At the Community Board 6 (CB6) meeting (for the town of Red Hook, Brooklyn), a main concern that was discussed was the creation of a business improvement district (BID). Josh Thompson (from Hunter), the CB6 planning fellow, lead the discussion regarding the establishment of a BID (which would include a manufacturing district) and maintenance of an industrial business zone.

There was talk about how people feel like Gowanus has no other place for housing and that is why they may have been resistant to rezoning. Rezoning would reduce the space for residential areas and increase the space for BIDs. According to the statistics given at the meeting, however, 86% of the current lots are residential and 77% of those lots are underutilized.

Intense real estate presures from 2004 to 2012 led to increased valuation of properties used for housing as compared to those used for public services. This increased disposition to developing housing would not be as good for economic development as a speculated BID would. A proposed $1.33 of growth was predicted for every $1.00 invested in the BID.

Another issue brought up was that people with more influence on the establishment of the BID were the ones with more money and who were stakeholders on the board. It was only those people who owned property, not those who necessarily owned the businesses or lived there, who would decide on the fate of the BID. The propery owners would be the ones who were ultimately taxed, and the money would go to funding things like Christmas lights, trashcans, and other public functions.

Should the proposal be approved by the city council, risks would have to be assessed. Red Hook is a flood prone area especially, and in light of Sandy, this poses some challenges for manufacturers because expensive equipment can be compromised.

An issue regarding the development of the BID was the rezoning of the area, since businesses were to be located in the industrial business zone (IBZ), not a residential area. Easing speculation would also help usher in more economic development and move away from the focus on housing usage of the current land.

To resolve this issue, the speaker explained that a survey would be issued soon to assess the area. It would be a questionnaire that would help determine how appropriate it would be to establish a BID here. If prospects were good, board members could meet up and vote. Any vote with a majority support for the BID would then allow for BID planning to start.

One topic I wish they discussed more was the issue of disproportionate representation. Those who own the property are not necessarily the ones commuting to work or living there and should people who actually interact with the area become disgruntled, there may be a problem.

Overall, the BID would improve “public right of way” and help promote local businesses. It would also create a stronger social network for manufacturers and give them more leverage to make policies to support the economic future of their town. Joining together would give them the ability to do things like buy materials in bulk to save money, give broadband access to local businesses, or start energy efficient programs to make the neighborhood more environmentally friendly.