news. Now she is home again. (The whole story is strange–I’ve never seen anyone selling a dog on the street…)

Samantha’s story was run here on Saturday, on New York Shitty and on many other blogs and online news sites before being picked up by the print media and television. We’re not entirely sure who buys a dog for $650 “on the street,” but we’re certain that print and TV will be “breaking” the story shortly.

Windsor Terrace Talks Traffic

On Thursday night, Community Board 7 and the Windsore Terrace Alliance hosted a “Public Speak Out” on traffic and transportation issues at the Grand Prospect Hall. More than 100 people attended, including residents, officers from the 72nd Precinct, members of community groups and members of Community Board 7. A number of local officials also attended including Rep. Yvette Clarke and her staffers, Assem. Jim Brennan and a representative from Council Member Bill de Blasio’s office. News 12 apparently covered the meeting and did a segment on neighborhood transportation issues. We got an email from Lauren Elvers Collins of the Windsor Terrace Alliance who reports:

A number of residents spoke out about specific concerns, including the Dept. of Transportation’s decision to quietly limit vehicles in Prospect Park during certain hours, a plan for much-needed improvements on Park Circle, and the problem of people from other neighborhoods using Windsor Terrace as a parking lot. CB7 is planning two follow-up meetings (one for Windsor Terrace and one for Sunset Park) focusing on congestion pricing and the WTA will be working with them on a number of the issues raised at the traffic forum. Overall, a great meeting and a great start for a new grassroots community group!

More information on transportation and other community issues is available at the group’s website.

Bklink: The Old School Yard

“How come the greatest schoolyard in the history of outdoor basketball is no longer in use? Where are all the ball players? Do they still play there? Do the students at Holy Name still use it for recess? I see two backboards up on the middle court but remember there used to be three full-courts? How about the handball court – what happened? Are those cars and vans I see?”–Container Diaries

Bklink: Holidays on the Avenue

“The corner stores are sold out of flour, the fabulous/kitchy over-the-top decorations are up on Windsor Place…” Check out some of the photos.–Icky in Brooklyn