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Q&A
Oversight in engaging with the adjacent school for the 150 Mill Street project
0:50:10
·
3 min
Council Member Avilés questions the applicant team about their failure to engage with an adjacent pre-K center that would be significantly impacted by the 150 Mill Street project.
- Avilés points out that the applicant team did not mention the pre-K center in their list of engaged neighbors
- The school has reported no conversations with the applicant team in the four years of the application process
- The applicant team attempts to explain the oversight by citing changes in property ownership and the project's timeline
- Avilés emphasizes that the school has been there for more than four years and houses three and four-year-old children
- The council member stresses that failing to engage with a property housing children adjacent to the project site is a significant misstep
- The discussion highlights the importance of comprehensive community engagement in urban development projects
Alexa Avilés
0:50:10
So I guess I'm a little I'm a little concerned that you did not mention any of the other properties on the other side, but you are butted by a school.
0:50:19
A pre k center.
0:50:21
Who has reported to me, they've had no conversations with you or anyone from your team in the time that you have been pursuing this application.
0:50:29
They literally abide in your property.
Richard Lobel
0:50:33
Was
Alexa Avilés
0:50:33
that just an oversight and engagement?
Willy Pilku
0:50:35
That property was owned by a private entity, let's say.
Alexa Avilés
0:50:41
It's a school for children.
Willy Pilku
0:50:43
It was sold.
Alexa Avilés
0:50:43
Years and four year olds.
Willy Pilku
0:50:44
Yeah.
0:50:44
It was sold in the last couple of years.
Alexa Avilés
0:50:46
It's been there for a while.
Willy Pilku
0:50:48
Yeah.
0:50:48
It's been there for a while, but it was owned privately.
0:50:51
As the owner of the property.
0:50:53
And then it was sold, I believe, to city
Alexa Avilés
0:50:55
or New York City.
Willy Pilku
0:50:57
Right.
0:50:57
And they bought it within the last few years, so I wouldn't know who from New York City to speak to specifically.
0:51:02
Okay.
Alexa Avilés
0:51:02
You've been working on this for 4 years.
0:51:04
They've been there for 4 years.
Willy Pilku
0:51:07
We're working on this longer.
0:51:08
Yeah.
Alexa Avilés
0:51:08
Yeah.
0:51:09
Longer
Willy Pilku
0:51:09
than they've owned it.
Alexa Avilés
0:51:10
Okay.
0:51:11
I guess I guess what I'm pointing out is there are a good number of other properties that have bought your property that you have not engaged with.
0:51:18
And as a good neighbor, given construction impacts of any potentiality, that is a huge oversight.
Nicholas Liberis
0:51:26
I mean, it sounds like as a single neighbor, and this is, like,
Alexa Avilés
0:51:28
in the eyes of There are more.
0:51:29
So
Nicholas Liberis
0:51:30
Are there more?
Alexa Avilés
0:51:31
There are more.
Nicholas Liberis
0:51:32
I thought it was just just the school.
Alexa Avilés
0:51:35
There's a church?
0:51:36
Yeah.
0:51:37
There's a food, Bodega, there is a a transitional
Nicholas Liberis
0:51:41
What the Bodega guy
Alexa Avilés
0:51:42
There's also
Willy Pilku
0:51:45
Same owner as the sanitation.
0:51:47
He owns 4 lots.
0:51:49
It's one guy that owns 4 lots.
Alexa Avilés
0:51:51
I understand that, but there are other people there as well in addition to the church, in addition to the school.
Nicholas Liberis
0:51:58
I think it's just just the just the church and the school.
0:52:01
Yeah.
Alexa Avilés
0:52:02
Oh, okay.
0:52:02
So Yeah.
0:52:03
I'm sorry.
0:52:03
One out of the the 3 Yeah.
0:52:06
You spoke to.
0:52:07
Okay.
0:52:08
No.
0:52:08
I don't know.
0:52:08
Exactly.
0:52:09
Well, how much is the
Nicholas Liberis
0:52:10
best time?
0:52:10
5 or 6.
0:52:11
I think we spoke the 4 out of the
Alexa Avilés
0:52:13
I think my point is there is a school that would be deeply impacted, and you haven't had a conversation with them in the 4 years.
0:52:20
I would That's true.
0:52:21
Yeah.
0:52:21
And that's that's my point.
0:52:23
And I think you're saying you didn't, and that's okay.
0:52:26
And now we know.
0:52:27
And
Nicholas Liberis
0:52:28
I think the point that that he was making though too was that we've actually been this is our, I think, 7th year doing this because of the the switch from from from Carlos.
0:52:38
You know, when you when you came in, we had to start over, basically.
0:52:40
So So I think that's that's where that comes from, because I think back back then, it was it was not a school.
Alexa Avilés
0:52:49
Okay.
0:52:49
The time frame continues to change.
0:52:52
The point remains the same.
Tiffiney Davis
0:52:54
There was
Nicholas Liberis
0:52:54
Haven't been a school business.
Alexa Avilés
0:52:55
It's been there more than 4 years.
0:52:57
That you have not had a conversation with that houses three four year olds
Nicholas Liberis
0:53:02
Mhmm.
Alexa Avilés
0:53:02
And staff, and that would be deeply impacted by anything.
Nicholas Liberis
0:53:07
So I'm
Alexa Avilés
0:53:07
not saying yes or no.
0:53:09
I'm saying it is a big misstep to have not also engaged a property of children that is right avoiding your property.
0:53:18
That's all I'm saying.
0:53:19
Uh-huh.
0:53:19
I don't think we need to belabor that.
0:53:20
Uh-huh.
0:53:21
I'm just making the quick point.
Nicholas Liberis
0:53:22
I I would just go I would go
Richard Lobel
0:53:24
I think
Nicholas Liberis
0:53:24
I'm onto the record just to kind of dispute that just because it is it is kind of
Alexa Avilés
0:53:27
a strange strange character.
0:53:28
I only have 3 minutes, and this is my time to ask you
Nicholas Liberis
0:53:32
to Yeah.
0:53:32
Sure.
Alexa Avilés
0:53:32
So I think we're gonna Sure.
0:53:33
Kinda move forward just because we need to get one more questions.
Nicholas Liberis
0:53:37
Let's let's go.
Alexa Avilés
0:53:38
On.
0:53:39
So we can talk some more afterwards.
0:53:41
Sure.