A knowledgeable tipster submitted this gem to UncivilServants, the web-based watchdog for government parking abuse in New York City. The yellow Porsche Carrera, above, was spotted parked in front of a fire hydrant on the east side of Seventh Avenue, in Park Slope, Brooklyn, between Sterling Place and St. John's Place at about 7:30 pm on Sunday, July 29. On the dashboard, a Dept. of City Planning placard ensures that the windshield of this little beauty is unlikely ever to have a parking ticket placed upon it. A Patrolmen's Benevolent Association card sits atop the parking placard for good measure.
We can't possibly know who was driving it at the time but the Porsche, the tipster says, belongs to City Planning Commissioner Dolly Williams.
Parking in front of fire hydrants, it turns out, is a rather minor item on this uncivil servant's rap sheet.
Though she is Brooklyn's one and only representative on the New York City Planning Commission, Williams has been barred from participating in Kings County's most important recent land use processes. After the Brooklyn Paper outed Williams' $1 million investment in Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner's Nets basketball team in August 2004, Williams was forced to recuse herself from any official role in the project. Then in February of this year, Williams was removed from the Gowanus Canal rezoning process after the Brooklyn Paper pointed out that she owns land within the area that was to be rezoned. With Dolly Williams on the Planning Commission, Brooklyn has no voice in these important projects.
The Brooklyn Paper reports on the most recent incident:
Questions about a possible conflict of interest emerged after the planning commissioner told acquaintances that she "absolutely" supports the residential redevelopment of the Canal zone. Insiders were quick to point out that Williams's company, A. Williams Construction, is based on Third Avenue near Sackett Street - an area that will be prime real-estate someday.
"She was working the room," said one person who attended the Community Board 6 meeting where Williams "was telling everyone that the area would have to be rezoned. She let everyone believe that was speaking as a commissioner, not a property owner who would make millions of dollars if she could build condos on her land."
Williams was appointed to the City Planning Commission by Brooklyn Borough President and likely Mayoral candidate Marty Markowitz. Of course, Brooklyn Paper has also reported that Dolly is one of Marty's big campaign contributors. She gave the $4,950 maximum.
As the sign says on the BQE, "Welcome to Brooklyn: Like No Other Place in the World!"
