Email New York State!

Dear Friends:

THE PARK PLAN CAN BE CHANGED!!!  We are at a tipping point on Pier 6.  

Please have everyone you know in New York State email https://www.governor.ny.gov/contact. This means friends, co-workers, neighbors, family (including spouses), and other groups (including “mom” groups given the school overcrowding crisis described below).  If everyone can get just 10 other people to write, then the numbers will add quickly.  Combined with the letter-writing campaigns of the PS8 PTA and the 10+ other neighborhood associations (including the Brooklyn Heights Association), WE THE PEOPLE are too large to be ignored.

The message can be simple.  Something like:

NYC and NYS have long committed to building only as much housing as necessary to fund Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the park’s own projections now show almost $400 million in excess profits over 50 years to be transferred to the City General Fund.  Both the city and developers will make millions while the public will lose three acres of desperately-needed parkland and the critical Park entrance for Brooklyn residents.

We should not be selling needed parkland in the main park entrance and in a flood zone to fund the city budget.  Please honor your commitment and eliminate the massive housing development (and related access roads in the park) currently planned near Pier 6 in Brooklyn Bridge Park.

The concrete jungle condo renderings don’t even look like a park, let alone the main park entrance!

Alternatively, feel to write your own email or to copy the longer email below. The key is to show that the public cares about putting unnecessary housing in Brooklyn’s park and the tremendous community impacts (like school overcrowding) that have not been studied as required.

One scary fact on school overcrowding… … The park’s own analysis (see page 11-12 in November Technical Memorandum) demonstrated that the eight surrounding elementary schools in sub-district 2 are currently at 98% of capacity and are projected to be over 140% of capacity by 2018. THIS IS INSANE!!! HOW MANY MILES OUT OF DISTRICT DO THEY PLAN TO BUS OUR YOUNGEST??? We already know that the districted school for Pier 6, PS 8, is now over 140% of capacity, having turned away 50 kindergartners for next year. The letter drafted by the PS8 PTA (which you can copy and use as an email template) can be found here: https://savebrooklynbridgepark.org/ Now is the critical moment on Pier 6. We need your help TODAY.

Thank you in advance. XOXOXO !!! 

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[Feel free to cut and paste the email below.  Make sure that you fill in your name below.  Then email to with this https://www.governor.ny.gov/contact]

Empire State Development

ATTN: Rose-Marie Mahase

633 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10017

To Whom It May Concern:

 I am writing on behalf of the millions of current and future visitors to the Brooklyn Bridge Park, as well as those who live in and next to the Park. 

 Please eliminate the two unnecessary towers presently planned in the main Park entrance at Atlantic Avenue.  Preventing the construction of these two huge out-of-context towers will keep our waterfront open and accessible, enable Atlantic Avenue to be the gateway entrance it was intended to be, provide three critical acres of public parkland, and eliminate up to 430 new apartments that would only exacerbate the school overcrowding crisis at P.S. 8 and increase traffic and gridlock within the Park, on Joralemon Street and elsewhere.

During the long planning process for this Park, there was much debate in our community over the issue of whether there should be residential development within Brooklyn Bridge Park.  A compromise was ultimately reached: the city and state would build only so much housing as was needed to fund the Park. Limiting development to only that which is needed to fund the Park was then clearly recorded in the General Project Plan.  The proposed amendment to the General Project Plan eliminates this important financial consideration and permits the construction of a 31 story and a 15 story tower without regard for whether these funds are needed for the Park.

Real estate prices in the Park have risen dramatically over the past decade since housing was contemplated, from approximately $700 per square foot in 2005 to approximately $2,000 per square foot today.  As a result, the housing and commercial space in the Park will generate far more revenue than ever contemplated in 2005. The Park’s own financial projections now show tremendous excess funds— almost $400 million in excess cash over 50 years (see page 30 of the Park’s financial presentation dated 7/9/15).  This excess cash will be transferred to the City’s General Fund if the Park can’t spend it. Thus, our Park will become a profit center for New York City, developers will reap millions, and the public will have lost desperately-needed parkland and the critical Park entrance for Brooklyn residents.  If these towers go forward, school overcrowding will increase exponentially with our youngest children bused out of the district and all eight surrounding schools reaching the critical crisis that PS 8 currently faces within three additional years, our streets will become significantly more crowded without any new bus or subway options and our fragile waterfront will be forever marred by unsightly and inappropriate housing.

Ironically, even the Park’s own unsubstantiated financial projections demonstrate that there is absolutely no need to move forward with this project.  Their own projections demonstrate that the Park is flush with cash for the next 10 to 15 years. Within that time period, the revenue generated by the existing projects will become clearer and our school and transit crises hopefully addressed.  Building these towers now makes no sense whatsoever.

Finally, proper planning should consider community impacts based on current circumstances, not decade-old analysis.  The dramatic changes in school overcrowding, traffic, Park revenue from existing projects, flooding, hospital closings, and even more residential development in the area than ever contemplated ten years ago warrant study in a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).  

 You have an incredible opportunity. Decisions made today will affect generations to come. Do the right thing and eliminate these unnecessary towers in this iconic Park.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXX     [Insert Name]                            

City and State: