CARROLL GARDENS — Over 2,800 local residents voted this weekend for their favorite project in District 39’s participatory budgeting program and six winners have been chosen.
Carroll Gardens will see three of their neighborhood projects become a reality, including the renovation of P.S. 58’s eight “dirty, gloomy, noxious and unhealthy” bathrooms that the school publicized in a video.
Budgeted at $110,000, the school will soon have automated flushing mechanisms, paper towel rolls, new latches and lighting for the bathrooms used by its K-5 students.
The Carroll Gardens Library will be getting new computers at their branch as one of the chosen six projects.
Eight adult computers and six pre-K computers will be added to the library, budgeted at $75,000 and also includes the Windsor Terrace branch.
The pre-K computers are designed to help younger students with alphabet programs, musical rhymes and easy keyboard functions, and the adult computers will job searching and resume refining capabilities.
The neighborhood will also see a shade of green with 10 “enhanced tree pits” on Third Street between Bond Street and Third Avenue.
The pits include an underground chamber that holds water and enables the trees to thrive, said Bryony Romer, a budget delegate told DNAinfo.com New York last month.
“It’s really exciting for people to have an opportunity to weigh in,” said Romer, who said the project is budgeted at $170,000.
Last fall, the several local committees brainstormed over ideas and narrowed them down based on use, feasibility and expense, since each project has a $500,000 limit.
There were 24 projects on the ballot, including two pedestrian safety projects for Hicks Street and Hamilton Avenue. Residents of District 39 could vote on any five projects and the top favorites will be funded by $1 million of Lander’s discretionary budget for public improvements.
“After one of the more trying years in our city’s history, it would be easy to divide into factions and work against each other for funding for our corner of the city,” said Councilman Brad Lander, in a press release.
“But New Yorkers are showing a better way forward and are working together to make the tough decisions that make all of our communities stronger,” said Lander.
For a complete list of project winners, visit this website.
