Sunset Park Library at forefront of November CB 7 meeting
While there were plenty of topics on the agenda during the highly attended Community Board 7 meeting on Wednesday, November 19, the one on top of most attendees’ lists was the controversial Sunset Park Library proposal by the Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC) and the Brooklyn Public Library, which includes an expansion from 12,000 to 17,000 square feet and an affordable housing component.
Board members as well as elected officials and longtime Sunset residents spoke out about their concerns and unanswered questions regarding the plan.
According to some attendees, who included local teachers, enough isn’t being done to ensure the new library plans suit the needs of residents. “We need a state-of-the-art library. Coney Island just put up a new library. They made every effort to make sure that it’s a very special place where we all learned and lived together,” said teacher and community activist Rivera E. “We need a media center, an early childhood center, a place for senior citizens. For us to limit ourselves to the minimum that is being offered is a big mistake.”