Final Press Release 7.18.2014 3-30 PM

3
People for Green Space Foundation, Inc. 1 Metrotech, Suite 1704, Brooklyn, NY 11201 Contact: Lori Schomp (917) 627 0754 [email protected] **********FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ********** PARK ADVOCACY GROUP WINS COURT ORDER TO HALT HOUSING PLAN ON PIER 6 WITHIN THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK Victory reflects the community’s reasonable request for a responsible planning process Friday, July 18, 2014 – People for Green Space Foundation, Inc., a notforprofit park advocacy group, secured a Kings County Supreme Court temporary restraining order (TRO) today to halt any final approval of the housing development planned next to the playground on Pier 6 of the Brooklyn Bridge Park. In Judge Lawrence Knipel’s decision, Brooklyn Bridge Park personnel are restrained and enjoined from approving by final action proposals submitted by developers in response to a request for proposals (RFP) to develop a 315 foot high tower and a second, 155 foot high story tower on Pier 6 within the Brooklyn Bridge Park. The RFP was issued in May and is due back on Monday, July 21 st . The suit was brought by Abrams, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara & Wolf, LLP, led by partner Frank Carone, on behalf of People for Green Space Foundation, Inc. Lori Schomp, a petitioner in the legal action, said, “We need a smart planning process. The decade old data behind the park’s original plan does not reflect Brooklyn’s tremendous transformation or the park’s new status as a destination for all of Brooklyn, all of New York City. Old data only makes for bad decisions.”.” “Planning must take into account current circumstances, and new consideration must now be given to what Brooklyn needs in terms of park space and services to accommodate park visitors as well as school, traffic and other infrastructure challenges faced by local residents. We also need to understand the park’s role and potential for fostering healthy communities.” Schomp continued, “I support the mayor’s visionary efforts on affordable housing; however, putting additional luxury housing—even with an affordable component—

description

Save Pier 6 literature.

Transcript of Final Press Release 7.18.2014 3-30 PM

Page 1: Final Press Release 7.18.2014 3-30 PM

People for Green Space Foundation, Inc. 1 Metrotech, Suite 1704, Brooklyn, NY 11201

Contact:     Lori  Schomp    

(917)  627  0754                                                                                                                                                                                                                [email protected]  

   

**********FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  **********      

PARK  ADVOCACY  GROUP  WINS  COURT  ORDER  TO  HALT  HOUSING  PLAN  ON  PIER  6  WITHIN  THE  BROOKLYN  BRIDGE  PARK  

 Victory  reflects  the  community’s  reasonable  request  for  a  responsible  planning  process        Friday,  July  18,  2014  –  People  for  Green  Space  Foundation,  Inc.,  a  not-­‐for-­‐profit  park  advocacy  group,  secured  a  Kings  County  Supreme  Court  temporary  restraining  order  (TRO)  today  to  halt  any  final  approval  of  the  housing  development  planned  next  to  the  playground  on  Pier  6  of  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  Park.    In  Judge  Lawrence  Knipel’s  decision,  Brooklyn  Bridge  Park  personnel  are  restrained  and  enjoined  from  approving  by  final  action  proposals  submitted  by  developers  in  response  to  a  request  for  proposals  (RFP)  to  develop  a  315  foot  high  tower  and  a  second,  155  foot  high  story  tower  on  Pier  6  within  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  Park.    The  RFP  was  issued  in  May  and  is  due  back  on  Monday,  July  21st.      The  suit  was  brought  by  Abrams,  Fensterman,  Eisman,  Formato,  Ferrara  &  Wolf,  LLP,  led  by  partner  Frank  Carone,  on  behalf  of  People  for  Green  Space  Foundation,  Inc.    Lori  Schomp,  a  petitioner  in  the  legal  action,  said,  “We  need  a  smart  planning  process.  The  decade  old  data  behind  the  park’s  original  plan  does  not  reflect  Brooklyn’s  tremendous  transformation  or  the  park’s  new  status  as  a  destination  for  all  of  Brooklyn,  all  of  New  York  City.  Old  data  only  makes  for  bad  decisions.”.”      “Planning  must  take  into  account  current  circumstances,  and  new  consideration  must  now  be  given  to  what  Brooklyn  needs  in  terms  of  park  space  and  services  to  accommodate  park  visitors  as  well  as  school,  traffic  and  other  infrastructure  challenges  faced  by  local  residents.    We  also  need  to  understand  the  park’s  role  and  potential  for  fostering  healthy  communities.”        Schomp  continued,  “I  support  the  mayor’s  visionary  efforts  on  affordable  housing;  however,  putting  additional  luxury  housing—even  with  an  affordable  component—

Page 2: Final Press Release 7.18.2014 3-30 PM

in  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  Park  takes  away  public  green  space  from  all  of  the  people  of  Brooklyn.    Parks  are  different.    Public  green  space  becomes  ever  more  precious  as  we  build  a  higher,  denser  and  more  affordable  city  everywhere  else.”    

   Martin  Hale,  Chairman  of  People  For  Green  Space  Foundation,  Inc.,  said,  “We  are  encouraged  by  the  Judge’s  order  because  it  validates  what  community  associations  throughout  the  area  have  been  saying  for  over  a  decade.  That  is,  we  need  open  space  for  our  children  as  much  as  we  need  schools,  libraries,  and  hospitals.  Parks  need  to  be  parks,  first  and  foremost,  and  we  need  to  get  back  to  planning  a  great  park.”      Hale  continued,  “The  2000  master  plan  for  the  Brooklyn  Bridge  Park  had  no  housing  on  pier  6,  and  instead  included  a  ‘major  promenade  and  gateway’  where  a  ‘signature  vertical  element,  such  as  a  water  fountain,  helps  define  the  gateway.’    There  is  a  tremendous  opportunity  to  create  an  entrance  befitting  this  iconic  park  and  to  leave  a  legacy  for  all  of  the  kids  of  Brooklyn  and  of  the  broader  metro  area  today  and  in  the  future.”      People  for  Green  Space  Foundation,  Inc.  is  a  newly  formed  not  for  profit  that  will  seek  501C  status  as  a  park  advocacy  group  committed  to  open,  public  green  space  in  New  York  City.    

   

 Community  group  "Save  Pier  6"        Sign  the  online  petition:  bit.ly/SavePier6      

 Twitter  @BilldeBlasio  #SavePier6      

 ###  

Page 3: Final Press Release 7.18.2014 3-30 PM

Attachment:  Rendering  of  Planned  New  Development