Park Slope

I'm a member of Housing Not High-Rises, and I'm quoted in the article. For Council Member Hanif to claim that she invited Housing Not High-Rises to participate in negotiating the Community Benefit Agreement is beyond disingenuous, it's plain untrue. As concerned members of the community, we repeatedly asked Council Member Hanif for a seat at the table negotiating the CBA, and were stonewalled every time. Even after she informed us that the CBA was already signed, we made repeated requests to get a copy of the text, and she only sent us the memorandum that outlines what would be in the agreement. To this day, she has not sent us a copy. We received a copy from a journalist to whom Council Member Hanif's office sent it. Having finally gotten access to what should have been a public document, we have concerns about its content, its enforceability, and the potential conflict of interest of the Fifth Avenue Committee being the only signatory to the agreement. Windsor Terrace and South Slope deserve better than to be stonewalled by our most local representative. The council member has let down the very people who elected her to represent them. She has eliminated "community" from the Community Benefit Agreement that she negotiated behind closed doors, as she has done since Arrow Linen's lobbyists have been meeting with her since early 2022, the very first quarter she took office. Council Member Hanif did not come to the community with this project. We had to find out about it late in 2023 and come to her - only to be rebuffed. Shame on you, Council Member Hanif; you could have earned the respect of your constituents and been a hero, and you chose instead to ignore us, even to the end. Your constituents deserve better.

It should be noted that of the 30-odd people who testified in favor of the proposal, less than a handful actually live in the area and aren't affiliated with some kind of lobbyist organization. One proponent lives in Upper Saddle Neck, NJ! Conversely, nearly everyone testifying against it lives in Windsor Terrace or South Slope, the neighborhoods most impacted by the development. The outliers were members of CB7 who voted 30-6 against it, and the president of the Park Slope Civil Council. Councilmember Hanif needs to listen to her constituents and not outside lobbyists with their own agenda (aka Open NY.) Ignoring the voices of those most impacted by this development puts her re-election bid in serious jeopardy. Which would be shame because she does do a lot of good things for District 39. Not sure why she has this blind spot for residents of Windsor Terrace and South Slope.

Nice house. I'd love to see these kind of pieces about smaller renos, like the kind more of us might be able to afford.

I think it's nice. Believe will get close to Asking. Anywho...A+