Councilman-elect Justin Brannan came out swinging in his first Brooklyn Paper Radio appearance, claiming the nuns who sold the Angel Guardian Home in Dyker Heights to a developer are flipping off Bay Ridgites who want the property, which takes up an entire city block, reserved for senior housing, a school, or both.
“The folks who sold the place are basically giving our neighborhood the finger as they leave,” he said. “The community has been very vocal and clear as to what is needed here. To not broker in good faith is really unfortunate.”
Brannan contended that the deal, first reported on Dec. 8 exclusively by our sister publication BrooklynDaily.com, was done in the dead of night without input from the people it will greatly affect.
“They sort of made a sale under the cloak of darkness and without any community input,” he said. “And it’s being sold to someone who obviously doesn’t care about what the community is calling for.”
According to Brannan, the new owner of the campus between 12th and 13th avenues and 63rd and 64th streets, which currently houses some buildings that date back to the turn of the 20th century, is only committing to “some affordable housing” for the site, which doesn’t jibe with the new pol who says he doesn’t want it to become an alcove for the rich.
“There couldn’t be more disconcerting words I have ever heard, because it is just so vague,” Brannan said. “I guess they are just going to put up some luxury condos, which is something we do not need and no one can afford.”
Brannan pointed out that the campus is just outside his district, sitting instead in that of Sunset Park Councilman Carlos Menchaca, but geography won’t stop him from weighing in on the issue, as a recent tweet he sent out attested.
That would be just fine with the mom of BPR host Vince DiMiceli, who grew up on nearby Tabor Court and still considers the area Bay Ridge.
In other breaking Brannan news, the political newbie said he would not vote in favor of a scheme by sitting Council members to extend term limits to three terms and 12 years from the present two terms and eight years, because New York City voters have already spoken on the issue.
“The voters have already made it clear where they stand on it,” he said. “Politicians are not the ones to decide this.”
Brannan tempered his stance by saying he would not be opposed to putting the issue to voters again, but figured they would, again, vote down any extension.
“I would never vote to give myself another term,” he said.
It all went down during a scintillating hour-long discussion that also included Brannan’s rendition of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They are a Changin’, ” as well as talk about klunkers for cash, old-school Bay Ridge politics, and a new phone number — (718) 260–TEAZ (or 8329) — for listeners to call in. (But don’t do that now, as the show only airs live on Tuesdays at 3:30 pm.)
So tune in now, if you dare.
Brooklyn Paper radio is recorded and podcast live every Tuesday at 3:30 pm — for your convenience — from our studio in America’s Downtown and can be found, as always, on Brook