Politics & Government
Residents Protest Over Planned Pedestrian Plaza at Putnam Triangle
Makeover of busy intersection draws battle lines between two community organizations.
Not everyone is pleased with at Putnam Triangle in Clinton Hill.
On Saturday, a small yet passionate group of protestors rallied at the intersection in the hopes of heading off changes that include a new paint job, planters, tables and chairs, which opponents said are being pushed through with little to no public review.
"This is being forced upon us without any proper research," said Schellie Hagan, a member of the community group, Fulton Area Coming Together, and an organizer of the protest.
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Announced in February by the Fulton Area Business Alliance, the proposed changes would partly transform the busy intersection into a pedestrian plaza similar to one instituted in Times Square in 2009—with mixed results for pedestrians, drivers and adjacent businesses.
Despite those concerns, one of the neighborhood's biggest business boosters said that many stakeholders located near the proposed pedestrian plaza had lined up behind the plan.
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"The more foot traffic we bring to that corner of Fulton and Grand means more people shopping at delis, stores, going to the veterinary clinic," said Phillip Kellogg, manager of the Fulton Area Business Alliance, speaking of the intersection between Fulton Street and Grand and Putnam avenues.
However, members of group like FACT challenged that view, calling the use of $400,000 in city funds a waste of taxpayer money.
"This 'English country tea garden' is absurd. It's unneccesary. It's totally ridiculous," said Schellie's sister and fellow FACT member Patty Hagan.
Clinton Hill resident Paulette Durham, who joined approximately 25 others at Saturday's protest, also said she thought the project was a bad idea. "It's just going to attract undesirables," she said.
Fowler Square at Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue will also be totally redesigned as part of the project. Gates Triangle Park at Vanderbilt Avenue and “Seven Corners” between Fulton, S. Oxford Streets, and Greene Avenue will also be similarly renovated.
For more information on the plaza, check out FAB's plan layout here or check out the FACT blog.
