SHUT UP! Panel’S Anti-Ratner Motions Quashed
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SATURDAY • NOVEMBER 6, 2004 Including The Brooklyn Heights Paper, Carroll Gardens-Cobble Hill Paper, DUMBO Paper, Fort Greene-Clinton Hill Paper and Downtown News Brooklyn’s REAL newspapers Published every Saturday — online all the time — by Brooklyn Paper Publications Inc, 55 Washington Street, Suite 624, Brooklyn NY 11201. Phone 718-834-9350 • www.BrooklynPapers.com • © 2004 Brooklyn Paper Publications • 18 pages • Vol. 27, No. 43 BWN • Saturday, November 6, 2004 • FREE CB2 EXECS TELL COMMITTEES: SHUT UP! Panel’s anti-Ratner motions quashed By Jess Wisloski and Neil Sloane disclosed last month — first in The Brooklyn Pa- spect to his plan to build a basketball arena, The Brooklyn Papers pers and then at the last full board meeting — that three towering skyscrapers and 14 other resi- CB2 Chairwoman Shirley McCrae and the dential and commercial buildings in Prospect Members of Community Board 2 are board’s district manager, Robert Perris, had for 10 Heights east of the intersection of Atlantic and set for a fight at the board’s monthly weeks been participating in negotiations with For- Flatbush avenues. meeting this Wednesday over the issue of est City Ratner over the agreement. Board mem- Two of those committees, the Traffic and board participation in negotiations for a bers had not been informed of the chairwoman’s Transportation and Land Use committees, community benefits agreement with participation in the meetings, which were also at- drafted resolutions, on Oct. 19 and Oct. 20, re- Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner. tended by the chairpersons of community boards spectively, calling for the board to pull out of The controversy stems from actions taken by 6 and 8, until it was reported in The Papers. the negotiations until a full accounting of the CB2 leadership to quash motions drafted by two Three CB2 committees deliberated what, if development is provided to the board by Rat- independent committees calling for the board to any, recommendations the board should make ner, for fear of appearing to endorse the project refrain from “endorsing, commenting on or partic- with respect to the CBA, a contract between on behalf of the community by having partici- ipating in” such negotiations because board mem- the developer and the community outlining hir- pated in the CBA negotiations. bers have not been informed of the project details ing mandates, among other concerns, with re- See SHUT UP! on page 2 and did not want to ap- pear to be supporting the project without a thorough review. “Those resolutions should be brought be- fore the full board,” said Dorris Gaines EARTH TO BRUCE Golomb, who sits on the Land Use com- mittee. “A lot of time and Facts show he owns less land work and energy went into those considera- By Jess Wisloski tions,” she said. The Brooklyn Papers “We expected the Despite boasts by Atlantic Yards EXCLUSIVE resolutions would be developer Bruce Ratner that he has veloper to build over roughly 11 acres / Tom Callan / Tom brought before the full purchased an overwhelming majority of rail storage yards in the area. The board. In effect, if of the private property needed to remaining 13 acres in the project site they’re not, they’re just build a basketball arena and office — which is bounded by Dean Street being tossed out. All and apartment towers in Prospect and Flatbush, Atlantic and Vanderbilt our time and efforts avenues — are occupied by city / Tom Callan / Tom The Brooklyn Papers The Brooklyn Heights, The Brooklyn Papers has will have been tossed streets and privately owned buildings. out as well.” learned that several of the largest Atlantic Yards would be a mega-de- The committees property owners there have not yet velopment of 17 high-rises, the tallest of- were given the task of agreed to sell. fice tower as high as 62 stories, as well as Season’s change discussing a bare- The Metropolitan Transportation a 19,000-seat arena for his Nets basket- bones draft outline of Authority is negotiating the sale to ball team and 4,500 units of housing. The fall colors were in all their glory at Prospect Park this week, where the green of summer is slowly the benefits agreement, Papers File The Brooklyn Ratner’s company, Forest City Ratner, Ratner has repeatedly claimed to have giving way to orange and red. or CBA, after it was Bruce Ratner of air rights that would allow the de- See FACTS on page 6 NABBED Park ball Note to honors ace By Lisa J. Curtis IN PARK GO Brooklyn Editor bicyclist: THIS WEEKEND This Saturday, Nov. 6, the Prospect Park Alliance will pay tribute to New York Mets captain John Franco at its gala fundraiser The Carousel Ball. The ace reliever and Brooklyn native (pictured in a SPREE 2000 photo celebrating his team’s National League Thanks Championship after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals), By Jess Wisloski will be honored along with River Cafe owner Michael By Jess Wisloski The Brooklyn Papers “Buzzy” O’Keeffe, the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league The Brooklyn Papers baseball organization and the Daily News, Cops have arrested the violent half Beginning at 6:30 pm, black-tie ticket holders will con- When Jonique Williams went to see the of a Bonnie-and-Clyde duo behind a verge in a tent at the Park’s Carousel lawn for this year’s movie “Team America” at the Brooklyn weeklong assault and robbery spree baseball-themed soiree to rub shoulders with the hon- Heights Pavilion, she didn’t think too much in Prospect Park. orees, dance to live music performed by the Alan Bern- about where she locked her bike. It was rou- The two assailants were described as a stein Orchestra, bid at the silent auction and ride the / Jori Klein tine, and Oct. 24 was like any other day. Park’s 1912 hand-carved, wooden carousel. man, about 6-foot-4, and a female accom- But when she came out, Williams was annoyed to plice, about 5 feet tall. Proceeds from the ball will be dedicated to main- find a note, folded and taped around the handlebar of Kevin Huger was arrested Nov. 2, and taining the newly reconstructed Parade Grounds. her bike, which she had locked up curbside on Hen- was discovered to be on lifetime parole Individual tickets are $300, $600 and $1,000; $75 ry Street near Orange Street. for three prior robbery arrests, according junior tickets (for patrons under the age of 35) Papers The Brooklyn “I thought maybe somebody hit my bike with to published reports. The female half of include dessert and dancing, beginning at 9 pm. Reserve tickets in advance by call- Jonique Williams, 26, with her bike near the their car, and put their info on it to pay for the dam- the team, who police say was present and corner of Henry and Orange streets on age,” said the 26-year-old Fort Greene resident. “I assisted with all of the crimes, has not yet ing the Prospect Park Alliance devel- opment office at (718) 965-8988. Wednesday. was afraid somebody had vandalized my bike. That’s been found. Associated Press one of my worst fears, because I just bought it.” The two swept through the park and, BEGINSPAGE ON 8 Instead of alerting her of damage, she found the using the polite approach of a stranger following note, in cursive handwriting: asking for a match or the time of day, “Dear Neighbor, thank you for not parking your managed to target mostly middle-aged bike on the tree. We’re trying to protect these street black men who were in isolated areas, trees from soil-compactors like garbage, bikes, etc. taking advantage of their kindness by … We appreciate your help.” pointing a silver handgun, sometimes as- Terrace opens arms to quads It was signed, “Cranberry Street Neighborhood saulting the victim, and then robbing him Association.” before fleeing on foot. By Jess Wisloski Jean-Marie and her husband, Morris Kennedy, 41, Though twins were always a guess — Jean-Marie The note detailed that “street trees” live only This dangerous dark side of the park The Brooklyn Papers had been dealt with a blow just a month before, when is a twin, her father, too, and Morris’ father is also a one-third the time of forest trees, and said soil was cleaned up with the help of 78th Morris lost his job as a staff photographer at an upstate twin — double that was, well, a little overwhelming. compaction, which can limit the water penetration Precinct officers who mounted an aggres- Be careful what you wish for, Jean-Marie newspaper. And even though Jean-Marie was nearly Both are transplants from Philadelphia who have of roots, is a “major factor.” sive campaign to capture the criminals. Kennedy learned, because you may just get it. finished with her school year and had insurance, go- called Brooklyn home for seven years, and with no Williams didn’t quite know what to think. The spree started, say police, on Oct. And then some. ing back to school in the fall — where she taught fifth- family in the area, they have no extra help. “This is a really strange topic for a note to put 25, at 7:23 pm, on the northeast intersec- Kennedy, a 31-year-old Windsor Terrace school- graders on a fourth-floor, no-elevator school (that she At a July 4 picnic, the Kennedy’s started telling on someone’s bike. It’s like, ‘Why?’” she said. tion of East Drive and Center Drive. A teacher and soon-to-be mom, wished for three years walked to, 48 blocks each way) — became out of the friends.