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After neighborhood lockdown and questions about project progress, postponed Quality of Life meeting to be held June 9--on Zoom

There's a lot going on with Atlantic Yards/Pacific Park and the neighborhood around it, so it's good  a belated--and newly virtual--Quality of Life meeting scheduled for Tuesday June 9, at 6 pm.

Zoom details below.
Looking north from Flatbush Avenue and Dean Street

Such meetings are typically held every two months. The scheduled 5/12/20 meeting was postponed.

Points for discussion

The issues, I suspect, include the pace of construction at the B4 (18 Sixth Avenue) and B15 (37 Sixth Avenue), and the impact of extended daytime and Saturday construction, especially on neighbors now forced to work from home.

Also, the new construction of B12 and B13 (615 and 595 Dean Street) was expected to start this month or in July, so that deserves an update.

Also, when will work on the first phase of the Vanderbilt Yard platform start? Can the B5 tower, the first over the railyard, start simultaneously? If not, why were permits recently filed?

Another question, which I'll address in a separate article: what's going on with the facade of 38 Sixth Avenue, aka B3? Several panels appear to have been replaced by plywood, and there's scaffolding protecting the street.

Lockdown questions

Looking west on Dean Street at Sixth Ave.
Another issue, of course, is the impact of daily protests at the Barclays Center plaza, which has resulted in a neighborhood lockdown, with multiple points of access blocked and residents required to show ID to get home.

The arena plaza is open to pedestrians and protesters, though a series of barriers--and a cordon of cops--protects the entrance.

The lockdown does protect the back entrance to the arena on Dean Street between Flatbush and Sixth avenues, but likely serves more to protect the NYPD's 78th Precinct around the corner at Bergen Street and Sixth Avenue.

On 6/2/20, in my non-comprehensive afternoon visit to the neighborhood, I counted barriers at Sixth Avenue at the Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush entrances, a barrier to Bergen Street at Flatbush, and a barrier to Dean Street at Carlton Avenue.

There were cops at all, and in several cases without masks. "Meanwhile, those of us living near Barclay's Center have to hear police helicopters overhead all day and gangs of police officers hanging out on street corners around the neighborhood with no masks or even attempt at distancing," tweeted resident Daphne Eviatar. So even bystanders feel threatened and intimidated."

Even the transit entrance at the Barclays Center plaza is cordoned off, with a limited pathway for pedestrians, apparently to prevent protesters from scaling the roof.

Behind the transit entrance at arena plaza
And at least one escalator, and the elevator are out. There have been plans to fix the oft-faulty elevator. We deserve an update.

Meeting details

Project related questions and suggested agenda items may be sent to AtlanticYards@esd.ny.gov.

Via Zoom Virtual Conferencing
Dial In: +16465588656, 97823735305#
Meeting ID: 97823735305

I'm assuming organizers will take appropriate security precautions, and also allow for questions to be asked during the meeting.

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