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Speak Out for Open Space on Columbia Street

The New York City Economic Development Corporation's plan for the Brooklyn Piers 7-12 Project includes a proposal to rezone the west side of Columbia Street (between Warren and Degraw Streets) for mixed-use development. This is in conflict with the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative's long-standing plan for public access and open space along this section of the waterfront.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation’s plan for the Brooklyn Piers 7-12 Project includes a proposal to rezone the west side of Columbia Street (between Warren and Degraw Streets) for mixed-use development. This is in conflict with the Brooklyn Greenway Initiative‘s long-standing plan for public access and open space along this section of the waterfront.

Let EDC know that you support expanding the scope of the rezoning to include the areas recommended by BGI and that you support including the open space plan for the west side of Columbia Street as part of the scope of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

EDC will be accepting comments from the public at a meeting this Thursday, October 12th. Written statements will also be accepted at Thursday’s meeting, or you can mail them to: Ms. Meenakshi Varandani, Assistant Vice President, Planning, New York City Economic Development Corporation, 110 William Street, New York, NY 10038.

Date: Thursday, Oct. 12

Time: 6 p.m.

Place: Long Island College Hospital, corner of Hicks Street and Atlantic Avenue (use the Hicks Street entrance and ask the guard to direct you)

Photo of Aaron Donovan
Before he began blogging about land use and transportation, Aaron Donovan wrote The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund's annual fundraising appeal for three years and earned a master's degree in urban planning from Columbia. Since then, he has worked for nonprofit organizations devoted to New York City economic development. He lives and works in the Financial District, and sees New York's pre-automobile built form as an asset that makes New York unique in the United States, and as a strategic advantage that should be capitalized upon.

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