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Community Corner

LETTER: Reseve Judgement on Atlantic Yards-Area Restaurant

An open letter to the community from Regina F. Cahill, President, North Flatbush Avenue BID regarding the new restaurant Prime 6.

The North Flatbush Avenue District Management Association (the BID; Business Improvement District in the vernacular) was incorporated in 1982 and became operational in January 1986.

The BID is a successor to various groups that organized beginning in 1973 to promote the health and vitality of Flatbush Avenue through changing times. The BID was the natural successor to the North Flatbush Avenue Betterment Committee a Local Development Corporation (LDC) that succeeded the Triangle Parks Committee dating back to 1973.

Since the 1970’s each of these organizations has had a Board of Directors comprised of property owners, merchants and residents. One should note that as a legislatively authorized BID, we are obligated to follow a formula of Board membership as assuring representation for all constituents; merchants, property owners and residents. The authorizing legislative authority requires that at all times; the Board have a majority of property owners since it is they who are responsible for payment of the “special assessment” on Flatbush Avenue properties that funds the BID’s activities.

Many of the current Board members have been involved since the early 1980’s. As rule, the Board has always considered the impact of the BID’s activities on the “mom and pop” shops which we consider the heart and soul of the commercial street. It is important to note that although the North Flatbush Avenue BID was one of the first in the city we continue to operate with one of the smallest annual budgets.

We support business and residents alike and pride ourselves as having a rational and fair approach to neighborhood issues.Only recently has Flatbush Avenue enjoyed consistently positive attention; only since the homes on the surrounding residential blocks passed $1 million in value;only since development downtown has improved the foot traffic and increased interest from new types of businesses moving into the District.

Last fall, I celebrated my thirty-fifth anniversary of living on Flatbush Avenue. My two twenty-something children learned to walk on Flatbush Avenue in the days when there was no foot traffic and merchants were hungry for customers. I cannot tell you how many merchants were unsuccessful and closed for lack of business and others who were just ahead of the times.

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Now Flatbush Avenue is moving into the next era. The BID is working on a new pedestrian friendly streetscape designed to be traffic calming as well as enhancing the triangle parks. I encourage the community to visit our website to learn more of our activities.

We know that some of our neighbors are concerned about new developments, particularly , but I ask you to reserve judgment on Prime 6.

We know it will be a bar restaurant, we know it may attract a new customer base but we also know that there are measures and regulations that we can employ to encourage new business to succeed while preserving our quality of life. New York State Assemblywoman Joan Millman has proposed just such controls with A 11288 which calls for restrictions on use of backyards for cafes and hours of operation.

The BID is committed to working together, to encourage the enforcement of the existing regulations and to create guidelines for existing and new businesses that will allow for business growth while preserving the peaceful enjoyment of our homes. We welcome all new businesses and residents upon their arrival provided they operate within the law and continue to be good neighbors. Additionally, we
must recognize that we each have a personal responsibility to be a good neighbor and that it must start with facts, communication and understanding that there are such things as private property rights; local, state and federal regulations that often apply to our actions and there are entities and agencies to enforce existing rules and regulations.

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The BID has a history of welcoming, educating, and advocating for our members and the community while promoting the fair enforcement these “codes of conduct." I urge our neighbors to trust the process and understand that civility will prevail.

– Regina F. Cahill, President, North Flatbush Avenue BID

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