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Heights Association Presiden1Looks At the Year in ReviewBYEDRULLMANI welcome the occasion of the annual report as an opportunity to summarize the Association%u2019s activities over the past year-an admittedly arbitrary division of time for what is in effect a continuous effort, but a useful one for the purpose of review and looking at the year ahead as well.We have about two dozen committees at work (some very hard and effectively at work, a few less so) in attempting to maintain and improve what has come to be termed the quality of life in Brooklyn heights. It is nevitable that our aspirations should exceed our achievements. There is no question in my mind, however, that the enthusiasm, expertise and just plain hard work of the BHA Board members and committee chairpersons, as well as the contribution by individuals among the membership, do and will continue to have a very positive and beneficial impact on the Brooklyn heights comm unity and that Brooklyn Heights is a better place to live and work due in no small measure to the Heights Association.More so during the past year*han in most years, Brooklyn Heights is feeling the effects of pressures and events originating outside the community. Included in these is a change in the city administration which, while still too recent to have demonstrated any characteristic trends, has resulted in changes in key administrative personnel and policies which will certainly effect the daily lives of all of us. The new administration%u2019s policy relating to community self-determination and participation will be a crucial factor in the ability of Brooklyn heights to determine its own course with a m inimum of external interference. The Association currently enjoys a position of respect and the cooperation of most municipal bodies and officials.Community Planning Board #6 has begun to assert its role in the affairs of its district more vigorously than in the past. Since Community Planning District 6 includes w ithin its boundaries a large and heterogenious area of South Brooklyn, its orientation is not at all weighted in favor of Brooklyn heights. One important task for the Association in the year ahead is to establish improved liaison with Community Board 6 ana to increase me Board's familiarity with the Brooklyn heights community.A recent trena or accommodation to the elevated cost of real estate in the Heights coupled with high interest rates, high construction costs and high rental costs is the nurchase and conversion by, developers ofresidence buildings into efficiency type and one bedroom apartments. Brooklyn Heights is, in effect, in danger of pricing itself out of the brownstone community market partly by reason of its very success in having achieved preeminence in that market. While this developement has not made substantial inroads here yet, it could conceivably have a profound impact on community life if Brooklyn Heights gradually turned into an upper East Side type bedroom community.THERE IS NO QUESTIONthat the single most compelling issue facing this community is a resolution of the hotel dilemma. It is not realistic to imagine that these once fashionable establishments, of which Brooklyn heights claims no less than 8, have any future in that context. In recent years the community has dealt with serious problems arising from the occupancy of some (but not all) of these SRO hotels by an explosive mix of antisocial elements which find them a convenient base of operations for a variety of unsavory and dangerous activities, coupled with another element which, because of age, incapacity and/or poverty, has become unwilling co-occupants in what for them is a hostile environment.As a result of financial pressure, the owners of two hotels have sought to convert their facilities to Proprietary Homes for Adults, while a third hotel is closing a portion of its facilities by October 1, which reportedly w ill dislocate an estimated 300 elderly persons now living there.An extensive investigation of Domiliciary Care Facilities wasnil iicutru uy me ASSCCiotiCri,under the tireless direction of Vice President Sarah Brown and Board Member Denise Clayton, following a request by David Kupperman, General Manager of the Bossert Hotel, for the Association%u2019s support of his application to the City Planning Commission for a SDecial permit required to operate a Proprietary Home for Adults. In the course of this investigation a number of problems and issues were researched so that the community might have as much data as possible upon which to base its decision.AS OF THE 1970 CENSUSthere were 5,772 persons in Brooklyn Heights over the age of 60, and an estimated 1,000 of these persons now reside in one of our hotels. In cooperation w ith the Heights and H ill Community Council and Catholic Charities, the BHA has worked to design and implement a survey of our older neighbors. As a communityu group, we felt it was important to meet the needs of our current residents. The final statisticswill be published, but clearly we do know that independent living is greatly valued by older persons, whereas independent values are damaged under such a system. The program required by the State for services like counseling and recreation are minimal, so the program components are left to the discretion of the operator. Most of the rooms proposed for Brooklyn Heights are double rooms, and in some cases four people share a bath. Almost without exception, our survey indicated that people wish to have a room of their own.F ully cognizant of these limitations, the BHA remains hopeful that a facility of not more than 100-150 beds is not inappropriate and we are continuing to explore ways that we might be assured a quality fa c ility consistent w ith the character of the neighborhood and the welfare of its tenants. Perhaps a small pilot project of, say 50 beds with specified controls and amenities eeuid be implemented. This would provide a manageable facility which would be useful in evaluating and improving services.AFTER MUCH BACKING AND FILLING (figuratively and lite ra lly) the status of the proposal to rehabilitate thefollows: The Department of Ports and Terminals is bulkheading and filling the present parking lot (allegedly slated for use as a park) and rehabilitating the fireboat pier. A restaurateur, Michael O%u2019 Keefe, has declared his intent to enter into a lease agreement with the City of New York to provide a floating restaurant to be located at the park bulkhead with a land-based accessory service building immediately adjacent.The Association in February, faced with a no restaurant-no park situation, m odified its position so as not to oppose the restaurant provided certain conditions were met and further m odified its position after studying a draft of the lease mentioned above, to require provisions for community input in the design of the park and building; provision for relocating the ILA parking lot; assurance that the bulkheading and pier rehabilitation be completed without avoidable interruption; assurance that a park be constructed; provision for possible future relocation of the restaurant and finally, inclusion of penalties in the lease for non-compliance with its terms and timetable.On May 14 before the Heights Board, representatives of Ports and Terminals indicated that they are unable to give assurances that a park w ill be constructed, unable to guarantee relocation of the parking lot but that if it is relocated, it will have to move to Block 205, which is known locally as Squibb Hill and has been the subject of proposals for community use development in recent years, and that they are unable to relocate the restaurant to the recommended alternate location until the Red Hook interceptor plant renders obsolete an existing sewer line discharging in the proposed alternate location.The lease must be approved by the Board of Estimateand the Association will present its final position at that time, which will in turn be formulated in response to the final draft of theleaseCRIME STATISTICS AND HEADLINES in the press remind those who need reminding that, notw ithstanding a reduction in the number of incidents in certain categories of crime, menacing situation continues to exist in Brooklyn Heights, with the number of homicides reported last year placing the community near the top of the list.As in nast years, the main effort of the Crime Committee, under the direction of cochairmen Henry Cateura and Tom Chittenden, has been to maintain a working liaison between the community and the local police to insure that every effort is made by the police to provide Brooklyn Heights with the prohistoric Fulton Ferry site%u2022 is as 1 tection ii.requires.tee has promoted communi; education and participation weli. Last Fall it sponsored, in conjunction with the 84th Precinct, its second Block Watchers training session. The Association has now sponsored the training of over 100 Block Watchers which provide additional security through citizen participation. We are indebted to Capt. Tracy of the 84th Precinct and to all those officers who have worked with the community, for their cooperation and interest.The Association is participating in the City sponsored Block Security Program with an approved request for a matching grant for the purchase of 3 intruder alarms. Delivery is expected this month and we will advise you of their availability.The committee has met on 3 occasions during the year with South Brooklyn officials to seek ways of obtaining more police manpower for the 84th Precinct. Through civilianization of various duties approximately 24 additional officers have been made available for the %u201c beat.%u201d This month, 12 newiy graduated officers will be assigned to th6 84th Precinct.I BELIEVE that the two most important needs of the Association are to convey a more accurate image of itself to more people in the community and to increase the number of members. No doubt, if we can achieve the first of these goals, the second will to a large extent be realized. Too many persons, often including persons one would assume to be conversant with and enthusiastic about what the Association is doing, reveal in the course of conversation that they are either uninformed about, m isinform ed about, or opposed outright to the BHA. To reduce misinformation and opposition, and to distribute an accurate picture of itself, the Association needs to promulgate better accessibility to and by the largest possible number of residents. I am very hopeful that ways can be developed for doing this and I believe that some encouraging steps have been taken in that direction through public meetings and other means. The importance of a large and representative membership need hardly be stressed. This is not only essential if the BHA is to speak from a position of strength in representing the community%u2019s interests, but also because membership dues represent the sole source of operating revenue for tne Association.As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions and you can always make them by phoning or writing the Association office which is open 5 days a week.1