Is your cupcake the best in North Brooklyn? 

Then time is now to throw down your best cupcake and earn bragging rights!

Just love to eat them (cuz ya know, who doesn’t?)

Come taste some of the best baking Brooklyn has to offer for a good cause–supporting grassroots environmental & social justice activism!

 NORTH BROOKLYN TAKES THE CAKE!

Join NAG & our friends at the Brooklyn Kitchen on May 18th for this epic cupcake cookoff!

6-9pm. 100 Frost

$15 to eat (and drink)/compete

Get tickets and register to compete online!

This is North Brooklyn, so we know the competition will run deep. Our esteemed judges will be Jen G. of Greenpointers, Ovenly Head Baker Hannah Duke, Carmen Rodriguez of Brooklyn Cupcake and Councilmember Diana Reyna! Contest categories include Best Overall, Best Presentation, Best Savory, & Best Vegan!

Prizes from Brooklyn Slate, Ovenly and more! Beer from Brooklyn Brewery!

Need to prepare? Check out this Mother’s Day cupcake class coming up at Ovenly on May 11.

Yolim — a regular NAGster– has been testing out his infamous Fry Sauce Frosting. I have heard rumor of a Blueberry Mojito Cupcake and a Curry Coconut Cupcake being plotted. Contestants will be bringing 2 dozen cupcakes; Registration for competition can be found as part of the brown paper ticket process linked above. For more info, email or call the office (nag.bklyn@gmail.com / 718.384.2248)

Join up today with all these other home-cook extraordinaires in this fun competition to see who Takes the (Cup)cake in North Brooklyn!! Support NAG by eating cupcakes!!

Just a few short weeks ago, we hosted a community forum on the new proposed development plan for the Domino Sugar Factory property by the current owners, Two Trees. We have been engaged in a lot of thought, a lot of discourse, and a lot of good conversations with forces both in favor and against the new plan.  A lot of people have been asking our opinion and while it is too early to put out an official statement since we tend to do that during the hearings that are a part of the official ULURP process, we would like to share our thoughts on the plan so far.

NAG calls on the City to work with Two Trees and bring the new new Domino plan forward for formal public review. We believe that the Two Trees proposal is an improvement on the existing approval in many ways, and we encourage Two Trees to continue to work with the community to make further improvements. The City should pursue these changes, working with the developer and the Williamsburg community to ensure that all promises to the community are enforceable and transferable to any future owners.

In 2010, NAG opposed the Domino rezoning because the proposed density was an unsustainable burden on our community and because the developer’s promises were not backed by sufficient guarantees. The density proposed in 2010 was higher than that approved for the 2005 Greenpoint-Williamsburg Waterfront Rezoning and could cause a series of unmitigated community impacts, including a reduction in per capita open space, year-round shadow impacts on our local park, excessive waivers to provide additional parking, large-footprint neighborhood-unfriendly retail, and added burdens to our already over-taxed public transit system.

Despite our opposition, the rezoning was approved. The primary community benefit, 660 units of affordable housing, was not guaranteed – a fact that became sadly relevant when the previous developer ran into financial trouble and was forced to sell the property.

Now, a new developer – Two Trees Management – has acquired the property and proposes to change the zoning. The choice presented to the community is the previous flawed zoning with its unenforceable promises, or a new plan that, in our view, addresses some of the flaws of the previous zoning. The Two Trees plan does not correct the central flaw of the density of the 2010 approval, and it does add considerable height to the development as a trade-off for improvements in other areas. However, based on what we have heard to date, these trade-offs could lead to a better plan for the community. In our view, the Two Trees proposal appears to make significant improvements over the existing zoning in the following areas:

Commercial use: Two Trees proposes eliminating 116 residential units from the approved zoning, in favor of creating more than 530,000 additional square feet of commercial space.  This includes using the landmarked refinery building entirely for commercial (and possibly community facility) purposes.  This proposal is consistent with Community Board 1’s position on the 2005 rezoning; at that time, they envisioned North Brooklyn as a vibrant, mixed-use community.  As the rezoning has reshaped the neighborhood, we’ve seen a dramatic decline in commercial space, and the accompanying decline in opportunities for local employment.  Although Two Trees’ proposal will bring in an entirely different kind of work opportunity than was previously available in this space, we are encouraged that Two Trees shares the community’s position that a mix of uses creates a more dynamic and interesting neighborhood.

Retail: The new construction on Kent Avenue built since the 2005 rezoning has generally provided large retail footprints, attracting corporate, big-box retail outlets to the neighborhood.  NAG’s and CB1’s recommendations in 2005 included the promotion of locally owned small businesses, as job creators, entrepreneurial opportunities, and a strategy for keeping money in the local economy.  Two Trees has verbally expressed its support for small retail footprints to encourage local businesses.  We hope to see this guaranteed through their revised zoning proposal, and encourage Two Trees to go a step further by subsidizing the location of locally owned small businesses within the development if necessary.

Open Space: One of the main pieces of feedback generated in the community meetings that NAG hosted about the Domino redevelopment was that open space is a priority for North Brooklyn, especially for the Southside, which is the most underserved portion of an underserved community when it comes to public green space.  The trade-off of taller buildings allows for an interesting open space plan that not only provides more than two additional acres of open space to the neighborhood, but also creates an improved per capita open space ratio as opposed to that proposed by CPCR.  Reintroducing the street grid to the site will make this open space feel like a true community benefit, rather than just a large backyard for the development’s tenants.  In addition, the planned reconfiguration of the buildings on the site creates a less direct shadow impact on Grand Ferry Park, and Two Trees has verbally committed to working with the community to advocate for the creation of a new Williamsburg Bridge Park on the waterfront south of their site.  Both contribute to CB1’s vision of a continuous, publicly accessible waterfront.

Affordable Housing:  The most dire need in community district 1 today is affordable housing.  We appreciate Two Trees’ verbal commitment to building the 660 affordable units promised by CPCR, although we stress the community’s need to see the numbers, including affordability levels, committed to in writing.  We are pleased that Two Trees is integrating all the affordable housing into its developments, with no difference between the affordable and market rate units.  (The separation, shoddy construction, and lack of access to amenities for affordable housing tenants in the new waterfront developments has frankly been an embarrassment to the neighborhood).  We also applaud Two Trees’ verbal commitment to front-load the development of 300 affordable units in the upland site, which will be built first.

Shift in Height:  In 2010, NAG was concerned with the precedent that the large-scale upland site would set for future development on the neighborhood’s low-rise side streets. Two Trees’ proposed tiered design of the upland site (“Site E”) addresses this concern by shifting height away from Wythe Avenue toward Kent.

Parking and Transportation:  Traffic is a major issue in North Brooklyn, and so we are pleased to see that Two Trees has proposed only the minimum amount of required parking in the new development, to be included in two of the new buildings.  Our 2010 concerns about transportation have been alleviated somewhat by the proposed introduction of the new Kent Avenue bus line, which will connect the site with the J, 7, E, and M trains.  Still, we remain concerned about the impact of density on our transit systems, and hope that Two Trees will explore alternative solutions, such as a new ferry terminal on site, and maintenance and support of the Brooklyn Waterfront Greenway.

In conclusion, this is not an endorsement of the Two Trees plan – that plan is still in formation, and there are many details yet to be worked out. An endorsement of the plan itself is something that can only come with more information and a clear idea of the commitments behind their plan. However,  we do recognize that Two Trees has proposed significant and meaningful changes to the existing approval, changes that we believe the City and the community should give full and careful consideration to.

We encourage our neighbors to continue to engage in the process and make their voices heard.

“This is one of the areas with the least open space in all of Brooklyn,” said board member Jason Otano. “Even though it’s not a patch of grass, it will provide people places to congregate.”

This is something that North Brooklyn – Greenpoint and Williasmburg – will have to deal with for some time. In 2005, NAG started a community watchdog project to deal with exactly these type of issues – if you have concerns about the impact of construction on the neighborhood and would like to get involved, please contact us.

Williamsburg Walks 2012

Back for another year of fun on Bedford!!

Spring is in full effect in Williamsburg as the days grow longer and warmer. In NAG-land that means we are gearing up for our big annual Summer kickoff– Williamsburg Walks.

2013 dates: Sat June 8th —  Sat June 15th — Sat June 22nd

This will be the 6th year where Bedford Ave is transformed into a car-free oasis of neighbors having fun in the sun with art, music, cafe craziness, and pop up parks. We hope to make this year better and bolder than ever  but that means we need you — your support, your volunteer power, your ideas, and your amazing energy!!

Bedford Ave as an open space...

Bedford Ave as a giant outdoor cafe...

SUPPORT THE WALKS

Sponsor the Walks and help us activate every inch of Bedford with creativity. Your $$ helps us buy more sod and create bigger parks, pay artists (cause they can’t do everything for free), hire helpers to do the heavy lifting, and make all the bold ideas reality.  Contact Ryan or Joy at the NAG office (718.384.2248/nag.bklyn@gmail.com) to learn of all our sponsorship opportunities. We have a variety of sponsorship levels and many ways for businesses to help with in-kind services.

East River Ferry sponsors the walks and brings out the best chairs for their lawn space!!

Northside Festival is a big sponsor supplying $$ and a block full of art action. June 16 2012

VOLUNTEER AT THE WALKS

One of the most popular things about Williamsburg Walks is the pop up sod parks and the random cafe seating. It takes a lot of volunteer power to get that sod laid, chairs & tables set out, and the whole scene readied for play. It also takes a nice crew to get the street cleaned up and ready for car traffic. We get a lot of help from volunteers from the Southside CSA  but we can always use more. Email nag.bklyn@gmail.com or message us via the NAG FB page to learn how you can lend a helping hand. There are set-up shifts starting at noon and clean-up shifts that begin at 7pm. A great way to help this fun event be sustainable is to volunteer for a few hours… plus you get that cool T-shirt!!

Be a volunteer hero!!

Cool Shirt!!

ADD YOUR ART & MUSIC TO THE WALKS

Williamsburg Walks is modeled after those amazing (permanent) pedestrian plazas around the world. We try to create a pop-up version of the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica or the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires with street musicians and artists creating a vibe that makes people-watching an entertaining sport. If you would like to perform your music or art, let us know. We love the impromptu performances that pop up each week, but we are also open to scheduling spots and spaces for musicians and artists. Contact Ryan at NAG office to talk details.

Sweet Street Symphony performs at 2012 Williamsburg Walks

Genevieve White, Rope Piece, Williamsburg Walks 2009

SHOW OFF YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS

One of the main goals of Williamsburg Walks outside of creating a way to rethink public space and streetscapes is to promote local businesses, both on & off Bedford. We invite the businesses of Williamsburg & Greenpoint to set up during Williamsburg Walks and show the world why they rule. Contact Ryan at the NAG office to learn the rules (sorry, our permit does not allow vending! no sales, only give aways and demos)

Brooklyn Charm has the most popular booth where you can make a free bracelet

PS 9 Pet Supplies shows off their goodies

PROMOTE YOUR GOOD WORKS & ACTIVATE BEDFORD

We invite community groups to join us on Bedford and help create a vibrant space for fun and activism. Over the years a variety of community groups have hosted activities — from picnics to book swaps and everything in between. Join us this year and be a part of the action!! Contact Ryan to sign up and reserve your spot today!!

Greenpoint Soup Kitchen Volunteers hosted a puzzle table. 2012

NYC Loft Tenant hosted a book swap. 2012

SO MANY WAYS TO GET INVOLVED!!

Contact Ryan Kuonen today to learn how you can get plugged into Williamsburg Walks 2013.

Office ph: 718.384.2248

Email: ryanlachica@gmail.com

Sign up today to support Williamsburg Walks 2013

Don't miss out on the best summer event !!

Participatory budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members decide how a portion of a public budget will be spent. Councilmember Stephen Levin, who represents the 33rd District, has allocated at least $1 million of his discretionary funding for capital projects to PB. Community members have been working to flesh out ideas generated at a series of neighborhood assemblies in the fall into fundable project proposals.

Check out the sample ballot here!

Check out projects in Greenpoint/Williamsburg here!!

Want to hear more about PB? Check out this interview on WNYC with CM Brad Lander, one of the leading sponsors of PB in NYC.

In a list of amazing proposals, there are a few from our Greenpoint/Williamsburg part of the district.  Here is some press about some of the projects and the process:

Participatory Budget Vote Begins This Week

A Dog-Run for East River State Park?

Williamsburg Dog Run Proposed as Public Votes on How to Spend $1Mil

PB Voters!

Come out and vote. In light of the recent issues with politicians and bribes and public money, PB is getting a lot of press as a good way for the public to watch dog how our public funds are spent. However, participation is the key. Any resident of the 33rd District who is at least 16 years old is invited to vote for up to 5 projects from a number of locations throughout the district. VOTING ENDS ON SUNDAY!!

Friday, April 5

* PS 31 7:30 – 9:30 am
75 Meserole Ave  New York, NY 11222

* MS 8 8-10am
105 Johnson Street, 4th floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201
* District Office 10 am-5 pm
410 Atlantic Ave Brooklyn, NY 11217
* Independence Towers Senior Center  10 am – 4:30 pm
114 Taylor St. Brooklyn NY 11211

Saturday, April 6

PB Ballots! VOTE!

* Greenpoint Public Library 10am – 5pm
107 Norman Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222
* The People’s Firehouse 10 am – 6 pm
113 Berry St. (between N 7th and N 8th St), 11211

* El Puente Community Center 10am-5pm
80 Clymer Street Brooklyn, NY 11211

Sunday, April 7

* The People’s Firehouse 10 am – 6 pm
113 Berry St. (between N 7th and N 8th St), 11211
* Independence Towers Senior Center  10 am – 4:30 pm
114 Taylor St. Brooklyn NY 11211

 

Last night was an action-packed Transportation Committee meeting. The meeting was held at the local CB offices on Graham Avenue with 3 CB members (Wilfredo F, Karen N, & Ryan K) and 1 staff member (Marie) in attendance. With so many items on the agenda, the meeting was fast-paced and got down to business from the get-go.

The first item was a presentation from MTA on the new bus route through the Navy Yard. It is technically not a “new” route but an extension of the B67. Instead of stopping in Downtown Brooklyn, the bus will continue on from Jay St through the Navy Yard, circling around over on Division. The route will start with Mon-Fri 5am-7pm running time. There will be a joint public hearing on this extension and for the new B32 bus route up Kent Ave.

The second item was a presentation by the DOT on 3 new bike corrals being proposed for the neighborhood. More about the bike corral program here – Bicycle Parking. Each of these bike corrals has a neighborhood partner who is in charge of maintenance. The 3 locations and partners are: Kingbird @ Frost & Meeker, Williamsburg Cinemas @ Driggs & Grand St, and Marlow & Sons/Diner @ Broadway & Berry.

The third item was a new pedestrian plaza at Broadway & Bedford/S6th. To be called the George B Post Plaza , there is a facebook page with lots of info. There will be a presentation of the plaza to the full board. If/when the full board votes to recommend (the transpo comm voted in favor), then construction will begin on April 15th with completion in less than a week.

The fourth item was another presentation about a proposed plaza at Frost & Meeker. This application is similar to the Post Plaza in theory, but has some differences. The owners of the bar who are opening in the old Lorely space were informed of the pedestrian plaza program during their SLA committee hearing. They were too late to put in an official application but if they were willing to shoulder more of the building costs with limited DOT resources, the idea could move forward.  In a spot that is mostly used by illegally parked trucks, this idea got support from the committee. Both pedestrian plazas presentations will be shown to the full board at the April Public meeting.

The last item was the announcement of the DOT’s Weekend Walk/Summer Streets program coming to the Southside. El Puente & the Southside Merchants are teaming up to sponsor the neighborhood’s third Weekend Walk’s event. Joining Williamsburg Walks in June & the Grand Street Weekend Walk Block Party in July, Southside Connex will be taking to the streets–  Havemeyer St to be exact–in September.  Anusha, from the El Puente Green Light District is just getting started on all the planning. Contact her for more ways to plug into the event.

That was the meeting in a nutshell. The transportation committee meets typically on the third Tuesday of every month (that there are agenda items). The board is always looking for community members who would like to get further involved and join the committee. Tune into any committee meeting to join up.

]]> http://www.nag-brooklyn.org/2013/03/nag-action-plugging-into-the-community-board/feed/ 1 http://www.nag-brooklyn.org/2013/03/nag-action-domino-community-forum/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nag-action-domino-community-forum http://www.nag-brooklyn.org/2013/03/nag-action-domino-community-forum/#comments Wed, 13 Mar 2013 17:04:37 +0000 ryan la chica http://www.nag-brooklyn.org/?p=4947 NAG would like to invite you to a community meeting about the proposed new development at the Domino Sugar Factory

Domino Community Forum w/ Two Trees
Thurs March 14th
The Woods – 48 S4th
6-8pm

RSVP via FB Event

Jed Walentas and the Two Trees team will be walking us through their whole plan, providing you an opportunity to learn about the proposal and get answers to your questions.

The proposal is pretty big — with lots of details that involve affordable housing, open space, increased commercial space, bringing back River Street, flood zone planning, and much much more. This will be a great opportunity to look at the model, hear the whole plan in detail,  and then ask questions from the developer. We are very interested in your input on this new plan, and encourage your attendance at this meeting.

Forum Schedule: 
6-630: Meet, greet, grab a drink, check out the model of the Two Trees proposal, say hi to your neighbors, and then grab a spot for the powerpoint.
630-715: Domino presentation.
715-8pm: Questions & Discussion

http://vimeo.com/61254689

Links to Lots of Press about the New Plan

A Skyline for Williamsburg? The Brooklyn Waterfront Gets a Radical –and Terrific — Re-Design

How Much More Williamsburg Development Can the L Train Handle?

Two Trees Unveils Sweet Plan for Domino Site

Sweet or Sour? Redevelopment Plans for Domino Sugar Plant released 

Oo0h, Williamsburg

Battery Park on Beijing-Dubai Steroids

Domino "Today"

Current approved plan from the 2010 site rezoning

www.aaronshortstory.blogspot.com

www.aaronshortstory.blogspot.com

Have you ever been so fired up about a neighborhood issue that you have spent hours ranting about it , either online or over drinks with friends? Well, this is your chance to speak out for 2 minutes about a neighborhood issue dear to your heart…

In the upcoming months, there will be several public hearings about big developments coming to the neighborhood. As was learned at our ULURP workshop, there are a few select times during process in which the public is given a chance to voice their praise or concern for the plans. Practice your public-speaking skills and learn how the public process works on a neighborhood level by speaking out at next week’s Community Board meeting.

On the agenda for the March Combined Full Board & Public meeting:
3 applications for sidewalk cafes
update from state parks about the flea moving into East River Park
BSA application
update from NYC Health Dept about rodent activity in North Brooklyn
discussion with DOS, NYPD, & DOT about getting allowances for double parking during street cleaning
EDC is coming to talk about the disposition & development of a vacant lot (currently used for parking of a non-profit) on Rutledge
de-mapping of Union Ave in McCarren Park
committee reports — the enviro comm report will include business regarding the 61 Franklin Street Garden
& 29 liquor license renewals or applications, including the Brooklyn Flea in the East River State Park…

(See our Facebook event page for more detailed info on some of the agenda items)

So now that you have seen the agenda, you are feeling inspired to come to the meeting and add your 2 cents, right?!? To speak during the Board meeting, one must sign up on the speaker form before 615pm. Speakers are called up during the meeting. If you are speaking to a specific topic, you can be called up after that item’s presentation. Or you will be called up during the public session — after presentations but before committee reports. You are given two minutes.

Speaking during a CB meeting is a great way to inform the community about street-level problems, express your concern to or about City agencies, or just praise the good things you see going on about the neighborhood. Create change through 2 minutes of words!!

Afterwards, NAGsters and friends will go for an after meeting drink to dish and discuss the highlights of the meeting — as of late we have been walking down to the Commodore on Metropolitan & Havemeyer because they have great salads & grilled cheese and we are usually famished after those LONG meetings…but we follow the critical mass of opinion!!

RSVP via email or the FB event. Let us know what issues have you ready to speak up. We will be posting cb speaking pointers all week long here on the blog and over on our FB page.

www.aaronshortstory.blogspot.com

www.aaronshortstory.blogspot.com