City Moves Forward to Acquire Cooperative Community Farm in Windsor Terrace

by Gabriele Holtermann, Brooklyn Paper

After undergoing a rigorous Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) — the mandatory public review for major land-use changes in New York City — the New York City Council on February 24 approved the acquisition of Prospect Farm, a nonprofit, cooperative community farm established in 2010 and a registered GreenThumb community garden in Windsor Terrace, by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

While the owners of the 3,200-square-foot lot on Prospect Avenue, Tom Angotti and Emma Matos Ramos, and community garden members fully supported Parks’ acquisition of the greenspace, they also expressed concern about the New York City Department of Transportation’s planned reconstruction of the Seeley Street Bridge, which borders the garden. The acquisition would make the garden eligible for labor and capital improvements through Parks’ GreenThumb program, including raised beds, fencing, sheds, gazebos, pergolas, and internal water-supply infrastructure, depending on funding.

The single-span bridge, built in 1930, has been deemed “beyond its useful life” by DOT and requires replacement in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including construction of an ADA-compliant pedestrian ramp.

At a meeting between Angotti, Matos Ramos, Parks, and a DOT engineer, the agency outlined a possible plan for the bridge. Angotti said he saw a preliminary DOT sketch that included provisions that could negatively affect the garden’s operations, including an ADA-compliant pedestrian ramp that would impact the site.

Although owners and community members support accessibility improvements, they raised concerns about potential construction of the ADA-compliant ramp along the 100-foot right-of-way (ROW) under DOT jurisdiction. The possible construction of the ramp could block sunlight and direct access to the garden. They also criticized DOT’s lack of engagement with Prospect Farm members and what they described as limited transparency about the project.

Angotti and garden members stressed that the Prospect Avenue frontage is the garden’s primary source of sunlight, the main entrance for members and visitors, and the most “logical” location for compost bins.

They requested that the acquisition of Prospect Farm include a joint letter between Parks and DOT — incorporated into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) — committing the agencies to coordinate any planned construction in the garden’s interest, affirm the garden’s continued use of DOT-controlled land along the sidewalk, and proactively engage garden members and the broader community in planning future infrastructure projects.

At the City Council vote, Council Member Shahana Hanif, whose district includes Windsor Terrace, announced she had received a joint letter from Parks and DOT. The letter, signed by DOT Brooklyn Borough Commissioner Keith Bray and Parks Acting Deputy Commissioner Marit Larson, commits to interagency coordination and meaningful community engagement following the acquisition, including meetings with Community Board 7, local lawmakers, adjacent property owners, and civic and community organizations.

Hanif said the acquisition not only offered a rare opportunity to preserve a community-built open space as permanent public land but also set a strong standard for cross-agency coordination and public engagement.

“Prospect Farm also sits directly adjacent to the DOT Seeley Street Bridge reconstruction project, which will involve significant design and accessibility considerations,” Hanif said. “Because of that proximity, strong and binding interagency coordination is essential to ensure that planning for both sites is thoughtful, transparent, and responsive to community needs.”

She added that the acquisition protects a beloved community farm and ensures a shared greenspace for generations to come.

“This public ownership secures its long-term environmental stewardship and collective farm model while safeguarding the site from displacement,” Hanif said.

Cassondra Warney, president of the Prospect Farm board, expressed gratitude to Hanif’s office for facilitating the joint-letter commitment between DOT and Parks but emphasized that some key provisions sought by Prospect Farm and Community Board 7 were not included.

“I am deeply grateful that CM Shahana, her wonderful, thoughtful staff, along with Parks and DOT, were able to put a commitment to community engagement regarding Seeley St Bridge in writing,” Warney said in a statement. “There are some critical pieces Prospect Farm and Community Board 7 asked for that are not in the letter that we will continue pursuing, [such as] having the contents of the joint letter shifted to an MOA around the time of acquisition — a garden ask — along with transferring DOT-jurisdictional land along the sidewalk to Parks — a CB 7 ask. We will be anticipating and ready to engage, along with our Windsor Terrace neighbors, once DOT is ready to engage the community.”

Angotti added that while he was pleased the land-use review was completed and the action approved, much remained to be done before Prospect Farm could be preserved as a GreenThumb garden.

“We still need to agree on the terms of the land transfer. DOT’s plans for the bridge are murky and we have seen nothing more than a sketchy outline from DOT,” Angotti said. “We have yet to hear from our Seeley Street neighbors and all our community gardeners. More critically, we have yet to see any evidence that a bridge replacement is urgent, feasible, and beneficial when compared to other options. In order to move forward, we need to have a much broader discussion and consider other possible alternatives.”

Editor’s note: A version of this story originally ran in Brooklyn Paper. Click here to see the original story.

Related Stories

• Long-Awaited Shirley Chisholm Recreation Center Officially Opens
• Funding Secured for a Total Rebuild of Coney Island’s Riegelmann Boardwalk
• Modular Restrooms Open in NYC Parks at Close to $1 Million Each

Email tips@brownstoner.com with further comments, questions or tips. Follow Brownstoner on X and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.