Quicklink: Powerless In Brooklyn

This morning I had the pleasure of reading an excellent Op Ed by my colleague, friend and author of the Atlantic Yards Report: Norman Oder. I encourage each and every one of you to give it a read as I found his take on the plight of our local Community Boards spot-on. Here’s a snippet/teaser:

…Not only are city agencies mostly centered in Manhattan, but community boards, the purported voices on local planning issues, have tiny budgets and only advisory votes, though they serve areas larger than some upstate cities. Some at the charter hearings have suggested that community boards deserve larger budgets and professional planners, with the City Planning Commission giving greater weight to their advisory votes. The charter commission chose not to take a deeper look….

This is only the tip of the iceberg. I suspect I speak on the behalf of many a north Brooklynite when I opine that the Community Board’s feedback regarding the issuance of liquor licenses should be binding, not advisory. You can read Mr. Oder’s tome by clicking here.

Miss Heather