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Tropicana, Atlantic City

In the 33rd district, seven candidates speak

By Ben Muessig
The Brooklyn Paper

One of the biggest issues in Brownstone Brooklyn concerns a proposal to allow the city to charge for street parking in residential areas — and limit sales of the so-called “residential parking permits” to neighborhood residents. Supporters say that such a plan would create more parking for residents by limiting outsiders from parking in their neighborhoods. Opponents say that a parking is not a birthright, and all car owners must compete for them, like any finite resource. Here’s what candidates to replace Councilman David Yassky in the district covering Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill and a small part of Park Slope:

“Is it going to stop in Downtown Brooklyn, or is it going to go on to the entire borough? And the city? This has to go first to the merchants to figure out if it they have customers who come from outside of the neighborhood. Is it going to affect their business? It’s a good idea, but it hasn’t been studied closely enough.”
Isaac Abraham

“I’m in favor of residential parking permits. I think they should be established in each of the 59 community boards, but the boards that do not want to participate should have the right to opt out.”
Ken Baer

“I support it if the community feels they want it. It can create revenue that can be used to offset the deficit in the MTA and help commuters in the outer boroughs. I support anything that goes towards building out alternatives.”
Doug Biviano

“I support it. We have too many people — including public servants — who are taking up our spaces. We need to limit their parking permits, and we have to find a way to make it very difficult for people coming in from the suburbs to take our parking spaces.”
Ken Diamondstone

“I’m in favor of it for Downtown Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill and Boerum Hill. You have the whole civic area and all of the courts, so there is a lot of traffic already. And then, because of its proximity to Manhattan, there is a park-and-ride situation going on. I think a residential parking permit program would be appropriate for that area.”
Steve Levin

“I’m in favor of them and I’ve been one of the people leading the charge on residential parking permits for quite some time — years, actually. They’re not right for every neighborhood. … There have been concerns over how it would work, but often, the ones who weren’t supporting it misunderstood something about it.”
Jo Anne Simon

“I’m absolutely for it, but it should be put to the community boards. There are some areas where it doesn’t make sense, but in many places it does — like areas near subway stations. It doesn’t necessarily make sense further out in the borough.”
Evan Thies

©2009 The Brooklyn Paper

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