“We were told by the state that the BQE was in danger of collapsing in the 80s,” CHA President Roy Sloane tells 1010 WINS. “It’s also pathetic that they put all these years and effort in, spent money on all sorts of designs and are now dropping it.”

Along with Senator Squadron, Assemblywoman Joan Millman and City Council Members Stephen Levin and Brad Lander have agreed to the deal.

The New York Times: After months of uncertainty over the fate of the popular Brooklyn Bridge Park, city and state officials plan to sign an agreement on Tuesday that would allow limited private housing to be built there, to help pay an expected annual operating cost of $16 million.

The agreement ensures that the park, which now measures 20 acres, will be completed, eventually expanding to 85 acres on five disused piers along the East River.

According to the Times story, the agreement will allow a building planned for John Street in DUMBO to proceed, but at a greatly reduced scale. The story does not mention the planned combination hotel and apartment complex on the landward side of Pier 1, for which the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation has announced its intention of issuing a request for proposal this month, and which apparently will not be affected by the agreement.

The big news is that the city has agreed to consider revenues from the sale of Watchtower properties as a source of park funding. Under the agreement, to which the Watchtower is not a party, should the Watchtower sell all or some of its properties in conjunction with its planned move upstate before January 1, 2014, the city will consider tax revenue from those properties as offsetting the need for payments in lieu of taxes from the residential buildings planned for Pier 6. Under the proposed offset formula, according to the Times, it would take sales of 1.5 million square feet of Watchtower property to eliminate the need for both Pier 6 buildings.

State Senator Daniel Squadron, who has been a strong advocate of use of revenues from the Watchtower properties to fund park opeartion and maintenance, and who, under the earlier agreement between the city and state authorizing the city to take over development of the Park, has been given veto power over the construction of housing on park land, is quoted by the Times as saying the new agreement is “not as extreme as the plan that we’re changing, but a way to build a great new park in tough times.”

The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), as well as the religious exemptions included in the New York marriage equality bill, create a number of obstacles and questions for same-sex couples, even if they’re married under New York law – including social security, health benefits, federal pension benefits, tax returns, interstate travel and relocation, and adoption.

Accordingly, local elected officials, including Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, Borough President Marty Markowitz, State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assemblymember Joan Millman, Councilmembers Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, and the Senate sponsor of marriage equality State Senator Tom Duane, will host a public forum on the challenges that remain for married LGBT New Yorkers following this year’s historic passage of marriage equality. The forum, titled “After ‘I Do’: What’s Next for LGBT New Yorkers?” will be held on Tuesday, August 16th, 2011 at 6:30PM at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. More information is here.

One aspect of the DOT plan that proved contentious, but was not addressed in the resolution, is the proposed re-routing of city buses, which would no longer discharge and take on passengers at the foot of Atlantic but would be routed onto a loop of roads to the north, discharging and loading directly next to the park. DOT’s representative, Ted Wright, argued that this was safer than having people cross a road to get from bus to park or vice versa, and having buses make u-turns at the foot of Atlantic. A representative of One Brooklyn Bridge Park residents argued that this routing would be more hazardous because the buses would cross several pedestrian crosswalks on the new route. He also said that adding city buses to the already heavy tourist bus traffic would increase the safety problem, and would also make worse a noise and air pollution problem.

A major focus of concern was the problem of getting pedestrians safely across the entrance to the BQE on-ramp at the south side of Atlantic. At present, drivers are allowed to make a right on red from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m. on weekdays. Mr. Wright explained that this is because many drivers exit the BQE at Hamilton Avenue and take Hicks Street to Atlantic, where they re-enter the expressway, to avoid traffic jams. Many of those present urged that this exception to the no right on red rule be ended, but Mr. Wright said DOT was reluctant to do something that could have serious effects on traffic flow. Asked why DOT has only proposed to study installing a red light camera there to enforce the no turn rule during the times when it is in effect, he said that the state has allowed the city only a certain number of such cameras, and that it presently has the maximum number allowed.

Improving the Atlantic Avenue/Furman Street intersection by rerouting the bus turnaround, and adding pedestrian space and crosswalks.
Improving signal timing and the “no right on red” sign at the BQE entrance on Atlantic Avenue, to make it safer for pedestrians to cross.
Removing the greenway/bike path from the sidewalk on the west side of Columbia Street.
Adding a crosswalk across Columbia Street at the stop-light near the BQE entrance, and simplifying south-bound traffic on Columbia.

Details and illustrations of the existing and proposed traffic, bike and pedestrian routes and signals can be seen here. These proposals will be discussed at a meeting of the Community Board 6 Transportation Committee this Thursday evening, beginning at 6:30, in Room A at Long Island College Hospital (enter at 339 Hicks Street); members of the public are invited to attend and offer comments. If you can’t attend the meeting but want to make a comment, you may do so on Council Member Lander’s web page.

Brooklyn Paper: The mourners came from all walks of life, including councilmembers, college-aged strivers, judges and public housing residents flooded the funeral to console family members and each other over the untimely death of the lifelong Boerum Hill resident.

Council Speaker Christine Quinn honored the deceased with a posthumous city proclamation, and Rabbi Joseph Potasnik urged mourners to honor Reichbach’s memory by helping people in the community.

Other attendees included Assemblyman Vito Lopez; dozens of members Lopez and Levin’s collective staffs; former Councilman, now Taxi Commissioner David Yassky, Councilmembers Brad Lander, Letitia James, Jumaane Williams, Mark Weprin, and Domenic Recchia; Comptroller John Liu; Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio; Borough President Markowitz; state Sens. Eric Adams and Daniel Squadron; Assemblymembers Joseph Lentol, Dov Hikind and Joan Millman.

Thanks to Brooklyn Heights Blog reader Mike for the tip.

State Senator Daniel Squadron said:

There is no doubt: Brooklyn needs LICH. The LICH-Downstate merger is vital and I am pleased that Governor Cuomo supports moving forward the HEAL grants to make it happen.

LICH is a crucial health care resource not just for the adjacent neighborhoods of Brooklyn Heights and Cobble Hill, but for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. In addition to stabilizing both institutions, the merger will improve health care across Brooklyn, bolster an important teaching hospital, and provide diverse communities with stronger options.

I was pleased to work with Governor Cuomo, Borough President Markowitz, Congresswoman Velazquez, Senator Montgomery, Assemblywoman Millman, Councilmember Lander, and Councilmember Levin to save these important hospitals.

List of officeholders:
Yvette D. Clarke, Member of Congress; (718) 287-1142; www.clarke.house.gov
Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor; (518) 474-8390
Robert J. Duffy; Lieutenant Governor; (518) 474-8390
Letitia James; City Council Member; (718) 260-9191; ljames@council.nyc.gov
Hakeem Jeffries; State Assembly Member; (718) 569-0100; jeffriesh@assembly.state.ny.us
Bradford Lander; City Council Member, (718) 499-1090; lander@council.nyc.gov*
Stephen Levin; City Council Member; (718) 875-5200; slevin@council.nyc.gov
Marty Markowitz; Brooklyn Borough President, (718) 802-3700; askmarty@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
Joan L. Millman; State Assembly Member; (718) 246-4889; millmaj@assembly.state.ny.us*
Velmanette Montgomery; State Senator; (718) 643-6140; montgome@senate.state.ny.us
Felix W. Ortiz; State Assembly Member; (718) 492-6334; ortizf@assembly.state.ny.us
John L. Sampson; State Senator; (718) 649-7653; sampson@senate.state.ny.us
Chuck Schumer; U.S. Senator; (212) 486-4430; rich_dziepak@schumer.senate.gov
Daniel L. Squadron; State Senator; (212) 298-5565; squadron@senate.state.ny.us*
Edolphus Towns; Member of Congress; (718) 235-8018; congressmantowns@mail.house.gov
Nydia M. Velazquez; Member of Congress; (718) 599-3658; nydia.velazquez@mail.house.gov
_____
*These officeholders have already declared support for LICH; however, communications from concerned citizens will be useful for them.

Talking points:

-Many of you have read or heard media reports that the proposed merger with SUNY Downstate is threatened. Everyone involved in the negotiations – SUNY, LICH, Continuum and the community – remain hopeful that the merger will go through.
-We have made clear to the State Department of Health and to the Governor’s Office that Long Island College Hospital is a valuable resource to the residents of Brooklyn, and that its closure would have a devastating impact on the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of Brooklyn residents.
-Over the past two years, our merger plan with SUNY Downstate was reviewed and approved by multiple State and federal agencies. The HEAL grants that were competitively awarded to LICH and to SUNY Downstate are essential to the merger moving to conclusion.
-All the Brooklyn politicians indicated their support as well.
-Former Gov. David Paterson came to LICH last October to announce a HEAL grant of $40 million to support the merger.
-All of the elected officials who came to that press conference agreed that day that the proposed merger will strengthen patient care in Brooklyn, the communities that are served by LICH and Downstate, and further Downstate’s educational mission. It also will save close to 2,500 jobs.
-This latest development by the Governor and DOH to reevaluate all pending HEAL grants poses a serious threat.

The deal to save Long Island College Hospital was a huge win for our community, Brooklyn and the state. Simply put, it must move forward. LICH has helped keep Brooklyn healthy for more than 150 years, and it must not be forced to close its doors now. I will continue to work with the governor, my colleagues in government and the hospitals as the merger moves forward.

State Assembly Member Joan Millman issued this statement:

The news that Long Island College Hospital (LICH) might be forced to close its doors has caused an outpouring of support from across the borough. Currently all of the elected officials are working together to convey to the state the importance of the HEAL grants for the future of LICH and SUNY Downstate. I call upon the Governor to expedite the release of this money. I join all of my colleagues in government to ensure that LICH remains a vital part of our community.

City Council Member Brad Lander, who represents Carroll Gardens, Gowanus and Park Slope, has urged the Governor to release the funds needed to consummate the LICH/SUNY Downstate merger. You can read his statement at Carroll Gardens blogger Katia Kelly’s Pardon Me For Asking.

New York Times: A struggling Brooklyn hospital is making plans to shut down in March after a decision by the Cuomo administration to delay grants to help finance a merger intended to rescue the institution, officials said on Wednesday.

The hospital, Long Island College Hospital, on the border of Cobble Hill and Brooklyn Heights, announced in October that it was merging with SUNY Downstate Medical Center, a major public university and medical center, as part of a deal put together last fall by former Gov. David A. Paterson and state health officials.