Sunset Park City Council Candidates Spar In Debate

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — Five candidates vying to represent Sunset Park and Red Hook on the New York City Council made their pitch to a room full of about 100 voters Wednesday night, days before next week's citywide primary elections.

The two-hour debate, hosted by the climate change and latino advocacy group UPROSE, was largely cordial; the few tense moments were mostly directed at incumbent Carlos Menchaca, who won the seat four years ago with an outside bid.

After Menchaca mentioned five new schools that he says were created under his watch, Attorney Delvis Valdes pointed out that none of the schools have opened yet.

"Not a single school has been opened under his watch," Valdes said. "We were in a crisis before he got into office. Four years, not a single school has been opened."

Menchaca pointed out that planning, building and opening a new school is not a short process.

"I invite you to the community conversation so you can see how we actually site the schools," he responded. "Some of these candidates are going to be uninformed about how schools are built."

State Assemblyman Felix Ortiz and former City Councilwoman Sara Gonzalez, who Menchaca unseated four years ago, touted their experience compared to the 36-year-old Menchaca.

"I have been here my entire life," Gonzalez said in her closing statements. "That is four generations of my family that have lived here and continued to live here. I believe that I understand exactly what this district needs. I’m the proven leader."

Ortiz said his office will have an open door.

"We need a city councilman that his office will be open from 9 to 5 p.m.," he said. "We need a city councilman who will provide services to the residents of the district. We need someone who will listen to the community."

Green Party candidate Carmen Hulbert was the only non-Democrat on the panel. Attorney Chris Miao was a no-show.

The candidates largely agreed on issues such as climate change, broken-windows policing and the need for more schools in the area. Immigration was also a focus with President Trump's recent decision to end the DACA program for the children of undocumented immigrants.

And they all spoke out against the BQX in forceful terms.

"A thousand percent, absolutely not," Valdes said when asked if he was for the plan backed by Mayor Bill de Blasio to run a street car from Queens to Sunset Park. "When and if I am elected, I would kill it upon arrival. It is the most idiotic idea I have ever heard coming out of someone’s policy mind."

Menchaca called the idea "innovative" but said it wouldn't work in New York City.

"I’m against the BQX and anything that drives gentrification and displacement in this community," he said.

The candidates also said they wouldn't support rezonings that would add condos or hotels to the Industry City development.

"I don’t support that," Gonzalez said. "I have a lot of respect for them, but I think there needs to be a lot of conversations behind closed doors. Not with cameras and the press." She added: "We need to be strong and firm and business-like, and we definitely need to have social skills to sit in the council and have that conversation."

Ortiz said, "I prefer to have meetings open to the public."

Menchaca said Industry City "has to show that there is benefit to this community in District 38 before we could even consider anything that is on its way as a possible change of their land use.

"That is what I’m committed to and that’s what I have been committed to. There will not be residential in any part of industry city, and I do not support the hotels that are being proposed."

In one light-hearted moment, the candidates were asked where they see themselves in 10 years. Gonzalez, Hulbert and Ortiz all mentioned serving on the city council, even though those positions are limited to two four-year terms.

After Menchaca correctly noted that his term would be up by then, Valdes said he would be out of the council by then. "I think I’m the only one who got the math right on that one," he said to some laughs.

Photo via Marc Torrence, Patch Staff