Fantastic News in This Otherwise Dismal Year!

The Mayor announced his opposition to the monstrosity, 960 Franklin Avenue, that was going to block sunlight into the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Conservatory/Nursery. He directed the developer to go back to the drawing board.

Alicia Boyd and the Movement to Protect the People (MTOPP) gathered tens of thousands of signatures on petitions which demonstrated the outrage of the community. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden joined forces with MTOPP and their voices were heard.

Adrian Benepe, President of the BBG and former Commissioner of NYC Department of Parks and Recreation put it this way: "On the shortest darkest day of the year, this is a big blast of sunlight in every sense. Today is a solstice and we’ve been fighting for sunlight for more than a year."

The towers, he said, had posed "an existential threat" to the garden's collection of plants, and by extension, its programming for the community.

Save Central Park NYC believes that development does NOT have to compromise our parks and neighborhoods. We CAN generate affordable housing without losing our (very limited) park spaces and overwhelming our neighborhoods with out of context towers. In the case of 960 Franklin, the Mayor finally agrees!

Read the stories here: The Gothamist   and The New York Post
 
Reminder, the next pressure point is in Albany. We can have an impact Citywide if we close the loopholes that the developers are abusing. 200' of empty space in buildings does not help affordable housing! Building on stilts does not provide shelter! Residential neighborhoods should be protected. Let those in Albany know that you care.