Big Changes at CB9
Comments
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If you go, I request that you assign each attendee one of the motivations we have discussed and report back.
Thanks
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The first meeting of the circus with its new participants and ring master is tomorrow!
Date: September 23rd, 2014
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Medgar Evers College, Edison O Jackson Auditorium
Address: 1638 Bedford Avenue, corner of Crown Street
Phone: 1-718-778-9279
Email: [email protected]
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It should be a better show than usual, but, with the new leadership and more community interest something just might eventually be accomplished.Tim's blog today has a lot about tomorrow's meeting:
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Don't discount entertainment as being an accomplishment.
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Is Brooklynian going to have a section?
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I may distribute cards throughout the place, and then leave with a false sense of superiority.
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An over capacity room:
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Results in a larger venue:
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And by 7:45 the meeting descended into chanting about how it is "our community" and the community board's alleged complicity in trying to shut the "real members" out of the process.Some board members tried to distance themselves from it, while others pointed out that the forces are beyond the control.
My personal favorites are the board members who called for unity without defining what unity would be, or how it would be achieved.There are also those who believed that Eric Adams replaced the community board because it asked for a rezoning, and is now angry the "new board" continues to support request that zoning be studied. This subset is interesting because:1. The board was reconfigured for reasons other than those believed.2. They seemed to initially believe the new one would be in favor of their interests, yet now feel they are the "same bullshit". They fail to understand how the interests present in homeowners (ie community board members) differ from theirs.Like a train wreck, it is hard to look away.-Lots of accusations that the CB wanted the rezoning, without involving the "community" in the process.The returning and new board members, in response, tried to explain the process that they undertook and the input they solicited.Vocal members of the crowd opine that because they were not involved in the process, it is inherently invalid and that they don't like some board having power over them. They want the CB's request to rezone the area (sent to the Dept of Planning back in March) to be rescinded.They don't seem to understand that isn't going to happen.
...no matter how loudly those opposed to request chant "We are not for sale". -
The writer of the Q at Parkside is a CB9 member and tried to inform the crowd that he supported the request because he believes it is the only way to get any additional affordable housing into area.Meanwhile, members of those opposed to the study/request seem to believe that the request will speed up change (ie gentrification), and want downzoning.In my view, this demonstrates very little to no understanding of existing property rights, and how "under built" the area is in terms of existing zoning. Basically, some members of the crowd want zoning that stops owners (and future owners) from using the rights that were inherent in their land (i.e. purchases).I left around 8:20.
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I just got back from the meeting!I saw the Q there. I saw the Brooklynian cards on my way out.When I came up Bedford around 7:20 pm, I met the crowd that was being moved to the new venue. I sat myself down front and had a front row seat to all the shenaningans. I stayed to the bitter end which included...
- a motion to rescind the resolution
- a vote to rescind the resolution.
Final vote tally:- 16 yes
- 9 no
- 8 abstentions
Some of the new CB9 members sought clarification as to whether the resolution would go back to the land use committee, but someone pointed out that the resolution did not originate from the land use committee.So now what? -
The writer of the Q at Parkside is a CB9 member and tried to inform the crowd that making the request is the only way to get any additional affordable housing into area.
I think Diana Richardson was trying to explain this. No matter what the resolution says, the board does not have the right to tell certain developers what land parcels they may not buy. However, a difference can be made in respect to the heights of what is constructed.While members of those opposed to the study/request seem to believe that the request will speed up the change, and want downzoning.In my view, this demonstrates very little to no understanding of existing property rights, and how "under built" the area is in terms of existing zoning. Basically, some members of the crowd want zoning that stops owners (and future owners) from using the rights were inherent in their land (i.e. purchases).It seemed that whoever made the motion (and seconded the motion) to rescind the resolution did it on principle - the resolution was passed without adhering to all proper procedure. -
I surprised they managed to vote, and suspect the validity of the procedure will be closely scrutinized by lawyers at Borough Hall and elsewhere.I'm defining the resolution as "withdrawing the request to the Department of Planning for rezoning study of the area".Given CB9's vote, it is now up to the Department of Planning to decide whether to proceed with a study and then bring the results to CB9 and the City Council for its support.If I were the DoP and decided to go that route, I'd take my sweet time doing it. I'd wait for the natural process of neighborhood change (i.e. gentrification) to occur, so by the time I up zoned the area most of the vocal (ie poor and scared) would already be gone.However, under this administration, I am not sure that is an option. If DeBlasio is going to meet his goal of "affordable housing", he is going to get this kind of resistance in every neighborhood that is not already expensive (ie Was not upzoned by Bloomberg because it was "less than prime").
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They voted, BUT even though that resolution got more "yea" votes than "nays" I don't think it passed. The yeas received 16 votes, a majority, but CBs have complex procedures and IIRC the large number of abstentions was enough to keep the resolution from being carried. I might be wrong though–it's been a good number of years since I served on CB9 and the sh*t show tonight made me really glad to no longer be a member.9/23: I found out last night that the resolution to rescind THE resolution did indeed pass; the abstentions count towards the majority.9/23, 15 minutes later: Scratch that; I was right the first time.
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It was a complete shit show.Part of me is amazed that members of the crowd honestly seem to believe that their local CB has the power to stop OR cause market forces.They have convinced themselves that CB9 (even though its members have largely changed) is all powerful enemy.I wish I had an enemy I could blame things on. I blame college for making my perspective broader.
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@whynot_31 - You didn't just have college. You went to grad school, correct?
The brother of James Davis was also doing his version of civil disobedience (I think).I kind of wished CB9 had followed through on threats to have the members of the 71st throw out the rabblerousers. -
My myopia was ruined before then.Throwing them out would have made it way worse.Likewise, canceling the mtg b/c they would not behave would have rewarded them.It is a painful process, but they have to realize themselves that shouting and chanting makes them look like idiots to everyone with power and in the press.Boro Hall, DOT, and all of the other agencies that traditionally work with CBs have to say, "we tried to meet with you, but you didn't speak coherently as a CB, so we are going to do what we think is best without you. You are only advisory. We don't need your permission. We don't even have to be here for more than the 20 min period we were scheduled to present"
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Diana Richardson spoke to that as well.Boro Hall, DOT, and all of the other agencies that traditionally work with CBs have to say, "we tried to meet with you, but you didn't speak coherently as a CB, so we are going to do what we think is best without you. You are only advisory. We don't need your permission. We don't even have to be here for more than the 20 min period we were scheduled to present"I was seriously considering walking out. I didn't come there for that kind of theater.I wouldn't have minded if throwing Alicia from MTOPP out meant that she was somehow a martyr for the "cause". Tim from the Q at Parkside doesn't think MTOPP is going to get their way anyway, and they don't seem to be up for an open dialogue (that is, that doesn't include MTOPP shouting any opposing viewpoint down). -
A pretty cheap, but effective campaign to make MTOPP (edited from PPEN) more of a laughing stock would be flyers with their logos along with words "Fight The Intelligencia."It looks like 5000 full color flyers stating same would run me $133.One could also send infiltrators to their meetings to complain about how MTOPP is not inclusive enough and/or are replicating the racist capitalist hegemonic power structure. (Such accusations from people believed to be members brings on hours of navel gazing and subcommittees, which effectively and quickly destroys such groups)...but I am patient enough to watch them self destruct or fade away. They are only a threat in the sense that people may define the thoughtful members of CB9 using the same brush as they do MTOPP.MTOPP probably won't remain this excited for long, and the intelligent members of the group may soon defect or be pushed out for disagreeing on what methods are effective, and accused of being infiltrators, apologists, etc.
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photos from Rachel of DNA.info:
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@whynot_31 - The Q posted this morning that all that theater was for naught. The motion actually didn't pass due to the number of abstentions.
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I suspect this means we will get another show next month.
If CB members show up and abstain, they might be called either Uncle Toms or white devils.
If was a CB9 member, I'd stay home next month. I'd invite the other CB members for the evening. We'd talk about what we want to accomplish once the people in the green tshirts were gone.
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If everyone I invited from CB9 came, my gathering would look something like this group:
photo credit: http://www.cbf.org/how-we-save-the-bay/programs-initiatives/pennsylvania/clean-water-captains
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W-N,Try not to confuse PPEN with MTOPP. The former is far more thoughtful. Sometimes I wonder if MTOPP was dreamt up by developers as a provocateur to discredit PPEN, although its more likely the result of some sort of psychopathology.
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I agree, MTOPP is the less eloquent of the two groups. However, last night, a lot of PPEN members seemed to be wearing green MTOPP tshirts.
While I suspect the PPEN members will quickly distance themselves from MTOPP, many didn't seem to bring alternate attire. The night seemed to take them by surprise.
...They just sat in their seats, looked at the ground, and probably wondered what they were going to do with the shirts afterward.
In college, I used to write for the campus newspaper and there was a group of anarchists (Spartacus) that would always interupt the student government meetings. When coherent, they would insist that the efforts to get recycling containers merely perpetuated the global hegemony of Coke a Cola. Lots of yelling and screaming was directed at the volunteer, hapless student representative re: being against all living things, etc.
MTOPP reminds me a lot of them: http://spartacus-educational.com/USAanarchist.htm
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Why were a number of people were yelling that Pearl (one of the CB9 members) didn't even live in the district? How would they even know that?The meeting ended around 9:43 pm.
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It doesn't matter where Pearl lives; she's a City employee rather than a board member.
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@bobmarvin, Thanks for the clarification.I think I understand the implication of those statements. It's not as if Pearl were part of a conspiracy to throw the community under the bus.
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