Alternatives to Housing in Brooklyn Bridge Park - public hearings and COWNA statement

Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Committee on Alternatives to Housing, with the assistance of Bay Area Economics Consulting, is conducting two public hearings to solicit comments from the public on alternative sources that could be relied upon to finance the on-going operations of the park in lieu of revenues from the Pier 6 and John Street development sites.

Members of the public are invited to attend and testify and encouraged to submit written comments.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6pm – 8pm
Long Island College Hospital, 339 Hicks Street
Avram Conference Center, 1^st floor

Thursday, December 9, 2010, 6-pm-8pm
St. Francis College, 180 Remsen Street
Founders Hall Atrium, 1st Floor
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The Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood Association (COWNA) is issuing the following statement in response to this issue:

Our neighborhood is growing, there are more young families every year and there is enormous demand for recreational space for all ages and in all seasons.

The Columbia Waterfront Neighborhood looks forward to the completion of the park, which will become a cherished amenity.

We appreciate the challenges in getting the park built and maintaining it going forward. However, we fear that fundamental principles are being compromised by the proposal to locate private housing in the park in order to generate income for maintenance.

We oppose the development of housing and hotels in the park. We feel that the park should contain only such uses as can be utilized by all visitors. Our communities need recreation and relaxation space - the Brooklyn Bridge Park is a unique opportunity and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to identify sources of revenue that will sustain the park's ongoing operations as an alternative to the proposed housing.