Greater New Haven Clergy Association
For Immediate Release: November 28, 2012
Contact: James W. Newman III, 203-606-6179, jamesnewman529@yahoo.com
Clergy Group Call for Community Benefits Agreement with Achievement First
The Greater New Haven Clergy Association calls for a fair and transparent process surrounding the purchase and development of the Martin Luther King School site on Dixwell Avenue. The following is a statement from the association in advance of the New Haven Board of Alderman’s Community Development Committee meeting scheduled for November 29, 2012.
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Achievement First gets prime property at a very good price, zoning variances for almost every aspect of the project that will forever change the character of the neighborhood, and in the end a very good profit for its shareholders.
The Mayor and Aldermen get some quick cash to try plug up the large deficit continuing to grow in its current budget.
What does the community and the neighbors of this new proposed school development get? We don’t know, since we haven’t been invited to the table, there hasn’t been any real public discussion, and whether or not a Community Benefits Agreement exists remains a mystery.
The Greater New Haven Clergy Association does not oppose the development and construction of a new school at the current Martin Luther King School site on Dixwell Avenue, or even the purchase of a public school by the private school company Achievement First.
What we do question is how such a development could occur with so many outstanding questions remaining. Probably one of the leading questions is where is the Community Benefits Agreement? This document would outline what the neighbors would receive to alleviate some of the inconveniences that will affect them as a result of this development. The City and Achievement First are requesting a number of exceptions to the current zoning rules for the area, including the size of the building (three stories), the number of parking spaces (reduced from 138 to 100), and signage for the school. Yet no one has bothered to ask for input from the neighbors on the streets surrounding the new proposed school.
A few of the questions we need answered are:
1. Who is participating in negotiating with Achievement First and the City for the Community Benefits Agreement and how were those participants chosen?
2. How many slots will be available for students from families in the community?
3. How will community use of the proposed sports field and community room be managed? Word has reached us that it is extremely difficult to use the community room at the Achievement First facility on Edgewood Avenue.
4. What percentage of jobs at the school (security, administrative and secretarial, custodial, cafeteria, etc.) will go to local residents? What is their current record on cultural diversity and local hiring?
5. What will happen to the voting district that has been at the current school for decades?
6. What is the appraised value of the property? The city sold the Dwight School Site, which is considerably smaller for $4.5 million, why is the MLK site being sold for $1.5 million?
7. Why would the Board of Aldermen even consider approving the sale without having the Zoning Board vote on all of the requested variances?
These are just a few questions we have without even engaging in a conversation with the developer, or having a community wide conversation. How difficult would it be for the City and Achievement First to convene a few community meetings to inform and engage the immediate neighbors of the school?
We are asking for a fair, transparent and open process so that when this school is built everyone is content that they have received a benefit from this development, including the neighbors in that community. This process would include:
1. Assembling a Community Benefits Agreement team that would include local residents and business owners as members.
2. Convening at least two community meetings to inform locals on the project and to take input.
3. Approve a sale of the property only after a Community Benefits Agreement has been negotiated and approved.
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