Welcome to The Sixth Sense - the monthly newsletter of
Brooklyn Community Board 6,
serving the neighborhoods of Carroll Gardens/South Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Columbia Street Waterfront, Gowanus, Park Slope and
Red Hook
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What are you passionate about? Here at the Community Board we're most passionate about, well, our communities. We tend to them, we protect them, we nurture them, we have visions for them. In the realm of planning, however, it can be a challenge for citizens to effectively navigate the City's planning process and make a meaningful impact. In part because planning is such a highly specialized field that it can feel like an advanced degree is required just to have an intelligent conversation with a planner. But, also, in part because the City's planning processes have not been significantly re-examined with an eye toward empowering citizens to be more equal partners.
A few common themes keep resurfacing, all of which may suggest the need for more conversation in the area. Arguably, everybody has an agenda when it comes to planning. So naturally the people who benefit the greatest from the existing system, who tend also to be the ones with the most "power" would also be the most reluctant to change. Nonetheless, without an engaged and educated citizenry one thing is for certain. Nothing will change.
To that end, it may be worth giving some thought to the following:
De-emphasize the product, and reemphasize the process.
Unless the plan has built-in flexibility to respond to changing economic, social and political climates - which most do not - once the ink dries on plans they stagnate. When people with varied perspectives, interests and agendas begin working together plans become dynamic and representative. Negotiation becomes the primary planning tool with consensus becoming the goal. When groups stop working together missed communication leads to miscommunication, which leads to mistrust and missed opportunities for everyone. The power of planning lies not in the product, but in the process.
Planning is not a short, linear process so why is the planning review process?
Most of the real action takes place upstream, well before the review process, where there's still time to influence the thinking that goes into the planning. By the time a plan is presented for review, it's often too late to influence plans other than marginally. And after a plan has been reviewed by a community at the local level, there's no formal role for the community to play when changes are negotiated downstream by decision-makers. That train has left the station. Communities need to be a part of the conversation when plans are still conceptual; they should also have a permanent seat at the table to help sort out the final details. Disengagement leads to dis-ease.
Planning cannot be a democratic process; if there are winners and losers, everyone loses.
The traditional didactic in planning world compares top-down versus bottom-up planning models. Many disenfranchised bottom-up advocates would like nothing more than to subjugate, a hypocritical outcome if ever there were one. There is another way. Planning should be more co-active. Communities should have a chance to minimize undue impacts while optimizing benefits. Developers should be encouraged to invest in communities and have an opportunity to earn profit. Agencies must be able to factor in area-wide and regional impacts. Government must also ensure that the planning process remain a fair, engaged, level playing field.
Everyone's values matter.
Values are communicated in every planning conversation. Neutralizing judgment would significantly advance planning discussions. Like
the Scorpion and the Frog - planners, developers, community and government stakeholders will inevitably be true to their nature, even if it may mean that everyone will suffer from their action. The key to moving beyond these irrational outcomes starts with an acceptance that stakeholders' true natures will not be in harmonious alignment and that pious conversion is unrealistic and divisive. With ongoing communication and respect, values can be modulated and mutual goals achieved.
They say if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. I, for one, am very excited to keep this conversation going. So who else is going to kick this can down the road? C'mon, don't be shy.
Stay active and engaged. It's our community!
Enjoy our newsletter, and please let us know what you would like to see in future editions.
P.S. If you like what you see here, please use the "Forward email" link at the bottom of the page to pass this email along to a friend or two. There are over 104,000 residents and thousands of businesses in our district. We'd love it if they would all sign up!
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6:30pm, May 10th
P.S. 32 Auditorium
317 Hoyt Street
(between Union/President Streets)
Brooklyn, NY 11231
All posted meetings are open to the public; however, participation may be limited.
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Applying for a Block Party Permit
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A block party is a community sponsored, public event where there are no sales of goods or services. Block parties are limited to one block and one day. Applications must be filed at least 60 days in advance.
Applying for a block party is a two-step process:
Step 1) Fill out an online application by visiting the city's Street Activity Permit office. You will need to pay a fee of $25.62 using a credit or debit card.
Step 2) Provide the CB6 District Office with either a letter from the affected block association, or signatures of 20 residents who live on the block, to demonstrate that they've consented to the block closure. You can mail us your list, fax it to (718) 624-8410, or email a scanned copy to officemanager@brooklyncb6.org
To apply for a street activity permit, go to E-Apply.
You will be asked to create an account and fill out a questionnaire regarding your requested permit. The application process is complete once you pay a non-refundable processing fee ($25.62) by credit or debit card.
When hosting a block party, keep in mind the following:
- Applications must be submitted at least 60 days prior to the event
- Applicants must be given permission by their neighbors (evidenced by 20 signatures or letter from block association)
- The event is limited to 9 consecutive hours on one day and one block
- Rain dates are not permitted
- Event must be open to all neighbors on the block; not a private party (e.g. not a birthday party)
- Applicants cannot charge a fee to participate or fundraise
- You may not sell food or other goods and services
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ArtWorks: A Benefit for Arts Gowanus
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Thursday, May 11, 2017,
7 – 10 pm
Shapeshifter Lab
18 Whitwell Place, Gowanus, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Based on last year’s rousing success, ArtWorks is back in 2017 bigger and better! Join us to celebrate the arts and artists in the Gowanus neighborhood, AND TAKE HOME ONE PIECE OF ORIGINAL ARTWORK from a Gowanus artist. All while supporting the critical mission of Arts Gowanus to promote, support and advocate for local artists and a sustainable arts community in the Gowanus neighborhood.
This year we’ve increased the number of artists and artworks to 75! Bring your fellow art lovers. Appreciate the artwork made by Gowanus artists. Enjoy drinks, delicious appetizers, and desserts. Meet artists and art lovers. And support the work of Arts Gowanus.
$250 Individual Ticket: Includes entrance to event for ONE and ONE piece of original artwork $300 Couples Ticket: Includes entrance to event for TWO and ONE piece of original artwork
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District Greenmarket News
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April showers bring May Greenmarkets! Favorites like ramps, asparagus, and overwintered broccoli rabe are popping up alongside colorful flowers and plants. If that’s not enough, see below for fun events and seasonal market openings lined up at the Greenmarkets in the CB6 district. Spring is the perfect time to establish a farmers market shopping routine, so find a Greenmarket near your home or office to get started.
Bartel Pritchard Sunday Greenmarket Opening Day Sunday, May 7th 8am to 3pm Prospect Park West and 15th Street
Mark your calendars, the Bartel Pritchard Greenmarket opens for the season on Sunday, May 7th! Find your favorite farmers on the circle at Prospect Park West and 15th Street every Sunday through December 17th. This season, we welcome new producer Ole’ Mother Hubbert with milk, yogurt, eggs, chicken, and more. However, we will no long have compost and clothing collection at this market, so bring those food scraps to Grand Army Plaza on Saturdays instead.
Greenmarket Regional Grains Project at the Carroll Gardens Greenmarket Sunday, May 7th 8am to 3pm Carroll and Smith Streets
Visit the market and stock up on your favorite local grains like emmer, freekeh, or einkorn! The Greenmarket Grainstand is popping up at the market to sell regionally grown whole grains, flours, beans, pasta, and more.
Grainstand and Guest Distillery Pop Up at the Carroll Gardens Greenmarket Sunday, May 7th 8am to 3pm Carroll and Smith Streets
Visit the market to stock up on your favorite local grains from the Greenmarket Regional Grains Project, and local spirits from Cooperstown Distillery. Both will be popping up at the market with whole grains, flours, beans, pasta, whiskey, vodka, and more.
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Pratt Industries Paper Recycling Tour
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Last week, the Department of Sanitation's Zero Waste Communication Bureau of Recycling and Sustainability organized a tour of Pratt Industries, the company that handles most of the City's paper recycling. Pratt Industries came to New York City in 1997. Their site has a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) where recyclables are sorted and processed, and a corrugated box plant which converts some of the paper recycled.
Fifty percent of the paper collected by New York City’s residential recycling program is used in the paper-making process.
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90% of DSNY's paper & cardboard pick up ends up at The Staten Island paper recycling facility. Rejected material that has no paper fiber is recycled (for instance, plastic bags) and the remaining residual fiber not suitable for box-making is baled and used for a Gasification process in Georgia.
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Paper pulp. This vat had a strong, organic odor like a distillery. It takes 4 days for your discarded pizza box to turn into a box.
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Water is removed from the paper pulp in many stages.
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This giant roll will be cut before it's made into cardboard.
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The Quality Control room where they test the paper to ensure consistency.
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Did you know they add dye to the paper to make it that warm kraft color we associate with recycled material? Without the added pigment, the cardboard would be gray.
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Cardboard is die cut and printed onsite. The leftover cuttings are kept and sent through the process all over again.
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Pratt Industries creates 1 million pizza boxes per week.
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What goes in the DSNY Green Bin?
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We have DSNY stickers at the District Office. Swing by and pick some up for your building.
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Paper:
- Newspapers, magazines, catalogs
- White and colored paper (including lined, copier, and computer paper; staples & windows are acceptable)
- Mail and envelopes (any color; window envelopes are acceptable)
- Paper bags
- Wrapping paper
- Soft-cover books (such as paperbacks and comics; no spiral bindings), telephone books
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Cardboard:
- Cardboard egg cartons and trays
- Smooth cardboard (such as food and shoes boxes, tubes, file folders, and cardboard from product packaging)
- Pizza boxes; remove and discard the soiled liner. Recycle plastic supporter in your blue bin
- Paper cups (waxy lining is acceptable if the cups are empty and clean; plastic lids go in the blue bin)
- Corrugated cardboard boxes, flattened and tied
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Not Accepted:
- Paper with heavy wax or plastic coating such as candy wrappers, and take-out containers
- Soft paper like facial tissue, napkins & paper towels
- Heavily soiled paper plates
- Hardcover books
- Bubble-padded mailing envelopes
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Wednesday May 3, 6-8pm
LEARN ABOUT A NEW HOUSING LOTTERY AT 363 BOND STREET.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the following topics:
How to fill out and submit an application for 363 Bond Street
and Affordable Housing Lotteries,
Learn about Income, Credit and other Requirements,
How to increase your chances to get an Affordable Apartment,
Learn About Available Financial Counseling.
Location: PS 32, 317 Hoyt Street. Please RSVP At FACHousing@Fifthave.org or Call 718-237-2017 X 124
Saturday May 6, 7pm-12am
Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance presents the 5th Annual Red Hook Prom - "United in Love" - at South Brooklyn Community High School. The annual dance party and silent auction for adults benefits the pay-what-you-can programs at Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance. Cora will be honoring Councilman Carlos Menchaca from the 38th District as the 2017 Red Hook Prom King. Began in 2013 as a community wide spirit lifter following Hurricane Sandy, the Red Hook Prom has brought together more community members, fly moves, sassy outfits and - say it loud - LOVE - than any other Cora event over the past five years.
Saturday, May 6th, 1pm
Interference Archive. "Finally Got the News" Curator's Tour. Join curators of our current exhibition, Finally Got The News: The Printed Legacy of the U.S. Radical Left, 1970-1979, for a conversation about the material in this exhibition and the movements represented.This tour is free and open to the public; no RSVP necessary.
Saturday, May 6th,
10:30am to 3pm
The
Cobble Hill Tree Fund is hosting its very popular annual plant sale at Cobble Hill Park, at the corner of Congress and Clinton Streets. Besides annuals, perennials and herbs, there will be a plant identification game for kids and a free t-shirt with $75 purchase (while supplies last).
The Fund is "
dedicated to planting trees, providing education on the care of trees, and the on-going beautification of our community." All monies raised at the sale will be used for that purpose.
Saturday, May 6, 10am-1pm Clean & Green: Riverkeeper Riversweep with the Gowanus Canal Conservancy. The Salt Lot, 2 Second Ave, Brooklyn 11215. As one of Riversweep's 100+ cleanups throughout NY, volunteers will be stewarding trees and gardens in the neighborhood, in addition to stenciling stormwater drains!
W
ednesday May 10, 6:30pm
Park Slope Town Hall.
Concerned about President Trump’s budget proposals? Find out what the next four years could look like for the Park Slope community – and all of NYC, Learn how the dollars and cents add up for our neighborhoods, Hear the impact on the city and state budget, Express your concerns on President Trump’s budget. Organized by
New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer
& Assembly Member Robert C. Carroll
In Partnership with Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, State Senator Kevin S. Parker, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and Councilmember Brad Lander. Location: John Jay High School,
237 7th Avenue.
Thursday May 11, 7 pm
Orazio Terra Bruciata opening art reception.
By combining and experimenting with raw, organic natural materials and utilizing the four elements: earth, air, water and fire, Orazio has succeeded in creating objects of rare beauty, evocative of place, emotion and breathtaking experience. Location: Court Tree Collective, 371 Court Street. Free.
Thursday May 11,
5:30 - 9:00pm
Sunset Swing, SBIDC's 17th Annual Fundraising Gala!
Please join us at Sunset Swing 2017, Southwest Brooklyn Industrial Development Corporation's 17th annual fundraising gala! Mix and mingle with your fellow Southwest Brooklyn industrial business owners, enjoy great food and live music, all while supporting SBIDC's efforts to grow and strengthen the economy of our great neighborhoods! Buy tickets here. Location: Pioneer Works: Center for Art and Innovation, Red Hook.
Thursday, May 11, 7 – 10 pm
ArtWorks Art sale & fundraising party. Location: Shapeshifter Lab 18 Whitwell Place, Gowanus. Tickets: $250-$300 (includes a piece of original art). Join us to celebrate the arts and artists in the Gowanus neighborhood, AND TAKE HOME ONE PIECE OF ORIGINAL ARTWORK from a Gowanus artist. All while supporting the critical mission of Arts Gowanus to promote, support and advocate for local artists and a sustainable arts community in the Gowanus neighborhood. Enjoy drinks, delicious appetizers, and desserts.
Saturday May 13 - June 18th, weekends 1-6pm
The Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition presents three 2017 Spring Shows: Wide Open 8, the Recycle Show and the 25th Annual Spring Pier Show: Rites of Spring.
Rites of Spring fills the airy galleries with images of renewal and regeneration.
Wide Open 8, a national juried show presents 120 works by artists all around the country.
Recycle 2017showcases art crafted from cast-off, discarded and repurposed materials, and the pieces selected will certainly impress, amaze and amuse.
Saturday, May 20, from 10am to 5pm
The annual Carroll Park Fair is coming! This is our main fundraiser. It enables our volunteers to do all their great work in the Park -- movie nights, karaoke, the Halloween parade, all the plantings, and more.So come on out and support your park and have a great time doing it! Meet your neighbors, find bargains, empty your wallet. We'll have a bouncy room for small children, live music, face painting and more.
The Fair has sold out every year for at least 7 years in a row, so if you want a space where you can clear out your closet, promote your business or sell your product (sorry, no food or drink sales),
contact us
for more information. 10' x 10' spaces are only $35.
Saturday May 20, all day
Bike the Branches
is a day for Brooklynites like you to unite and show our love for Brooklyn's 60 neighborhood libraries. During the event, every branch will welcome you, and give you a place to gather, recharge and celebrate the diversity and strength of our beloved borough. Sign up soon. Space is limited.
Saturday, May 20, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
EXPO Gowanus, Thomas Greene Playground, 3rd Avenue and Douglass Street, Gowanus.
Come join us at EXPO Gowanus: a neighborhood carnival of art, science, and toxic waste. Learn about issues facing our neighborhood, while having a fun day in the park! Join us for art-making, activism, science, dance and music performances, food, sports, and more!
Students from local schools will showcase investigations about Gowanus water quality, green infrastructure, climate change, and other important local issues.
Sunday May 21
Friends of Firefighters GENEROSITY BROOKLYN 5K
We are excited to be participating in the Generosity Brooklyn 5K again, for the 4th year in a row. The race will take place on Sunday, May 21st, in Prospect Park. Click here to sign up or support a participant!
Sunday, May 21, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair 5th Avenue between Sterling Place and 12th Street, Park Slope.
It’s that time of year, again! It's almost time for your favorite Brooklyn street fair! The Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair is coming up on May 15th between Sterling and 12th Street. Music! Local food and drinks! Art! Great local shopping! Rides! Vintage cars! Other stuff worthy of exclamation points!
Sunday, May 21, 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm
The 2017 Park Slope Civic Council House Tour,
is a self-guided walking tour.
Ticket-holders will receive a handsome illustrated brochure describing the history and interior of each home. Following the Tour at 6:00pm, there will be a lecture by local architect-historian Francis Morrone at The Berkeley Carroll School at 181 Lincoln Place; house tour tickets are required.
Monday, May 22, 6:30-9:30pm
#GetOrganizedBK Full Group Meeting. Topic: Women’s Health & Reproductive Rights. The #GetOrgBK Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights working group has been holding weekly vigils at Governor Cuomo’s office to demand that he advance the Reproductive Health Act, which would codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into NYS law before the Roberts/Gorsuch Court shreds them. (ICYMI, read this great piece on why abortion is a progressive economic issue, as well as women of gender equality). WHARR is organizing a panel to kick off our next full-group meeting.Location: Congregation Beth Elohim (Garfield Pl & 8th Avenue)
Wednesday May 24, 6:30pm
Southwest Brooklyn Tenant Union Meeting. Tenants and allies organizing for housing justice in Southwest Brooklyn.
6:30PM Carroll Gardens Association, 201 Columbia Street. Call Mimi at
718-243-9301 for more information.
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Who's Who at #BkCB6
CB6 2017 Officers:
● Sayar Lonial, Chairperson
● Mike Racioppo, First Vice Chairperson
● Pauline Blake, Second Vice Chairperson
● Jerry Armer, Treasurer
● Ariel Krasnow, Secretary
District Office Staff:
● Helena Miskel, Office Volunteer
● Samudyatha Subbarama, Planning Fellow
● Sarah Yehuda, Planning Fellow
Newsletter Production:
● Craig Hammerman, Editor-in-Chief
● Sarah N. Phillips, Managing Editor
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CB6 Committee Chairs:
● Jerry Armer, Finance/Personnel & Law
● Richard Bashner, Waterfront/Community Development
● Paige Bellenbaum, Human Services
● Peter Fleming, Land Use; Elections
● Glenn Kelly, Parks/Recreation/Cultural Affairs
● Ariel Krasnow, Housing
● Sayar Lonial, Executive
● Robert Levine, Landmarks
● Rick Luftglass, Budget; Economic Development
● Eric McClure, Transportation, Co-Chair
● Thomas Miskel, Transportation, Co-Chair
● Mike Racioppo, Permits & Licenses
● Mark C. Shames, Environmental Protection
● Matthew Silverman, Public Safety
● Suzanne Turet, Education
● Robert Underwood, Youth Services
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Friends of Brooklyn Community Board 6, Inc. supports the work of Brooklyn Community Board 6 in improving the quality of life in the district. Friends provides planning, advocacy, research and administrative resources to supplement the limited capacities and budget of the Community Board, thus enabling it to properly carry out its City Charter mandated tasks of evaluating the needs of the district and advocating on behalf of its communities.
Friends of Brooklyn Community Board 6, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Federal EIN 04-3780020).
Donations are welcome and are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
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Ph: (718) 643-3027 | Fx: (718) 624-8410 | fbcb6@brooklyncb6.org | www.fbcb6.org
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