See links to planning and zoning glossary and other info at bottom.

ULURP  timetable/process flow chart click

download map at right click

Note: December 20, 2006 the EDC launched a new website. Some of the links below may now be dead.

Background: 
The Economic Development Corporation (the EDC) is a non-profit corporation charged with creating and executing many of the city's major economic plans. As the EDC is not a department of city government, it is sometimes represented by the Department of Small Business Services (SBS), for example as host of the Piers 7-12 Scoping Meeting on 10/12/06.

The EDC is now re-studying Piers 7-12 after completing a Piers 6-12 Study in 2004.  Their web page for 7-12 includes Powerpoints from prior presentations to Community Board 6, plus new documents. 

Piers 6-12 Study
Recently, the city (represented by the EDC) in conjunction with the Port Authority (PANYNJ), did a study of the piers 6-12 area, often referred to as the Red Hook Containerport, e.g. the piers from just south of Atlantic Avenue (Pier 6) to about Wolcott Street in Red Hook (Pier 12).  The “6-12 Study” was announced in December 2002 and released spring of 2004.  Carolina Salguero and Allison Prete launched a website for CB6 that covered this study www.waterfrontmatters.org. 

The city was not happy with the final study and tried to NOT release the study to the public.  They never made digital copies available to the public. Hardcopies are located at PortSide and the CB6 office.  One result of that study was that Pier 6 was pulled out of the mix and allocated to Brooklyn Bridge Park.  The study catchment area then became piers 7-12.

Cruise Terminal Study
Subsequent to the 6-12 Study, there was a Cruise Terminal study and plan that led to the arrival of cruise ships in Brooklyn.  That process was also covered by www.waterfrontmatters.org.

Piers 7-12 deciphering the alphabet soup
A combination of federal, state and city law and regulation govern the Piers 7-12 planning process. The ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure) is mandated by city law at Section 197 of the City Charter. A ULURP action may require the preparation of an EIS (environmental impact statement) if it is determined that the action may have a significant impact. The EIS format is determined by state and city regulations, pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and City Environmental Quality Review (CEQR).  As a first step in the development of an EIS, a Scope of Analysis is prepared which suggests an outline of tasks to be performed as part of the EIS.  The Scope is released and subject to public review and comment.  (This is what happened on October 12, 2006.)

Piers 7-12 timeline
The EDC has their eye on April 2007, the date that American Stevedoring's lease with the Port Authority expires.  At that time, the EDC expects the Port Authority to hand over control to piers that the Port Authority had leased from the city (and in turn leased to American Stevedoring). The EDC is pushing to do the full ULURP process before April 2007, so that the city can move ahead with redevelopment plans as soon as possible after that date.  The transfer of ownership, and other possible related actions such as potential rezoning, change of uses, etc. would need to be approved before any redevelopment can take place.  American Stevedoring has not given up the fight and has made no noises about moving, and the city has made no noises about finding ASI a home elsewhere. 

In November 2005, Kate Ascher, Executive Vice President, Infrastructure of the EDC, announced that the Atlantic Basin area would be replanned.

April 2006, a public workshop was held to gather ideas.  Summer of 2006, an RFEI (Request for Expressions of Interest) was announced with a deadline of September 1.  The EDC set no date for announcing results of the RFEI and said an RFP (Request for Proposals) could be announced after the RFEI.   Note:  PortSide NewYork submitted a response to the RFEI, requesting waterspace for ship berths and space inland to include a waterfront museum, youth programs, our office space, a bait and tackle shop, cafe and other retail oriented towards local needs. 

Spring 2008 American Stevedoring gets a 10 year lease on piers 7-10.  ASI's facility has been reduced since the last lease as Pier 6 has been given to the Brooklyn Bridge Park and Atlantic Basin has been taken away from them.

Calendar of meetings/hearings:

12/14/06 City Council Hearing preceded by press conference/demo:
12:00      the Land Use Subcommittee Landmarks, Public Siting, Maritime Uses was joined by the Committee on Waterfront for an oversight hearing "South Brooklyn Working Waterfront."  Courtroom drama tension was brought to a City Council hearing that ran over three hours.  The EDC unfurled plans, never before seen, for the Red Hook and Sunset Park waterfront; council leaders were skeptical even prosecutorial, expert witnesses even more so.  Most media were long gone, having merely stopped by for photo op and sound bytes of the pro-containerport demo on City Hall steps before the hearing, so read the transcript for yourself. click

11/20/06 6:30pm at LICH, Long Island Community Hospital.  CB6 Economic/Landmarks/Transportation committees. Continued discussion with the EDC about Piers 7-12, with specific emphasis on the development of the westside of Columbia Street between Warren and Degraw (known as Parcel M) aka the mirroring or housing parcel on Columbia Street.

10/12/06 at LICH, Long Island Community Hospital. The city, as represented by SBS, hosts a Scoping Session on the proposed scope of the analysis of the DEIS.

10/12/06 6:30pm at LICH.  The EDC hosts a Scoping Session on the proposed scope of the analysis of the DEIS. Sign in will be required. Speakers will be limited to 3 minutes. There is usually a comment period of 10 days after the Scoping Session when written comments of any length can be submitted.

9/28/06 CB6 hosts a meeting by several committees (Landmarks/Land Use, Economic Development/Waterfront, and Transportation) to get public commentary to inform CB6's statement at the Scoping Hearing as part of the new Study of Piers 7-12. 

9/1/06 Atlantic Basin RFEI responses due.

2/07 Atlantic Basin RFP responses due.