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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by April Russell, Local Community Member

0:57:22

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April Russell, a local community member, expresses opposition to a proposed development project near Medgar Evers, citing concerns about the developer's lack of community engagement and the project's incompatibility with the neighborhood's needs. She highlights issues with building height, commercial space usage, and the impact on light in the area.

Russell criticizes the developer for calling the area "urban decay," which she finds insulting to community residents.
She emphasizes that the community board and local residents do not support the project as proposed.
Specific concerns include the building's height, inadequate apartment sizes for families, and the negative impact of shadows on the neighborhood.

April Russell

0:57:22

Hello.

0:57:23

My name is April Russell.

0:57:25

I am a local community member.

0:57:28

I did not expect to be here today because we got a notification that this hearing had been postponed.

0:57:36

We received that notification on Monday and then Tuesday that it was going to be on.

0:57:41

And that made me very nervous, and that is why I am here today.

0:57:46

I have lived in the in the I have lived in the community for fifteen years near Medgar Evers, and the I know that the community board and the community itself does not want this project as developed.

0:58:02

And the reason why is because this developer has not engaged with the community.

0:58:09

You could tell from this presentation that this is a developer who has demonstrated an ignorance and frankly a disdain for this community, calling it urban decay and or which is frankly an an insult to all of us who live there.

0:58:29

The building is too tall for the site.

0:58:32

The building as envisioned on the Bottom Floor with the commercial space, what the community has asked for is mixed space that can be used by smaller tenants from the community, not a big box store.

0:58:48

We also know that studio apartments are completely inadequate for meeting the needs of families and this is a family community.

0:59:00

And also the building is too tall, the shadows do cause our community to lose light.

0:59:09

And we know this because the developer themselves, they admit to it but dismiss it as saying that, oh, it's just four hours during the winter when we already don't have light.

0:59:22

We're opposed to this project.

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Alternative development plans if rezoning is not approved

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Testimony by Theresa Westerdahl, Member of Brooklyn Community Board 9