Monday, July 27, 2015

Announcing an Important Public Meeting for the LICH Development Site


Thursday, August 6 from 6:30 to 8:30pm
at the Brooklyn Montessori School
at 185 Court Street (at Bergen Street)

This meeting will include a brief presentation of the options put forth by Fortis, followed by opportunities for community feedback and discussion. All are invited to attend.

The Cobble Hill Association would like to extend our special thanks to Council Members Brad Lander and Steve Levin, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, State Senator Daniel Squadron, State Assembly Woman Jo Ann Simon, and Congress Woman Nydia Velézquez for all their hard work in decveloping htis process, and also to the Fortis Property Group for their commitment to work with the community.
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Here is Friday's press release:

July 24, 2015: NYC Council Member Brad Lander, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, NYS Senator Daniel Squadron, NYS Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, NYC Council Member Stephen Levin, Brooklyn Community Board 6, and the Cobble Hill Association issued the following statement regarding the future of the Long Island College Hospital (LICH) Site:

“Local elected officials, Community Board 6, and the Cobble Hill Association are working together to involve the community in the future of the Long Island College Hospital (LICH) site.

Fortis Property Group, LLC was selected to purchase the LICH campus through an RFP process managed by the State University of New York, after it decided to close LICH. This process was staunchly opposed by elected officials and community organizations.

To date, Fortis has indicated that two options exist for the redevelopment of the core LICH site: (a) an “as-of-right” option, which does not require discretionary public approvals, which would include about 400 market-rate units, and (b) a rezoning or “ULURP” option, which would roughly double the number of residential units and include affordable housing units, space for a public school, increased park space and more small retail opportunities. A rezoning would require review by the Community Board, Borough President, and City Planning Commission, and approval by the City Council.

Both of the proposed options present development that is dramatically out-of-scale with the adjacent Cobble Hill Historic District, which has a height limit of 50 feet (in each case, the tallest building Fortis proposes would be over 40 stories). In either scenario, NYU Langone will also build an approximately 108,000 sq. ft. health center at the corner of Atlantic and Hicks.

We will continue to work together to ensure all of the community’s options are explored. This working group will help organize public dialogue about the options. It is not a decision-making body, and will not recommend that Fortis pursue a particular option. Rather it will organize forums where residents, businesses, and stakeholders (including the Brooklyn Heights Association and Atlantic Avenue BID, both of whom represent areas adjacent to the LICH site) can learn more about the various options, weigh in on Fortis’ potential development options, propose alternatives, and provide community feedback. All stakeholders (elected officials, the community board, community organizations, individuals, etc.) will ultimately make their own decisions about Fortis’ proposals.

Over the next 2-3 months, the working group will organize several open, public meetings where Fortis will present their proposals and consider feedback, as well as several smaller meetings with stakeholders to drill-down on specific issues including: urban design, parks/open space, retail/commercial, the health care facility, the potential public school, potential affordable housing, and traffic/parking/transit and other infrastructure concerns.

A public meeting will take place the evening of Thursday August 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Brooklyn Montessori School at 185 Court Street, at Bergen Street, in Cobble Hill. The meeting will include a brief presentation of the options put forth by Fortis, followed by opportunities for community feedback and discussion. All are welcome to attend."


Monday, July 20, 2015

Thursday Night Presentation of Polhemus Building Residential Conversion Plans


This Thursday evening at 6:00 pm plans will be presented to the Community Board 6 Landuse/Landmarks Committee regarding Fortis’s repairs and changes to the exterior Polhemus Building, located on the SW corner of Amity and Henry Streets. This building is the first one on the former LICH campus to be redeveloped for residential use, but Polhemus is under Landmarks and there are no zoning changes involved. Fortis plans to convert Polhemus into a 17-unit residential doorman building.

The architect on this building is BKSK, not FX Fowle who presented the overall plans for the LICH campus at the Cobble Hill meeting in May.

If you are interested in attending, the meeting will be held at the 78th Precinct, 65 6th Avenue, between Dean and Bergen streets, at 6:00 pm this Thursday, July 23rd.

Sunday, July 19, 2015

Music in the Park Concert Series Returns


Cobble Hill Parks's FREE concert series returns this summer with a new line up that's sure to please the whole family. Performances are every Thursday evening at 7pm for the next four weeks, starting this Thursday the 23rd with jazz guitarist Adam Smale. Rain dates are the following Friday when possible. 

2015 Music in the Park Line Up:
July 23: Adam Smale
August 6: The Red Hook Irregulars
August 13: The Bodega Tall Boys

Music in the Park is organized by Bryan Johnson and sponsored by Brooklyn Bridge Realty, Ridgewood Savings Bank, and Ted & Honey.  Join us at Cobble Hill Park for an evening of good company and great music, we hope to see you there.

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Solarize CB6 Upcoming Workshops

Solarize CB6 is a limited time program now underway in our area that offers substantial reductions to the price of installing solar. The initiative is a partnership between the NY Solar Smart Program and Community Board Six. The program's two installers are offering tiered discounts that increase as more neighbors sign on to go solar in bulk. It also leverages the concurrent tax credits offered by the federal, state, and municipal governments. Read more about Solarize CB6 here.

Residents and business owners may get a no commitment site assessment to determine your roof's viability for photovoltaic solar panels. This type of panel generates power directly to your building and earns you a huge cut to your electricity bill. Attend one of these upcoming workshops to learn more information and answer your questions.

Commercial Buildings & Businesses
Tuesday, July 14, 6pm - 8pm
Red Hook Initiative
767 Hicks Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Commercial Buildings & Businesses
Thursday, July 23, 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Architectural Grille
42 2nd Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Carroll Gardens Homeowners/Co-ops/Condos
Tuesday, July 28, 6:30pm - 8:30pm
Saint Paul's Episcopal Church
199 Carroll Street, Brooklyn, NY 11231

Thursday, July 2, 2015

What is ULURP?

One week from today, join the Cobble Hill Association for an important discussion about ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure). It is a key component of possible scenarios Fortis would like to see happen in Cobble Hill as they further their development plans for the former LICH property. Join the meeting to learn more and be able to make better informed decisions about the future of Cobble Hill.

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

A New Commanding Officer at the 76th Precinct After Just Four Months


Precinct 76 welcomed a new Commanding Offer Captain Elliot Colon on June 15th. The announcement comes just four months after the community was introduced to Captain Natalie Maldonado at the precinct's February Council meeting. Captain Maldonado retired from the force in June after nearly twenty years serving the NYPD. After her short command at the 76th, this change marks the fifth new Commanding Officer in under five years. Although this offers no cause for alarm, it may raise community concerns about how familiar NYPD leadership can become with its patrol when stationed for such relatively short stints.