Minority Leader Carr explains vote on Fort Hamilton Mews and votes yes

Minority Leader Carr.

Permission to explain my vote.

Sure.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

Thank you, Chair.

I just want to say a few words about the Fort Hamilton Muse project.

You know, I listened with concern to Councilmember Santa Suoso when she spoke at the last hearing about how hamstrung she felt, given the council's increasingly limited options when it comes to negotiating land use decisions.

You know, I represent a portion of Brooklyn just on the other side of the Verrazano Bridge from this project.

You know, I hear from many constituents who have concerns about it.

And I think that, you know, this is just the sad place that where we've come to where a local member

doesn't have the institutional authority that they once had to negotiate projects on behalf of their communities, in particular at a time when Councilmember Santa Suoso is actively engaging her community about.

The larger zoning and planning issues facing Bay Ridge.

And this project preempts that, as she articulated at the last hearing.

And I think now that we've had the publication officially of the so-called bottom 12, which is going to result in

fast tracking, as they call it, in a number of community districts, which is really just another way of saying selective disenfranchisement, where some members, some communities are no longer going to have the voice that they once had and that others retain.

And I think it really shows that there's a clear legal issue that I fervently hope and believe will be explored moving forward.

But that being said, this is the choice that we have before us, and I respect the council member in having a clear view with respect to really what is possible at this given time.

So with that said, with great frustration, I vote yes on the Fort Hamilton Muse project, and I vote yes on the others.

Thank you, Minority Leader.