At 35th debate, only a glancing Atlantic Yards mention, but the oversight issue resonates

Last night at P.S. 9, just a very short walk from the eastern border of the Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park site, the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council and other organizations sponsored a forum for candidates in the 35th Council District, including Democratic incumbent Laurie Cumbo, her rival Ede Fox (a former Council staffer), and Green Party candidates Jabari Brisport and Scott Hutchins. A live stream is here.

I'll have more on the race/debate in a future article, but for now will point out that Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park  barely came up. Partly that's because the candidates haven't pushed it as an issue (though Fox was critical of Cumbo in a previous debate), while other issues, notably the pending Bedford-Union Armory, have come to fore.

Also, only one question submitted online--about the lack of oversight--came relatively late to be "upvoted," so others took precedence. And maybe it's because people see Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park as done, or over. Or maybe that the groups hosting the event have become less involved in the project.

A relevant question

But the question, about how to ensure the community has sufficient high quality public and middle school seats, was relevant.

Fox first noted the constraints posed by charter schools, such as in the P.S. 9 building. She then noted that a school proposed for the Atlantic Yards site "has not come to fruition yet, but that is something that it is very necessary in order to relieve some of the tension."

Cumbo one-upped her by saying she was proud "to work with many community residents I see here, Gib Veconi, Maggie Spillane, others," to advocate for MS One Brooklyn, which would be located in 664 Pacific, the B15 site across Sixth Avenue from the arena.

"When development is planned," Cumbo continued, speaking in general, "we have to make sure we look at it in its totality."

But that's not the whole issue. Yes, as Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park was planned, the need for school seats--not necessarily middle-school seats--was identified. But the issue here is also accountability. 664 Pacific has been delayed, and the school likely won't arrive until 2021, at best.

Earlier in the debate, asked about public-private partnerships, Cumbo had stressed the need to work with not-for-profit developers. "I think looking exclusively at many of the top developers is the wrong model," she said.

Fox went even further, saying she didn't "support public-private partnerships" to get benefits.

For now, though, that's what District 35 has, and oversight of that partnership remains an issue.