See below! Much love to all! xo, Lori PRESS RELEASE THE PUBLIC WILL NOW HAVE ITS SAY ON THE UNNECESSARY PRIVATE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE ENTRANCE OF BROOKLYN’S PARK May 27, 2015 - People for Green Space Foundation, Inc. [PFGSF], which leads the legal efforts for the grassroots group Save Pier 6, announced today a settlement agreement with the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation d/b/a Brooklyn Bridge Park. Frank Carone, the lawyer for PFGSF, said, “After many months of discussion, we are satisfied that the Park Corporation has agreed to request the Empire State Development to conduct a public process with community and expert testimony, to amend the General Project Plan consistent with the mandate of the Urban Development Corporation Act. This compromise will ensure the community a full review consistent with law.” The agreement reached today and its related side letter lay out the public process for the Park Corporation to seek state approval to change the original vision for the park as embodied in the General Project Plan and related documents and to justify the loss of park space forever at Pier 6. PFGSF has reserved the right to take further legal action to, among other things, seek the important environmental analysis and mitigation measures required by law if the requested changes are approved without properly taking into account the dramatic changes in circumstances in the past decade (including school overcrowding, the park’s incredible popularity, flood zone changes after Hurricane Sandy and the Park’s real estate windfall). “This is a victory for the tens of millions of current and future visitors to Brooklyn Bridge Park," said Lori Schomp, a Petitioner and Director of PFGSF. “This park already has millions of square feet of development. Before blocking the park entrance with unneeded private condos and cars, the public should have a say.” When the project was created, the Brooklyn Bridge Park was brought to the public on the basis that only as much development as necessary to fund park would be built. This promise was not supposed to end in 2005, but was supposed to continue forward throughout the development process, and if market conditions allowed for less development to support the park’s needs, then the development would be reduced accordingly. Now, a decade later, the Park Corporation claims to need the money from Pier 6, but repeatedly refuses requests for financial transparency, most recently in the attached letter from the NYC Comptroller. He joins a long list of elected officials and community groups calling on the Park Corporation to explain its financial justification for the development of Pier 6 in light of its real estate windfall: • Elected Officials: NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez, Public Advocate Letitia James, former Assemblymember Joan Millman, Councilmember Brad Lander, Councilmember Stephen Levin and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon • Community Groups: Community Advisory Committee, the Brooklyn Heights Association and the Brooklyn Bridge Park Defense Fund, which represents a coalition of neighborhood associations opposing housing in the park, including: the Carroll Gardens Neighborhood Association, the Cobble Hill Association, the DUMBO Neighborhood Alliance, the Ft. Greene Association, the Friends of Brooklyn Bridge Park, the Park Slope Neighbors, the Riverside Tenants Association, the Vinegar Hill Association and the Willowtown Association Much has been made of the 30% affordable component in the Pier 6 development. PFGSF supports affordable housing generally and offered to compromise on the 30% affordable component before bringing legal action and since. “Affordable housing and parks are both important,” said Lori Schomp, “To pit these noble public purposes against each other is sad and shortsighted.” Petitioner Joseph Merz, an architect and community hero, anticipating the forthcoming community input process, said, “"I believe truth, fresh air and sunlight will prevail." Please visit www.savepier6.org for full PDF.