Brooklyn Community Board 9 Sends Letter of Opposition for Vital Brooklyn Project Near Crown Heights
by CrownHeights.info
A stunning move by Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, a Crown Heights activist and member of Community Board 9 has brought results for the community as the community board sent a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul opposing the Vital Brooklyn project set to bring additional homeless shelters to Crown Heights.
“Brooklyn Community Board 9 has received numerous correspondences from residents in our district regarding the Vital Brooklyn projects with questions and complaints about the potential impacts on the district and the lack of communication with the community,” the letter, signed by Brooklyn Community Board 9 District Manager Dante Arnwine states. “At its General Meeting on Tuesday, September 26th, 2023, Brooklyn Community Board 9 voted unanimously to go on record as being opposed to the Vital Brooklyn projects pending additional outreach to the Board and the residents of the district.”
The unanimous vote, which is rare on any topic usually brought up to the community board, shows a historic unity of the entire Crown Heights area, Jews and non-Jews alike.
Community Board member and Crown Heights activist Yosef Hershkop noted the significance of the community’s unity, saying “Clearly this is the rare issue that unifies the Crown Heights community in a big way.”
The unique unity at the board can be attributed to Crown Heights activists Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, who at a September Board meeting made a brilliant motion to oppose Vital Brooklyn that shocked everyone. Rabbi Behrman, who had until then never said anything publicly for or against the Vital Brooklyn Project until that point, asked for a vote to oppose until further community outreach was made, a request which could not be blocked and ended with the unanimous vote.
The letter was drafted and sent to New York Governor Kathy Hochul, requesting “That further outreach be conducted by the Empire State Development to educate and inform members of the public of the projects’ purpose and need, changes in scope, construction timelines, and expected environmental impacts to on the community as well as outlining any mitigation strategies that have been developed.”
Additionally, the letter requested that the Empire State Development plan a forum where the community be given an opportunity to directly express their concerns or reservations on the project.
See the letter below:
