BROOKLYN BOROUGH PRESIDENT MARTY MARKOWITZ’S TESTIMONY TO THE LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISION’S HEARING ON THE NORTH CROWN HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD

SEPTEMBER 19, 20006

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I WANT TO THANK LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSIONER BOB TIERNEY AND THE AGENCY STAFF INCLUDING THE RESEARCH UNIT DIRECTED BY MARY BETH BETTS FOR RESPONDING TO THE CROWN HEIGHTS NORTH COMMUNITY IN SUCH A TIMELY MANNER, ASSESSING THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMING UP WITH A DETAILED PROPOSAL FOR A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
            AND THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION FOR TAKING THE TIME TODAY TO LISTEN FIRST-HAND TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS TO SAY ABOUT THIS ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT AND STUNNING NEIGHBORHOOD — AND FOR ALLOWING ME TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF WHAT WOULD BE BROOKLYN’S NEWEST HISTORIC DISTRICT — CROWN HEIGHTS NORTH.
            I COMMEND THE CROWN HEIGHTS NORTH ASSOCIATION AND FOUNDING MEMBERS DEBORAH YOUNG, DENISE BROWN, ETHEL TYUS, ANNETTE CAVANAUGHE, AND HARRY NEVERS FOR THEIR TIRELESS EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT AS BROOKLYN GROWS, IT DOES SO IN A WAY THAT STRIKES THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN PRESERVING THE CHARACTER OF SOME OF OUR MOST BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC AREAS WHILE ALSO PLANNING FOR OUR BRIGHT FUTURE.
            I GREW UP IN CROWN HEIGHTS, JUST SOUTH OF THE AREA WE’RE DISCUSSING THIS MORNING — ON EMPIRE BOULEVARD AND BROOKLYN AVENUE — AND BEFORE I BECAME BOROUGH PRESIDENT, I REPRESENTED MOST OF THIS AREA IN THE STATE SENATE FROM 1982 TO 1992.
            SO I’M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE GRANDEUR OF THE HISTORIC BUILDINGS, BLOCKS AND STREETS WE’RE DISCUSSING.
            STREETS LIKE DEAN STREET BETWEEN BEDFORD AND KINGSTON, BERGEN STREET AND ST. MARKS AVENUE GENERALLY BETWEEN KINGSTON AND NEW YORK AVENUES — THESE BLOCKS REPRESENT SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL RENAISSANCE-REVIVAL, QUEEN ANNE, GEORGIAN,  ART DECO, MODERN , AND ROMANESQUE ARCHITECTURE IN BROOKLYN, IN NEW YORK CITY, OR ANYWHERE IN AMERICA FOR THAT MATTER.
            IN ADDITION, A NUMBER OF HISTORIC CHURCHES AND BUILDINGS ALSO CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AS VIBRANT CIVIC SPACES FOR NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS.
            FOR THE RESIDENTS, THIS DESIGNATION PRESERVES THE UNIQUE AMBIANCE OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
            AND FOR BROOKLYN, IT REPRESENTS GOOD PLANNING — BECAUSE WE ARE PRESERVING THE ARCHITECTURAL INTEGRITY OF RESIDENTIAL DESIGNS WHICH EVERY YEAR LURE MORE LOVERS OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE TO OUR BOROUGH.
            AND WITH RAFAEL VINOLY’S INNOVATIVE PLANS FOR THE NEW BROOKLYN CHILDREN’S MUSEUM NEARBY — WE WILL SEE THE FINEST OF BROOKLYN’S PAST AND FUTURE ON DISPLAY IN THE DAYS TO COME —
            CREATING STILL MORE REASONS TO VISIT BROOKLYN.
            I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE LANDMARK PRESERVATION COMMISSION WILL AGREE THAT CROWN HEIGHTS NORTH IS WORTHY — AND ADOPT THIS PROPOSAL.
            LIKE THOSE IN SO MANY HISTORIC BROOKLYN NEIGHBORHOODS — THE BEAUTY AND CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THE STRUCTURES IN CROWN HEIGHTS NORTH HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME — AND THEY REPRESENT THE BEST OF THE WARMTH AND CHARACTER THAT DEFINE BROOKLYN.
            I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN SOON AND WORKING WITH YOU TO PRESERVE MORE BROOKLYN HISTORY AT THE MIDWOOD PARK - FISKE TERRACE HEARING —
            AND I HOPE WE WILL BE ABLE TO DO THE SAME FOR DUMBO AND WEST MIDWOOD IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
            THANK YOU.