MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING OF BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BOARD 14 MONDAY, JANUARY 14, 2013

A regular meeting of Brooklyn Community Board 14 was held on Monday, January 14, 2013 at Edward R. Murrow High School, East 17th Street & Avenue L, Brooklyn, NY. MEMBERS PRESENT Joseph Basso Jonathan Judge Carmen Cerio Belle Leo J. Kimmel Hindy Bendel Salvatore Lentini Alvin M. Berk Blondell Lighty Neil Brier Naomi Lipnick Li Chao Ng Donald Loggins Leslie Dreifus Robert Newman Joseph Dweck Ephraim Nierenberg Henry Floyd Lynette Pascall DISTRICT MANAGERS OFFICE Shawn Campbell, District Manager Irina Lerman, Community Associate Anya Hoyer, Community Associate CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Jumaane Williams Michael Racioppo for Mathieu Eugene Jacob Adler for David Greenfield Jelanie Deshong for Jumaane Williams Ernest Skinner for Jumaane Williams BOROUGH PRESIDENT Eileen Mullaney-Newman for Marty Markowitz

Tzvi Plotsker Edward Powell Mohammad Razvi William Richardson Maria C. RivanHazelwood Morris Sacks Yehuda Schupper Barbara Sheeran

Gail L. Smith Howard Sokol Marshall Tames Florence Valentino Dawn Marie Walker Mary Walters Glenn M. Wolin Kalman Yeger

COMPTROLLER OFFICE Ari Kagan for John Liu STATE SENATE Brian Cunningham for Kevin Parker STATE ASSEMBLY Harry Shiffman for James Brennan Roz Sokol for Steven Cymbrowitz L. Rickie Tulloch for Rhoda Jacobs Yehuda Schupper for Helene Weinstein PUBLIC ADVOCATE Pinny Ringel for Bill de Blasio

OTHER DISTINGUISHED GUESTS/REPRESENTATIVES Detective Dominick Scotto, P.O. Scott Nuzzi, 70th Police Precinct; Ed Powell, District Leader, 42nd AD; Ari Kagan, District Leader, 45th AD

I.

CALL TO ORDER:

Chairman Alvin Berk called the meeting to order at 7:37 PM. The Chairman read the opening statement outlining the policies and procedures pertaining to Board meetings. He stressed that anyone wishing to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting must register for time. The public session is scheduled to take place after all Board business is completed. The Board has an obligation to conduct its business in an orderly manner. Any person preventing the meeting from continuing may be asked to leave. II. MINUTES Minutes of the December 3, 2012 meeting were approved as submitted. Copies are on file at the CB14 District office. III. DISTRICT MANAGER REPORT- Shawn Campbell:

The District Manager announced that Police Officer Brian Lang had been transferred from the 70th Police Precinct to Brooklyn South Task Force and she expressed her confidence that the Board joined her in wishing him well in his new position. Police Officer Scott Nuzzi would be assisting the Community Board and would attend CB 14 meetings to ensure the Boards ability to maintain rules of order. She noted that the Community Board District Office staff and Officer Nuzzi were in communication and worked together frequently. She thanked Commanding Officer Eric Rodriguez and Lt. Jacqueline Bourne for recognizing how much the Board values the relationship with the 70th Precinct and for making sure we still had a good partner in Officer Nuzzi. The DM noted that the due date for renewal applications for Community Board members is February 28th. If Board members are uncertain, as to when their term expires, they can contact the District Office. Current Board Members should receive their applications in a mail from the Borough President office. Those, interested in becoming new members, can access the application on the Borough Presidents website. Ms. Campbell announced that ACE Theatrical had closed on their purchase and was the official owner of the Kings Theater. They will begin construction in earnest soon. She committed to inviting ACE Theatrical for an update on the project in the near future. IV. CHAIRMANS REPORT Alvin M. Berk:

A) Appointment of a Nominating Committee: Pursuant to the By-Laws of Community Board 14, the Chairman appointed the following members to serve on the Nominating Committee: Donald Loggins, Tzvi Plotzker, Maria Rivan-Hazelwood, Leonie FrancisBryan and Marshall Tames. The Chair directed the members to meet prior to the February board meeting, at which they would present a slate of Officers for 2013. The Chairman added that after the report of the Nominating Committee at the February meeting, the floor will be open for nominations and that elections will be held at the March 2013 meeting for any contested seats. A motion was made to invoke a waiver of Section V.2 of the By-Laws. On Motion, duly made and seconded, it was

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RESOLVED: (36-0-0) to accept the Motion to invoke the By-Laws Waiver Section V.2.
B) Introduction of Elected Officials and Agency Representatives (see page one):

The Chairman invited Councilmember Jumaane Williams to address the assembly. The Councilmember announced several upcoming events sponsored by his office. He reported that he was working on a street renaming in honor of Yoseph Robinson. He also spoke about the bus strike that was set to begin on the upcoming Wednesday. C) Public Hearings: The Board held five (5) public hearings on January 9, 2013 at the CB14 District Office, 810 East 16th Street. 1. Special Permit 1009 Flatbush Avenue between Albemarle Road and Tilden Avenue, Block 5126, Lot 1, BSA# 313-12-BZ to continue operation of the existing Physical Culture Establishment (PCE) at this site. The existing PCE expired on September 14, 2009 and this application seeks to re-establish the PCE at this location. On Motion, duly made, it was: RESOLVED (33-0-0) to recommend that the application be approved. 2. Special Permit 2228-2238 Church Avenue between Flatbush Avenue and Bedford Avenue, Block 5103, Lot 36, BSA# 326-02-BZ to extend the term of the previously granted Special Permit, which allows the operation of the Physical Culture Establishment (PCE) on the cellar level of the existing one-story commercial building at the Premises, and to amend the Special Permit to allow the extension of the PCE to a portion of the buildings first floor. The application also requests approval of a change in operating control of the subject PCE. On Motion, duly made, it was: RESOLVED (33-0-0) to recommend that the application be approved. 3. Citywide Statement of Needs for Fiscal Year 2014 and 2015. In accordance with Section 204 of the New York City Charter, the Mayor has submitted the Citywide Statement of Needs for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015 for review and comment. On Motion, duly made, it was: RESOLVED (33-0-0) to recommend that the Boards comments on the plan be submitted. 4. Potential community Residence 21/25 Duryea Place, between Flatbush Avenue and East 22nd Street. FEGS Health and Human Services and the New York State Office For People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) have submitted a revised application a for a potential Individualized Residential Alternative (IRA) to be located at 21/25 Duryea Place, between Flatbush Avenue and East 22 nd Street, within Community District 14, in compliance with Section 41.34(e)(2) of the New York State Mental Hygiene Law. The proposed Community Residence will be located in an eight (8)-bedroom, two-story house to be constructed for up to nine (9) adults, who are experiencing moderate/profound impairment in their intellectual abilities.
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On Motion, duly made, it was: RESOLVED (30-0-3) to recommend that the application be approved. 5. Variance 570 East 21st Street, between Dorchester Road and Ditmas Avenue, Block 5184, Lots 39,62,66, BSA# 343-12-BZ to permit, within an R1-2/R7A Zoning District, the construction of a conforming Use Group 3 school for students with special needs who require accessory ventilation and respiratory care. The proposed school will not comply with the following provisions of the Zoning Resolution: 24-35 (side yards), 24-393 (rear yards), 24-382 (rear yard equivalent), 77-24 (adjusted lot coverage) and 24-33 (use in the rear yard equivalent). The Chairman described several issues that arose at the public hearing. He noted opposition was voiced, as was a showing of support. After questions and discussion took place, On Motion, duly made, it was: RESOLVED (26-4-4) to recommend that the application be approved. V. TOPICAL COMMITTEES REPORTS AND ITEMS:

A) Human Services no report. B) Transportation Committee Co-Chair Morris Sacks reported on the meeting that took place on Wednesday, December 5th at the District Office. On the agenda was a proposal put forth by Mr. Banda, owner of Pomegranate Supermarket at 1507 Coney Island Avenue, to remove a bus stop on the east side of Coney Island Avenue, north of Avenue L, in front of the store. The proposal had previously been reviewed by New York City Department of Transportation and the MTA NYC Transit and was rejected due to the inability to relocate or eliminate the bus stop on that block. Everyone agreed that traffic is a problem at this location and the Community Board committed to another site visit to continue to seek practical remedies. A presentation by MTA NYC Transit pertaining to station repair projects at Cortelyou Road, Beverley Road and Parkside Avenue Brighton Line stations followed. The projects would include repair of stairways, walls, canopies, drainage, lighting as well as skim coating and painting. The repairs will necessitate the closure of all stations in one direction at a time. At the request of the Community Board, NYC Transit will suspend the northbound side first (from September 2013 to January 2014) in order to decrease interference with holiday shopping on Cortelyou Road. Representatives from NYC Department of Transportation presented a preliminary proposal for the milling and remarking of Flatbush Avenue. The proposal is to reduce traffic to one 11 foot wide traffic lane in each direction, with wider parking lanes and a 10 foot wide left turn lanes. The DOTs basis for the proposal is their assertion that double parking conditions on Flatbush Avenue often reduce moving traffic to one lane and the additional space to park and turn would alleviate lane changing and other driving patterns that slow traffic in the current configuration. Consideration would also
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be given to parking restrictions during rush hours. This was a preliminary proposal and DOT will return to the Community Board at a later date to continue to gather input. A local group of bike enthusiasts also joined to meeting to urge the Community Board to support and assist their efforts in getting DOT to implement their 2012 Bike Lane proposal. The Committee will follow up on this request. Due to the Church Avenue reconstruction project between Flatbush Avenue and Rogers Avenue, there will be minor rerouting and bus stop relocations along these block. Additional parking restrictions on Church Avenue will also be implemented in early February. The Community Board 14 website has posted details, which will be updated as the project continues. C) Education, Libraries & Cultural Affairs Committee no report. D) Community Environment Co-Chair Robert Newman reported on Tuesday, December 18, 2012 meeting at the District Office. Josephine Pittari of the Parks Department presented on the impact of storm Sandy in Prospect Park and within Community District 14. About 500 trees were lost and 2000 damaged out of a total of about 30,000 trees in the park. Hundreds of volunteers assisted in the park clean up. In the Community District 14 there were 243 trees lost. The City is in process of repairing sidewalks damaged by a fallen tree. While the budget for tree pruning had doubled in this fiscal year, there is still a 13 year cycle, as opposed to the 7 year cycle that used to be in place. E) Public Safety no report. F) Youth Services Jonathan Judge announced that the committee will meet on January 28th at the District Office to begin planning the Annual 2013 Youth Conference and to continue assessments of DYCD funding for Youth Programs within Community District 14. VI. SPECIAL COMMITTES REPORTS AND ITEMS: A) Task Force on the Revitalization of the Junction Area: Barbara Sheeran announced that, unfortunately, the annual meeting of the BID was poorly attended. On a brighter note, the streetscape project had broken ground. The next meeting was upcoming on Thursday. VII. PUBLIC SESSION 8:39 P.M. 1) Steve Lamonea, Brooklyn Public Library, spoke about the tech center at the Grand Army Plaza. He also spoke about the Friends of Cortelyou Library and the value of their support. 2) L. Ricky Tulloch, Office of Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs, spoke about legislative initiatives including those, pertaining to voting and to gun laws. 3) Eileen Mullaney-Newman, Brooklyn Borough President Office, announced the Borough Presidents upcoming events. She announced that the process for FY 2014 capital budget allocations had begun and reminded the Board that membership applications were due February 28th.
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4) Brian Cunningham, Office of State Senator Kevin Parker, brought greetings from the Senator and announced a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day free concert event. 5) Mohammad Razvi, COPO, spoke of storm Sandy relief available through the COPO office for people regardless of citizenship or documentation. 6) Donna Baptiste, community resident, expressed concerns related to public safety and her request for increased police presence in the community. ADJOURNMENT 8:52 P.M. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

VIII.

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