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And this is the compromise?

The judge who oversees the Supreme Court workers who park their cars in a section of Columbus Park next to Borough Hall will now allow Brooklyn Law School students to park in the lot after hours.

The move comes after the judge, former Councilman Abe Gerges, vowed to find a compromise that would satisfy his car-driving judges and Brooklyn Heights resident who want their park back.

Those residents say Gerges failed miserably.

“It looks like an attempt to enlist a new ally. That parking perk breeds abuse,” said Wiley Norvell, a spokesman for Transportation Alternatives.

In an interview, Gerges said he is just trying to ease parking woes for Downtown Brooklyn drivers who battle with students for nearby parking.

“For me it’s a win-win situation,” he said. “We permitted them to come in because it’s better for the law students, it’s better for the college, it’s better for the community.”

But community leaders don’t buy it — the space near the corner of Joralemon and Adams streets is zoned as parkland. Office workers, residents and pedestrians need the open space for relaxation more than the judges need it for parking, Norvell said.

Indeed, that’s the way it was supposed to be. When the city was building a new courthouse nearby a few years ago, then–Administrative Judge Michael Pesce told community leaders that his judges would park in a new lot in that building. That never happened, however, as judges cited security needs in the post–9-11 world.

Locals remember Pesce’s promise and feel betrayed.

“You can’t just make a promise and then say later, ‘I changed my mind,’” said Community Board 2 District Manager Rob Perris.

©2008 The Brooklyn Paper

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