Amanda Burden
Chair, City Planning Commission
22 Reade Street
New York, NY 10007
phone: (212) 720-3200
e-mail: http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/maildcp.html
info: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/about/plancom.shtml

The City Planning Commission is the primary decision-making body for the proposed rezoning.

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Marty Markowitz
Brooklyn Borough President
209 Joralemon Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
phone: (718) 802-3700
e-mail: askmarty@brooklynbp.nyc.gov
info: http://www.brooklyn-usa.org

The Brooklyn Borough President recommends to the City Planning Commission whether to approve or disapprove a rezoning. In 2004, Borough President Markowitz strongly opposed the proposed building, but has not made any public statements in regard to this current attempt.

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Melinda Katz
City Council Member, Land Use Committee Chair
250 Broadway, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10007
phone: (212) 788-6981
e-mail: katz@council.nyc.ny.us or http://www.nyccouncil.info/constituent/email_form.cfm?con_id=57
info: http://www.nyccouncil.info/constituent/member_details.cfm?con_id=57

If the City Planning Commission should approve the proposed rezoning, the City Council will vote to confirm or to reject that ruling. Council member Katz is the influential Land Use Committee Chair.

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Christine Quinn
City Council Speaker
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
phone: (212) 788-7210
e-mail: http://www.nyccouncil.info/rightnow/contactspkr.cfm
info: http://www.nyccouncil.info/rightnow/biography.cfm

Speaker Quinn is the influential Speaker of the City Council.

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<Your City Council Member>
Look-up: http://www.nyccouncil.info/constituent/member_list.cfm

Every council member's vote is important.

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Michael Bloomberg
Mayor of the City of New York
City Hall
New York, NY 10007
phone: (212) 788-3000
e-mail: http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/contact_the_mayor.html
info: http://www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/menuitem.e985cf5219821bc3f7393cd401c789a0

If the City Council should approve the proposed rezoning, Mayor Bloomberg has the option to override it.

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Tony Avella
City Council Member, Chair of Zoning & Franchises
250 Broadway, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10007
phone: (212) 788-7250
e-mail: avella@council.nyc.ny.us or http://www.nyccouncil.info/constituent/email_form.cfm?con_id=16
info: http://www.nyccouncil.info/constituent/member_details.cfm?con_id=16

Council member Avella opposes the proposed building, and is the influential Zoning and Franchises Committee Chair.

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David Yassky
City Council Member
250 Broadway, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10007
phone: (212) 788-7348
e-mail: yassky@council.nyc.ny.us or http://www.nyccouncil.info/constituent/email_form.cfm?con_id=17
info: http://www.nyccouncil.info/constituent/member_details.cfm?con_id=17

Council member Yassky strongly opposes the proposed building. He is an avowed supporter of the integrity of the Brooklyn Bridge, which resides in his district.

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Community Board 2, Brooklyn
e-mail: cb2k@nyc.rr.com
info: http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/brooklyn/cb2b/history.html

The Community Board recommends to the City Planning Commission whether to approve or disapprove a rezoning. In 2004, Community Board 2, Brooklyn voted 39-0 to disapprove the proposed rezoning.

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 Denotes a high-priority contact

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I treasure the iconic views of the Brooklyn Bridge. Please do not allow it to be spoiled forever. Please do not allow any adjacent buildings to rise above the level of the roadway. An unspoiled skyline of the Brooklyn Bridge is a local and national treasure that must be protected.

 

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I believe in responsible development. But I strongly oppose allowing any building to compete with the Brooklyn Bridge. If such a building is built, it will be a nationally prominent symbol of a glaring failure of city government to stop irresponsible development. The public relies on government officials to use common sense and good judgement to know when and where buildings are offensive to good taste and sensibility. A site immediately next to the Brooklyn Bridge is a textbook example of where any development must be restricted.

 

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I support keeping our city safe. Because it is such a prominent national icon, the Brooklyn Bridge is a target for terrorism. I believe it would be irresponsible to allow a tall, unsecured building with transient residents to be located next to and looming over the bridge. It would provide an ideal platform from which to attack the bridge. It would render the primary escape route for all of Downtown Manhattan vulnerable to secondary attack. It would be grossly irresponsible to locate a school with children in such a vulnerable location.

 

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I support the tourism industry in New York City. As a major tourist destination, millions of visitors to New York walk over the Brooklyn Bridge every year for the sole purpose of viewing the Downtown skyline and turn-of-the-century historic Brooklyn buildings in DUMBO from the pedestrian walkway. Allowing these views to be replaced by views into living rooms and bedrooms 60 feet away from the bridge would be a slap in the face to tourists.

 

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I believe zoning changes must not be "for sale" to developers who offer the most concessions. Zoning must protect a sacred public interest in appropriateness of scale and context. Otherwise the city's zoning system becomes just another cost for developers who wish to build inappropriate buildings. Please protect our city's urban landscape and protect the Brooklyn Bridge.

 

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I strongly support preserving historical buildings, neighborhoods, and bridges. The proposed building would not only taint the Brooklyn Bridge but also the surrounding historic districts. This neighborhood, where George Washington decisively escaped defeat from British troops, has history that stretches back to the very beginning of our country. The history of this neighborhood and location deserve respect and protection, not rezoning for skyscraper apartments. Please stop this building.

 

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As a resident of DUMBO, I am deeply concerned about preserving Brooklyn's historic waterfront, currently cited by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of America's eleven most endangered places. Please don't let this testament to America's industrial and working-class heritage be spoiled by out-of-context development.

 

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There are but a few iconic images that people around the world associate with New York City, with one of the most prominent being the Brooklyn Bridge. Views from its promenade attract visitors from all corners of the globe. The Dock Street project impairs these critical and irreplaceable viewscapes of the City. Please don't compromise one of our greatest public resources by allowing this project to proceed.

 

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The low-scale buildings in the DUMBO neighborhood speak to centuries of New York City's history as a working seaport. Any new building in this area should be limited in height to complement the surrounding structures and not overwhelm or dwarf the significance of the Empire Stores or Tobacco Warehouse. I strongly oppose the Dock Street building until it is redesigned to achieve these goals.

 

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Our historic heritage should not be "for sale" to developers looking to cash in on next "hot" neighborhood. Civil services, no matter how necessary, are not perks to be traded for unrestrained private interest. The blatant lures of public gain in the Dock Street project are an affront to the progress we have made as a City to address our collective needs while adhering to established building regulations. What seems like a small trade now will open the door wide to an endless list of public perks proposed solely for the benefit of private fortunes. I urge you to consider all the costs and benefits that this proposal entails and you will see that this is a bad deal for New York. Please don't let this development happen!