Buildings Co. Exec Was Often Under Fire for Ratner Ties
BOROUGH HALL — It was rumored for weeks, and forecast in some blogs and news articles. But now it’s official.
Borough President Marty Markowitz has decided not to reappoint construction company executive Dolly Williams, whom he appointed to the City Planning Commission in 2002, to another term.
True, in his official statement, he praised the Trinidadian-born commissioner lavishly — “With three decades of experience in design, planning, and construction throughout the five boroughs, Dolly has a keen sense of how excellent planning and development support economic opportunity and help create vibrant neighborhoods.”
But the bottom line is that, in Markowitz’ words, “Dolly and I come to the joint decision that in this time of great growth and change in Brooklyn, when there are many voices seeking to be heard on land use matters, it would be best for a new appointee to assume the Planning Commission position.”
Members of the 13-member Planning Commission are responsible for voting on city zoning proposals. Williams, whose term ended June 30, is the co-founder of Brooklyn-based A. Williams Construction, and has been the small company’s CFO for 25 years.
She was often criticized in the press, even for a seemingly small matter as getting a ticket for her yellow Porsche being parked in front of a fire hydrant when she had her own private parking space nearby. But the main focus of the criticism against her, especially by such anti-Forest City Ratner Web sites as No Land Grab, had to do with her ties to Bruce Ratner and the Ratner-owned New York Nets.
In 2005, Williams had to recuse herself from any discussion on the City Planning Commission involving the Ratner’s Atlantic Yards project and the Ratner-owned New York Nets because she and her husband were found to have a more than $1 million investment in the basketball team. The Nets, as part the Atlantic Yards plan, would move to a new arena in the Yards’ “footprint” near the LIRR rail yards.
As each borough president only has one appointee on the 13-member City Planning Commission, Atlantic Yards opponents charged that Brooklyn had “no voice” if the important development plan comes before the commission.
More recently, her firm has been involved in a building dispute at an East Harlem mall that is being co-developed by the same Forest City Ratner.
According to the New York Post, just last month, at least five contractors employed by the Williams firm say she owes them amounts ranging from $150,000 to $2.3 million for work done on the mall. Williams said in a prepared statement that she was removed from work on the project, but blamed defective work by some of the subcontractors that was not correct in a timely manner.
Ms. Williams is scheduled to be honored by the Brooklyn Public Library at its annual gala next month, along with children’s book author Jacqueline Woodson and New York Times columnist Jane Brody.
Efforts to reach Williams yesterday for comment were not successful.
— Raanan Geberer
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
© Brooklyn Daily Eagle 2007
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