Broadway Triangle Letter
Whenever a development occurs, there is back and forth – between the community and the developer, between the city and the neighborhood. Some disagreement is healthy, and not everyone gets his or her way all of the time.
What matters is the process. Everyone must have a seat at the table.
The Broadway Triangle rezoning concerns me due to its lack of affordable units. But that issue is merely quibbling when it comes to the larger issue – why wasn’t the community involved?
The efforts of HPD (The Department of Housing Preservation and Development) to involve members of the neighborhood have been half-hearted at best and downright shady at worst. HPD did not invite numerous stakeholders to participate in a community charrette in 2007, and did little to inform the neighborhood of that chance to have their voices heard.
Williamsburg is an ethic melting pot, with its own unique history of racial and political tensions. These divisions are only deepened when some groups feel excluded.
I do not oppose all development. Far from it – I myself am a developer of affordable housing in Brooklyn. But I will always fight development that is approved behind closed doors, while the neighbors who are most affected by the added density and strains on infrastructure are locked out and ignored. It takes real leadership to listen to all sides of the story and craft solutions that work best for everyone.
-Ken Diamondstone is a resident of Boerum Hill. He is running as a Democrat for the City Council in the 33rd Council District, which includes all or parts of Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Boerum Hill, DUMBO, Vinegar Hill, Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope.
