Red Hook is part of the Brooklyn Community Board 6. This local government board also includes several other neighborhoods in South Brooklyn. The community board can have up to 50 members who have, to a great extent, interests in the district. They serve two-year terms and are appointed by the Borough President, Marty Markowitz.
Community District Boundary
The board has a chairperson, Daniel M. Kummer, and a district manager, Craig Hammerman. The board is further divided into committees, which specialize in different fields to better help the social welfare and health of the community (Brooklyncb6).
The three main issues that the community board is concerned with are how to use its city-owned property and private property that seeks to be used in a way that is not automatically approved by zoning laws, its operating budget concerning projects and programs, and delivery of services, which include citizen complaints and requests for municipal services. Specifically, the district office processes complaints and delivery of services. All community board meetings are open to the public and citizens are actually encouraged to attend and participate in the most grassroots level of local government. Since the community board reigns over a small collection of neighborhoods in Brooklyn, it handles small problems that city government might overlook or take time to process such as filling potholes, fixing damages street signs, fixing street lights etc. (Brooklyncb6).
Most of the community board’s announcements are focused on street closures and construction projects undertaken by the agencies of New York City to notify their citizens of major changes affecting their neighborhood. One of the more recent projects in Red Hook is the rehabilitation of the Carroll Street Bridge over the Gowanus Canal. The work includes replacing and/or restoring deteriorated parts and maintenance of the bridge’s appearance as well as sidewalk repairs (NYC DOT). Much investment has been
Carroll Street Bridge
focused on the Gowanus Canal because it has been the subject of debates of whether it should serve an economic function, as it once was a cargo transportation hub. Those opposed argue that economic restoration interests conflict with environmental preservation of the area. Rehabilitation of the Carroll Street Bridge might be viewed as an attempt to reuse the canal area economically and measures have been taken to ensure economic restoration is environmentally responsible. The Department of Environmental Protection Gowanus Facilities Upgrade is reducing sewer outflows into the Gowanus Canal by 34% and improving water quality in the Canal as a result (GOWANUS). While these projects invest in Red Hook’s infrastructure and therefore, economy, they are an attempt to improve the quality of life for its residents by making transportation more efficient, roads and sidewalks cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing, and improving the environment’s health, which results in improving the mental and physical health of the citizens.
