Editor's note:
This article originally stated that the organization did not have bylaws and did not release annual reports. This is incorrect. The organization’s bylaws, as well as its past financial filings since 2004, are available on the New York State Department of Law (Office of the Attorney General) Charities Bureau under the Annual Filing for Charitable Organizations.
The Open Space Alliance has asked for an extension in filing its 2008 tax forms, which is was granted, and is working on releasing an annual report before the end of the year.
The article also stated that Assemblymember Joseph Lentol (D-Williamsburg) allocated $50,000 to OSA when he distributed $150,000 and that an OSA-sponsored fundraiser in the past year netted $1300 when it brought in $13,000.
We regret these errors.
After a long day of contemplating North Brooklyn’s open space problems and navigating the intricacies of city bureaucracy, a community leader could be forgiven for wanting an ice-cold beer. And as neighborhood power players expressed their doubts about the purity of the organization’s motives, now might be a good time to grab one.
Fortunately, Open Space Alliance (OSA) Chairman Steve Hindy, also the owner of the Brooklyn Brewery, doesn’t have to go very far. He originally founded the Open Space Alliance (OSA) with Adam Perlmutter and Joe Vance in 2002 as a way to buy the Bushwick Inlet (North 12th and Kent streets) for public use.
Those plans stalled that year when Motiva, the company that owned the site, was reluctant to sell. So, Hindy and the board turned their attention to raising money to maintain McCarren and McGolrick parks and create new open space in North Brooklyn on street ends along the Williamsburg waterfront.
With the opening of Bushwick Inlet Park this month, in one respect OSA has come full circle from their original purpose.
Despite the groundbreaking and the announcement of several new park spaces and programs throughout North Brooklyn, OSA’s record is mixed. Some community board members and parks advocates have criticized the board for not giving the community committee enough power, having little transparency regarding its budget, and focusing too much energy on the McCarren Pool Parties concerts. Hindy himself has also come under criticism for using parks spaces to promote his beer company.
“So far OSA is not on a track yet,” said one CB 1 member who wished to remain anonymous. “They’re negotiating contract deals for concerts and that’s not what an open space organization should be doing. This was always my fear as they were setting up the organization.”
Julie Lawrence, a longtime Williamsburg resident and Neighbors Allied for Good Growth board member, believes that the relationship between OSA and the Parks Department has benefited the city more than the community.
“It’s not about raising money for the parks. It’s about raising income for the city,” said Lawrence.
The nonprofit filed for an extension for its 2009 tax forms and has yet to release an annual report for the past year, though its previous financial reports have been filed under the Annual Filing for Charitable Organizations and are available at the State Office of the Attorney General’s Charities Bureau website.
According to figures released from OSA board members, the largest contributor to OSA last year was Assemblymember Joseph Lentol (D-Williamsburg), who allocated $150,000 in state funds.
“You’re going to have growing pains every time you have a new organization,” said Amy Cleary, a spokesperson with Lentol, when asked for comment on OSA’s transparency issues. “There’s going to be some trial and error, but we look forward to continue supporting them to find out what works best for this community.”
Councilmember David Yassky (D-Williamsburg, Brooklyn Heights), also chipped in $10,000 and Borough President Marty Markowitz’s office contributed $400,000 through OSA for renovations to Rodney Park.
In terms of expenditures, the largest expense has been the stage built for the Pool Parties series that OSA co-sponsors with JellyNYC, a music promotion company. Last year, it cost $600,000 to put on shows at McCarren Park Pool, though the state and OSA will split expenses for the summer’s Pool Party series on the East River.
OSA and the City Parks Department each pay half of Thayer’s $80,000 salary, as Thayer serves as both OSA’s Executive Director and the North Brooklyn Parks Administrator for the Parks Deparment. OSA also contributes to the salary of an asisstant director as well as maintenance costs such as the resodding of park ball fields and refilling garbage bags and soap in comfort stations.
“We won’t spend money until receiving input from the community committee,” said Thayer, who added that they are currently working on their first annual report. “We recorded a long list of complaints at last fall’s OSA general meeting.”
The primary role of the OSA Board is to raise money. Board members are expected to contribute about $3,000 each, making for a total of $35,000 per year, and help host fundraisers, such as a recent soiree held at a Williamsburg apartment tower that netted $13,000.
“We’re working to build the board,” said Hindy, who would like to add eight more board members to the current 12. “I think the effectiveness of OSA will depend on the extent that the community supports it.”
This is the second in a three-part series about the Open Space Alliance. Last week’s looked at the structure of the non-profit. Check back next week for Part Three, which will focus on Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s role in creating open space in North Brooklyn.
