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.
