Barclays Center’s quality of life committee meetings with local groups began this week to go over how the recently opened venue has affected the surrounding neighborhood. DNAinfo reported that local residents voiced complaints about the amount of public urination happening around the arena — on sidewalks and in a community garden. It’s not just crude, they say, but there’s also the stench.
Even City Councilmembers Letitia James and Stephen Levin said their offices have received a number of complaints of public urination, specifically at South Portland Avenue and Pacific Street in the Fort Greene neighborhood, and along Third Avenue.
On opening night several weeks ago, a community garden tender named Michelle R. — she declined to give her last name to DNAinfo — said a patron nearly urinated on the garden’s blooms. “He was about to release himself on the bushes and I told him, ‘Hey, the plants!'” she said. “He was right by the rose bushes, poor babies, a few feet from the grape vines I planted this year.”
Barclays reps said they’re aware of the urination complaints and said they will take steps to remedy the situation. Ashley Cotton, the vice president of external affairs at Forest City Ratner, told DNAinfo that Pacific Street will get more lighting and local store employees will be told to keep their sidewalks clean.
“Lighting is just a deterrent to any kind of bad behavior,” Cotton told DNAinfo. “If we can remedy it, we’re certainly going to make all efforts.” [DNAinfo]