New York State Independent Redistricting Commission

Richard
February 14, 2023
The proposal to divide the Greenpoint neighborhood is unfair to the residents living in the eastern portion of the neighborhood. Greenpoint is one complete, close knit neighborhood and should not be represented by a queens district that has nothing to do with our neighborhood.

Sean
February 14, 2023
My name is Sean Melcher. I reside in Windsor Terrace and am speaking on behalf of myself and my community. My comments will focus on your plan for the 44th Assembly District and, specifically, your decision to place portions of the neighborhoods of Windsor Terrace and Kensington in two different Assembly Districts, the 44th and the 51st. We believe both neighborhoods should be wholly within the 44th AD, as they have been historically. Your decision to put portions of both Windsor Terrace and Kensington into different Assembly Districts makes both impacted ADs less compact and contiguous and also divides two long-established and discrete communities with common interests, demographics, and a history of positive civic activism. Simply stated, it is contrary to many of the bedrock principles which should guide fair redistricting and good government. Specifically, we ask that you make Green-Wood Cemetery along 20th Street the western border of the 44th AD, not the Prospect Expressway as in the draft plan, and Green-Wood Cemetery along McDonald Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway out to 39th Street the northern boundary between the 44th and 51st ADs. This is a shift of only a few blocks but makes complete sense geographically. Without this change, the portions of Kensington and Windsor Terrace cut out of the 44th AD will be a small afterthought in the 51st AD, divided from that district by the hundreds of acres of Greenwood Cemetery. The 51st AD contains the entirety of the thriving neighborhood of Sunset Park and that neighborhood historically dominates that district. The inevitable result of the draft plan is that the few blocks of Windsor Terrace and Kensington attached to the vast bulk of Sunset Park will be underserved. The proposed plan also dilutes the ability of vital neighborhood institutions to advocate on behalf of their respective constituents. Two local elementary schools, P.S. 130 and P.S. 230, several local places of worship, such as Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church, the Flatbush Jewish Center, which, despite its name, is in Kensington, and the Darul Jannah Masjid and Masjid Nur Al-Islam will all see their catchment areas, now wholly within the 44th AD, divided between the 44th and the 51st AD. This is especially troublesome with respect to the mosques which serve the growing South Asian community in Kensington and will now have to petition two different Assemblymembers rather than having a single point of contact. Historically, the entirety of the two discrete, cohesive, and well-defined neighborhoods of Kensington and Windsor Terrace have been in the same Assembly District. This is true since at least the reapportionment following the 1970 census. Indeed, the phone number for the local Assembly District Office has remained unchanged since 1974, and many of my friends and neighbors have told me that they have it memorized or on their speed dial. This is not just an interesting but irrelevant tidbit, it is testimony to the fact that, at least in Brooklyn, the Assembly District is the smallest unit of government and, traditionally, the most responsive to local needs. In the 1950s, Robert Moses built the Prospect Expressway and inflicted a still-obvious scar on Windsor Terrace and Kensington. The people of Windsor Terrace and Kensington banded together and protested Moses’ plan, but unlike more affluent neighborhoods, such as Brooklyn Heights and Greenwich Village, they lost, and the Prospect Expressway was built. Moses’ wound, however, drew the Windsor Terrace and Kensington communities closer together, and over the following decades, they jointly fought and defeated repeated ill-advised rezoning proposals to first permit large-scale manufacturing and then residential overdevelopment in these thriving working class neighborhoods. We ask that you not reopen the wound Robert Moses inflicted. Please make Greenwood Cemetery, not the Prospect Expressway, the boundary between the 44th AD and the 51st AD. Please keep Windsor Terrace and Kensington intact. Thank you for your time Sean Melcher

Ann
February 14, 2023
Dividing Bay Ridge into four separate assembly districts defies common sense! Bay Ridge is inherently connected by small, locally owned businesses (3rd Ave BID & 86th St BID) with common transportation needs and community services. The proposed re-ditricting plan even breaks up the mid- eastern community in the lower 60's to 70's into four separate districts. None of this makes any sense!

Christie
February 14, 2023
I'm writing in response to the proposed plan to split up Greenpoint's AD50 district. We are one community and our political districts have always reflected that. We want to keep Greenpoint as one district, not unnecessarily split a block from our home which would create competing interests for our neighborhood.

Andrew
February 14, 2023
Hello, I am reaching out in reference to the new proposed district in north Brooklyn that would effectively cut the neighborhood Greenpoint in two pieces, having the eastern piece join a new district with multiple neighborhoods in Queens. Greenpoint has always been one neighborhood, in Brooklyn, and its citizens should be represented as such. It does not make sense to redistrict any part of Greenpoint to be a part of Queens. The people of Greenpoint all live in the same neighborhood, in Brooklyn, and the district map should reflect this reality (as it currently does). I implore you to reconsider the new district map of north Brooklyn and to keep Greenpoint whole. Thank you, Andrew Dugan

ellin
February 14, 2023
I have just learned of the possible bisection of the 52AD now represented by Jo Anne Simon into two parts with two representatives. Separating Carroll Gardens from Gowanus makes no sense to me, as those neighborhoods have long been interconnected in more ways than can be mentioned. We have just seen the results of the last redistricting which I can only describe as horrific. I don't understand why nothing has been learned from that debacle which among other things gave us George Santos. Jo Anne Simon is a superlative advocate for all the communities she represents. Keep it that way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Melanie
February 14, 2023
As a 40 year resident of Bay Ridge, I am asking that Bay Ridge not be divided up into little 4/5 pieces as evidenced by the proposed assembly map. Many years ago (about 40) when I was a teacher in the Carroll Gardens/Cobble Hill area, I was flabbergasted that my beautiful neighborhood, Bay Ridge, was represented by someone from downtown Brooklyn (E. Dugan). And this problem has been consistent over the years since. We need a person from Bay Ridge to finally represent us after so many years. With this proposed map, this will not happen, and our voting power will be severely limited if not completely eliminated! Bay Ridge is an area of common interests: small businesses, shared transit (R train for example), and notable immigrant communities. It feels very wrong that our large Arab population, which is concentrated in northern Bay Ridge, will be split up into several districts and thereby, have its voting power dissolved. Please consider keeping us a more cohesive community, because together we are better. We should be limited to one (or two at the most districts). One more thing to note: if we do spread outside of our community, Coney Island would be preferable, since it is already aligned with us through our new City Council lines. Thank you for this consideration to make Bay Ridge whole again.

Tim
February 14, 2023
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Greetings IRC, Attached please find testimony to assist the appeal related to the 44th AD (Windsor Terrace / Kensington). Respectfully, Tim Monti-Wohlpart

Jahnvi
February 14, 2023
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to comment. My name is Jahnvi Shah. I reside in Windsor Terrace/Kensington and am speaking on behalf of myself and my community. My comments will focus on your plan for the 44th Assembly District and, specifically, your decision to place portions of the neighborhoods of Windsor Terrace and Kensington in two different Assembly Districts, the 44th and the 51st. We believe both neighborhoods should be wholly within the 44th AD, as they have been historically. Your decision to put portions of both Windsor Terrace and Kensington into different Assembly Districts makes both impacted ADs less compact and contiguous and also divides two long-established and discrete communities with common interests, demographics, and a history of positive civic activism. Simply stated, it is contrary to many of the bedrock principles which should guide fair redistricting and good government. Specifically, we ask that you make Green-Wood Cemetery along 20th Street the western border of the 44th AD, not the Prospect Expressway as in the draft plan, and Green-Wood Cemetery along McDonald Avenue and Fort Hamilton Parkway out to 39th Street the northern boundary between the 44th and 51st ADs. This is a shift of only a few blocks but makes complete sense geographically. Without this change, the portions of Kensington and Windsor Terrace cut out of the 44th AD will be a small afterthought in the 51st AD, divided from that district by the hundreds of acres of Greenwood Cemetery. The 51st AD contains the entirety of the thriving neighborhood of Sunset Park and that neighborhood historically dominates that district. The inevitable result of the draft plan is that the few blocks of Windsor Terrace and Kensington attached to the vast bulk of Sunset Park will be underserved. The proposed plan also dilutes the ability of vital neighborhood institutions to advocate on behalf of their respective constituents. Two local elementary schools, P.S. 130 and P.S. 230, and several local places of worship, such as Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church, the Flatbush Jewish Center, which, despite its name, is in Kensington, and the Darul Jannah Masjid and Masjid Nur Al-Islam will all see their catchment areas, now wholly within the 44th AD, divided between the 44th and the 51st AD. This is especially troublesome with respect to the mosques which serve the growing South Asian community in Kensington and will now have to petition two different Assemblymembers rather than having a single point of contact. Historically, the entirety of the two discrete, cohesive, and well-defined neighborhoods of Kensington and Windsor Terrace has been in the same Assembly District. This is true since at least the reapportionment following the 1970 census. Indeed, the phone number for the local Assembly District Office has remained unchanged since 1974, and many of my friends and neighbors have told me that they have it memorized or on their speed dial. This is not just an interesting but irrelevant tidbit, it is testimony to the fact that, at least in Brooklyn, the Assembly District is the smallest unit of government and, traditionally, the most responsive to local needs. In the 1950s, Robert Moses built the Prospect Expressway and inflicted a still-obvious scar on Windsor Terrace and Kensington. The people of Windsor Terrace and Kensington banded together and protested Moses’ plan, but unlike more affluent neighborhoods, such as Brooklyn Heights and Greenwich Village, they lost, and the Prospect Expressway was built. Moses’ wound, however, drew the Windsor Terrace and Kensington communities closer together, and over the following decades, they jointly fought and defeated repeated ill-advised rezoning proposals to first permit large-scale manufacturing and then residential overdevelopment in these thriving working-class neighborhoods. We ask that you not reopen the wound Robert Moses inflicted. Please make Greenwood Cemetery, not the Prospect Expressway, the boundary between the 44th AD and the 51st AD. Please keep Windsor Terrace and Kensington intact. Thank you for your time.

Lenore
February 14, 2023
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Amira
February 14, 2023
View File

Daniel
February 14, 2023
I’m writing to express my staunch opposition to the redistricting of Greenpoint, that would attach the eastern section of the neighborhood with LIC, Maspeth, Glendale and Rego Park. I have been a Greenpointer for over 15 years- I’ve raised a family, sent my children to school, started a new business and lived on both sides of Mcguinness Blvd, both east and west. It is a single neighborhood, and must be represented as such. Greenpoint is Greenpoint- one neighborhood, with single representation in government. We are a united community, and fracturing our community would do irreparable damage to the support we offer to one another. I am pleading with you to not move forward with this plan, and please keep our community intact and whole!

Chris
February 14, 2023
Hello! I’m a resident of eastern greenpoint - which is in consideration for being separated from the rest of greenpoint and added to parts of queens in upcoming redistricting. Please don’t proceed with this plan. Keep greenpoint together. We have a strong community with unique issues - and our current representatives know these issues well and are serving us well. It seems foolish and arbitrary to combine us with another borough. Our representative knows greenpoint, is from here and lives here. The logical district includes all of our neighborhood. I fear our interests would be overlooked if we were split up. Cynically, I fear that’s the point. I hope it isn’t and I hope that this redistricting will be amended and we will remain intact. Thanks for your time, Chris Roberti

Meghan
February 14, 2023
As a longtime Greenpoint resident, I feel strongly that Greenpoint should remain in one district, not be split into two. Greenpoint is a united neighborhood and needs to stay that way!

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