The Federation of Italian American Organization (FIAO) is having their 6 story Community/Cultural Center constructed on 18th Avenue & Benson Avenue in Brooklyn, New York. This organization will have 2 parking lots, one which is an underground garage which has 37 parking spaces and is located on a one-way street adjacent to a private properties driveway. The other is in an on-street level parking lot which has47 parking spaces that was given to the FIAO from the Church. This church also rents out the property to the Chairman of the Community Board who also is the CEO and President for the Residence and School for Autistic Children. This on-street parking lot is located adjacent to the Residence for Autistic Children. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

This Community Cultural Center will be open from approximately 7AM to 10PM and later on the weekends/7 days a week. They will have social services, classrooms, recreation room, senior citizen center, swimming pool, gym, entertainment and banquet rooms, etc., etc.

This organization is encouraging people to drive to this community. You would think that this organization would not encourage people to drive here due to the environment impact it will have on this community. Especially since there is a bus stop right in front of this Center and there is a train station one block away.

The residents who live in this community will be forced to deal with more air and noise pollution because of this Center. As well as the long term toxic effects it will have on our health.

The Children from this Residence and School for Autistic Children already have been dealing with a lot. There is a lot of traffic on this block as well as a Motorcycle Repair Shop across the street from them. The owner of this shop constantly leaves motorcycles idling for long periods of time. On many occasions he and his friends have had motorcycle races back and forth on this one-way street pass the Children’s Residence and School. You would think that the CEO and President of this organization would be protecting these children and residents living here. Sadly, these children as well as the residents living here have not been protected and our complaints have not been resolved.

The fumes and the noise from these motorcycles is very serious and have made me ill, I often worry about what effects it has on these poor innocent children. I have spoken to the owner of the Motorcycle Repair Shop regarding the children and residents of this community. He told me it is my problem and if I don’t like the noise I should move to the suburbs. I have called 311 and the police many times regarding the noise and fumes from the motorcycles and this continue to be a problem.

I have even spoken to the Priest who is giving the FIAO the on-street parking spaces adjacent to the Residence for Autistic Children; needless to say the Priest did nothing.

The CEO and President for the Residence and School for Autistic Children seems to have his own agenda and it doesn’t seem like that includes those children or the residents living in this community. He is more concerned about his friends from the FIAO and any other affiliations he has. Needless to say that the FIAO is extremely connected and have Board Members on our Brooklyn Community Board past and presently, as well as they have Board members on many other Boards. One of their Board Members has worked for the Brooklyn Borough President’s Office and he presently is the President of the Chamber of Commerce, another of their Board Member works for the Department of Buildings, etc.

I have asked neighbors to get involved because they have made comments regarding issues stated above as well as other things going on in this community. Some of my neighbors have told me that even if they complain nothing will change. Sadly, I can agree with that. Some neighbors will not complain because they have told me they are afraid of these powerful people and they feel intimated.

All these people and organizations are extremely powerful and have no concerns for the residents living in this community. We the residents of this community have absolutely no rights and have no voice on what takes place where we live. Onlyone Public Official hase tried to assist us but wants to remain anononymous.

The Federation of Italian American Organization as well as our Brooklyn Community Board has members that are very politically connected and they do not care about us. I have contacted the Public Advocate, DOB, DOT, Mayor’s Office, Brooklyn Borough President’s Office, etc. and after these organizations heard the name of the organizations involved no one has tried to assist us.

In our community there is already much too much motorists’ traffic due to the number of businesses here. In a two (2) block radius of this Community/Cultural Center there is a Post Office, Library, Fire Station, 5 Churches, Lumber Yard, 2Motorcycle Repair Shops, 6Restaurants, Department Store, Medical Building, Medical Laboratory, Doctors’ Offices, 8 Auto Repair Shops, 2 Supermarkets, PlumbingSupply Store, Social Club, Home Decorating Center, Children's learning Center, etc., etc.Motorists circle our block many times or just sit and idle their engines until they see someone pulling out of a parking space.

When this building is completed the motorists and pedestrian traffic will increase. Due to all the traffic we will never have any peace. This Center will have very long hours and will take away from our any quality of life we could ever hope for. We will be forced to inhale theemissions from cars lining up next to our/and neighbors properties waiting to get into their underground or on-street level parking areas day and night.As well as the noise from these motorists honking the horns trying to get past the traffic light on the corner of this center.

The FIAO with the help of our Brooklyn Community Board 11 has taken away any enjoyment of our homes. They have put our community at risk for possible serious health problems due to the increase in traffic next to our homes. This will create more air and noise pollution. They have taken away our/and neighbors privacy by having their windows look directly into our homes. We/and neighbors won’t even be able to entertain in our own backyards because they can see directly into our backyards from their 5th floor balcony. Another possible problem will be the increase in pedestrian traffic which might be problematic due to people hanging out by our homes as well as possible littering. We already get our share of this.

This organization has all the rights and we have none. It is like Big Brother is in charge of the Residents of this Community. How can they call themselves a community organization? We have asked to have a meeting with them and they refused. They are very bad neighbors and we will be attached to them as long as we live in this community. We have no voice and no rights in our own community.

We should have the right to be healthy and free from the pollution they will be forcing us to inhale all day and night.We do live here, so where are our rights?

This Community/Cultural Center with the help of our Community Board has dictated what they want and this does not include helping the residents of this community. We are being forced to accept what they have created. We cannot change the fact that this building will be completed. But we would hope that maybe they could do something to help the residents living here to have a tiny bit of peace and that is to change the traffic pattern going to this center. As well as cut off the street going to this underground garage by putting up a barrier so motorists and pedestrian traffic would not be coming down our street where we live. The traffic pattern would include a cement circle which motorists would drive around to go in and out of Center. This would help with the traffic and the noise near our homes. Also, change the street to go to the on-street level parking lot so the children living in the Residence would not be as affected. Perhaps this will control some of the traffic coming down our local streets, also, possibly discourage trucks that use our street as a truck route. Perhaps this will give the residents in this community a tiny bit of peace and a possibly a say in all this.

I ask you to sign this petition because this could happen to you in your community. Just think that they have taken away your voice in what is taking place right next door to you. And on top of that they are poisoning your community by increasing the traffic and the noise.