Shelter resident’s plea, dispensary debate, and ferry cuts headline CB7’s October meeting

Community Board 7’s October meeting focused on Sunset Park–specific concerns, from a resident’s call for disability accommodations in the shelter system to a proposed cannabis dispensary on Fifth Avenue, ferry service cuts at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, and a budget workaround to keep community priorities moving.

The meeting opened with public comment spanning the stalled 900,000-square-foot Steiner Studios expansion at Bush Terminal; a proposed rezoning at St. Rocco’s, 783 Fourth Avenue, to permit a 13-story mixed-use building; persistent noise near the Prospect Expressway and along Eighth Avenue; and a call to boost Brooklyn Public Library funding for staffing and capital upgrades at older branches.

Ronald Davidson, who currently lives at the homeless shelter at 353 38th Street, described repeated failed attempts to obtain reasonable accommodations for a documented communication disability. He said he has requested computer and internet access as assistive tools supported by his physicians, but instead was moved among sites, including one without internet. Davidson described loud overnight disturbances that he believes target his disability and trigger days-long cognitive setbacks. He asked the board to “do the thing you can” under New York’s new constitutional disability protections and to press DHS and its shelter operator for accommodations and basic conditions. Board members took his contact information and said they would follow up with agency liaisons.

Public Safety Committee Chair Cynthia Felix Jeffers led a detailed discussion of an adult-use cannabis dispensary application for 4602 Fifth Avenue. The space is approximately 40 by 10 feet and sits on a busy commercial block. After a committee hearing and board debate, CB7 voted to recommend disapproval to the state Office of Cannabis Management. Members cited the storefront’s limited size for required security and storage, missing or underdeveloped plans, and unclear financing tied to purchasing the building. The applicants also proposed hours from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., saying they would serve seniors; that detail drew laughs in the room, and members noted that typical state-approved hours end by late evening unless special waivers are granted. CB7’s vote is advisory; OCM makes the final decision.

Transportation and waterfront access remained front and center. The board reiterated its opposition to NYCEDC’s proposal to remove weekday South Brooklyn route stops at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, which would force riders to detour through Lower Manhattan for in-borough destinations. Members said any ferry “reorganization” should strengthen, not weaken, Sunset Park service, especially with the Interborough Express planning a nearby terminus that could create a real transit hub if connections are preserved. The board also flagged EDC’s exploration of paid parking at the Pier 4 lot as a potential barrier to park and ferry access and asked for community input before any change.

Parks and waterfront improvements came with one piece of good news. EDC will move ahead now on a new playground at Bush Terminal Park in the area previously tied to the Steiner Studios project schedule. The agency told CB7 it is shifting responsibilities so the playground can be built sooner, with Steiner’s project still delayed. Board members asked for updates on any stormwater features that had been discussed as part of earlier plans.

On budgeting and internal business, CB7 adopted a temporary process after a Finance Committee meeting lacked quorum for a formal public hearing. The district office will circulate a short survey to gather community input on capital and expense priorities, then the District Manager will synthesize results and route a final ranked list for leadership sign-off by the city’s deadline. Members stressed the need for broad participation given weak agency responses to last year’s requests.

Land use and housing committees previewed work ahead. Members expect the St. Rocco’s rezoning to enter the public review process soon and plan a joint session when the application certifies. The transportation committee highlighted continuing community walks under the Gowanus Expressway and a recent hands-on workshop with the Institute for Public Architecture to imagine better uses of Third Avenue if the highway is reconfigured or removed.

Throughout the meeting, speakers anchored their remarks in local stakes. For Davidson, accessibility is the difference between stability and cascading setbacks. For small businesses and residents under the BQE, safety and connectivity hinge on ferry routes, street design, and predictable enforcement. And for Fifth Avenue, any new cannabis retail needs to be sized, secured, financed, and operated in a way that actually fits the block and the people who live around it.