SIZE MATTERS State Not Discussing A’Yards Shrinkage with Bruce Ratner

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Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2006 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 16 pages •Vol.29, No. 34 AWP • Saturday, September 2, 2006 • FREE SIZE MATTERS State not discussing A’Yards shrinkage with Bruce Ratner By Gersh Kuntzman But there are only a few The Brooklyn Papers ways in which that could actu- ally happen: 2016 State officials moved • ESDC, which is shepherd- 2 more swiftly last week to deny ing Atlantic Yards through the they were negotiating public-review process, could behind the scenes with require it as a precondition Bruce Ratner to of approval. chances decrease the size • The Public Author- of his Atlantic ities Control Board, / Daniel Krieger Yards mega- the same state development. body that killed to vent the West Side sta- After the New York Sun dium last year, The Brooklyn Papers could demand a reported on Tues- Papers The Brooklyn Stung by criticism that it day that the Empire reduction when it weighs in this fall. Revolutionary War re-enactors commemorate the Battle of Brooklyn at hasn’t done enough to solicit State Development Green-Wood Cemetery on Sunday, complete with a loud cannon. public opinion on the Atlantic Corporation had dis- This is not likely, as Yards project, the Empire State cussed “a reduction all three officials who Development Corporation has in the size of the control the board — project” with Ratner, Gov. Pataki, Senate leader set up another hearing on the Joe Bruno (R-Brunswick) and mega-development. ESDC blasted the report as un- true. Assembly Speaker Sheldon The original Aug. 23 public “ESDC has not been in dis- Silver (D-Manhattan) — sup- Green-wood hearing drew thousands of people cussion with Forest City Ratner port Atlantic Yards. — many of whom waited hours to about reducing the size of the • Ratner could downsize of get inside. Roughly 300 people project,” spokeswoman Jessica his own volition — which isn’t who signed up to testify did not get Copen told The Brooklyn Pa- far-fetched, given the positive a chance to speak. pers. publicity he could reap by re- ESDC had previously an- But the agency is under ducing the project’s density to revolution nounced that a second “community 2006 pressure — even from the pro- ease public concerns. forum” would be held on Sept. 12 ject’s loudest supporters — to Ratner spokesman Joe De- at 4 pm at New York City College scale back Atlantic Yards. Plasco hinted at that last week of Technology’s Klitgord Auditori- At last week’s public hear- when asked for a response on Re-enactors celebrate um (285 Jay St., Downtown). ing, Borough President Markowitz and Green’s call for But after critics — and many Markowitz — the official per- a smaller Atlantic Yards. elected officials — sniped that haps most identified by his “We…will of course contin- Sept. 12 is primary election day, support of Atlantic Yards — ue to look at individual build- the Battle of Brooklyn ESDC this week added a new told ESDC that it needed to ings and the overall design as “community forum,” on Sept. 18, “get real” about the impacts of we go forward,” DePlasco said. at the same time and place. The “We understand the Borough By Dana Rubinstein He wasn’t the only re-enactor the $4.2-billion, 16-tower, are- caught up in nostalgia for the good ol’ new “forum” was posted on the na, hotel, residential and com- President’s point of view and The Brooklyn Papers Revolutionary War days. ESDC Web site without fanfare. mercial development slated for have always found his sugges- For thousands of hard-core en- Nina Catania, an elementary school In the same posting, ESDC said the intersection of Atlantic and tions valuable. We will contin- thusiasts, the Revolutionary War teacher from Canarsie, added, “You that the 300 speakers would be giv- Flatbush avenues. “This project ue to work with him and others is still happening. en priority over newcomers — and to improve on what we all know, half of the students don’t say the needs to be reduced.” “I bear arms against King George,” that elected officials, who spoke at Fellow supporter, Assembly- agree is a great project with Pledge of Allegiance — it’s disgust- length on Aug. 23, won’t get a many benefits.” said militiaman Israel Rosario, his chin ing,” referring to a tradition that didn’t man Roger Green (D-Fort tilted to the drizzling sky, his back as command performance at the re- Ratner has said that the size begin until 1892. Greene), went further, calling a straight as a bayonet, as he prepared to maining two “community forums.” 30- to 40-percent reduction in of the project is necessary in Nearby, Fred Leppig, who came wage mock war at this week’s re-en- Some called it too little, too late. scale “a moral imperative.” order to subsidize its 2,250 down from Orange County for the bat- “If they really cared about the The state’s own draft envi- units of affordable housing. actment of the Battle of Brooklyn. tle, was recounting how he discovered public, the elected officials never ronmental impact statement But the company has never Trouble is, because so few Revolu- Revolutionary War reenactment would have spoken first,” said Scott outlined numerous “signifi- stated what its expected profit tionary War re-enactors live in Brook- through the girlfriend, who became his Turner, whose Fans for Fair Play This (top) is what Dean Street would look like if Bruce Ratner cant” adverse effects, including will be, so it is unclear how big lyn, Green-Wood Cemetery had to call wife. Web site opposes Atlantic Yards. builds his Atlantic Yards mega-development, according to increased traffic, more-crowd- Atlantic Yards needs to be. in reinforcements, so to speak, to com- After first, Leppig was just a farb — Turner said the new rules were new renderings created by photographer Jon Barkey. Barkey ed subways, long shadows, and With its 6,860 units, it would memorate the 230th anniversary of the re-enactor-speak for someone who useless because elected officials says the photo-illustration is based on Ratner’s own specs. the need for a new school to be the most-dense census tract battle on Sunday. messes up the period details. weren’t going to attend the Primary The developer would not comment on the mock-ups. handle thousands of Yards kids. in the country. A couple of dozen out-of-town re- “I had a Civil War rifle,” he recalled Night “forum” anyway. enactors heeded the call to arms. Eight with embarrassment. ESDC spokeswoman Jessica of them (four Tories and four rebel- The word “farb” is derived from Copen said the new “forum” was lious colonists) unleashed the sulfurous the expression, “Far be it for me to added because “we want as many fury of muskets and a cannon on each criticize…,” and, despite the diplomat- people as possible to have a chance other, while the rest, including all the ic tone, is a particularly cutting epithet to comment on the project” before City kicks in more Ratner cash ladyfolk, joined a crowd of 21st-centu- in the re-enactor community. the end of the comment period on ry bystanders. “A farb is someone who wears poly- Sept. 22. By Ariella Cohen “This is a project of unacceptable cost vate development, opponents said. Last year, Rosario stood on those sidelines ester, or who doesn’t wear the correct But JoAnne Simon, a district The Brooklyn Papers [to taxpayers] and questionable benefit,” watchdogs at the Independent Budget Office dressed as a blacksmith turned militia- uniform,” said Pat Jordan, who’s been leader from Boerum Hill, said said Bill Batson, an Assembly candidate. estimated that the development would cost man with a canteen strapped to his part of the re-enactment scene for 26 ESDC wanted the opposite: “The The city will kick in another $29 Batson says he uncovered the new mon- $530 million in new education, sanitation, back and a replica rifle in his hand. But years and came up from Philadelphia law says that the public-comment million towards Bruce Ratner’s pro- ey in a final draft of the city’s 2007 budget. and police services over 30 years — and that he had some trouble staying in charac- for the re-historic event. period ends 30 days after a public posed Atlantic Yards, The Brooklyn City officials declined to comment. was when the project called for 860 fewer ter. Most re-enactors go beyond proper hearing. That’s why these things Papers has learned. The $29 million will fund the relocation of housing units. And Ratner will get hundreds After describing his replica rifle for costuming to avoid being a farb. Some are called ‘community forums.’ It’s The new expenditures — which will water mains and the reconstruction of a of millions in tax abatements. some civilians, Rosario launched into even adopt 18th-century expressions. chimera-like language designed to fund infrastructure improvements around pedestrian underpass at the intersection of At- IBO spokesman Doug Turetsky couldn’t a defense of the Second Amendment “I like to use ‘What news?’ as a avoid extending the public-com- the proposed basketball arena — bumps up lantic and Flatbush avenues, where the Frank confirm Batson’s discovery, but called the latest — which wasn’t written until years af- greeting,” said Richard Cuneo, who ment period.” the city’s contribution to $129 million, a Gehry-designed arena would be built.

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