Manhattan Community Board 3 July 2025 Report
Local voices and the City Council are reimagining safety, art, and housing in CB3 neighborhoods
As always, the below summary of the Full Board Meeting is not complete but represents my best attempt to highlight key takeaways from the meeting. If you attended the meeting and believe I missed or misstated any important points, please comment below or reach out!
Find your community district and key information about it here.
Manhattan Community Board 3 July 2025 Full Board Meeting
Tuesday, July 22, 2025 - 6:30pm
Frederick P. Rose Auditorium
Meeting Highlights:
Multiple speakers, including local business owners and volunteers, voiced strong support for making Avenue B more pedestrian-friendly.
Over the weekend, two pedestrians were killed by a speeding car coming off Manhattan Bridge on Forsyth Street
Transportation Committee calls on NYPD to immediately end policy of criminal summons to cyclists for low-level traffic violations
Public Session
Volunteers from Avenue B Open Streets speaking in support of the Ave B proposed redesign - cars go much slower when the barricades are up, tend to speed down the avenue when they aren’t there
Making the avenue more permanently pedestrian-friendly would give us permanently slower cars driving through the neighborhood
Speaker from local business also spoke in support of the redesign - pedestrian-friendly streets are good for local businesses
One speaker requesting Open Streets to reduce volume of the music played during the event
Over the weekend, two pedestrians were killed by a speeding car coming off Manhattan Bridge on Forsyth Street - request for immediate action by DOT to install pedestrian barriers and take action to make Forsyth St safer
Continued complaints about the quality of audio in the virtual component of CB3 committee meetings
Attendees are also unable to virtually sign-up to speak, and virtual raised hands are often ignored or left until the very end of the meeting
Request for improved audio quality, improved process for participating virtually in meetings
Request for expanded loading and unloading times by JOCO bikes to facilitate use of last mile delivery services
Elected Officials Reports
Councilmember Carlina Rivera
Councilmember Rivera showed up in person for this meeting!
Attended a rally protesting Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill”, particularly around education cuts
State budget this year attempted to fill in gaps left by funding cuts from this bill
Including funding for increased immigration support services
Passed a bill to expand the city sidewalk program that places artwork on the sidewalk sheds
Working on a bill to expand eligibility for supportive housing (affordable housing for those that need additional services)
Working on a bill to change emergency services sirens to something more similar to the 2-tone sirens common in Europe
Big backpack giveaway on Sun, Aug 3 at 12 pm in Tompkins Square Park to celebrate the recently renovated park bathroom
Borough President Mark Levine’s Liaison
State budget included $112 million to preserve pre-K education and to provide access to free childcare
Also includes expansion of library services including 7-day service at 10 branches
$74.7 million for legal support for immigrants
All city employees as well as CB chairs and staff are required to complete a yearly sexual harassment training. There is an online offering of this training, but there have been numerous complaints that it is extremely difficult to access and navigate.
Mayor Eric Adams’ Liaison
New development - Ridge Street Apartments - on 135 Broome St is 100% affordable housing and will offer 190 studio/1-bedroom apartments
Construction will start later this year, building will open first quarter of 2028
District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Liaison
Grand Street Settlement is implementing a Gun Violence Prevention program
Art of Healing Festival is happening on Aug 2nd at 10th St and Ave D
Congressmember Dan Goldman’s Liaison
Introduced legislation called No Secret Police Act to ban ICE from wearing masks while doing immigration enforcement
Hosting a town hall on July 29th at Grand Street Settlement about Section 8 and Section 9 housing
Assemblymember Harvey Epstein
Assemblymember Epstein showed up in person for this meeting!
Opportunity to get reduced fare OMNY cards for seniors at events at Baruch Houses and Union Square coming up
Helped pass bill to notify about deaths that occurred in Department of Corrections custody on Riker’s Island
NYC has one of the highest rates of death in corrections facilities of anywhere in the country
Assemblymember Deborah Glick’s Liaison
State Senator Brian Kavanagh’s Liaison
Launched mobile office hours, first session Aug 5 at 195 Allen St
Councilmember Christopher Martre’s Liaison
Current administration’s DOT has not been responsive to Councilmember’s previous requests for changes to the Manhattan Bridge roadway
Committee Reports
Parks, Recreation, Waterfront, & Resiliency
Heard a presentation on the Baruch Bathhouse RFEI - preliminary presentation of ideas for the bathhouse
Parks is going to look at setting a new set of goals after receiving pushback from the committee on the decision to set up padel courts as part of the renovation
Health, Seniors, & Human Services / Youth, Education, & Human Rights
Resolution in support of Intro 1288-2025 to require a discount for seniors participating in the bike share program
Transportation, Public Safety, & Environment
Efforts underway to remediate the soil at Brownfield Site at 181 Avenue D, plan is to put affordable housing on the site after the cleanup
DOT piloting microhub and has proposed several locations in CB3
Committee calls on NYPD to immediately end policy of criminal summons to cyclists for low-level traffic violations