ASSEMBLYMAN COLTON FIGHTS
FOR THE COMMUNITY

• PROTECTING SENIORS
• FIGHTING AGAINST SOUTHWEST WASTE TRANSFER STATION
• FIGHTING AGAINST OVER-DEVELOPMENT

	Pictured from left to right: Assemblyman Colton, Congressman Weiner, Ida Sciortino, Alma Pisciotta and Charles Ragusa displaying cell phone donation box.

In addition, Assemblyman Colton, working with Congressman Weiner, contacted “Phones For Life,” which collects old unused cell phones to be programmed to call 911. “Phones For Life,” at the request of Assemblyman Colton and Congressman Weiner, donated two phones to Regina Pacis for use in their common areas.

Assemblyman Colton is starting a collection site in his Community Office, located at 211 Kings Highway, where people can donate their old cell phones to this worthy program. The more phones collected, the more which will be available for those needing them.

COLTON FIGHTS TO STOP WASTE TRANSFER STATION AT FORMER INCINERATOR SITE

The plan seeks to convert the old Southwest Brooklyn Incinerator, which Colton successfully fought to close, to a new waste transfer station. The waste transfer station would be capable of processing 4,100 tons of garbage a day.

What a waste transfer station means for the community

An operating waste transfer station in the neighborhood will cause increased traffic congestion from garbage trucks hauling residential and commercial garbage, contaminated water and will lower our quality of life. The waste would be dumped at the transfer station, be containerized and then put on barges to be shipped to the final destination.

Colton Calls Solid Waste Plan Incomplete and Irresponsible

Assemblyman Colton mobilized the community against the waste transfer station because of the City’s failure to do an accurate environmental impact study (EIS). The EIS was based on the transfer station processing 1,800 tons of garbage a day while, in fact, the station can process 4,100 tons a day. The EIS also fails to identify how the nearby residents’ quality of life will be affected as well as the effect on nearby schools, parks and a children’s amusement park.

In addition to the local neighborhood impact, the Solid Waste Plan is inadequate in addressing the issues involved with managing the City’s garbage. There is no final destination for the containerized garbage. The plan barely addresses recycling, something that could save the City millions of dollars in processing its garbage.

Colton takes action:

• The Assemblyman contacted all 51 City Council Members, calling on the City Council to vote against this plan.

• Colton, along with Community Leaders Jeanette Givant and Charles Ragusa, set up a task force to help raise awareness about the proposed waste transfer station and collected thousands of petition signatures to stop it.

• The Assemblyman organized a town hall meeting to discuss the plans with concerned residents.

• Assemblyman Colton testified at a Council Sanitation Hearing to oppose the Solid Waste plan and to present constructive proposals to it.

Assemblyman Colton and Quality of Life Committee President Lorraine Lapetina with new zoning map.

Too often we have seen historic and beautiful one and two family homes demolished and replaced with out-of-character developments, often high-priced condominiums. Such developments are counter to the low-rise character of the community and cause additional strain on our basic city services. Sanitation, police, fire and school facilities are not adequate to sustain so many dwellings. The condition of our sewer system has worsened over the course of years and over-development has contributed to its deterioration.

Although the down-zoning plan should be expanded to include parking requirements and to cover additional areas, Colton believes it is a good first step. The Assemblyman, working together with a community group, the Quality of Life Committee, has mobilized the community to implement a three-pronged approach to counter over-development:

• Create a Brooklyn Growth Management Task Force consisting of various city agencies to coordinate efforts to effectively scrutinize and slow down the proliferation of new building permits. A similar task force was formed in Staten Island and was able to come up with recommendations that required each new development to provide additional parking spaces.

• Demand the immediate hiring of additional building inspectors. It is outrageous that in a borough of over 2 million people, there are only approximately 15-20 building inspectors. The Mayor and City Council must provide additional resources to alleviate the lack of on-site building safety inspections.

• Increase penalties for violating the building code and for demolishing homes without proper permits. The Assemblyman is appalled that a developer who demolishes a home without a permit and endangers an entire neighborhood may receive only a $1,500 fine.