If you ban them, he will come.

Borough President Marty Markowitz demanded this week that the general public, other politicians and the press be barred from what was being described as a “public” meeting about the Atlantic Yards held by the Dean Street Block Association — or he wouldn’t attend.

The block association — which has members who live inside or are surrounded by the footprint of Bruce Ratner’s planned development — gave in to Markowitz’s demands, if only to get him out to the neighborhood for their June 2 meeting at the Latin Evangelical Free Church on Bergen St. at Sixth Avenue.

“This was a criteria from the Borough President’s office,” said Peter Krashes, president of the Dean Street Block Association.

“If the Borough President feels it’s not safe to come and speak in Prospect Heights with reporters present, if this is the first meeting, then that’s okay,” he added, noting that “I don’t support it, I don’t like it.”

Robert Puca, a resident of the Newswalk condominiums on Dean Street and a member of the block association, said that just having the opportunity to speak one-on-one with Markowitz was reason enough to adhere to his conditions.

Noting that Markowitz also asked that no other elected officials be invited, Puca said getting Markowitz to a meeting in Prospect Heights is “something the entire neighborhood has been trying to do for a while.” He hoped this meeting would start a trend for more appearances by Markowitz in the area.

Contacted by The Brooklyn Papers before the meeting, Markowitz said he limited the guest list because he wanted a candid discussion.

“They made the invitations that they wanted the meeting on Dean Street. I agreed and was enthusiastic that I was invited,” said Markowitz. “I said this will not be a press event, and this way those that attend are free to discuss with me whatever they want to discuss with me in a ‘candid conversation’.”

Neon-green fliers advertising the meeting on lampposts along Dean Street and Sixth Avenue failed to mention the ban, prompting concerned locals to show up despite it.

But Patti Hagan, an anti-arena activist, said that while she was contacted by Krashes by phone and told not to attend, she showed up anyway after seeing the fliers. She was allowed in.

“Somebody put notices on lampposts throughout all the neighborhood,” she said. “So their attempt at excluding much of the neighborhood failed miserably.”

The 24-acre plan, stretching from the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic avenues to Vanderbilt Avenue and Dean streets, has spurred the creation of neighborhood associations, employment and housing advocacy groups, and development coalitions since it was announced 18 months ago.

Krashes said he formed the Dean Street group in September at Markowitz’s suggestion to respond to the concerns of local residents who feared being displaced by the project. His association, covering Vanderbilt to Carlton avenues, recently joined with an older Dean Street Association which covers residents from Carlton to Sixth avenues.

©2005 Community Newspaper Group