Atlantic Yards Developer Plans Satellite News Truck Parking Lot at Sixth and Dean

The temporary surface parking lot on the corner of Dean Street and Sixth Avenue currently used for police parking will become a lot for television satellite news trucks, if Atlantic Yards developer Forest City Ratner gets approval for the project.

At Thursday night’s Community Board 8 meeting, Ratner officials requested permission to install a conduit under the Sixth Avenue between Pacific and Dean streets that would be used to run power and data cables to the satellite uplink lot. The lot would be used for television and internet outlets broadcasting events at . 

The construction would take place between May and August during the night, but the trench would be covered with metal plates during the day, allowing traffic to go through, officials said.

But residents at Thursday night’s meeting weren’t as concerned about the construction as they were about the resulting product.

“We believe there is a higher risk of noise, disruption, and other environmental impacts generated by this new use from sources like generators, truck idling and activity on the adjacent sidewalk, than generated by a parking lot,” wrote Dean Street Block Association President Peter Krashes in a letter to Community Board 8 that was read aloud at the meeting.

Krashes asked that FCR identify a clear line of command for overseeing the lot and making sure news trucks obey rules, such as limits on idling. He also that the sidewalk be kept clear for pedestrians, for better screening around the lot than the planned see-through metal fence, a commitment to only use directional lights in the lot to shield nearby residents from light intrusion and a restoration of the street trees on the adjacent sidewalks.

Officials said that the lights would be downward pointing and minimal, and that the sidewalk would be kept clear. They said the lot would be overseen by Barclays Arena management.

They said they would consider replacing the street trees. As for the fence, they said there wasn’t enough space for landscaping.

“We’re going to be putting in a chain—a very nice McNichols metal mesh fence,” said Susan Walter, an engineer for Forest City Ratner.

Ratner’s Jane Marshall said that the fence “is a nice looking metal fence” but that they would consider some sort of “slat screening” in addition.

Several area residents said they were worried that the digging would add to the caused by the project, but Marshall said that the trench for the conduit would only be three feet deep and would go through existing concrete, not rat tunnels.

After the meeting, Krashes said he was disappointed with the response. “A satellite uplink lot has a greater impact than a regular parking lot. It was treated like it was a small construction thing—it’s not.” he said.

Community Board 8 residents are urged to send comments on the proposal to the board office at brooklyncb8@gmail.com by April 20. The board will compile these comments into a letter to the Department of Transportation. After that, the DOT will hold a public meeting on the plan.