Red Hook is a fused neighborhood of mainly light density residential zones with heavy manufacturing zones. The Red Hook committee covers the on going daily struggles the community faces; from macro problems such as the unemployment rate, to micro problems like the relations between residents and business owners. The Red Hook committee tackles major issues of unemployment, educational achievement, and poverty levels. The community board also handles urban planning, urban design, and historic preservations. In 1994, the Community Board Six proposed a plan to regenerate the community after issues like unemployment and the low average level of academic achievements. The plan proposed was titled “Red Hook: A Plan for Community Regeneration,” it included the housing needs of the community along with a call for improvements in transportation, education, and employment.
During the community meetings, last February, the Red Hook Central School District part of the Board of Education held a regular meeting organized by President Mosher. The meetings main goal was to plan recreation and educational programming needs.
Some of the board members that attended were D. Morrison, R. McCann, J. Moore, along with K. Mosher. There was a sum of five visitors, including myself, who were allowed to question and make statements during the meeting. Some of their concerns addressed the school’s budget and where the school stands. President Mosher included a student member in the meeting who claimed the school raised over a thousand dollars, and that the student council would work towards bigger projects including a blood drive.
The meeting at Mill Road Elementary School, the school’s budget was mainly covered, together with the funds being spent on sport programs. For instance the pay roll of various coaches in the baseball, softball, track, lacrosse, and tennis team.
Also another community meeting occurred, this time at the Cobble Hill Community Meeting Room. The main topic of discussion covered the improvement at the industrial district and the housing issue. There were four people on the committee from the Red Hook district, however only Andrea Devening attended this meeting. Andrea Devening is part of the economic, waterfront, and housing sect. The discussion started with housing, what spaces and lots were available for housing. Then it shifted to “job creation at the Gowanus.”
John Douglas from Pratt Institute showed a presentation that explored the idea of an industrial bid. He went into details about the manufacturing policies around the Bid. The Bid would act like a bridge between the residential and manufacturing districts. The Bid would encourage the growth of the area, boosting the manufacturing causing an economic multiplier, more than retail and other economic engines. Ten percent of jobs come from manufacturing, this is important for job security.
However the push for the Bid is not so straightforward, as there is intense real estate pressure to change the area from manufacturing to residential and housing. Plus the district is a flood prone area; especially after Hurricane Sandy a lot of machinery and expensive equipment were damaged. Overall the meeting ended with a plan to survey if there was interest within the community to form a Bid.
