Around Brooklyn: Frontus wants more review of Coney Island ferry plan

August 25, 2020 Editorial Staff

This is Shell Bank Creek seen from the end of Gotham Avenue. Photo: Lore Croghan/Brooklyn Eagle

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Frontus wants more review of Coney Island ferry plan

Citing a lack of review of proposed Coney Island ferry plans, Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus (D-Brooklyn) has asked the state Department of Environmental Conservation for a 90-day extension of the public comment period. “Homeowners are worried that this project will dredge up contaminants and impact their health,” she said. “The pollution in Coney Island Creek has been neglected for too long.” The city’s Economic Development Corp. has applied for a permit to build a ferry terminal at Kaiser Park pier. The new line would connect Coney Island to the existing East River Ferry. However, some local residents fear that dredging the heavily polluted creek could unearth toxins.

NYU Langone physician honored by magazine

Dr. Bret J. Rudy, senior vice president and chief of hospital operations at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn, has been named one of the nation’s top 25 healthcare innovators by Modern Healthcare magazine. Among the innovations he has introduced at the Sunset Park facility are replacing outsourced emergency room physicians with full-time faculty, introducing a round-the-clock hospitalist service, investing in robotic surgical equipment, and reducing overall hospital wait times. He also led efforts to expand the hospital’s capacity to perform complex surgeries, while simultaneously reducing the patient’s time spent in the hospital.

Roof collapses in East Flatbush

Firefighters, police officers and EMS crews were called to an address on East 53rd Street in East Flatbush just after 9 a.m. on Sunday. No one was seriously injured, but an elderly woman with chronic health problems who cannot walk was taken to the hospital as a precaution. Two other disabled women also had to evacuate the house. The Department of Buildings said that the building is structurally stable, and a contractor is being hired to repair the roof, according to ABC7.

City Point complex to add private schools

The City Point apartment-office-retail complex is now adding a private school as well. The BASIS Independent Brooklyn school has signed a lease for a campus at the site. The new Lower School facility is slated to open in fall 2021 and serve pre-K through second grade. BASIS’ Upper School location is located in a Red Hook building that opened in 2014. The new facility will fill most of one of the three City Point buildings and will have its own entrance, according to the New York Post.

Man fatally shot in Brownsville

A 34-year-old man was shot to death in Brownsville on Sunday, according to police. Cops responding to a 911 call reporting gunfire around 10:40 p.m. found the man shot in the chest at Mother Gaston Boulevard and Liberty Avenue. EMS crews rushed the victim to Brookdale University Hospital, but he could not be saved. He had no arrest record and it wasn’t clear why he was shot, according to the Daily News.

Gounardes, Brannan urge youth sports permits

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes (D-Bay Ridge-Dyker Heights-Bensonhurst-Gravesend-Marine Park) and City Councilmember Justin Brannan (D-Bay Ridge-Dyer Heights-Bensonhurst) recently joined with local children and families to urge the city to immediately issue permits for low- to moderate-risk community youth sports, which have been allowed by the state since Phase 3 on July 5. They say that as long as COVID-19 remains under control, the city must offer this vital outlet for children and families already at their breaking point.

Frontus to host forum on school reopening

Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus (D-Coney Island-Bath Beach-Bay Ridge-Gravesend) is slated to host a forum on safe school reopening in District 10 and District 21. The virtual forum will include a presentation on reopening plans from a Department of Education representative and a presentation from the Alliance for Quality Education. Attendees will then enter breakout rooms to strategize with neighbors, teachers and other members of the local school community. The event is scheduled to take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 26.

Cuomo OK’s ‘lower-risk’ school sports

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced that athletes who take part in “lower-risk” school sponsored sports may begin to practice and play starting on Sept. 1. However, travel for practice or play will be prohibited outside of the school’s region or county until Oct. 19. Such sports include tennis, soccer, cross-country, field hockey and swimming. Athletes participating in higher-risk sports, such as football, wrestling, hockey and volleyball, may begin to practice on Sept. 21 but cannot play until a later date or Dec. 31.

Woman fatally struck by truck

Police are investigating an incident in which a woman was fatally struck by a truck in East New York on Monday. At around 11 a.m., police responded to a 911 call about a motor vehicle collision involving a pedestrian at the intersection of Fountain Avenue and Linden Boulevard. When they arrived, they found a 40-year-old woman. EMS crews pronounced her deceased, according to 1010 WINS.

SLA busts non-social-distancing partyers

Dozens of people who weren’t wearing masks danced and drank in a Bushwick restaurant during the weekend. State Liquor Authority task force investigators headed to La Perla Del Ulua on Melrose Street, where they found an unauthorized DJ playing music and dozens of people dancing “shoulder to shoulder” outside without any masks. Also, some people were drinking inside, in violation of indoor dining restrictions. The manager ran outside to distribute masks when he saw the investigators coming, PIX11 said.

More COVID cases in Borough Park

While many believed that COVID-19 had almost disappeared in Borough Park, in the past few days there have been dozens of cases of patients who became infected with the virus. Currently, there are several patients in the hospital and even a few in the ICU. The Bobov Hasidic community issued a new warning, saying that people who are “at risk” should not go to places where social distancing is not possible. “At risk” means anyone over the age of 60 or who has underlying medical conditions, according to Hamodia, a publication for the Orthodox Jewish community.

More small businesses able to pay rent

More Brooklyn small businesses have been able to pay rent in August, according to a Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce report. While 28 percent couldn’t pay rent, that’s an improvement over April, when 44 percent weren’t able to pay rent. Twenty-five percent of Brooklyn small businesses said they received relief from their landlords this month, up from 20 percent in July. However, 39 percent still owe back rent, according to The Real Deal.

Teens struck in double shooting

Two teenage boys were struck in a double shooting in Brownsville on Monday night, police said. Officers responded to a 911 call around 10:25 p.m. on Tapscott Street near Sutter Avenue. One teen was shot in the groin and arm. The other was hit in the back, but managed to run back to his nearby apartment. Both were transported to a nearby hospital in stable condition. No arrests were made, and an investigation is proceeding, according to 1010 WINS.

Compiled by Raanan Geberer.